We talk with Prof Pete Smith, an allergist from Queensland about Why rhinitis shouldn't be sneezed at (sorry we had to), including the consequences of allergic rhinitis being un/undertreated The recommended method to use intranasal sprays - hint "if you can taste it, you're wasting it" How to discuss concerns patients might have about intranasal co…

Listen in to round out our conversation about anticoagulation, by hearing from two Anticoagulation Stewardship Pharmacists - Hadley Bortz from the Alfred in Melbourne and Julianne Chong from Concord Hospital. Find out more about ACS programs in Australia and overseas and the benefits that these programs can bring to your health service. Anticoagula…

Join us as we talk with Prof Prash Sanders about the role of anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), learn when patients should be screened for AF, how to perform a stroke risk assessment and strategies to reduce the risk of bleeding. This podcast is in collaboration with Medcast and the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance, a prov…

Naloxone has been available in Australia without prescription since 2022 (after pilot programs through 2019-2021, analysis showed this trial saved 3 lives per day). Join us as Kristin and Nat talk naloxone with Pharmacist Emily Turkovic. Emily shares her personal story and why she is passionate about ensuring that naloxone is widely available in ou…

Listen in as Kristin chats with Dr Ian Heslop about the health care needs of travellers, covering topics such as traveller's diarrhoea, altitude sickness and more. Listen until the end to find out what Ian brings in his travel medicine kit! Ian is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle and has a strong background in Hospita…

Listen in to our latest episode as Kristin chats with Chelsea Felkai about being a healthcare provider for patients with intellectual disability. Chelsea is a community pharmacist who is completing her PhD at the University of Newcastle. You can find resources relating to the provision of inclusive healthcare and the NSQHS Standards User Guide for …

Join Natalie as she chats with Dermatologist A/Prof Deshan Sebaratnam about the management of acne. Listen in as they chat about over the counter treatment options, what may have changed in acne management and the effectiveness of isotretenoin. A/Prof Sebaratnam, in addition to his private practice, as a specialist dermatologist at Liverpool and Du…

Tune in as Dr Sayontonee Ghosh gives an overview of TB including: Transmission Diagnosis Screening Symptoms Treatment options

Did you know that PPIs are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia according to PBS data? Join Kristin for a deep dive into proton pump inhibitors as she chats with Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Gastrointestinal endoscopist, Dr Kostas Brooks. What dose PPIs should patients actually be taking? How do you manage rebound sy…

Join Kristin as she chats with Dr Gaurav Sutrave to chat about emergening treatments for fungal infections. Gaurav is a Staff Specialist Haematologist and Transplant and Cell Therapies Physician at Westmead Hospital, as well as the Medical Director for the Westmead T cell Therapies Laboratory.

Join Kristin and Nat as they chat with Shaylee Mills, The Rural Pharmacist. Shaylee works in the beautiful Pilbara region of WA - google it - the scenery is spectacular! Although it is at least 17 hours drive from the nearest capital city (Perth) - Karratha is far from a small town and is home to around 22000 people. Shaylee shares what her world a…

Check out our latest episode as Kristin and Nat chat with Dr Jeremy McAnulty about the work undertaken by Public Health Units. If you are from NSW, you may remember Dr McAnulty from the daily televised COVID updates - Dr Jeremy McAnulty is a public health physician and Executive Director of Health Protection NSW at NSW Health, overseeing the statew…

Join Kristin for a deep dive into meningococcal disease with Dr Anita Campbell. Learn more about the various strains of meningococcal and their prevalence patterns in Australia and how that might impact the way we think about vaccination for meningococcal, using Men B as an example. Dr Anita Campbell is a clinician researcher working as a paediatri…

Join us for a very special World Pharmacist Day edition of the Purple Pen Podcast. Recorded live during pharmacy wellbeing week at Monash Health, Nat & Kristin reconnect with Jane Booth and Karlee Johnston to talk about Pharmacist Wellbeing. We explore the concepts of empathy, vulnerability, burnout and restorative supervision. Our guest, Dr Karlee…

Join Kristin as she chats with Rebekah Moles about fever. Rebekah is an Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Sydney and she is passionate about quality use of medicines in paediatric patients. She has conducted research on the management of common ailments such as fever and cough/cold in young patients.…

Join us as we talk with Dr David Liew about the underappreciated condition of gout, dispel some myths and talk about what's changed in recommendations. This podcast is in collaboration with Medcast and the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance, a provider of health professional education in Australia focused on the quality use of medicines. Check out t…

Kristin is joined by Professor Sanjay Swaminathan to talk all things MABs or monoclonal antibodies. Dr Sanjay Swaminathan is a Clinical Immunologist and Allergist, he is a Senior Staff Specialist and Head of the Department of Immunology and Allergy at Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals.

Prof Asha Bowen is back to discuss Impetigo (also known as school sores), an infection of the skin caused by bacteria. Observational studies over four decades in northern Australia have found that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in remote communities have the highest burden of impetigo worldwide. Prof Asha Bowen is …

RSV season is upon us, and there are a number of new exciting developments in the prevention of RSV to discuss! Listen in, as Prof Asha Bowen chats to Kristin and Natalie about the newest innovations in RSV immunisation and vaccination. Prof Asha Bowen is a paediatric infectious disease specialist and clinician-researcher at Perth Children's Hospit…

Join Kristin as she chats with A/Prof Esmita Charani, PhD, MSc, MPharm, MRPSGB, about the way clinicians think and feel about antibiotic use, and in particular how these beliefs can impact their response to various antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Esmita also shares her research journey into broader human rights issues including bias and im…

Join Kristin as she talks with Dr Mark Horowitz about how to deprescribe psychotropics like antidepressants, what is known about the causes of depression, what evidence is behind the antidepressants commonly used, what the symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal look like and the origins of the phrase "it's Bedlam here." The Maudsley Deprescribing Gu…

Have a listen as Kristin talks to Associate Professor Deshan Sebaratnam about psoriasis. Who does it typically affect, how is it managed and there can be a lot more to psoriasis than meets the eye.

Tune in as Kristin chats to Pia Nairn, Clinical Audiologist at Lions Hearing Clinic to discuss Tinnitus, general advice for looking after your hearing and what to expect in a hearing assessment

Check out a bumper episode of the Purple Pen Podcast with Specialist Cardiac Pharmacist and PhD candidate Adam Livori as well discuss what in, and definitely what's out when it comes to cholesterol management. Adam is the Lead Pharmacist - Medical Specialties and Ambulatory Care at Grampians Health Services in Victoria and is the current Chair of t…

Join us as Kristin talks to Natalie Raffoul (a pharmacist who now works at the Heart Foundation) to discuss the new Aus CVD Risk calculator and associated guideline. They also talk about the highlights of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Amsterdam this year. https://www.cvdcheck.org.au/overview https://www.heartfoundation.org.au…