Presented by:        Dr Andrew Darby - Consultant Psychiatrist (Waikato DHB - secondary and primary care)

This session will provide an update on the diagnosis, management and treatment of depression, including the optimal use of SSRIs.

It will also include an overview of local mental health support services and how these can accessed. 

We particularly encourage newly qualified pharmacists, pharmacists new to the regions (Waikato, Lakes and Tairawhiti) or those who need an update.

TOPIC 1: RHEUMATOLOGY UPDATE 

An update on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Polymyalgia, Fibromyalgia and the safe use of methotrexate. Presented by Dr Doug White, Rheumatologist, Waikato

TOPIC 2: LAUNCH OF NEW MIDCPG METHOTREXATE EDUCATION SERVICE

All Information in one Place! 

1. MidCPG Patient Data Forms  and How to load forms into Toniq 
2. MidCPG Service Induction Pack (About Membership, contracts, service delivery and claiming) 
3. MidCPG Resources
4. Invoicing/Claim Templates 
5. InterRAI
6. Hospital Liaison Pharmacist
7. Clinical Workstation
8. Information Library - Recommended websites for Pharmacists - Including patient information websites.
9. Cytotoxics
10. MidCPG Policies 

Health literacy is recognised as being a key health determinant that focuses on an individual’s ability to understand, function, and negotiate health issues and systems. An individual’s health literacy level can range from low to high, and low health literacy is known to contribute to significantly worse self-management of health and poorer health outcomes. This is important, as surveys show that the majority of New Zealanders are limited in being able to manage those tasks and skills that are associated with health literacy. 

Pharmacists are in a key position to help patients improve their knowledge and skills around health and medicines therapy thereby improving patient outcomes.

Health literacy is recognised as being a key health determinant that focuses on an individual’s ability to understand, function, and negotiate health issues and systems. An individual’s health literacy level can range from low to high, and low health literacy is known to contribute to significantly worse self-management of health and poorer health outcomes. This is important, as surveys show that the majority of New Zealanders are limited in being able to manage those tasks and skills that are associated with health literacy. 

Pharmacists are in a key position to help patients improve their knowledge and skills around health and medicines therapy thereby improving patient outcomes.

Motivational interviewing (M.I)  is a patient-centred counselling approach that can be briefly integrated into patient encounters and helps patients resolve their ambivalence about behaviour change and builds their intrinsic motivation before providing education

Understanding of local and regional demographic data is crucial to ensure services are targeted correctly to the right populations in the right places, at the right times.

Clinical Service Provision in your Pharmacy –  what is your baseline and what could it be in the future?

On the 22nd August 2018 MidCPG facilitated an information evening on how to optimise clinical service delivery.  

MidCPG's Gout Management Service aims to ensure patients with gout & raised serum uric acid are effectively treated and advised. 

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis that occurs due to deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints. Gout causes severe pain and musculoskeletal disability and is associated with metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  MidCPG have developed a Gout Management Service to be delivered via community pharmacy, that aims to ensure patients have their gout (and raised serum uric acid) effectively treated and that they are sufficiently educated/informed to self-manage their condition optimally.