Monash University, Parkville campus is a campus of Monash University, located in Parkville, Victoria, Australia. It is home to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, previously known as the Victorian College of Pharmacy. A centre of research and teaching, it is particularly well known for its research in drug development and formulation science, including the discovery and development of the world's first successful anti-influenza drug, Relenza. In international rankings, it is ranked as the number one school of pharmacy and pharmacology in Australia and the second best in the world.The campus is made up of 4 buildings, the latest one being first occupied in 2007. The newest, fourth building is primarily a research building, to complement the campus's strong research background. The campus is situated on Royal Parade in the suburb of Parkville around 2 km north of the Melbourne CBD. Royal Parade is home to a number of other research institutions, including the University of Melbourne, the CSIRO's Division of Health Sciences and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Pharmaceutical company CSL Limited is also based in Parkville. The campus offers courses in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science. Students can also take simultaneous degrees in commerce or engineering at Monash University's Clayton Campus. The campus also offers postgraduate degrees by coursework or research, from graduate diploma through to PhD level. The campus currently has around 1100 students and around 140 staff. It is planning to expand its teaching to offer a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University's Malaysia campus, which commenced in 2009 in partnership with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences based at Malaysia campus. The campus is also exploring the possibilities of developing postgraduate pharmacy education at the University's South Africa campus. The current Dean of the College is Professor Arthur Christopoulos.
Introduction: Many metabolic diseases, such as Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), are largely caused by obesity, a complicated ailment characterized by excessive fat buildup. By 2030, obesity is expected to have increased in prevalence, affecting over 1 billion people worldwide. MASLD, formerly known as NAFLD, is a broad category of liver illnesses caused by metabolic dysfunction and frequently linked to obesity. Drugs are available for obesity, but long-term use causes serious adverse effects, as reported. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies for MASLD. Interest in marine animals and their metabolites for their potential as therapeutics is growing, given the shortcomings of traditional medicines. This review emphasizes different marine species and metabolites, and macromolecules and tabulates all the pre-clinical studies targeting obesity and MASLD. Methodology: For this review, the authors have gone through a vast number of article sources from different scientific databases like PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. Results: Algae, fungi, and bacteria found in the ocean are abundant in bioactive chemicals that have anti-obesity and anti-MASLD properties. A variety of studies have reported the anti-obesity and anti-MASLD effects of marine species such as Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, Caulerpa okamurae, and bioactive macromolecules like dieckol, fucosterol, fucoxanthin, sodium alginate and paramylon. Conclusion: These marine-derived substances have a variety of pharmacological characteristics, including lipid-modulating, anti-adipogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. These qualities are crucial for treating the underlying mechanisms that underlie obesity and MASLD. These marine species may be useful as natural supplements or therapeutic agents in the management and treatment of metabolic diseases associated with obesity. Some of these bioactive phytoconstituents have been identified for their potential against obesity and MASLD; however, more investigation is necessary to identify the precise bioactive substances causing these advantageous effects and assess their safety and effectiveness in clinical trials.
Background/Objectives: Short-term low-fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharide and polyol (FODMAP) diets can reduce exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms (Ex-GIS); however, their effects on the gut microbiome, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and gastrointestinal biomarkers remain unclear. This study explored the effects of 48 h dietary FODMAP manipulation within a high-carbohydrate diet on faecal bacterial and SCFA profiles, and their relationships with exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (EIGS) biomarkers, Ex-GIS, and performance. Methods: Twelve endurance athletes experiencing Ex-GIS were randomly allocated to a 48 h high-carbohydrate (mean ± SD: 12.1 ± 1.8 g∙d-1)-high-FODMAP (HC-HFOD) (54.8 ± 10.5 g∙d-1) and a 48 h high-carbohydrate-low-FODMAP (HC-LFOD) (3.0 ± 0.2 g∙d-1) diet before 2 h of running at 60% V˙O2max, followed by a 1 h distance test (22.9 ± 1.2 °C, 46 ± 8% RH). Baseline faecal samples were collected before exercise trials to determine faecal bacterial and SCFA profiles. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-exercise to determine plasma I-FABP, sCD14, and CRP concentrations. Ex-GIS were recorded every 15 min throughout exercise. Results: Faecal bacterial α-diversity and relative abundance (RA%) at the phylum level were unchanged following both diets, while several family- and genus-level taxa RA% values were changed (p < 0.05), with greater shifts after HC-HFOD. HC-HFOD significantly increased faecal total-SCFA (p = 0.004), acetic (p = 0.002), and butyric (p = 0.028) acid concentrations. Strong positive and negative correlations between bacterial RA% and EIGS biomarkers and Ex-GIS were observed. Strong negative correlations with bacterial RA% and performance were observed. Conclusions: The 48 h HC-HFOD resulted in greater increases in bacterial RA% and SCFA concentrations compared with baseline. Bacterial RA% correlated bidirectionally with EIGS biomarkers and Ex-GIS, alongside strong negative associations with performance.
Objective To determine priority digital health technologies for Australian community pharmacies and identify the key barriers, enablers, and policy/funding factors that can inform future implementation planning through expert consensus. Methods A two-round Delphi study was conducted with 31 experts representing pharmacy, academia, policy, and digital health. In Round 1, participants identified priority technologies, barriers, and enablers. In Round 2, 27 participants ranked five technologies, nine policy options, and six financial models. Consensus was assessed using descriptive statistics and interquartile ranges (IQRs). Results E-prescriptions and My Health Record (MyHR) were ranked as top priorities (mean = 1.70 and 2.22; IQR ≤ 1.0). Key barriers included financial constraints, interoperability issues, and digital literacy gaps. Telehealth incentives received the strongest agreement among participants, while reimbursement-based funding and government support were rated as the most supportive financial models for implementation. Broader enablers, such as a national medicine repository and stronger cross-disciplinary collaboration, were also endorsed. Conclusion Digital health adoption in community pharmacy requires prioritisation of core technologies, improved system integration, workforce training, and practical funding mechanisms. These findings offer guidance for policymakers, pharmacy leaders, and digital health stakeholders aiming to embed digital tools more consistently and effectively into pharmacy practice.
Introduction: Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) are a structured, multidisciplinary, government-funded service to optimise medication use and reduce medication-related harm. Despite meeting eligibility criteria for an HMR, many people receiving home care support (called the Support at Home [SAH] program) do not receive an HMR. Aim To explore enablers for the uptake of HMRs for those who receive SAH programs from a healthcare professionals’ perspective; and to create an optimised workflow model, based on these enablers, providing strategies that support increased uptake of HMRs for recipients of SAH programs. Method Six Nominal Group Technique sessions were conducted with healthcare professionals (general practitioners (GPs), pharmacists, and nurses). Participants generated, then prioritised enablers of HMR delivery, which informed an optimised workflow comprising micro (individual), meso (organisational), and macro (system) level strategies. Results Twenty-six healthcare professionals participated (GPs n = 7, pharmacists n = 7, nurses n = 11). Three enablers were consistently prioritised across all groups: systems to identify participants, healthcare professional education, and strong multidisciplinary communication. Workflow analysis identified actions at multiple levels that may improve HMR uptake: clinically focused HMR reports (micro), embedded screening tools (meso) and changes to policy to facilitate broader referral and reduce GP burden (macro). Conclusion Increasing HMR uptake requires coordinated action across individual, organisational, and system levels. GPs play a central role in HMR delivery; however, providing education to all healthcare professionals on the role they can play in supporting the process (e.g., patient identification, referral pathways, content of the written HMR) was identified as an enabler of HMR uptake. Identifying a clear patient need was important, indicating an opportunity for nurses and pharmacists to support HMR identification and referral. Embedding this shared responsibility across the healthcare system may increase HMR uptake for this vulnerable population.
