Data just released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)i estimates that more Australians than ever before will be claimed by pancreatic cancer, a disease that is, for the first time, acknowledged to be a common cancer. 

Pancreatic cancer has a devastatingly low five-year survival rate of only 12.5%. The disease is predicted to claim more lives than breast cancer this year (an estimated 3,669 people) and has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers. Over 4500 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and 80 per cent of patients will die within 12 months. 

“Pancreatic cancer results in limited visibility and reduced public awareness, and consequently, many people are aware that pancreatic cancer is now a common cancer,” says Michelle Stewart, CEO of PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. 

“In contrast, more high-profile cancers experience survival rates of over 90% while for pancreatic cancer the survival rate is only 12.5%, which drops alarmingly to just 6.8% for people who live in regional Australia,” continued Ms Stewart. There has never been a more critical time to call for increased funding.”

Worrying new research has unveiled that on average, Australian women alarmingly spend nearly 15 years of their lives dieting, with over a third experiencing negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, stress, and sadness in their pursuit of shedding weight. 

This disheartening reality could be affecting the roughly 7,200 women living in the Parkes community. Health care professionals want to encourage women in the area to seek assistance on their weight loss journey and understand they don’t have to do it alone. 

Endocrinologist, Dr. Ramy Bishay says “Far too often obesity is considered a lifestyle condition, but this report demonstrates that the ‘eat less, move more’ mantra is failing women. We simply can’t expect women to undue thousands of years of adaptation to starvation, in a matter of weeks or months by ‘eating less and moving more’.”

Additionally, Parkes currently falls within Australia’s Distribution Priority Area catchment, which identifies locations in Australia with a shortage of medical practitioners. This is a concern for locals that need to consult a healthcare professional as they embark on their weight loss journey with shortages potentially causing longer wait times for healthcare appointments. 

One of CWA NSW’s priorities is to support students to further their education, by offering grants and scholarships to school and tertiary students assisting to pay for educational expenses. It used to be fees and textbooks, but in today’s world of technology, it’s software and electronic devices.

Forbes Evening CWA Branch is pleased to support local student Annika Dukes, further her education by contributing financially towards the purchase of software and an upgraded device on which she can complete her assessments.

Annika is completing a Certificate IV Community Pharmacy Dispensing. She started this online course through the Pharmacy Guild Australia in January this year, after starting work at Life Pharmacy Forbes.

Annika said she soon realised the potential in being able to assist the community more through this type of employment after seeing all the behind the scenes work that goes into filling prescriptions and supporting customers.

Annika has learnt about CTG (Closing the Gap), concessions and Health Care Cards and how they apply to scripts, different medications and how they can help, as well as how to fill prescriptions.

Annika said, “I have already completed three assessments, with 15 more to go. Each assessment takes about three weeks and about fifty pages as well as a verbal assessment over the phone for each one,” she commented. Her course will take three years to complete.

“It’s been difficult not having the same software as my teacher as everything is done online and over the phone. My old laptop does not support that software,” Annika commented.

“This financial assistance from Forbes CWA Evening Branch will remove quite a few obstacles and make it much easier to complete assessments and receive feedback from my teacher by allowing me to get the appropriate software and laptop,” stated Annika.

Ms Robyn Miller, President of Forbes CWA Evening Branch presented Annika with her cheque at Life Pharmacy, commenting, “Education is one of the most valuable things we can possess, so we are pleased to be able to support a local person on their journey of learning,” she said.

Monday, 7th August was Aged Care Employee Day (ACED). Dementia Australia is celebrating Aged Care Employees by acknowledging the tremendous contribution that aged care workers make to improving the lives of people living with dementia, their families and carers.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM said, “more than two-thirds of aged care residents have moderate to severe cognitive impairment and aged care employees play a crucial role in supporting them.”

“We acknowledge and thank aged care workers for the difference they make to the lives of people living with dementia, their families and their carers,” Ms McCabe said.

“Aged care workers continue to be there to support those who need them the most, making a difference each and every shift.

Ask Annie is a mobile education app that helps care workers provide better support to people who are living with dementia. It provides easy to access training for aged care employees through short, self-paced modules.

Since its launch in June 2021, Ask Annie has been downloaded more than 17,285 times with more than 1,200 paid subscriptions.

To find out more about Ask Annie, visit Centre for Dementia Learning website 

Sixty-day dispensing may sound good, but if you dig a little deeper, it is rural and regional Australia that will pay, writes Trent Twomey of the Pharmacy Guild.

“I fear patients won’t realise the true impact of 60-day dispensing until the pharmacy they’ve got, is gone. And by then it will be too late,” said Trent.

An independent report published recently by respected economist Henry Ergas AO, along with Tulipwood Advisory and the Relational Insights Data Lab at Griffith University has revealed the policy will lead to the loss of 20,818 community pharmacy jobs and the closure of 665 pharmacies nationwide.

Soon regional patients will feel the effect with cuts to free services such as blood pressure monitoring, diabetes management, websters packs for the aged and home delivery of medicines.

These are all services which the current dispensing arrangement helps pay for and keeps your local pharmacy‘s doors open for longer.

Unless the government delays the implementation of 60-day dispensing, as has been recommended, you will be seeing more of these cuts and closures from September when the policy is in place.

Do you travel long distances for specialised healthcare?

If you travel more than 100km one way, or 200km in a week, for specialised treatment that is not available locally, you can claim financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs.

The Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) is designed to support patients from rural and regional NSW when they need it most.

People who travel to places like Sydney or Canberra for treatment can benefit from the extra assistance provided by the IPTAAS scheme.

Increased subsidies for travel and accommodation are now available for appointments or treatment. Patients attending high-risk foot clinics, non-commercial clinical trials, highly specialised publicly funded oral health clinics in NSW and ocularists are now also eligible to claim.

If your travels for specialist medical treatment have been impacted by the recent flooding situation in NSW, please contact the IPTAAS team to talk about your individual situation and how we may be able to assist you with your IPTAAS application.

To find out if you are eligible, ask your social worker or healthcare team, call 1800 478 227 or visit: www.iptaas.health.nsw.gov.au

If you are 18-75 years old and are feeling well, you may be able to give blood.

Recent reports from Lifeblood confirm an alarmingly low (3.5 per cent) number of Australians regularly donate blood, prompting the Leukaemia Foundation and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to join forces to urge Australians to roll up their sleeves and make life-saving blood donations this World Blood Donor Day on 14th June. 

With one third of all red blood cell donations nationally going to cancer patients, the Leukaemia Foundation’s CEO Chris Tanti said increasing the number of Australians donating by a mere 1.5 per cent, will make a monumental difference to blood cancer patients across the country. 

“53 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer every day, and this number is predicted to double by 2035. Consequently, the number of blood donations required to support blood cancer patients will also double,” explained Mr Tanti. 

“3.5 per cent of Australians donate blood, and that means there could be more than 13 million Australians who may be able to donate, but don’t. The reality is if 18 of these Australians signed up today to become a monthly blood donor, that would be enough donated blood to treat just one person diagnosed with blood cancer, so we really are relying on everyday Australians to lend the blood cancer community a helping arm as often as they can,” Mr Tanti said.

Lifeblood’s CEO, Stephen Cornelissen AM, said World Blood Donor Day provided an opportunity to raise awareness and recognise the impact blood and plasma donors have on helping save the lives of cancer patients. 

“Australia’s blood and plasma donors are unsung heroes. By donating blood and plasma, individuals have the power to make a life-saving difference for someone in need. This World Blood Donor Day please consider giving blood or plasma with the knowledge you’re providing an invaluable lifeline to the growing number of Australians living with blood cancer,” Mr Cornelissen said. 

To check if you are eligibile and book a donation call 13 14 95, visit lifeblood.com.au or download the Donate Blood App.