It’s time to modernise the National Medicines Policy

Australia’s 20-year-old National Medicines Policy has fallen behind a range of modern developments in healthcare and the time has come for a review.

How do we get kids to snack less?

A new study has found that offering children a wide variety and large quantities of snack food encourages them to eat more – and this practice may be contributing to Australia’s weight problem.

Tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance

Collaborations between government agencies, research institutions and the private sector are the most effective and timely way to address concerns over drug resistance and potential pandemics.

“Big sugar” and a lack of prevention fuel Australia’s oral health crisis

Dentistry which emphasises treatment over prevention and the malign influence of the sugar industry are contributing to Australia’s oral health crisis.

One more cup of coffee for the road

Coffee contains a complex mixture of bioactive ingredients, including substances such as caffeine and kahweol, but a new study finds no evidence that they affect people’s risk of getting cancer.

Some pharmacists are breaking therapeutic guidelines

A QUT study of the practices of more than 200 pharmacies in Brisbane has highlighted concerns that some are not adhering to therapeutic guidelines when distributing pharmaceuticals.

Global commission into mental illness offers blueprint for change

A taskforce of more than 30 international experts have released a report on the health inequities experienced by people with mental illness and offered recommendations to reduce social inequalities and personal distress.

Health minsters urged to resolve digital data issues

Regulatory barriers that limit timely access to population and health data must be resolved to achieve better health outcomes for Australians, according to leading scientists and medical health researchers.

Refining pill regimes in aged care

The government’s aged care royal commission has put the problems surrounding medication management and pill regimes for older people in the spotlight, but a new tool should help reduce the number of mistakes made with complex pill requirements.

Seagulls and superbugs

Seagulls on Australian beaches may be threatening more than your fish and chips, new research has revealed, as they can carry superbugs similar to those causing serious infections in hospitals and nursing homes.

Beware the medical paper tsunami

The recent discovery of medical patient information dumped on the side of the road in Brisbane has raised the issue of how hospitals and clinics manage their old paper records.

Value-based health care: how and why it can work in Australia

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association recently launched the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care to bring together educational and training opportunities, quality research, best-practice case studies and similar resources.