Australia prescribing

Prescribing practice is the least widely regulated activity. It is regulated in six of the 10 countries, namely Australia, Cuba, Estonia, Malaysia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. 

The cross-national prescribing database using the same methodology provided a useful and valid comparison of patterns of prescribing psychotropic medications in mental health services in Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia (Ng et al, submitted). The study was carried out in three outpatient mental health centres in North Western Mental Health (NWMH) in Melbourne (September to November 2002), Prince of Songkla University Hospital in Hat Yai (January to March 2003), and Hospital Kuala Lumpur (January to March 2003). The proportions of outpatients treated with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic illness were 91%, 41%, and 75% in the Australian, Thai, and Malaysian samples respectively. Considering psychotropic prescriptions in schizophrenia alone, the majority of patients were prescribed antipsychotics Australia (93.7%), Thailand (92.9%), and Malaysia (97.7%). 

The overall mean chlorpromazine-equivalents per day (CPZe) dose prescribed differed significantly, with lower dosing in Thailand compared with Malaysia and Australia (p < 0.001) (see Table 11.4). Pairwise comparisons revealed that the mean typical antipsychotic dose was significantly higher in Malaysia compared with Thailand (p < 0.001) and NWMH (p < 0.001). There were significant differences observed (p < 0.001) while comparisons of the mean atypical antipsychotic dose showed that Australia was significantly higher compared with Thailand (p < 0.001) and Malaysia (p < 0.001). 

In Australia there have been discussions as to how to make evidential breathalyzer measurements traceable to national or international standards. The amount of ethanol in a motorist is required by law to be less than a prescribed concentration, for many countries between 0.0 and 0.08 g per 100 mL blood. Recently there has been a move to change legislation to a limit of a given mass per 210 L of breath to avoid arguments about the blood/breath partition coefficient. As with any forensic measurement, metrological trace-ability is a key component of a successful prosecution. At present police buy standard solutions of ethanol in water from certifying authorities, with... 

McNeece J. Interactions between grape fruit juice and some drugs available in Australia. Aust Prescriber 2002 25 37. 

The Lyon Diet Heart Study gave us the first solid proof of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in reducing heart disease. French researchers compared that diet, rich in olive oil, nuts, olives, avocados, and seafood, with the kind of diet typically prescribed by cardiologists in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere, which cut way back on fat, while replacing the fat calories with carbohydrates. The subjects were patients who had suffered heart attacks within the past six months. 

Information available to healthcare professionals Promotional material must be accessible to healthcare professionals only via a secure system that is designed to prevent access by members of the general public. Companies must take all reasonable steps to ensure that these information sources are appropriate and will enhance the appropriate prescribing, dispensing and usage of medicines in Australia. Any promotional material provided to healthcare professionals via the internet must comply with the requirements for other promotional items. 

A 27-year-old woman who had been taking huspirone 30 mg daily for over one month started to take St John s wort Hypericum 2000 Plus, Herb Valley, Australia) three tablets daily. After 2 months she complained of nervousness, aggression, hyperactivity, insomnia, confusion and disorientation, which was attributed to the serotonin syndrome. The St John s wort was stopped, the huspirone was increased to 50 mg daily and her symptoms resolved over a week. A 42-year-old woman who was taking fluoxetine 20 mg twice daily and huspirone 15 mg twice daily started to develop symptoms of anxiety, with episodes of over-sleeping and memory deficits. It was discovered that she had been self-medicating with St John s wort, ginkgQ biloba and melatonin. She was asked to stop the non-prescribed medication and her symptoms resolved. ... 

Spinosyns have also been found to control insect vectors [16, 17]. They have been shown to be effective in preventing breeding of mosquitoes in plastic containers at low concentrations for up to eight weeks [18], and have also been reported to control tsetse fly [19]. Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of spinosyns for use in control of parasitic pests in humans and other mammals. Spinosad is currently used for control of blowfly and lice in sheep in Australia [20], and also has been reported to control both ticks and fleas in cattle [21] and in companion animals [22]. It is also currently prescribed in use in humans for control of head lice [23]. 

The safety case regime of the United Kingdom and Australia is lypieal of the midpoint of the dimension whereby a process (risk assessment) is specified by which the goal of risk control is to be met, and acceptable methods of risk analysis are prescribed, but it is then left to the regulated company to convince the regulator of the way it is led to control risk by that risk assessment process. Further guidance is in the form of codes which have the status of acceptable translations of the goals, but leave the choice open to the company to comply in other ways. 

The primary actions of reserpine alkaloids are caused by inhibition of noradrenaline and depletion of amines in the central nervous system. While the hypotensive effects have a slow onset their duration is long, and the effective dose is sufficiently low to limit any side effects. It was previously used as a tranquilliser however, the much higher doses required often resulted in depression and Parkinson disease-like symptoms (Huang 1993). As a result Rauwolfia has become a restricted herb in Australia and has no place in current herbal prescribing. 

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