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- Have you reached the Safety Net?
- Short Supply – Estradot Patches
- Health Advice – Iron Deficiency – The most common nutritional disorder worldwide!
- Compounding News – Topical creams for pain and inflammation
- Our Latest Blog – Tinnitus
- Allied Health – Physio and Podiatrist Service
- Trivia –
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1. Have you reached the Safety Net?
Many people don’t realise that once a certain amount is spent on PBS medicines, the entire family may pay less on their medications. The family can combine the amount spent. The family includes two partners and children aged less than 16 years old or children studying full-time up-to 25 years old. If the combined amount reaches the safety net threshold, medicines become cheaper till the end of the calendar year.
Concession cardholders receive their medicines for free once they reached the safety net and non-concession cardholders pay $6.60 per prescription once they get their safety net.
Many people are not aware of this, and because they got to different pharmacies, the total is never tallied as each pharmacy’s record stays in each pharmacy. If you have gone over the threshold and never received your safety net, you can also claim back all the money spent over the threshold!
We are happy to help you fill in the paperwork to Medicare to claim back your safety net money.
The 2020 PBS Safety Net threshold is:
- $316.80 for concession cardholders
- $1,486.80 for non-concession cardholders
If you or someone you know spends more these above amounts in a calendar year, then you are eligible to reach the safety net. Call us, and we are happy to help you claim back your money from Medicare. You can also reclaim as many years back as you want![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5333″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” label=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
2. Supply Shortage – Estradot
Estradot Patches are in short supply at the moment. If you are having difficulty filling your prescription. Please contact us to discuss supply issues.
The supply issue may continue until the end of the year. Please speak to your doctor to discuss other available options.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5869″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” label=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
3.Iron Deficiency – The most common nutritional disorder worldwide!
Iron deficiency affects over 1.2 billion people worldwide, and that does not include those who are not aware they are iron-deficient!
Causes
Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron to produce haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red colour and enables the red blood cells to carry oxygenated blood throughout your body.
Causes include blood loss, lack of iron in your diet, an inability to absorb iron, menstruating women, athletes, adolescents, the elderly, people with poor gut health, Pregnancy and medications (oral contraceptive pill, aspirin, reflux medications, steroids, antacids and anti-coagulants)
Who is most at risk of being iron deficient?
- Women
- Vegetarians
- Infants and Children
- Frequent blood donors
Absorption of Iron and dosing
There are many different forms of iron supplements available on the market. The current recommendation is approximately 180mg of absorbable iron per week. However, because iron is difficult to absorb and causes side effects, it is challenging to achieve 180mg of absorbable iron per week.
The current guidelines recommend 105-210mg of elemental iron daily. Elemental iron will vary in each iron product such as Ferro-Gradumet, Ferrograd C, FGF, Fefol, Ferro-F and Maltofer. Best to check with your pharmacist how to achieve a dose of 105-210mg of elemental iron daily.
Although there is no clear evidence for one preparation over another, small studies suggest better tolerability for iron bisglycinate.
Drug Interactions and Iron Supplements.
Iron supplements may interact with various medicines, including some antibiotics and thyroid medicines. Doses should be separated by at least 2 hours. Acid-lowering drugs (used mainly for reflux such as Nexium, Somac, Pariet and Losec), aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and haloperidol may also compromise the iron status.
Optimal Absorption of Iron
Oral Iron supplements (except for Maltofer) is best absorbed when taken on an empty stomach (one hour before or two hours after food). Tea and Coffee may substantially impair absorption. The addition of Vitamin C may also help improve absorption. It may be best to take your iron supplement first thing in the morning or later in the evening.
Side Effects of Iron Tablets
Like all medicines, Iron Supplements can cause side effects in some people.
Many people have no side effects or only minor ones.
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if these side effects bother you or do not go away:
- feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting), stomach discomfort or heartburn
- loss of appetite
- constipation
- diarrhoea
- dark or black poo
- black stained teeth (from the liquid only)
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4. Compounding News – Topical creams for pain and inflammation
Many over the counter products are used to relieve pain, produce a numbing effect or act as an anti-inflammatory. Examples of such products include Voltaren emugel, Nervoderm Patches, Zostrix HP and many more. A compounding pharmacist can often combine these products or similar ones into one product. This particular treatment is excellent for targeted areas of chronic pain. Specific anti-inflammatories are used to relieve pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness, frequently by patients suffering from osteoarthritis and joint pain, along with rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis caused by swelling of the lining of the joints). Muscle relaxant ingredients are used to relax muscles and relieve pain and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, and other muscle injuries. Numbing agents are used to relieving the pain of post-herpetic neuralgia along with other forms of pain. And ingredients such as Capsaicin deplete your nerve cells of a chemical that’s important for sending pain messages and typically is known to cause the burning sensation you associate with chilli peppers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5617″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” label=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
5. Our Latest Blog – Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception of hearing noises that not caused by an external source.
Tinnitus involves the sensation of hearing sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus symptoms may include these types of phantom noises in your ears:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Roaring
- Clicking
- Hissing
- Humming
To read more:
https://kersbrookpharmacy.com.au/blog/tinnitus/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5443″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” label=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
6. Allied Health
As you may be aware you can book with our Physiotherapist: Antwan Rizk and Podiatrist: Brett Carrier
You can book online or over the phone.
Book a Physio Appointment Online:
https://kersbrook-practice.au1.cliniko.com/bookings?practitioner_id=99945#service
Book a Podiatrist Appointment Online:
https://kersbrook-practice.au1.cliniko.com/bookings?practitioner_id=99685#service[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5753″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow” label=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
7.Trivia
Which of the following are true about Iron Supplements?
- Tea and Coffee help iron absorption
- Vitamin C may help with the absorption of Iron
- Iron supplements are no side effects
- Iron supplements are all equally well absorbed.
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