Introduction: Accurate and timely medication information is crucial for health professionals working in a hospital environment. This article focuses on the findings of a medication information resources survey undertaken in a northern Australian health service. Objectives: To examine health professionals’ usage and satisfaction of medication information resources available to them. Methods: An online survey of staff was undertaken in May 2021. Results: There were 206 responses to the survey. Eighty-eight percent of respondents were either nurses, pharmacists or doctors. The four most popular resources were: Australian Medicines Handbook, Therapeutic Guidelines, MIMS Online and Australian Injectable Drugs Handbook. Fifty-three percent of respondents use the resources daily or more than once per day. Doctors are more likely to use the app version and the Health Library’s website is where the majority access the resource from. Eighty-one percent felt that it was extremely or moderately easy to access resources. Discussion: Responses from the open-ended question indicate that there is a lack of awareness of a number of resources which supports the need for strategic promotion and education. Conclusion: The results of this study have shown that health libraries subscribing to key medication information resources supports patient care and best practice.

Transthoracic echocardiography is the gold standard for early detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in asymptomatic children living in high-risk regions. Advances in technology allowing miniaturisation and increased portability of echocardiography devices have improved the accessibility of this vital diagnostic tool in RHD-endemic locations. Automation of image optimisation techniques and simplified RHD screening protocols permit use by non-experts after a brief period of training. While these changes are welcome advances in the battle to manage RHD, it is important that the sensitivity and specificity of RHD detection be maintained by all echocardiography users on any device to ensure accurate and timely diagnosis of RHD to facilitate initiation of appropriate therapy. This review of the evolution of echocardiography and its use in the detection of rheumatic valve disease may serve as a reminder of the key strengths and potential pitfalls of this increasingly relied-upon diagnostic test.

PS5 Standard for Pharmacy Based Immunisation Programs

Application for registering a radiation apparatus