What were the top 10 drugs prescribed in Australia, and their costs to government? And how have they changed from last year?

E41 – Top 10 drugs 2017–18

The Australian Prescriber Podcast provides a regular dive into some of the many great articles that Australian Prescriber publishes every two months. In each episode, our host will chat with one of the authors from a recent issue of Australian Prescriber.

Medicine

Science & Medicine

Health & Fitness

David Liew talks to gastroenterologist Varan Perananthan about his article on diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). Varan explains the causes and symptoms of EoE, why the prevalence has been increasing, and how to differentiate EoE from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Also discussed are dietary approaches for identifying food triggers and pharmacological treatments for EoE. Read the full article by Varan and his co-author, Rebecca Burgell, in Australian Prescriber.

E164 - Diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis

Laura Beaton talks to Leonie Callaway, Obstetric and General Physician and Director of Research at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, about her article on the management of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. Leonie talks about maternal and fetal complications and the importance of high-quality preconception care, factors that can affect glucose control and the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring, and postpartum care. Read the  full article by Leonie and her co-author Fiona Britten in Australia Prescriber.

E163 - Managing pre-existing diabetes prior to and during pregnancy

 Laura Beaton speaks to Karen Magraith, GP and immediate-past president of the Australasian Menopause Society, about treatments for menopausal symptoms. They discuss the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and how to choose the most suitable preparation, as well as duration of therapy and nonhormonal treatment options for those with contraindications to MHT. Read the  full article by Karen and her co-author, Christina Jang, in Australian Prescriber.

E162 - Management of menopause symptoms

Dhineli Perera sits down with Adam Nelson to discuss updates in the management of hypercholesterolaemia. Adam explains how triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol differ in their links to cardiovascular disease. He provides useful tips for checking a lipid profile and highlights other tests that may be helpful when assessing a patient with hypercholesterolaemia. Adam also explains the latest in treatments for reducing LDL cholesterol concentrations and what this means for the role of statins. Read the full article by Adam Nelson and Stephen Nicholls in Australian Prescriber.

E161 - Managing hypercholesterolaemia

Jo Cheah chats with clinical pharmacologist Richard Day about off-label prescribing. Ric explains why off-label prescribing occurs, the barriers to getting new indications added to a drug’s approved label, and the potential risks of off-label prescribing without sufficient evidence. Read the  full article by Richard Day in Australian Prescriber.

E41 – Top 10 drugs 2017–18

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