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Issue

Vol 124 No 1346: 25 November 2011

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

Over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse and harm: characteristics of cases in Australia and New Zealand

Brian R McAvoy, Malcolm D H Dobbin, Claire L Tobin

This study has identified that controls on OTC codeine analgesics in Australia and New Zealand were not sufficient to limit non-medical use of these products. As a result, cases identified in these two countries escalated the number of self-administered tablets taken daily for misuse, resulting in codeine dependence and serious non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug toxicity secondary to this dependence.

SUMMARY

Median sternotomy scar assessment

Hamesh Jina, Jeremy Simcock

Our study examined scarring from wounds over the breast bone following cardiac surgery 2-3 years after their operation. We found that 20% of patients had complaints about their scar and 10% of patients were noted by the plastics doctor to have a prominent scar. We could not find any reason to why some patients had symptoms or scarred poorly. We feel that this group of patients would benefit from treatment to prevent bad scarring.

SUMMARY

Academic performance and career choices of older medical students at the University of Otago

William Shelker, Alison Belton, Paul Glue

The University of Otago is unusual amongst medical school, in that there is a process for admitting older students, who have relevant life- or work-experience. This study looked at how well these older students performed in medical school examinations, and what they did after graduation, compared with younger medical students. The older students performed as well or better than younger students in examination results and graduation rates from medical school. Compared with their younger classmates, after graduation, a greater proportion of these older students were practising in NZ, and were working as GPs. These findings may be relevant in planning for recruitment and training of the future NZ-trained doctors.

SUMMARY

Access to new medicines in New Zealand compared to Australia

Michael Wonder, Richard Milne

This paper compares the publics access to new prescription medicines in Australia and New Zealand via their respective national medicines reimbursement schemes in the period 2000-2009. 135 new prescription medicines were listed in the Australian Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, of which 59 (43%) were listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule. For these 59 new medicines, reimbursement occurred on average 33 months later in New Zealand. The 76 medicines not reimbursed in NZ cover many therapeutic areas. The differences between the 2 countries are largely due to the differing pharmaceutical reimbursement processes.

SUMMARY

Pharmacological management of children’s asthma in general practice: findings from a community-based cross-sectional survey in Auckland, New Zealand

Sue Crengle, Elizabeth Robinson, Cameron Grant, Bruce Arroll

Between June 1999 and May 2001 the caregivers of 583 children aged 2 - 14 years were interviewed about the medications that had been given for their childs asthma in the previous 12 months. The results showed that there have been some improvements in the provision of medications for asthma since research was published in the early 1990s and suggested that some children with moderate, severe, and very severe asthma had not received preventive medications in the previous year. Some findings suggested that Maori and Pacific children did not receive the same quality of care as Other children.

SUMMARY

Usage and equity of access to isotretinoin in New Zealand by deprivation and ethnicity

Peter Moodie, Richard Jaine, Jason Arnold, Mike Bignall, Scott Metcalfe, Bruce Arroll

Oral isotretinoin, for severe acne, was until March 2009 fully funded in New Zealand only if the prescription was written by a vocationally registered dermatologist. This study was an audit examining the use of isotretinoin by deprivation level and ethnicity, in order to examine potential inequities in use. People living in more deprived (poorer) areas were less likely to use isotretinoin, as were M ori and Pacific people. Given there is no evidence for lower rates of acne for M ori and Pacific people, the reasons may include financial and other barriers.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Waikato DHB website and Thames Hospital: a response to Dr Ridley-Smith's letter

Mary Anne Gill

Over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse and harm: characteristics of cases in Australia and New Zealand

Brian R McAvoy, Malcolm D H Dobbin, Claire L Tobin

A regional non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) collection as part of the National Cancer Registry

Brian Cox, Mary Jane Sneyd

Valuation of lives ‘saved’ via control of urban air pollution

John Hoare

Median sternotomy scar assessment

Hamesh Jina, Jeremy Simcock

Urinary incontinence in a young girl due to ectopic ureter: the importance of history in a diagnostic challenge

Fatih Hizli, Engin Yilmaz, M Cemil Uygur

Sarcoma services in New Zealand

Gary Hooper

Heart Foundation Grants Awarded November 2011

Screening for prostate cancer is not recommended

Jan J Barendregt

Academic performance and career choices of older medical students at the University of Otago

William Shelker, Alison Belton, Paul Glue

Primary oral tuberculosis

Tapan D Bairagya, Sibes K Das, Dilip C Barman, Somnath Bhattacharya

Access to new medicines in New Zealand compared to Australia

Michael Wonder, Richard Milne

Pulmonary popcorn

Prem P Gupta, Krishan B Gupta, Dipti Agarwal

Proceedings of the 210th Scientific Meeting of the Otago Medical School Research Society: Wednesday 9 November 2011

Positive provider interventions for enhancing influenza vaccination uptake among Pacific Peoples in New Zealand

Emma Naoupu Pritchard, Annemarie Jutel, Sally Tollafield

Why is publicly funded bariatric surgery still not fully supported?

Richard Flint, Steven Kelly

Difficulties in diagnosing soft-tissue sarcomas: a case of synovial sarcoma of the foot

James Blackett

Pharmacological management of children’s asthma in general practice: findings from a community-based cross-sectional survey in Auckland, New Zealand

Sue Crengle, Elizabeth Robinson, Cameron Grant, Bruce Arroll

Quakery and Proprietary Medicines: Part 1

Do pharmaceutical score cards give us the answers we seek?

Peter Moodie, Scott Metcalfe, Matthew Poynton

Usage and equity of access to isotretinoin in New Zealand by deprivation and ethnicity

Peter Moodie, Richard Jaine, Jason Arnold, Mike Bignall, Scott Metcalfe, Bruce Arroll

SUMMARY

Over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse and harm: characteristics of cases in Australia and New Zealand

Brian R McAvoy, Malcolm D H Dobbin, Claire L Tobin

This study has identified that controls on OTC codeine analgesics in Australia and New Zealand were not sufficient to limit non-medical use of these products. As a result, cases identified in these two countries escalated the number of self-administered tablets taken daily for misuse, resulting in codeine dependence and serious non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug toxicity secondary to this dependence.

SUMMARY

Median sternotomy scar assessment

Hamesh Jina, Jeremy Simcock

Our study examined scarring from wounds over the breast bone following cardiac surgery 2-3 years after their operation. We found that 20% of patients had complaints about their scar and 10% of patients were noted by the plastics doctor to have a prominent scar. We could not find any reason to why some patients had symptoms or scarred poorly. We feel that this group of patients would benefit from treatment to prevent bad scarring.

SUMMARY

Academic performance and career choices of older medical students at the University of Otago

William Shelker, Alison Belton, Paul Glue

The University of Otago is unusual amongst medical school, in that there is a process for admitting older students, who have relevant life- or work-experience. This study looked at how well these older students performed in medical school examinations, and what they did after graduation, compared with younger medical students. The older students performed as well or better than younger students in examination results and graduation rates from medical school. Compared with their younger classmates, after graduation, a greater proportion of these older students were practising in NZ, and were working as GPs. These findings may be relevant in planning for recruitment and training of the future NZ-trained doctors.

SUMMARY

Access to new medicines in New Zealand compared to Australia

Michael Wonder, Richard Milne

This paper compares the publics access to new prescription medicines in Australia and New Zealand via their respective national medicines reimbursement schemes in the period 2000-2009. 135 new prescription medicines were listed in the Australian Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, of which 59 (43%) were listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule. For these 59 new medicines, reimbursement occurred on average 33 months later in New Zealand. The 76 medicines not reimbursed in NZ cover many therapeutic areas. The differences between the 2 countries are largely due to the differing pharmaceutical reimbursement processes.

SUMMARY

Pharmacological management of children’s asthma in general practice: findings from a community-based cross-sectional survey in Auckland, New Zealand

Sue Crengle, Elizabeth Robinson, Cameron Grant, Bruce Arroll

Between June 1999 and May 2001 the caregivers of 583 children aged 2 - 14 years were interviewed about the medications that had been given for their childs asthma in the previous 12 months. The results showed that there have been some improvements in the provision of medications for asthma since research was published in the early 1990s and suggested that some children with moderate, severe, and very severe asthma had not received preventive medications in the previous year. Some findings suggested that Maori and Pacific children did not receive the same quality of care as Other children.

SUMMARY

Usage and equity of access to isotretinoin in New Zealand by deprivation and ethnicity

Peter Moodie, Richard Jaine, Jason Arnold, Mike Bignall, Scott Metcalfe, Bruce Arroll

Oral isotretinoin, for severe acne, was until March 2009 fully funded in New Zealand only if the prescription was written by a vocationally registered dermatologist. This study was an audit examining the use of isotretinoin by deprivation level and ethnicity, in order to examine potential inequities in use. People living in more deprived (poorer) areas were less likely to use isotretinoin, as were M ori and Pacific people. Given there is no evidence for lower rates of acne for M ori and Pacific people, the reasons may include financial and other barriers.

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