COVID-19

A “perfect storm” of events descended on pharmacists in Australia before Christmas and so far there’s been no let-up, says Brisbane pharmacist Chris Campbell, who is also the Pharmaceutical Society Australia’s general manager policy and engagement.

Aotearoa's shift to red in the traffic light system a week after the launch of the paediatric COVID-19 vaccination rollout fuelled a boom in demand for booster shots in conjunction with an onslaught of children requiring their first.

With Aotearoa at red in the traffic light settings in a bid to keep Omicron at bay, stockpilers have returned in droves and cleared entire supermarkets and pharmacies of their pain-relief stock.

Many in the pharmacy sector are looking to automation to ease their workforce woes, as the pandemic drags on and the reality of becoming short-staffed at a moment’s notice comes too close for comfort.

The Auckland Pharmacy Students’ Association has launched a non-academic peer mentoring programme for students at the University of Auckland’s School of Pharmacy.

The findings of a damning report by Pharmac, which highlights significant medicine access inequities, are “concerning but not surprising”, says the agency’s chief medical officer David Hughes.

Vaccination of large populations against COVID-19 has provided a plethora of data on vaccine side effects. Amanda Oakley, a dermatologist in Waikato, discusses a range of adverse events reported, including cutaneous reactions

Consumer health website Health Navigator is rolling out a series of animated videos to help people look after themselves and others with COVID-19 

Whilst Omicron has arrived on New Zealand’s doorstep, Hamilton locals are flocking to vaccination centres across the city to get their third dose

Pharmacists are fuming they cannot order N95 masks from the Ministry of Health’s central supply of personal protective equipment, when GPs can