Way back in 1997 I first came into contact with the Practical Pharmacy newsletter. The October -December issue was titled “Drug Information for Health Workers: Giving Out Medications”. The next I heard of it was in 2008 with the new title “Practical Pharmacy for Developing Countries” with an issue focusing on Tuberculosis.
Then nothing. I wondered what happened to it. I had forgotten who produced it. However the latest edition, Practical Pharmacy - Antiseptics and Disinfectants (326) (1MB PDF) arrived in my email today and I thought I should give it a plug.
Hopefully it will be a quarterly publication produced by Health Action International Africa and a number of partners. Fifteen issues were produced between 1996 and 2000 with a circulation of 4000. Unfortunately they could not keep publishing the newsletter and it lay dormant until 1996.
… years have passed since the last edition of Practical Pharmacy. However, the needs it addressed still exist. Many health workers in developing countries still have no specific training in pharmacy and have no information to help them in their day to day work. They need tools and resources to help them manage medicine supplies, to prescribe medicines appropriately and to help their patients understand how to use medicines appropriately.
More than half of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and half of all patients fail to take them correctly. The over-use, under-use or misuse of medicines results in wastage of scarce resources, especially in developing countries. In addition, using medicines improperly increases the risk of people falling sick and dying of illness, as well as resistance of disease-causing microbes to available treatments.
Early editions focused on the basic but essential skills for medicine management in a remote or under resourced health centre setting such as storage and stock control of medications. Newer editions will have a more patient centred focus. You can subscribe by emailing practicalpharmacy@gmail.com
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Urinary alkalinisers are used to relieve the discomfort associated with urinary tract infections, help treat certain types of renal stones, or may be used in the specialist setting to treat some metabolic and renal disorders.
The E-Bulletin contains a table of some of the drugs that may interact (some quite dramatically) with urinary alkalinisers.
I think this initially came from Congress, an Aboriginal Health Service in Alice Springs. However no one there claims it. Please contact me if you know who made it.
Simple drug education involving local kids covered in sheets of material. I’d like to try a version of this (and perhaps other health information) involving local people and performed in ‘language’. I think it would work best with the kids in front of the camera at the start or the end of the video so community members watching the video recognise the participants. And the participants can show their family and explain it to them.
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Methylnaltrexone is a peripherally acting mu (μ) opioid-receptor antagonist, predominantly active in the gastrointestinal tract, marketed in Australia as Relistor®. It does not cross the blood-brain barrier, or interact significantly with the delta or kappa opioid receptors.
Methylnaltrexone is indicated for use in opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness who are receiving palliative care, when response to laxative therapy has not been sufficient. It is available only as a subcutaneous injection to be given when the patient has not experienced a bowel motion for at least 3 days.
There is no doubt that methylnaltrexone is effective at reversing opioid-induced constipation. Rapid onset of a bowel movement may occur within 30 minutes of a dose, therefore patients should remain close to toileting facilities.
ITV cut this from the Jonathon Ross Show that was on a couple of days before Christmas.Wowsers.Read my other blog at BitingTheDust Permalink | Leave a comment » […]
Not as organised as the Barefoot college in Africa there are a number of entrepreneurs making more with less. Take a look at the Afrigadget site Then come and take a look at my Remote, Indigenous and Health blog over at BitingTheDust Permalink | Leave a comment » […]
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Disclamer
All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employers. The information provided here is of a general nature only and is not intended to provide pharmaceutical or medical advice or even advice about living bush.
In other words: If you travel bush make sure you seek advice and are prepared. If you are sick, don't be a nong and rely on information in the blog but see a health professional for assistance
