PAINFUL PILL

PHARMACISTS could struggle to fill new two-month patient medications prescriptions.

They fear an already short supply of many medications will worsen under a new Federal Government’s new policy to change single scripts from 30 to 60 days.

“Unless the Federal Government provides a guarantee that no patient and no community pharmacy will be worse off un- der their new medicine policy then millions of people in every single community in Australia will be worse off,” said Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Trent Twomey said.

Mr Twomey’s warning has been echoed by Loddon pharmacists Kal Selwanes and Emad Sidhom.

They said the Government‘s $3.5 billion cut would impact patients and their ability to get medicine, advice and services from local pharmacists.

“The supply network is already shaking, and the Government knows there is already short supply of some medications,” said Mr Selwanes, owner of Inglewood Pharmacy.

Mr Selwanes said more than 300 medications out of stock in Australia.

He said patient medication needs can change within a twomonth period and without more regular contact with patients, health risks could emerge.

“We don’t want to see waste when people have to change their medication,” he said.

Mr Sidhom said: “Medication needs can change in a monthdiabetes and blood pressure are not stable conditions. “At the moment (30-day script dispensing) we are always seeing the patient and following up that they are using their medication.”

“If we have to carry double the stock, there’s also a risk of it losing value. It becomes a stock management problem with price fluctuations,” he said.

Mr Selwanes and Mr Sidhom said the Government had promised to re-invest in community pharmacies “but we haven’t seen any detail”.

They said the national $3.5 billion cut would impact patients and their ability to get medicine, advice and services from local pharmacists.

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WE held over one Bradley of Boort sign from a few weeks ago waiting for the right moment. We thought that after Mother’s Day weekend, his analogy of happiness with bacon and chocolate turns out the ideal time to give it a run in OTF. Chocolates sure are a welcome present to mums at any time and reminds us of some now young adults who always wanted to buy a big box as mum’s treat back in their early school days. Why a big box? Being brought up such caring and sharing types, there was a fair bet mum would get to enjoy one or two!

BACON and egg rolls are always a great start to the day and volunteer vendors at the football do a roaring a trade. We’re just not sure if The Oracle (he of keeping head low fame in recent weeks) tucked into any after being dispatched to the far north of Loddon Valley to umpire early matches on Saturday. The question on the minds of colleagues was whether, having to leave before the crack of dawn, he had time for toast or cornflakes at bis southern ranch. We hear that may have been the question when so-called friend the Cockerell, elevated to chief whistle blower in the senior game, planned to rock out at half-time in the reserves to provide a critique on performance. Who can hear it now: Two egg and bacon rolls before the game? Just one. That explains the sluggish performance!

AN EGG and bacon roll can go by many names. In parts of the United Kingdom and New Zealand as: A bacon butty, bacon bap or bacon sarnie, and in parts of Ireland as a rasher sandwich. A bacon butty has been described by one food website as Bacon butty is one of Britain’s most popular guilty pleasures, a sandwich consisting of slices of white bread (or a bread roll) spread with butter and stuffed with large amounts of bacon. Some like to add ketchup, brown sauce, or an egg to the sandwich, depending on personal preferences. Butty is derived from butter. Any kind of filling can be put into a butty. The term is common in some parts of Scotland and northern England - slang, of course, for sandwich.

NOT quite the same meaning though over in Wales where the word butty is used to refer to a close friend or buddy. It is derived from the Welsh word bwthyn, which means “cottage” or “small house.” The word butty originally referred to someone who lived in a small house or cottage, but it has come to mean someone who is a close friend or buddy.

BACK to chocolate - after indulging on bacon, a sweet sensation in the mouth is part of the indulgence. The history of chocolate, says Encyclopedia Britannica, can be traced back more than 3,000 years to the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec people who prepared a beverage from the fruit of the cocoa bean. The Maya considered chocolate to be the food of the gods, held the cocoa tree to be sacred, and buried dignitaries with bowls of chocolate.

Wazza’s wanderin’ back

RUOK? mental health ambassador and fundraiser Warren Wright will head towards Loddon communities after leaving Mildura yesterday.

“Wazza’s” return to the Loddon will be two years after travelling through the region.

He latest trek on foot and bicy- cle will see him arrive in Charlton next Wednesday for an overnight stop before and end-of-day stop in Wedderburn on Thursday and then Bridgewater for a three-day rest on Friday.

Wazza will then head to Dunolly for an overnight stop before continuing to Portland.

Putting new king in the picture

REQUESTS are already being received by Mallee MP Anne Webster for prints of the official portrait released of King Charles.

The portrait was released following the King’s coronation this month. A spokesman for Dr Webster said it was unknown when supplies of the official portrait would be distributed to MP offices.

Organisations can apply for one of the approved portraits and replace those of the late Queen Elizabeth still in display in halls across the region.