Are you aware of Lynch Syndrome? – Worldwide Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day
Today is Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day. For those who haven’t heard of the condition, Lynch syndrome, previously known as HNPCC, is an inherited genetic mutation. It gives people an increased chance of developing certain cancers across their lifetime, often at a younger age than the general population, i.e., before 50 years of age. The most…
Women encouraged to check their heart health
The classical image of a heart attack is that of a man battling to breathe, crippled in pain. However new research published in British Medical Journal, Heart, on March 1, 2017, reveals Australian women are less likely to be screened for heart disease than men. The new research, entitled, Gender inequalities in cardiovascular risk factor…
Thousands of Pharmacists Gather in Queensland for Annual Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference
Today marks the start of the annual Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference (APP 2017) where thousands for pharmacy and healthcare professionals are gathering to discuss the latest developments in the health industry. Top international speakers include Alistair Bursey, owner-pharmacist and Chair of the Board of Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPHA); and Graeme Blanchard, President of the…
APP gearing up to announce Guild Pharmacy of the Year for 2017
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is gearing up for their national conference, set for March 9-12, 2017 on the Gold Coast. With more than 70 presentations from local and international speakers, the conference is the major highlight of the annual Australian pharmacy calendar. Federal Health Minister, The Hon. Greg Hunt MP will deliver the conference…
New advisory council for Medicines Australia – March 6, 2017
Medicines Australia (MA) has today (March 6, 2017) announced the appointment of 10 members to its new advisory council. Dr Anna Lavelle will act as MA Chair, and will be joined by ex-Chief Scientist of Australia, Professor Ian Chubb AC, Dr Jeff Harmer who has held many senior roles in various Commonwealth departments, and a…
Australian research lab training supercomputer to identify eye abnormalities
Advancements in assistive image analytics and deep learning technology could in the future help doctors in the fight against preventable blindness. The Melbourne based IBM researchers have trained a research version of Watson (their latest computing system) to recognise abnormalities in retina images. According to the researchers, this could be developed to offer doctors…
New hep C treatments make disease elimination a possibility by 2026 in Australia
Australia is on track to achieve hepatitis C (hep C) elimination within 10 years, having treated more than 30,000 people in 2016.1 This is according to a new report1, released today (February 21, 2017), which coincides with the availability of the latest hep C treatment, ZEPATIER® (elbasvir/grazoprevir), on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).2 The…
Misplaced parental consent forms compromising teen vaccination coverage
Parental consent forms are critical to adolescent vaccination in schools. Up to one in three teens are missing out on National Immunisation Program (NIP) funded vaccinations due to parental consent forms being lost, or not returned to schools. The NIP is an immunisation schedule, with funding for recommended vaccines for all ages. Each State has…
State government announces free meningococcal vaccine for NSW teens
Following substantial pressure from the lobby group, Meningococcal Australia, the NSW Government has today (February 6, 2017) announced that they will roll out a free meningococcal vaccine to all at-risk students aged 17-18 State-wide Last month, the Federal Government announced the coordination of a national response to the disease, after a noticeable increase in the…
Australian of the Year 2017: Professor Alan Mackay-Sim proves the old adage ‘curiosity is king’
Renowned physicist, Frederick Seitz, astutely said, “A good scientist is a person in whom the childhood quality of perennial curiosity lingers on. Once he gets an answer, he has other questions.” For Queensland stem cell researcher, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, curiosity reigns as king. On Australia Day-eve, Prof Mackay-Sim received the 2017 Australian of the Year…