 | Bob Bowden |
Information and news from the Australian Self Medication Industry provided by Bob Bowden, Foresight Communications. Contact him on (02) 9241 2811 or 0412 753 298.He is supported by Filomena Maiese (ASMI Marketing & Business Development Director) and Michelle Sollitt-Davis (ASMI PR Manager). | |
About ASMI: The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI) is the peak industry body for the Australian self care industry representing consumer healthcare products including over-the-counter medicines and complementary medicines.
ASMI’s mission is to promote better health through responsible self-care.
This means ensuring that safe and effective self-care products are readily available to all Australians at a reasonable cost.
ASMI works to encourage responsible use by consumers and an increasing role for cost-effective self-medication products as part of the broad national health strategy. www.asmi.com.au
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18 March 2010
ASMI launches self care into cyberspace
The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI), the industry body representing non-prescription consumer healthcare products, today launched its social media initiative ‘Self Care for Australians’ aimed at educating consumers about the benefits of greater personal responsibility for health.
The initiative will include three elements, a blog, Facebook and Twitter, which will work jointly to promote the importance of self care - the steps that individuals, families and communities can take to improve their health and wellbeing through such things as diet, exercise, regular health check-ups, and appropriate self-medication.
ASMI Executive Director, Juliet Seifert said the move into social media was a first for ASMI, as the organisation looks to engage in more extensive discussion about the community-wide benefits of self care.
“There is a thirst for health knowledge within the community and people want to feel empowered to take control of their own health.
“We want to create a comprehensive collection of news and information to ensure that consumers have the knowledge and the tools to effectively and safely take greater personal responsibility for their health.
“In creating these social media outlets, we hope to build an online community in which the importance of self care can be shared.”
ASMI will be engaging outside experts across the health spectrum including pharmacists, GPs, policy makers, commentators, and allied health professionals to contribute their knowledge to the debate.
You can visit the sites here:
Blog: www.self-care.net.au [3]
Twitter: www.twitter.com/selfcare4aust [4]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Self-Care-for-Australians/444602165516?ref=ts [5]
17 March 2010
Industry and pharmacists call for minor ailments strategy to help ease doctor shortage
The non-prescription medicines industry today joined national pharmacy organizations to urge the Federal Government to do more to address GP shortages through a scheme that would see some minor ailments redirected to pharmacists.
The Executive Director of the Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI), Juliet Seifert said that the Government’s announcement of additional GP training places was very welcome, but would not see more doctors actually available for a number of years.
The GP shortage could be addressed in a more timely way through a program that encourages patients with minor ailments to visit their pharmacist as a first port of call. It is supported by the peak professional organizations representing pharmacists.
Kos Sclavos, National President of the Pharmacy Guild: “ASMI is right. At a time when the Government is intent on getting maximum value for the dollars taxpayers put into the health system, it makes sense to utilise the skills and knowledge of Australia’s most accessible health professionals in 5,000 community pharmacies.”
Warwick Plunkett, National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Australia said: “The treatment of minor ailments in pharmacies provides better health outcomes for patients and frees up GPs’ time to treat more serious illnesses and complaints.
“Pharmacists have the expertise and accessibility to treat minor ailments and are highly trained so they know when a patient should be referred to their doctor. It is estimated that GPs in Australia face 25 million consultations annually for minor ailments and directing many of these ailments to community pharmacists will enable GPs to focus more on serious ailments.”
Recent work undertaken by ASMI shows that the GP resources devoted to coughs, colds and other minor ailments could free-up the equivalent of 1,000 full time GPs to treat more serious health problems.[i] [6]
“A program of self care in pharmacies could make serious inroads into the current shortage of GPs across the country and could produce results in a relatively short period of time,” Ms Seifert said.
“There is also some $260 million in ‘waste and resource misallocation’ as a result of Medicare benefits associated with GP treatment of minor ailments,” she said.
The study was based on only the ten most frequently treated minor ailments which account for 58% of all GP attendances attracting Medicare benefit for minor ailments, and which represented some 15 million GP consultations.
“In the face of a severe national shortage of GPs, it makes sense to look at what people can do to take greater personal responsibility for their health through improved diet, exercise and self care of minor ailments.
“By moving some of the most common minor ailments away from overstretched GPs and into pharmacies, we would enable GPs to concentrate on more urgent primary care needs”.
The most common minor ailments identified in the study were acute upper respiratory tract infection, back pain, diarrohea and gastroenteritis, joint pain, coughs, viral infection, malaise and fatigue, headache and constipation. Approximately half of all patients presenting at a GP for the 10 most frequently treated minor ailments were also treated with a prescription.
“Additional GP places are much-needed but we also need to look at how we can address the unsustainable demand for health services that threatens to outstrip future GP capacity, and overrun health budgets,” Ms Seifert said.
[1] Gadiel D L. The Potential Economic Impact of Expanded Access to Self-medication in Australia, for the Australian Self-Medication Industry, www.asmi.com.au [7] August 2009
10 March 2010
Over-the-counter NSAIDS a safe and effective remedy for pain and inflammation
The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI) today reassured patients that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NDAIDs) continue to play an important role in short term pain relief for the majority of consumers.
The Deputy Executive Director of ASMI, Dr Deon Schoombie was responding to media reports quoting The Gut Foundation as raising questions about the use of NSAIDs by people with a history of stomach or kidney disorders or heart problems.
Dr Schoombie said that NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, are available without a prescription at low doses for short-term use in self-limiting conditions. They are safe and effective for the temporary relief of pain and inflammation.
“NSAIDs are available as non-prescription medicines world-wide and have a long history of safe use. These products are safe when used as directed, but like any medicine they can cause problems when used incorrectly, or by people with certain conditions or taking specific medicines”, he said.
Over-the-counter (OTC) labels on NSAIDs provide warning statements, including that they not be taken by patients over the age of 65 or those with stomach, kidney or heart problems, without first talking to a health professional. The labels also advise that people who are taking other medications regularly for other conditions should first obtain the advice of their healthcare professional.
“NSAIDs available over-the-counter without a prescription are all labeled with warning statements and dosage instructions regarding their purpose and appropriate use. It is important to read labels carefully, and to strictly follow all the directions and, if the pain or other symptoms persist, to consult a doctor or pharmacist,” Dr Schoombie said.