Actavis To Exit Oz Generics: Cancer Prone Skin
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Thursday 26 Mar 2015
Bradycardia drug
interaction
THE US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has warned
that symptomatic bradycardia can
occur when amiodarone is taken
with either the hepatitis C drug
Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) or
with Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) together
with another direct acting antiviral
hepatitis C treatment.
Information about this risk had
been included in the drug labels for
Harvoni and Sovaldi, the FDA said,
and it recommended healthcare
porfessionals not prescribe either
combined with another direct
acting antiviral.
A spokesperson for the
Therapeutic Goods Administration
(TGA) said the organisation was
aware of the information from
Gilead Sciences about the potential
for bradycardia to occur in patients
on concurrent amioderone and
Harvoni, which was not currently
registered in Australia, or Solvadi.
The TGA would review the
information to ascertain whether
action was required, the
spokesperson said.
CLICK HERE to read the FDA alert.
find out more
PHARMACYDAILY.COM.AU
Actavis to exit Oz generics
ACTAVIS has confirmed it will exit
the Australian generics business, as
part of the acquisition of Allergan
Australia and New Zealand.
However the company has said it
will not give the specific job losses
or cost reductions.
In the first year of combination,
the company said it was making
about $1.8b in savings.
The combined company intended
to treat departing employees with
respect and fairness, it said.
It would continue to supply
the Australian market through
current distribution channels while
alternatives were looked at, but
that there would be no change to
the NZ market, Actavis said.
Arzerra PBS listed
ARZERRA (ofatumumab) in
combination with chlorambucil will
be listed on the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme as of 01 Apr for
patients with chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia who have not received
prior therapy and are inappropriate
for fludarabine-based therapy,
GlaxoSmithKline has said.
This week Pharmacy Daily and Audiclean are giving readers the chance to
win an Ear Cleansing Wash (RRP $17.95), Ear Wax Remover (RRP $10.95) and
Ear Swimmers Ear (RRP $12.95).
Audiclean is a range of effective and easy to use ear care
products meant to prevent and treat ear discomfort. Ear
Cleansing Wash and Ear Wax Remover are 100%
natural solutions to prevent and treat wax build-up. The
Swimmers ear formula dries excess water in the
ear and inhibits bacteria growth.
To win, be the first person from SA or NT to send
the correct answer to the following question to:
[email protected]
How does Audiclean Swimmers Ear spray work?
Congratulations to yesterdays winner, Donna Delgado
from Jardines Chemmart Pharmacy.
The company did not respond to
a query about how long this switch
would take.
It would seek shareholder
approval to change the combined
company name to Allergan in
May or June, with a head office in
Sydney and headed by Allergan ANZ
vice president and md Glen Curran
in the ANZ markets, it said.
A PD reader said when the
Melbourne office closed last year,
there were 20 redundancies.
At the time of the restructure
announcement, Actavis ANZ vice
president Ron van der Pluijm said
positions in Melbourne would be
relocated to Sydney for employees
who wished to relocate (PD 02
May).
A CHS spokesperson said the
company had an ongoing contract
with Actavis and was aware of
possible changes, but could not
comment further.
Allergan said globally it would
invest about $1.7b in R&D this year.
PSA position on OTC
codeine analgesics
THE Pharmaceutical Society
of Australia (PSA) has released a
position statement on minimising
potential harm from inappropriate
use of OTC codeine-containing
analgesics, which has re-iterated
its call for a national real time
recording of controlled drugs
system (PD 17 Jul 14).
The PSA said it was concerned
with the rising levels of harm
from inappropriate use of OTC
codeine-containing analgesics and
encouraged pharmacists to record
all sales of S3 medicines in the
dispensing system regardless of
state requirements.
CLICK HERE to read the
statement.
PSA NSW Intern of
the Year
THE Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia (PSA) has announced
intern Laura Norman from
Gunnedah as the PSA MIMS
Australia NSW Intern of the Year
for 2014.
Sun seals merger deal
SUN Pharmaceutical Industries
has now begun the integration of
Ranbaxys business into the broader
organisation following the closure
of the merger first announced in
April (PD 10 Apr 14).
The merger places Sun as the
largest Indian pharmaceutical
company, the company said.
Chemist Warehouse
Federal judgement
THE Federal Court of Australia has
recommended that the application
by Mario Verrocchi and Jack Gance,
trading as Chemist Warehouse,
against Direct Chemist Outlet (DCO)
and Ian Tauman be dismissed.
The application had been made
that DCO had intentionally caused
and was likely to cause confusion
with customers as to the identity
of the pharmacies as a result of
not adequately distinguishing
themselves from Chemist
Warehouse in terms of visual
attributes of marketing, namely the
appearance of stores, catalogues
and website.
Judge J. Middleton further
ordered that both parties confer
to file and serve a joint minute of
orders that reflects the judgement
reasons by 27 Mar, or in the
case of disagreement, serve a
separate minute of order with
substantiation.
CLICK HERE for the Reasons for
Judgement.
HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS BREAK FREE FROM THE SYMPTOMS
OF MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED IBS
Ethical Nutrients IBS Support contains the extensively researched and exclusive probiotic strain,
Lactobacillus plantarum (299v) which may help reduce the symptoms of IBS including:
Pain
Constipation Diarrhoea
Bloating Gas
Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.
Pharmacy Daily Thursday 26th March 2015
t 1300 799 220
w www.pharmacydaily.com.au
page 1
The Professional Pharmacy Group Alternative
Thursday 26 Mar 2015
Travel Specials
Accors Stay Three Pay Two
sale
STARTING 24 Mar and running
until 14 Apr, Accors more than
1,400 hotels, including the 130
in Australia, are offering a third
night free of charge in a Stay
Three Pay Two promotion.
Rates start at $69 per night at
Ibis Styles, Cairns, $86 per night
at Ibis Adelaide and $126 per
night for Pullman on the Park
while the Sebel Resort in Noosa
starts at $199 (all rates averaged
over the three nights).
Accors brands include Sofitel,
Pullman, MGallery, The Sebel
Apartments, Novotel, Mercure
and Ibis and are all included in
the sale.
To book, go to
www.accorhotels.com.
Maalifushi by COMO offers
THE Maalifushi by COMO is
offering a number of specials for
guests staying between March
and December.
Staying three nights will get
guests another, complimentary,
night while staying five nights will
get guests two free nights.
Guests booking at least 30 days
in advance will receive 5% off
their stay.
To book, CLICK HERE.
LEARN MORE
PHARMACYDAILY.COM.AU
E-cig insufficient evidence
THE National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) ceo has
said there is insufficient evidence as
to whether e-cigarettes benefited
smokers in quitting.
In a statement developed in
consultation with Chief Health
Officers from states and territories,
Professor Warwick Anderson
also said there was not enough
evidence as to the extent of
e-cigarettes potential harms.
It is recommended that health
authorities act to minimise harm
until evidence of safety, quality and
efficacy can be produced.
The NHMRC said the statement
was developed in response to a rise
in use of e-cigarettes in Australia
and their marketing as a method
to help smokers quit, with further
research needed to assess their
safety, quality and efficacy.
The statement follows the recent
World Conference on Tobacco
6CPA update
THE Pharmacy Guild has said it
is continuing negotiations with the
Federal government on the Sixth
Community Pharmacy Agreement
(6CPA).
Writing in forefront, executive
director David Quilty said the
Guild had told government the
negotiations needed to be finished
and a new Agreement signed as
quickly as possible.
CLICK HERE to read more.
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Postal address: PO Box 1010, Epping, NSW 1710 Australia
Street address: 4/41 Rawson St, Epping NSW 2121 Australia
P: 1300 799 220 (+61 2 8007 6760) F: 1300 799 221 (+61 2 8007 6769)
or Health, where a panel on
e-cigarettes agreed that more
research into potential harms
and health benefits was urgently
needed and that marketing to
children should be banned, which
the Heart Foundation said it had
been actively campaigning for.
A spokesperson for the
Therapeutic Goods Administration
has said e-cigarettes and cartridges
had not been evaluated by the TGA
as safe or effective (PD 01 May 14).
The Federal Department of Health
has a tender for the preparation
of a discussion paper on options
for Australian governments to
minimise the risks associated with
the marketing of electronic nicotine
delivery systems, or e-cigarettes
(PD 08 Dec 14).
$15m for lab to
product research
THE Minister for Health has
announced $123.5m for medical
research grants, including $15m
to take 26 projects from the
laboratory to commercial products.
More than 100 researchers and
projects would receive funding
through the National Health and
Medical Research Council grants,
with 30% of the 241 National
Health Priority Area funded grants
for cancer research, 25% for
cardiovascular disease and 20% for
diabetes.
DISPENSARY
CORNER
TO SLEEP, perchance to dream.
If youre dispensing a whole
heap of sleeping tablets, be aware
- apparently, more than eight
hours sleep has been associated
with a 46% increased risk of
stroke in a meta-analysis recently
published in Neurology and first
reported by The Conversation.
Brief sleep times of less than
six hours were also associated
with an increased risk of 19%,
suggesting that six to eight hours
is the sweet spot regardless of
how well one sleeps.
CLICK HERE for the study.
DANCE in time, grandma!
If youve been telling your
elderly customers about the
benefits of exercise, make sure
you warn them that in China,
theyll have to dance one of 12
government approved routines.
Apparently, dancing in public
squares is popular in the nation,
particularly among older women,
but after complaints from
residents about the loud music,
the government has decreed that
any groups wanting to get their
groove on in public will have to
conform to national standards
and regulations conceived by
an expert panel, with 600
instructors trained, BBC News
reports.
Publisher: Bruce Piper
Editor: Alex Walls [email protected]
Reporter: Mal Smith
Advertising and Marketing: Magda Herdzik [email protected]
Business Manager: Jenny Piper [email protected]
Part of the Travel Daily group of publications.
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Pharmacy Daily is a publication of Pharmacy Daily Pty Ltd ABN 97 124 094 604. All content fully protected by copyright. Please obtain written permission to reproduce any material. While every care has been taken in the preparation of
the newsletter no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Bruce Piper.
