Resource library

This report by the University of Sydney School of Pharmacy informed the development of the National standard for labelling dispensed medicines. The report summarises qualitative user testing of prototype labels with consumers in Australia. Subsequent stakeholder consultations were undertaken to finalise the Standard. 

Safe and high-quality care for patients with cognitive impairment or at risk of delirium in acute health services

In 2019, Professor Lynne Emmerton led the review of name similarity for:

• Monoclonal antibodies (MABs) (commonly ending in the suffix ‘mab’)
• Tyrosine kinase (factor) inhibitors (TKIs) (commonly ending in the suffix ‘nib’).

This included the theoretical risk of confusion within these classes of medicines in clinical practice, including the similarity in clinical indication, with a view to producing a specialised list of medicines. The results of this review can be found in this publication.

This alert provides more information in regard to concentrated intravenous potassium chloride. Inappropriate injection of undiluted intravenous potassium chloride has been implicated in fatalities in Australia and overseas.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Hospital Medication Chart (PBS HMC) enables the prescribing, administering, supply and claiming of eligible PBS and non-PBS medicines without the need to issue a separate prescription.

A safety statement recommending that established metered dose inhalers are prescribed and communicated by the metered dose.

Consultation on this discussion paper closed 5 July 2019.

This report outline the findings and recommendations from the National Standard Medication Chart (NSMC) national audit conducted in 2018.

The purpose of this report is to outline the processes used by the Commission to obtain feedback from the primary health care sector and a summary of the feedback that was received.

This infographic is targeted at reducing inappropriate use of antipsychotics. It summarises why this is such an important issue for people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) across multiple healthcare settings.

Adoption and utilisation of SNOMED CT-AU and AMT: Safe use of medicines – allergies and adverse drug reactions

Delirium is an acute disturbance of consciousness, attention and cognition that tends to fluctuate during the course of the day.

This evaluation report summarises Phase 1 of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Hospital Medication Chart (PBS HMC) Project. 

The Summary sheet includes: 

• Principles for safe, clear and consistent terminology for medicines
• List of safe terms, abbreviations and dose designations for medicines

Dementia causes progressive cognitive impairment, affecting memory, judgement, language and everyday tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

This document is a revision of the Recommendations for Terminology, Abbreviations and Symbols used in the Prescribing and Administration of Medicines (2011). The revision is based on reported adverse events and international trends in error-prone abbreviations. This document aligns with information outlined in the National guidelines for the on-screen display of clinical medicines information.