Pharmacology

Statin therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease can be risky

Debasish Ghosh MB BS · Philippa M McGann BPharm · Timothy J Furlong PhD, FRACP · Richard O Day MD, FRACP

Improving use of antimicrobials in Australia requires change in doctors’ practice and PBS arrangements

Angus J Thompson BPharm(Hons), MSc, CGP · Ivan Bindoff BComp(Hons), PhD · Andrew C Stafford BPharm(Hons), PhD, AACPA

The ABC’s Catalyst program criticising statins affected people’s willingness to take these important drugs

Andrea L Schaffer BSc(Hons), MSc, MBiostat · Nicholas A Buckley BMed, FRACP, MD · Timothy A Dobbins BMath, PhD · Emily Banks MB BS, PhD, FAFPHM · Sallie-Anne Pearson BSc(Hons), PhD

A new suite of free resources supports their quality use

Lynn M Weekes

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis is a rare complication of a commonly used medication

Ryan M O’Dempsey MB BS, BPhty · Andrew MTL Choong MB BS, FRCS, FEBVS · Amit Patel MRCP(UK), MRCS(Eng), PhD · Jason Miller MB BS, FRACS(Gen) · Philip J Walker MB BS, FRACS(Vasc) · Allan Kruger MB BS, FRACS(Vasc), DDU

A gardener experiences the power of an ancient alkaloid

Chris Plummer FRACP, PhD · Adam Dangoor MRCP, MD

A massive increase in antidepressant prescriptions has had little impact on rates of self-harm or antidepressant poisoning

Nicholas A Buckley BMed, FRACP, MD · Ian M Whyte MB BS(Hons), FRACP, FACMT · Andrew H Dawson MB BS, FRCP, FRACP · Geoffrey K Isbister BSc, FACEM, MD

Data reveal levels of polypharmacy that may suggest a lack of attempts to deprescribe when appropriate

Ruth E Hubbard MSc, MD, FRACP · Nancye M Peel PhD, MPH, BPhty · Ian A Scott FRACP, MHA, MEd · Jennifer H Martin FRACP, MA, PhD · Alesha Smith PhD, MSc, BSc · Peter I Pillans MB BCh, FRACP, MD · Arjun Poudel MScPharm · Leonard C Gray PhD, FRACP, FACHSM

A potentially important option for patients with Huntington disease that warrants further study

Chris Tuckfield MB BS(Hons), MPhil

The main aim is to maintain quality of life throughout the illness

Victor S C Fung MB BS, PhD, FRACP

Conservative management avoids the morbidity and costs associated with plasma exchange

Courtney Tate MB BS, PhD, BSc(Hons) · Peter Mollee MMedSc, FRACP, FRCPA

Screening with cultures from rectal swabs before prostate biopsy is not indicated

George Mirmilstein MB BS(Hons) · John Ferguson DTM

Medication reviews and multidisciplinary input prevent harm

Lisa Kouladjian BMedSc(Hons), MPharm, AACPA · Timothy F Chen PhD, DipHPharm, BPharm · Sarah N Hilmer MB BS(Hons), FRACP, PhD

In reply: Our focus was the providers’ perspectives, but we acknowledge the importance of the consumer alongside

Ching Jou Lim BPharm(Hons), PhD · Megan W-L Kwong MB BS, BMedSci · David C M Kong PhD, BPharm, MPharm

Expansion of intellectual property rights will further increase the cost of medicines in Australia

Deborah H Gleeson PhD, MPH, GradDipHealthProm · Hazel Moir PhD, EMA, BA(Hons) · Ruth Lopert BMed, MMedSci, FAFPHM

Empirical antibiotic therapy that turns out to be unnecessary, on review, can (and should) be stopped immediately

Gwendolyn L Gilbert MD, FRACP, MBioethics

Adverse effects of medication and therapeutic failure are possibilities in patients who are fasting

Gina McLachlan BPharm, MClinPharm · The-Phung To BPharm, MClinPharm

There is growing evidence that medications with anti-TNF-alpha activity may have a role in immunocompetent individuals

James S Molton MB BS, BSc, FRACP · Paul J Huggan BSc(Hons), MB ChB · Sophia Archuleta MD

Assessing comprehensive combination therapy from the perspective of the Australian health system

Tracey-Lea Laba PhD, BPharm(Hons), BSc(Hons) · Alison Hayes BSc(Hons), PhD · Serigne Lo PhD · David P Peiris MIPH, PhD, FRACGP · Tim Usherwood MD, FRACGP, FRCP · Graham S Hillis MB ChB, PhD · Natasha Rafter MPH, FAFPHM, NZCPHM · Christopher M Reid PhD · Andrew M Tonkin MD, FRACP, FCSANZ · Ruth Webster BMedSc(Hons), MB BS(Hons), MIPH(Hons) · Bruce C Neal MB ChB, PhD, FRCP · Alan Cass BA, FRACP, PhD · Anushka Patel SM, PhD, FRACP · Anthony Rodgers MB ChB, PhD · Stephen Jan BEc, MEc, PhD

The incidence of severe disease is low, but it may present a significant diagnostic challenge

Daniel Lancini · Helen M Faddy BSc(Hons), PhD · Robert Flower PhD · Chris Hogan MB BS, BSc(Hons), FRCPA

A case that highlights the limitations of commonly available drug screens

Kate Sellors BMed, FACEM, GCertClinTox · Alison Jones MD, FRACP, FAACT · Betty Chan MB BS(Hons), PhD, FACEM

Lithium has profound effects on thyroid physiology

Santhi Chalasani MB BS(Hons) · Katherine A Benson MB BS(Hons), FRACP