Role for pharmacists in helping GPs overcome conflicts in commissioning

Pharmacists have a vital role to play in commissioning and could have a place advising GP consortia, according to barrister Christopher Newdick. Speaking at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society conference... More

Long-term sibutramine use associated with heart attacks in those at risk

People at high risk of cardiovascular disease who take sibutramine long-term are more likely to suffer a non-fatal heart attack or stroke, study findings show... More

DTB says do not use Qlaira

Qlaira, the combined oral contraceptive containing estradiol valerate and dienogest, cannot be recommended for use, the latest issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (September 2010) states.... More

Usefulness of patient access schemes questioned by NICE chairman

Up-front discounts on new drugs may offer a simpler way to widen patient access to expensive medicines, Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence,... More

Use of proton pump inhibitors: focus may shift from financial control to safety

Studies of the clinical risks of therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been reported for a few years but in May 2010 the US Food and Drug Administration issued... More

Changes proposed for emergency CDs for European visitors

Pharmacists should be able to make emergency supplies of schedule 4 and 5 Controlled Drugs and phenobarbital to European Economic Area and Swiss nationals, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory... More

Financial pressures halt MHRA plans to put product information online

Government cuts mean that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has decided not to move forward with plans to make product information available online.... More

Sexually transmitted infections rise with young women most at risk

Women under 25 years of age are most at risk from sexually transmitted infections, which are on the rise in the UK according to new data from the Health Protection... More

GPhC launches telephone helpline for registrants

A telephone helpline for registrants unclear about the changes being brought in at the end of September when the General Pharmaceutical Council takes over regulation from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society... More

UK medicines legislation to be consolidated

All UK medicines legislation has been brought together in a single draft document published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.... More

On-call draft principles out for consultation

On-call arrangements are to be decided locally, not under a national, harmonised agreement, according to draft principles published for consultation by the NHS Staff Council.... More

Plan to shift treatment from long-term opioid substitution

New clinical protocols for the treatment of drug addicts will focus on abstinence and will set time limits on prescribing opioid substitutes, according to the 2010–11 business plan of the... More

Improving an information service for medicines use in liver disease

Pharmacists at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have developed resources to improve the medicines information service, which specialises in enquiries about medicines use for patients with liver disease... More

Medical cannabis 'may treat chronic pain'

A Canadian study suggests that cannabis may be beneficial for people with chronic nerve-related pain.... More

New pill may prevent heart failure deaths

A new pill that costs just £10 a week could prevent thousands of deaths from heart failure, experts believe.... More

NICE backs Thalidomide and Velcade for multiple myeloma

Celgene's Thalidomide and Janssen-Cilag's Velcade have been recommended as options to treat patients with multiple myeloma on the National Health Service by its cost regulator.... More

Chronic heart failure guidelines updated by NICE

Chronic heart failure guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have been updated, including recommendations on diagnosis, pharmacological treatment, monitoring and rehabilitation.... More

Vaccine 'led to fewer child cases of pneumonia'

The introduction of a vaccine to prevent bacterial pneumonia led to a decrease in the number of children admitted to hospitals in England, research in the journal Thorax shows.... More

Antiviral drugs in pregnancy not linked with birth defects

An analysis of data from Denmark finds no associated increased risk of major birth defects for mothers who were exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy to the antiviral drugs... More

New drug protects nerve cells in Parkinson's Disease

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that using specific drugs can protect nerve cells in mice from the lethal effects of Parkinson's disease. ... More

Dronedarone approved by NICE as second-line therapy

Dronedarone has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for the second-line treatment of patients with non-permanent atrial fibrillation, in final guidance.... More

Temporary bans on legal highs proposed in new drug strategy

Legal highs will be temporarily banned as part of a proposed new drugs strategy that the Government hopes to implement by the end of next year... More

National prescription chart called for in Scottish hospitals

Doctors are calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a national prescription chart across Scottish hospitals in an effort to reduce prescribing errors.... More

Cardiac risk equal for rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, data suggest

Rosiglitazone therapy carries no more cardiovascular risk than treatment with pioglitazone, new findings suggest.... More

NICE to publish each PCT's uptake of approved drugs

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has announced that it will publish data showing the uptake of its approved drugs during 2009, broken down according to strategic health... More

Public consultation launched on amendments to the Medicines for Human Use Regulations

This consultation seeks views on how current guidance can be expanded to provide additional support for community pharmacists following forthcoming legislative changes to the Medicines For Human Use (Prescribing By... More

Union starts legal action against NHS reforms

Public service union Unison has launched legal action against the government's plans to shake-up the NHS system in England.... More

People who suffer from blackouts may be going undiagnosed, says NICE

People who experience spontaneous blackouts may be missing out on an accurate and timely diagnosis of their symptoms because of inadequate assessments made by healthcare staff, NICE has warned.... More

Whole range of drugs for arthritis approved by NICE

Thousands of patients suffering debilitating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis will now benefit from a wide range of drugs that have been approved by the NHS rationing body.... More

Sexually transmitted infections at 'record high'

Sexually transmitted infections are continuing to rise, especially among the young, with the number of new cases reaching almost half a million a year, official figures have shown.... More

Medway School of Pharmacy gets thumbs up from students

Medway School of Pharmacy has come within the top five institutions in a Higher Education Funding Council for England survey of student satisfaction.... More

Bowel cancer drug Avastin turned down by Nice

A bowel cancer drug that could extend the lives of terminally ill patients has been turned down for the second time despite the drug company offering to pay the NHS... More

Body clock pills 'could cure jet lag and manic depression'

Pills that eliminate jet lag and bring manic depression under control could be developed, after scientists found a drug which alters the body clock.... More

Hand gels at work cut sickness rates, finds research

Researchers found illness rates were reduced when workers were given sanitising hand gels and instructed to use them five times a day.... More

Trend towards high-dose, once-daily mesalazine for ulcerative colitis

Clinical trials and hospitals are beginning to use higher doses of mesalazine for ulcerative colitis, according to Anja St. Clair Jones, lead pharmacist, surgery and digestive disease at... More

Work-based foundation degrees for industry to be rolled out in September 2011

Work-based foundation degrees to support those working in the bioscience and pharmaceutical industry and other industry sectors are being developed and are expected to be available from September... More

Lloydspharmacy and mental health trust launch joint preregistration programme

Lloydspharmacy has teamed up with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust to provide a joint preregistration programme that gives trainees experience of both community and hospital... More

Scientist membership category should be established by new professional body

Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society should be opened up to non-pharmacist scientists and researchers working in pharmaceutical science, a symposium has decided.... More

ABPI to ban promotional gifts

Drug company representatives will be banned from giving stationery, coffee mugs and other promotional aids such as computer accessories to pharmacists and other health professionals, under revision... More

Lower dose HFA-beclometasone inhaler as good as higher dose fluticasone inhaler

When two corticosteroid asthma inhalers were compared in a real-life setting, the lower dose one was equally or slightly more effective than the higher dose one, a trial... More

PDA criticises pharmacist fee proposed by GPhC

Pharmacists are paying the price of inadequate regulation of premises and subsidising technicians' fees, according to the Pharmacists' Defence Association.... More

No manslaughter charges for misconduct GP Jane Barton

A doctor found guilty of misconduct will not be prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has ruled.... More

Predictive blood test for TB 'a step closer'

International researchers say they have made a "significant step" towards a predictive blood test for tuberculosis.... More

Rheumatoid arthritis definition redefined

New rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria have been published by the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism (Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 2010;69:1580). The 2010 criteria, which replace... More

Lamictal meningitis warning issued in US

A warning has been sent to healthcare professionals in the US highlighting that Lamictal (lamotrigine; GlaxoSmithKline) can cause aseptic meningitis.... More

Audit Commission to be abolished

NHS foundation trusts are expected to appoint their own auditors to scrutinise their spending when the Audit Commission is abolished, the Department of Health has announced... More

Pharmaceutical companies in the EU pledge aid for Pakistan floods

Around £3.25m worth of medical aid has been pledged from 20 companies in the EU to support flood relief efforts in Pakistan. International Health Partners has been charged by the World... More

NICE to develop nine new quality standards

Nine new quality standards will be developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence during 2010/11. ... More

New meningitis test that can detect infection 'within an hour'

Researchers have developed a device which they believe can detect meningococcal bacteria much quicker than is currently possible.... More

Three-step checklist for dispensing tacrolimus developed by Astellas

Tacrolimus manufacturer Astellas has developed a three-step checklist for pharmacists to use when dispensing the drug. The move aims to help reduce the number of tacrolimus prescribing and dispensing errors... More

Indacterol available on NHS in Scotland

Indacaterol (Onbrez Breezhaler; Novartis) is available on the NHS in Scotland as maintenance bronchodilator treatment of airflow obstruction in adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, following approval by the... More

Travatan eye drops and Cialis tablets in short supply

Travatan (travoprost; Alcon) eye drops and Cialis (tadalafil; Eli Lilly) tablets 20mg are currently subject to supply shortages, according to a list held by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. The products... More

Ask Your Pharmacist Facebook hits 3,000

The National Pharmacy Association's (NPA) Ask Your Pharmacist Facebook page now has over 3,000 fans. The Ask Your Pharmacist Facebook page updates the public on community pharmacy news and services... More

New pharmacy assistant and technician qualifications accredited

Several new qualifications for pharmacy assistants at level 2 and pharmacy technicians at level 3 have now been accepted into the qualifications and credit framework for first teaching from September... More

Adverse drug reaction reports to be made available to the public

Future adverse drug reaction reports from the European Medicines Agency will be anonymised and made accessible by the public.... More

Avicenna members to discuss pharmacy practice at Cambridge Conference

Independent pharmacy support group, Avicenna, will host a UK conference in Cambridge on 18-19 September 2010. The key theme of the conference is 'Preparing Today for Tomorrow'. More

Bisphosphonates not linked with oesophageal cancer

Use of bisphosphonates is not linked with oesophageal or gastric cancer, a JAMA study reveals (11 August 2010).... More

Portsmouth pharmacy publicity campaign under way

Publicity to highlight the extended clinical role of community pharmacists has been launched in Portsmouth this month (August 2010).... More

New advice on rosiglitazone use

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a new warning over the use of rosiglitazone (Avandia) for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, as evidence grows of cardiovascular... More

£19.6m to cover General Pharmaceutical Council's expenditure needs explanation

More information should be provided by the General Pharmaceutical Council on how it decided that £19.6m was the amount needed to cover expenditure, the National Pharmacy Association has said.... More

New Guidance given on Care Record Violence Markers

The NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) has issued a press release concerning guidance on care record violence markers. ... More

Total of £1m to fund setting up of prescribing clinics

Funding for community pharmacy supplementary and independent prescribing clinics for the period 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011 was confirmed by the Scottish Government in an NHS Circular (PDF... More

Uptake of minor ailment scheme higher in deprived areas of Scotland

Uptake of the minor ailment scheme (MAS) has been higher in the most deprived areas in Scotland and in urban pharmacies, research has shown. The research, published online in Health Policy... More

NICE consults on pharmacological management of epilepsy

Draft recommendations for the pharmacological management of epilepsy have been published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. They are now open for consultation. ... More

Podiatrists 'can prevent amputation'

People with diabetes can reduce their chances of needing amputations by 15% if they are treated by podiatrists, according to US research. ... More

Scots unsure where to go for advice about sexually transmitted infections

People in Scotland are unsure about the risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and where to go for advice on sexual health and contraception, research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society... More

NICE rebacks clopidogrel and dipyridamol for vascular events

A review by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of previous guidance has re-endorsed the use of clopidogrel and Boehringer Ingelheim?s modified-release dipyridamol for the prevention of occlusive... More

NICE releases draft guidance on constipation in women

NICE has published draft guidance recommending prucalopride (Resolor, Movetis) as an option for the treatment of chronic constipation in women.... More

Antidepressants not recommended for children with autism

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can't be recommended for treating autism in children or adults at this point, according to a Cochrane review. The antidepressants have shown emerging evidence of harm... More

Petition launched against Mixtard 30 withdrawal

An online petition against drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk's decision to discontinue its human insulin Mixtard 30 in the UK at the end of the year was launched this week by... More

Inadequate NHS websites cost more than £86 million per year

The digital communications document, circulated in June, found that of 4,121 NHS websites more than 1,000 were no longer accessible and at least a third of the 2,873 remaining either... More

Thiazolidinediones increase fracture risk in post-menopausal diabetic women

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) increase the risk of fractures in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes in a dose-dependent manner, a study has shown. Published online in the Journal of... More

Caterpillar linked with asthma attacks

Experts have called on the Government to help wipe out a moth that can trigger potentially lethal asthma attacks. The Oak Processionary Moth arrived in the UK in... More

NPA welcomes MHRA decision on pseudoephedrine

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is pleased by Friday's (30 July 2010) decision from the MHRA to keep pseudoephedrine a P medicine. The announcement repeats last year's decision to keep... More

Potential role for pharmacy in public health service vision

Pharmacy is one of the unexplored options for delivering health advice under the proposed 'public health service, said public health minister Anne Milton at a King's Fund debate last week... More

Pharmacies that wholesale should clearly separate functions, says MHRA

Advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency stating that a registered pharmacy holding a wholesale dealer's licence should ensure that its retail and wholesale transactions are clearly separated... More

PSNI launches new guide to legal requirements for pharmacists

The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland has today launched its new Guide for Pharmacists on General Legal Requirements. The launch took place at Society House, 73 University Street, Belfast on... More

Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine update

Cold and flu remedies containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine will remain as pharmacy (P) medicines, following an assessment of the controls introduced to minimise the misuse of these ingredients in the... More

Flu jab linked to fits in under fives

Doctors should stock alternative vaccines for under fives who are due to have the seasonal flu vaccine this winter, a letter from the head of immunisation at the Department of... More

Ask Your Pharmacist Week - Pharmacy on the Front Line

The NPA has announced the date (8-14 November) and the theme (Pharmacy on the Front Line) of Ask Your Pharmacist Week 2010. NPA Head of External Communications, Stephen Fishwick explains: "This... More

White Paper offers significant opportunity to pharmacy, says NPA

NPA Chairman, Ian Facer, comments on items discussed at this month's NPA Board meeting (26-27 July 2010): “The Board considered in detail the recently published Liberating the NHS... More

Sainsbury's trials prescription kiosks

Sainsbury's has installed automatic prescription vending machines at two of its pharmacies in Sussex. The express prescription kiosks, made by Asteres, are intended to allow patients to collect their medicines... More

NHS release statistics for prescriptions dispensed in the community in England - 1999 to 2009

The NHS Information Centre has released statistical information regarding prescriptions dispensed in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in England.... More

New leaflet warns drivers about medication mistakes

In response to a recent poll of UK drivers revealing that 1 in 10 has had their ability to drive impaired after taking medication, road safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist... More

British Oncology Pharmacy Association produces competencies for verifying cancer drug prescriptions

A document detailing 12 competencies for clinical pharmacy verification of oncology prescriptions has been produced by the British Oncology Pharmacy Association. The competencies, due to be published on... More

Three cancer drugs recommended by NICE

Capecitabine (Xeloda; Roche), gefitinib (Iressa; AstraZeneca) and rituximab (MabThera; Roche) have all been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in final guidance. Capecitabine is... More

New professional body membership free for first two months

Professional body fees will be waived in January and February 2011, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has decided. Fees for 2011 will be due by 1 March 2011 rather... More

Membership packs to be sent by new professional and regulatory bodies in September

Membership packs introducing the services that will be offered by the new professional body will be sent to members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society from 6 September 2010. More

Topical ketoprofen products should not be available OTC, the European Medicines Agency recommends

Topical ketoprofen products should no longer be available over the counter, the European Medicines Agency has recommended following a review of these products. The benefits continue to outweigh the risks... More

Long-term condition information service launched by NHS Choices

An information service aimed at providing advice about long-term conditions and local services is now available from NHS Choices. The service allows users to develop a "prescription" of... More

Ask Your Pharmacist events to be held in shopping centres

During the National Pharmacy Association's (NPA) Ask Your Pharmacist Week (8-14 November 2010) community pharmacists in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be on hand to offer health advice and... More

Co-operative Pharmacy helps homeless stay safe in the sun

The Co-operative Pharmacy with the organisation, Sunwise, is supplying free factor 30 sun cream and after sun to the homeless in 14 UK cities during the summer months, to help... More

HIV infection in over-50s more than doubles in seven years

More older people are contracting HIV, the Health Protection Agency has found, and half of these are being diagnosed late. An eight-year study shows that cases of HIV in those aged... More

Society joins forces with specialist groups to develop education support

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is to form a partnership with a number of specialist groups to develop curricula and credentialing for professional recognition.... More

Indemnity insurance link to registration

Making professional indemnity insurance a condition of registration for healthcare professionals is the best way to ensure that all practitioners have adequate cover, an independent review has concluded.... More

Naphyrone to be banned and made Class B

Naphyrone 'a recreational drug' and its related compounds are to be banned and made a Class B drug, minister for crime and prevention James Brokenshire announced this week. The announcement follows... More

Gap between the health of rich and poor widest since records began

The gap between the health of the rich and the poor is greater now than at any time since records began, a study shows today. Government initiatives over the past... More

Society launches supervision campaign

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched a campaign to find out what pharmacists want from supervision. The Society's national boards have put together eight principles which they believe could shape... More

'Smart drugs' have no place among pharmacy students

As the use of nootropic (“smart”) drugs increases, particularly among students, the author of an article, exclusive to Tomorrow's Pharmacist, looks at the arguments for and against their use, and... More

Healthcare professionals should be more flexible to improve patient care, King's Fund says

Healthcare professionals should move away from “rigid role demarcation” and take a more flexible working approach in order to improve patient care, according to a report published yesterday (22 July... More

Delays to stroke surgery 'cost 500 lives a year'

An estimated 500 people are dying prematurely each year because the NHS is failing to offer life-saving operations for those at risk of a stroke, an audit shows.... More

Pharmacy services are starting to be cut by PCTs

Pharmacy organisations are calling for continuing investment in pharmacy services as evidence emerges that they are being cut by primary care trusts.... More

HIV protection with tenofovir gel use

Use of tenofovir vaginal gel before and after sex offers significantly greater protection against HIV than placebo among women at high risk of the disease, a recent study reveals.... More

Summary care record errors put patients at risk

Almost 9,000 patients have been put at risk because of inaccuracies in data on medicines and allergies in their summary care records (SCRs), according to a report in Pulse last... More

Cold storage procedures: deadline today

Today (July 21st) is the deadline given by the NPSA for pharmacists to update their cold storage procedures.  Lec Medical's Matt Newsome gives the following advice: "It is worrying... More

Consultation on NHS outcomes framework launched by Department of Health

Consultation on an NHS outcomes framework was launched yesterday by the Department of Health. The framework will include a set of national outcome goals that will be used to hold... More

UK ranked top in providing end-of-life care

End-of-life care in the UK is ranked top out of 40 countries from around the world, according to research published last week (14 July 2010) by The Economist Intelligence Unit.... More

NHS commissioning director says pharmacists have excellent ideas

Pharmacists' potential within a post-White Paper NHS was highlighted to those attending a Westminster Health Forum meeting on world class commissioning in London last week. Helen Northall, director of... More

AAH calls for clarity over White Paper pharmacy proposals

Greater clarity and detail about what the White Paper proposals relating to community pharmacy will mean in practice is needed, according to Mark James, group managing director of AAH.... More

Foreign doctors responsible for overdoses: NHS watchdog

Foreign doctors working as out-of-hours GPs risked the lives of patients by mistakenly giving them overdoses despite repeated warnings of the danger, a damning report has found.... More

GSK wins crucial FDA vote on diabetes drug Avandia

GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug, Avandia, should be allowed to stay on the market but with additional warnings, advisers to the US's medicines watchdog voted yesterday.... More

Giving children medicine with teaspoon 'risks overdose'

A study found that teaspoons vary from a capacity of 2.5ml to 7.3ml, meaning children could be receiving an inaccurate dose. Instead, parents should use the special spoon... More

Low vitamin D 'linked to Parkinson's'

Having low levels of vitamin D may be linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease late in life, new research suggests. A study in the Archives... More

Community programmes 'may prevent weight gain'

Women who attend supportive community programmes that promote healthy eating may be more likely to take regular exercise and less likely to gain weight, new research suggests. Scientists... More

British Thoracic Society issues guidance on management of bronchiectasis

Guidance on the management of bronchiectasis has been published by the British Thoracic Society. The guideline includes advice on appropriate antibiotic therapy, the use of nebulised medicines and identifies areas... More

NSAIDs do not increase risk of heart attack or heart failure, study shows

Older people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are living longer and without an increased risk of heart attack or heart failure, a study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology... More

'Sleeping contract' plan for future pandemic vaccination schemes

Arrangements for the rapid implementation of a vaccination scheme that involves pharmacists and GPs is being developed based on a “sleeping contract” to ensure the UK is properly equipped for... More

Society maintains regulatory standards in run-up to separation, CHRE says

Despite significant challenges faced by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the run-up to the separation of its professional and regulatory functions, the Society has been able to maintain the standards... More

Let fellow health care professionals share GPs' burden, NPA tells Lansley

In a letter to the Health Secretary today, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chairman, Ian Facer, wrote: “Your Liberating the NHS white paper states an ambition to make the... More

Maximum strength of GSL ibuprofen gel increases to 10 per cent w/w

The maximum strength of ibuprofen gel available for general sale for local symptomatic relief of pain and inflammation has been increased from 5 per cent w/w to 10 per cent... More

Branded Shortages List updated

The following products have been added to the list of products that pharmacies have reported problems obtaining: •DesmoMelt oral lyophilisates (Ferring Pharmaceuticals Ltd) •Fosrenol chewable tablets (Shire... More

Prescription charges for Northern Ireland prescriptions

The Department of Health have announced changes to the prescription charge arrangements for NHS prescription forms originating from Northern Ireland. From 1st August 2010, any patient who presents... More

New advice on Fabrazyme treatment during stock shortage

Patients with newly identified Fabry's disease should not be started on Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta; Genzyme) where alternative treatment is available, the European Medicines Agency has advised following information from the... More

NHS shake-up 'hands funding powers to GPs'

GP practices could be handed responsibility for most health services under a radical shake-up of the NHS in England, under ministerial plans.... More

Pharmacies in Wales to promote cervical screening

More than 700 community pharmacies have teamed up with Cervical Screening Wales to run a promotional sticker campaign to encourage more younger women to have smear tests. During July 2010,... More

Campaign launched to help Parkinson's disease patients get medicines at correct time

Parkinson's UK has launched a campaign in Scotland to ensure Parkinson's disease patients get their medicines on time, both while in hospital and at home. The Royal Pharmaceutical... More

Viagra users 'at risk of sexually transmitted infections'

Men who take medication for erectile dysfunction (ED) may present a new risk group for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), experts have claimed. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and... More

Andrew Lansley: Occasional Mars bar is fine if overall diet is good

People should feel able to eat a bag of crisps or a Mars bar if their overall diet is good, Andrew Lansley Health Secretary has said, as he pledged that... More

Regulator to be in place on 27 September 2010

Pharmacy's new regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council, will come into force on 27 September 2010, following the passing of a commencement order by the Privy Council on 5 July 2010.... More

PCTS employing private sector workers to assist commissioning

Primary care trusts routinely employ experts from the private sector to help them with commissioning services, according to research published last week (1 July 2010) by the King's Fund. More

Servier Laboratories Ltd announce new Distribution Arrangements

Servier Laboratories Ltd is to distribute their branded medicines under a reduced wholesaler model, with Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Limited, Phoenix Healthcare Distribution Limited and AAH Pharmaceuticals Limited from 1st August... More

Rules for dispensing European Economic Area and Swiss prescriptions for children under 12 years old to change

Community pharmacists in the UK will, from 26 July 2010, be able to dispense European Economic Area and Swiss prescriptions for children under 12 years old without the patient's address... More

UK population more healthy than 40 years ago

Pharmacists are seeing a healthier and more health-conscious population of patients today than 40 years ago, according to a new report out today (PDF 2.10Mb). The Social Trends... More

Tuberculosis in UK to increase during Olympics

A surge in tuberculosis cases threatens to embarrass the UK during the Olympics unless London mayor Boris Johnson supports a campaign against the disease, an NHS leader has claimed. More

New kidney drug turned down for NHS use

Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) will not be able to get a new drug called everolimus (brand name Afinitor) on the NHS. The National Institute... More

Medicines supply chain visioning event takes place in Edinburgh

On 30 June the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) held its 'Medicines supply chain visioning event' at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. The event aimed to begin building a... More

Report calls for safe green spaces to treat mental illness

Regular exercise in safe, green spaces may be as effective as prescription drugs for people with mild to moderate forms of depression and anxiety, new research suggests. Experts... More

Agenda for Change annual incremental pay increases to continue despite NHS pay freeze

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will still be entitled to incremental annual step increases under Agenda for Change despite the two-year NHS pay freeze announced in the Government's emergency budget... More

Second pharmacist appointed to Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Graham Parsons has become the second pharmacist to be appointed to the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Mr Parsons is a prescribing adviser at NHS... More

NICE perfroms arthritis drug U-turn

An arthritis drug that was originally deemed too expensive by NICE has now been approved for use on the NHS in England and Wales. Tocilizumab was rejected... More

Debate continues over cardio-vascular safety of rosiglitazone

Debate over the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone continues this week as conflicting data emerge in two published studies and a post-trial analysis presented at a US conference. The... More

Down's syndrome blood test on the horizon

Dutch scientists are developing a simple blood test that could show a pregnant woman if her unborn child has Down's syndrome. At present, invasive tests which take samples... More

Official figures 'underestimate' Huntington's disease

The number of people with Huntington's disease has been massively underestimated, experts have claimed. According to official figures, the incurable brain illness has a prevalence of 6.7 cases... More

Consultation on contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people

The National Pharmacy Association has responded to the NICE consultation on contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people. Community pharmacies are ideally situated to meet the needs of... More

Members' views on revalidation sought by Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Views on proposals for revalidating pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are being sought by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society by way of an online questionnaire. Open until 12 July 2010,... More

Most pharmacists do not know enough about new type 2 diabetes drugs to carry out medicines use reviews

Three quarters of 200 community pharmacists surveyed for MSD do not believe they know enough about newer agents for type 2 diabetes to carry out a medicines use review in... More

Exenatide adjunct better than sitagliptin or pioglitazone, Lancet study reveals

Addition of exenatide to metformin achieves better glucose control and more weight loss than sitagliptin or pioglitazone, a recent study reveals. In those with type 2 diabetes who... More

All-Party Pharmacy Group summer reception announced

Pharmacy minister Earl Howe is to address the All-Party Pharmacy Group at its first meeting in the new Parliament. Earl Howe will give the Government's perspective on pharmacy at the... More

Guidance on how to deal with contractors who exceed annual medicines use review limits

Guidance for primary care trusts in England on how to deal with pharmacy contractors who exceed the annual limit on medicines use reviews or appliance use reviews has been produced... More

NHS Evidence calls for guidance producers

NHS Evidence is calling on organisations that produce healthcare guidance to join its accreditation scheme, set up to help health and social care professionals indentify the most reliable and trusted... More

Scientists identify new diabetes genes

An international consortium has identified 12 new genes associated with late-onset diabetes. Scientists at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh helped to identify the genes, which were found... More

NPA promotes the role of pharmacists in reducing health inequalities

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) highlighted the role community pharmacies play in reducing health inequalities at the Inside Government 'Tackling Health Inequalities Through Integrated Local Action' conference on Thursday 24... More

NICE recommends new rheumatoid arthritis treatments

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved a number of new rheumatoid arthritis treatments for use on the NHS. Patients who have failed to... More

NPA Prereg tutor training day and prereg trainee pharmacist programme 2010/11 Booking Now

Registration forms for the prereg trainee pharmacist programme 2010/11 are now available to download on the NPA members' website. The NPA is also providing training on 23 July 2010 for... More

Pharmacy White Paper discussions to cease

Department of Health officials are unlikely to continue to talk about the White Paper for pharmacy because it is a White Paper of the previous Government, DoH principal pharmaceutical officer... More

Misleading advertising about private screening must end, say doctors

The BMA and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges are calling on the UK government to take action against irresponsible, direct marketing of private health screening tests. In... More

Pregnant women 'should have smoking tests'

Pregnant women should all be encouraged to have carbon monoxide tests to determine whether they need smoking cessation advice, health experts have said. New guidance from the National... More

CPS guidance on dispensing errors criticised

Guidance on interpreting the law relating to dispensing errors, published by the Crown Prosecution Service this week, completely misses the point, according to Joy Wingfield, special professor of pharmacy law... More

RPSGB reacts to CPS guidelines on dispensing

Reacting to guidance issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on prosecuting Medicines Act offences where a dispensing error has occurred, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain,... More

Arthritis drug hope for children

A study has suggested that thousands of British children suffering from a painful and crippling disease could have their lives transformed by a drug which is currently reserved for adults.... More

Gene data for all 'within a decade'

Genetic information will be available to most people in the developed world within 10 years, allowing better treatment and safer prescription of drugs. Francis Collins, director of the... More

Abolition of GP waiting time target could create opportunities for pharmacy

The Government's decision to abolish the 48-hour waiting time target for patients to see their GP in England could create new opportunities for community pharmacists. The Royal Pharmaceutical... More

Sativex launched for the treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis

People with multiple sclerosis who experience spasticity now have a new treatment option with the UK launch of Sativex on 21 June 2010. Sativex, a combination cannabinoid product,... More

Supply chain problems will continue

Supply chain problems will continue for a long time and will not go away until the exporting of medicines stops, said Per Troein, vice-president, Strategic Partners (Europe Middle East Africa),... More

Budget Reaction from the National Pharmacy Association

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has responded to the Coalition Government's first Budget by calling for sustained investment in the NHS front line.... More

CPPE launches new training programme to coincide with Men's Health Week

The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Men's health open learning programme to coincide with Men's Health Week 2010 (14-20 June)... More

New challenges set for the NHS

The NHS will begin to make immediate efficiency savings by tackling escalating management costs . - NHS must accelerate cuts in management costs - - Targets... More

Crown Prosecution Service guidance on dispensing errors will be issued by the end June 2010

Guidance on how the police should deal with dispensing errors is due to be issued by the Crown Prosecution Service by the end of June 2010. Following a... More

Topical NSAIDs effective on acute musculoskeletal pain, Cochrane reviewers say

Using topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can significantly reduce pain when treating acute musculoskeletal conditions, without the systemic adverse effects associated with oral NSAIDs, Cochrane reviewers have said. The... More

Hugh Simpson appointed to communications and policy role at new pharmacy regulator

Hugh Simpson has been appointed director of policy and communications at the General Pharmaceutical Council. He will take up his role in early September and will be responsible... More

Extemporaneous preparation of methadone permitted by GPhC but early review planned

Current rule exemptions allowing the extemporaneous preparation of methadone are going to be maintained by the new pharmacy regulator until it has had a chance to review the arrangements. More

NICE issues diabetes draft guidance

Type 2 diabetes should be treated with a daily 1.2mg dose of liraglutide, according to draft NICE guidance. NICE said the evidence available did not suggest any... More

Category M price changes

The Department of Health has announced the new Category M prices which will apply to prescriptions from July to September 2010.... More

Community pharmacy organisations welcome halt to introduction of scheme to safeguard children and vulnerable adults

Community pharmacy organisations have welcomed the Government's announcement to halt the introduction of the new vetting and barring scheme which was being introduced to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.... More

"GP commissioning" label creates barrier

The label “GP commissioning” creates a barrier to integrated, inclusive commissioning, the Healthcare Professionals' Commissioning Network has said. The network, which held its inaugural meeting last week, brings... More

More research needed on whether blood pressure drugs affect cancer risk

A common class of blood pressure drugs called angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) may be linked with a slightly increased risk of developing cancer, US scientists have found. But Cancer... More

Brown rice reduces diabetes risk

Changing from white rice to brown rice can reduce the chance of developing diabetes by up to 16%, a new US study has claimed. The research also found... More

Maximum diclofenac pack size and treatment period increased

The maximum pack size of diclofenac ethylammonium 1.16 per cent gel available as a pharmacy medicine has been increased from 50g to 100g and the maximum treatment period (without medical... More

Football fans warned of 'vuvuzela' health risk

England fans who are visiting South Africa this month to support the national team at the football World Cup may want to think twice before blowing a vuvuzela, health experts... More

Diabetes patients warned of raised kidney risk

People with diabetes face a 20 per cent increase in the risk of kidney failure, a leading charity has warned. Diabetes UK said it is concerned that the... More

NPA supports Men's Health Week Launch

The National Pharmacy Association fielded a quiz team at yesterday's Men's Health Week launch at West Ham Football Club. The NPA is supporting Men's Health Week (14-20 June) to help... More

Merck Sharp and Dohme temporarily nominates Alliance as sole distributor of Sinemet

Merck Sharp and Dohme has temporarily nominated Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) as sole distributor of Sinemet 62.5, Sinemet Plus, Sinemet CR and Half Sinemet CR tablets in order to optimise continuity... More

Scottish Pharmacy Board seeks views of pharmacists for election manifesto

Pharmacists in Scotland are being asked for their views on what should be included in the Scottish Pharmacy Board's election manifesto. Elections to the Scottish Parliament will take... More

Certolizumab pegol rejected for use by Scottish Medicines Consortium

Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) will not be available in Scotland as a combination therapy with methotrexate for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adults patients who have... More

National Pharmacy Association members call for common sense approach to Vetting and Barring Scheme

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) this week pressed on with its 'Lightening the Load' (burden of administration) project, convening a forum of NPA members to scrutinise the Home Office's Vetting... More

Community pharmacy should adopt hospital approach to dispensing

Community pharmacy needs to adopt a similar approach to hospital pharmacy whereby dispensing is undertaken by support staff and dispensing robots following a clinical check of the prescription by the... More

NHS Information Governance Requirements 2010/11

The Department of Health have confirmed that there will be a number of changes to the NHS Pharmacy Information Governance Requirements in 2010/11. Deletions Requirement 118... More

Regaine P to GSL consultation launched

Proposals to reclassify Regaine for Men Extra Strength (minoxidil 5 per cent w/v) scalp solution from a pharmacy-only medicine to a medicine available on the general sale list have been... More

Allergic rhinitis may affect exam results

Students who have allergic rhinitis symptoms on an exam day are 40% more likely to drop a grade in their GCSE exams than other students, but this rises to 70%... More

GPs won't be 'default providers' of out-of-hours

GPs will not become the 'default providers' of out-of-hours services when the profession takes on commissioning responsibility, the GPC has assured. During questions at the LMCs conference in London on Thursday,... More

Hospitals to face financial penalties if patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge

Hospitals will face a financial penalty if a patient is readmitted within 30 days of discharge, Andrew Lansley announced this week in his first speech as health secretary. If a... More

Dasatinib outdoes imatinib for chronic myeloid leukaemia

Patients newly diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) have greater improvements in their cytogenetic and molecular responses after one year of treatment with dasatinib compared with the standard first-line therapy,... More

Paclitaxel and carboplatin combination suitable for older lung cancer patients

Older lung cancer patients benefit from a combined drug therapy in the same way as younger patients, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual... More

Influenza Immunisation Programme 2010/11

The DH has issued information about the influenza immunisation programme 2010/11 which starts on 1st September 2010. The main points to note are: * Monovalent swine flu vaccine... More

Wholesalers demand balanced remuneration system

Mechanisms for a balanced remuneration system for full-line wholesalers need to be found if future medicines access is not to be hampered, according to René Jenny, president of the European... More

Clawback rate for Part 11 Drug Tariff items falls in Scotland

The clawback rate for proprietary medicines has been reduced from 6.69 per cent to 6.33 per cent as of May 2010 for items in Part 11 of the Drug Tariff,... More

Avastin side effects warning in latest Drug Safety Update

Pharmacists are warned of the risk of infusion and hypersensitivity reactions with bevacizumab (Avastin) in the June Drug Safety Update from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Symptoms reported with... More

Breast milk best because it 'kick-starts babies' immune system'

Breast-fed babies are better at fighting off infection than bottle-fed infants because their mothers milk kick-starts their immune system, scientists have discovered.... More

Infant overdose risk with intravenous paracetamol product Perfalgan

The risk of accidental overdose in neonates and infants during treatment with intravenous paracetamol solution for infusion 10mg/ml, marketed as Perfalgan, has been highlighted by the drug's manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb.... More

Guernsey pharmacists vote to create separate professional body

Pharmacists in Guernsey have voted to create their own professional body amid growing dissatisfaction with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and have set up a working group to look into the... More

Parkinson's, cancer and heart disease drugs endorsed in Wales

Parkinson's disease patients in Wales can now receive the prolonged-release version of Mirapexin (pramipexole), according to the latest recommendations from the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group.... More

Pfizer launches pharmacy-based vascular check service

Pfizer has launched a pharmacy-based vascular health check service, enabling PCTs in England to roll out the NHS Health Check programme with high quality local services through settings such as... More

Lloydspharmacy issues correction over promoting unlicensed drug Priligy

Lloydspharmacy has clarified its position after being found to be in breach of advertising regulations over promoting the unlicensed medicine Priligy (dapoxetine; Janssen-Cilag). The company issued a press... More

BGMA hits back at criticism of generic substitution plans

Generic drug manufacturers in the UK have hit back at companies that are opposing Government plans to introduce generic substitution. Opposition to the plans, which were set out for consultation earlier... More

Greater risk of GI bleeding with slow-release NSAIDs, study shows

Slow-release non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) carry a greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding than NSAIDs with a short half-life, new research has shown (Arthritis and Rheumatism 2010;62:1592). Researchers reviewed... More

CPPE allows next-day retakes of e-assessments

Electronic assessments on the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education's website can now be retaken 20 hours after a previous attempt, rather than having to wait three days, in response to... More

Schering Plough distribution changes

Schering Plough is changing the way in which it distributes medicines in the UK market. As from 1st July 2010, Schering Plough's prescription medicine products will be available via AAH,... More

Trends in NHS funding: payment by results

Now more than ever pharmacists must think beyond the clinical appropriateness of medicines to the financial implications of therapeutic choices. This month we take a look at Payment by Results... More

Guernsey pharmacists might break away from Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Guernsey pharmacists are considering setting up their own professional body as dissatisfaction mounts over what they allege is the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's failure to address their needs. Chairman... More

NICE updates skin cancer guidance

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has updated its recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of 'low risk' basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). GPs had raised... More

Asthma linked to obesity

A study of 4,500 men and women in the US has uncovered a new link between obesity and asthma.... More

2D barcoded prescriptions hit Wales

Rx Systems has received authorisation to proceed with the next stage of delivering electronic transfer of prescriptions in Wales through two dimensional barcoded prescriptions (2DRx).... More

Changes to distribution of certain Novartis products

Novartis Pharmaceuticals has issued a press release outlinging changes to the distribution arrangements for 10 of it's branded products. ... More

Six month prison sentence for illegal sale and supply of slimming pills containing ephedrine

A 44-year-old man received a six month prison sentence on 28 May for the illegal sale and supply of unlicensed slimming pills containing ephedrine.... More

Shortage of molybdenum-99 hampering hospital diagnostics

Cancer and cardiac scans are being cancelled as hospitals across the UK try to cope with a continuing global shortage of molybdenum-99 (99Mo), a radioactive product used in diagnostic imaging... More

Binge-drinking teenagers 'doing lasting harm to their memories'

Binge-drinking teenagers could be doing lasting harm to their memories, according to a new study.... More

Should incentives be used to encourage healthy living?

Last week, NICE's Citizens Council - a group which brings the views of the public to NICE?s decision-making - spent two days debating the ins and outs of using incentives... More

Dispensing errors guidance to be published as soon as possible, says CPS

Guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service on how the law relating to single dispensing errors should be interpreted is currently with chief pharmaceutical officer for England Keith Ridge, and the... More

Counterfeiting of online pharmacy certificates starts

Difficulties associated with certification of online pharmacies have been highlighted by the discovery of an internet site registered in Russia that faked the logo of the Pharmaceutical Group of the... More

Alcohol drug prescriptions up 12%

The NHS has been hit with a £2.38 million bill after spending 12% more on alcoholism medicines last year than in 2008, figures have revealed.... More

Hepatitis testing to start in pharmacies in England

Community pharmacists across England are being invited to provide a viral hepatitis pharmacy testing service.... More

Further details on the conditions for supply of tranexamic acid as a pharmacy medicine

Additional information on the conditions for supply of tranexamic acid as a pharmacy medicine (Cyclo-f; Meda Pharmaceuticals) has been published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (19 May... More

Lack of exercise 'worse for health than being obese'

A lack of exercise is worse for people's health than simply being obese, according to an expert.... More

Erlotinib as maintenance therapy in lung cancer patients improves survival, Lancet study finds

Giving lung cancer patients erlotinib as maintenance therapy improves survival, a study published online in The Lancet (20 May 2010) reveals.... More

IT cuts announced but NHS Programme for IT is safe, Connecting for Health confirms

Government departments are expected to make savings of around £95m from IT, Chancellor George Osborne revealed as he unveiled cuts in ?wasteful? public sector spending totalling £6.25bn this week (24... More

NICE publishes first guideline on childhood constipation

NICE has released new guidelines for the management of idiopathic childhood constipation.... More

Queen's Speech: NPA reaction

On the day that the Queen announced the Government's legislative programme, Ian Facer, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said:... More

RPSGB and GPhC target September for transfer of pharmacy regulatory responsibility

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) have today announced their intention to complete the work for the transfer of the regulatory functions of the... More

Proposed regulatory fees for 2011 out for consultation by GPhC

Proposed regulatory fees for 2011 have today (24 May 2010) been put out to a 12-week consultation by the General Pharmaceutical Council.... More

Patients taking metformin long-term should be regularly assessed for vitamin B12 deficiency

Patients taking metformin for the long-term treatment of type 2 diabetes should be regularly assessed for vitamin B12 deficiency, say the authors of a study published online in the BMJ... More

Asda to sell cancer medicine on not for profit basis

Asda is to sell all privately prescribed cancer medicines on a 'not for profit' basis, prompting pledges from Superdrug, Sainsbury's and Tesco to do the same.... More

Some statins have more side effects than previously thought

Some statins can lead to an increased risk of liver dysfunction, acute renal failure, myopathy and cataracts, the authors of a study published online in the BMJ today (21 May... More

British Pharmaceutical Students' Association to cement relationship with new professional body

Plans are under way for the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association to become the student section of the new professional body.... More

Students confront science to practice dilemmas

This article describes how a collaboration between King's College London and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society culminated in a science-into-pharmacy practice debate for final-year students, and suggests there is scope for... More

Findings from the BPSA Conference 2010

That pharmacists should be providing more clinical care to patients and be freed from the mechanical role of dispensing was just one of many topics discussed at this year?s British... More

Middle age spread linked to dementia

Middle age spread has been assosciated with higher risks of developing dementia by new research.... More

Pregnant smoker rate fails to drop

The proportion of mothers who smoke during pregnancy has barely dropped in the last three years, new Department of Health figures show.... More

Allergy sufferers 'less prone to cancer'

Allergy sufferers are less likely to contract cancer because adverse reactions stimulate the immune system, according to two studies.... More

Boots profit up

Alliance Boots has reported an increase in trading profit of 12.7 per cent to over £1bn in preliminary results for the year ending 31 March 2010. ... More

Pharmacy MVP product winners decided

The top prize of the Most Valuable Product 2010, voted for by UK community pharmacies as the 'most valuable' OTC product on their shelves, is Nurofen Plus. The result was... More

Pharmacy MVP team winners declared

Four pharmacy teams were winners at the Pharmacy MVP Awards, hosted by P3 magazine. Rachna Chhatralia and team of Day Lewis in Wallington, Surrey, was the winner of the Most... More

Jeremy Holmes calls for practice guidance on medicines supply

Practice guidance on medicines supply issues should be developed, according to Jeremy Holmes, chief executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.... More

CMS implementation starts in Scotland

Implementation of Scotland's chronic medication service, which allows pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care to patients with long-term conditions, has begun.... More

NICE says men should see GP before buying tamsulosin

Men with symptoms of lower urinary tract infections should see their GP before considering buying tamsulosin from their pharmacy, according to a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence spokesman. ... More

Pharmacy practice champions respond to BMJ criticism

Questions have been raised about the effectiveness and value for money of some community pharmacy services. ... More

GPhC announces proposed fees for 2011

Membership of the new professional body and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council could cost £454 in total for 2011, an increase of over 7.5 per cent. (The Royal Pharmaceutical... More

Treatment is changed after patients search online

Treatment changed for about a quarter of patients after they searched online for information about their medicines, a survey carried out by Datapharm, the company behind the electronic medicines compendium... More

Male continence problems focus of new NICE guidance

NICE has set out very specific guidelines for dealing with male continence problems.... More

Community antibiotic prescribing leads to long-term resistance

Prescribing of antibiotics in the community can lead to bacterial resistance for up to a year, a systematic review and meta-analysis has shown. ... More

Thousands of possible new drugs to fight malaria identified

Thousands of potential new drugs to fight malaria have been identified by the mass-screening of chemicals.... More

Parents struggle to get children to clean their teeth, survey shows

The National Dental Survey found that well over half of the parents asked found it challenging and generally difficult to get their children to brush their teeth both in the... More

RPSGB is key to bringing profession together, director for England Howard Duff says

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will be central to bringing the different interests of the profession together, according to the Society?s director for England Howard Duff.... More

Four-in-one polypill phase III trial starts in the UK

An international phase III trial of a once daily polypill nicknamed the 'Red heart pill' was launched yesterday (17 May 2010) in the UK.... More

Vitamin E may reduce COPD risk

Regular use of vitamin E can protect women over 45 from developing lung disease, a new study has suggested.... More

Britons spend more than 14 hours a day sitting down

The average Briton spends an average of 14 hours and 39 minutes sitting down every day, a survey has claimed.... More

Babies should be given MMR jab earlier to cover immunity 'gap' for measles

Babies should be given the MMR jab earlier to protect them against measles because of a "gap" in their immunity, new research suggests... More

New Government health policy remains unclear

The heath policy of the newly elected Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government remains unclear today.... More

Isle of Wight pharmacists win award for hepatitis B and C vaccination programme

Community pharmacists on the Isle of Wight have won national recognition for their hepatitis B and C vaccination programme for injecting drug users.... More

More than 500 independent community pharmacists signed to retail training service

Over 500 independent community pharmacies are now signed up to Proctor & Gamble's retail training and development service, Pharmacy Care.... More

Food allergy sufferers 'worst served' by medicine

People who suffer from food allergies get some of the worst service from doctors due to misleading test results, wrong diagnoses and poor quality research.... More

Society appoints new honorary members

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has named a new group of Honorary Members in recognition of their exceptional service to both the profession and the Society.... More

Appeal to women's vanity to stop tan salon visits

Appealing to women's vanity is more effective in getting them to give up tanning than warning of the risk of cancer, a study shows.... More

New research on hormone link to breast cancer

Women who have high blood levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are more likely to develop breast cancer, according to a Cancer Research UK study published in... More

Boots and Lloydspharmacy online sites accused of selling orlistat to customers not appropriate for treatment

Boots and Lloydspharmacy were accused last night (13 May 2010) of selling Alli (orlistat; GlaxoSmithKline) via their online pharmacies to customers for whom it is not appropriate. ... More

DoH announces two new health ministers

Appointment of two health ministers has been announced by the Department of Health today (14 May 2010). They are Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sutton, Cheam and... More

Government pledges NHS spending to outstrip inflation

Spending on the NHS is to increase in real terms in each year of the current Parliament, the new coalition Government has announced.... More

Pharmacists hit back at role criticism in BMJ

Pharmacists' organisations have hit back at criticisms over the expanding roles of community pharmacists in England and Wales.... More

Andrew Lansley named as new Health Secretary

Andrew Lansley has become the new health secretary following the formation of the coalition Government.... More

Government pledges NHS spending to outstrip inflation

Spending on the NHS is to increase in real terms in each year of the current Parliament, the new coalition Government has announced.... More

Pharmacy organisations criticise GPhC proposed rules

Some of the proposed rules which will govern the regulatory function of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) are unfair, disproportionate and burdensome, according to the National Pharmacy Association.... More

NPA seeks legal advice to stop PCTs recommending branded generics

The National Pharmacy Association is taking legal advice in an attempt to stop primary care trusts distorting remuneration by telling GPs to prescribe branded generics, which, it says, is a... More

Impulse control disorders higher in Parkinson's patients taking dopamine agonists

Parkinson's disease patients who are treated with dopamine agonists are two to three times more likely to gamble impulsively, binge-eat, shop without control or have compulsive sexual behaviours, a study... More

Limit high-dose simvastatin warns Drug Safety Update

High-dose simvastatin is associated with an increased risk of myopathy and should be considered only in patients with severe hypercholesterolaemia and a high risk of cardiovascular complications who have not... More

CFC-free letter template helps pharmacists warn GPs

Community pharmacists needing to inform GPs about the imminent discontinuation of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-containing beclometasone inhalers can use a letter template produced by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.... More

Adverse drug effects cause dizziness in nearly one-quarter of older people

Adverse drug effects are responsible for dizziness in nearly a quarter of older people visiting their GP with such symptoms, a study has shown (Annals of Family Medicine 2010;8:196).... More

Royal college produces guidance on malaria and pregnancy

Guidance on the prevention and management of malaria in pregnancy has been published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.... More

Isentress recommendations extended by Scottish Medicines Consortium

Treatment-naive HIV-1 patients in Scotland can now receive Isentress (raltegravir; Merck, Sharp and Dohme), the Scottish Medicines Consortium has decided after its latest round of product appraisals.... More

APPG loses key members in general election and effect of hung Parliament on GPhC remains unclear

The cross-party parliamentary group which lobbies on behalf of pharmacy at Westminster has lost three of its key officers following the general election. ... More

Over a third of medication errors occur on hospital admission

Pharmacists are invaluable when it comes to medicines reconciliation, the authors of a study have said, after finding that over one-third of patients have medication errors that occur upon admission... More

Dopamine agonists effective for treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease patients

Pramipexole is effective for treating depression in people with Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.... More

Pharmacy minister and pharmacist candidates fail in parliamentary election bids

Pharmacy minister Mike O'Brien has lost his Labour seat in Warwickshire North in yesterday's General Election (6 May 2010) with his seat being taken by his Conservative opponent.... More

Role of community pharmacy poorly understood by public

Community pharmacy's public health role is little understood by the public and needs to be marketed more effectively, new research suggests.... More

Barcode technology can improve medication safety

Medication safety is improved by the use of barcode verification technology integrated with an electronic medication administration system (barcode eMAR), according to the results of a US study (New England... More

Recording of drug sensitivities for care home residents suboptimal

Recording of drug sensitivities for care home residents is suboptimal, with over 90 per cent of sensitivities not being recorded on the medicines administration record, according to a study published... More

Number of prescription items dispensed in England increased in 2009

Some 886 million prescription items were dispensed in England in 2009 with a total net ingredient cost of £8.5bn, according to statistics published by The Information Centre. This compares with... More

Scottish regulations amended to help tackle medicines shortages

Regulations around the dispensing of NHS prescriptions by community pharmacists in Scotland have been changed in order to help tackle current medicines shortages.... More

Genomic data could be used to predict drug response and inform dosing, analysis suggests

Patients' genome sequences could be used to predict their sensitivity to certain drugs and lead to individualised treatment plans, according to a study published in The Lancet (2010;375:1525)... More

Ian Facer reappointed NPA chairman

Ian Facer has been reappointed as chairman of the National Pharmacy Association.... More

GPhC rules consultation responses being considered

Over 100 responses were submitted to the General Pharmaceutical Council's consultation on its proposed rules, which closed this week.... More

Electronic prescription payments move to next phase in Wales

Only contractors in Wales who move to phase 2 of the electronic transfer of prescriptions programme roll-out will continue to receive their monthly £200 information technology allowance beyond September 2010,... More

Alliance Boots deemed most reputable company

Alliance Boots has been ranked top overall performer in a public survey assessing the reputation of 140 UK companies.... More

B vitamins a risk for diabetic nephropathy patients, study suggests

B vitamins in high doses do not improve renal function in people with diabetic nephropathy and increase the number of heart attacks and strokes they experience, recent findings suggest (JAMA... More

Error reports prompt reminder of application technique for Exelon patches

Healthcare professionals have been warned of the risks associated with the inappropriate use of Exelon (rivastigmine; Novartis) transdermal patches.... More

NICE considering whether to appraise medicine for an unlicensed indication

For the first time the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is considering whether to appraise a medicine for an unlicensed indication to see if it should be made... More

Pharmacy's role in mental health highlighted at first meeting of Welsh cross-party pharmacy group

Legislation relating to the provision of mental health services in Wales should take account of the key roles that pharmacists can play, according to a report of the first meeting... More

Too little evidence to recommend Grazax for hay fever, DTB concludes

Uncertainty remains over the benefit of Grazax (grass pollen extract) for the treatment of hay fever, the latest Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin concludes after reassessing the medicine in light of... More

New prescription sorting arrangements could increase workload by 24 hours per month

Community pharmacists expect that new arrangements for sorting prescriptions that have a net ingredient cost of more than £100 will increase their workload by up to 24 hours a month... More

Veterinary medicines rules subject to EC consultation

Rules governing the authorisation of veterinary medicines are being reviewed by the European Commission, following concerns that the current system is too complex and stifles innovation.... More

How to reduce the volume of waste medicines

Ways of saving up to £100m a year spent on medicines that end up being wasted are suggested in an article in The Pharmaceutical Journal and on PJ Online by... More

Actavis launches online human resources service

Online human resources support for community pharmacists is being launched by Actavis on 1 May 2010. The service will be available via Actavis Academy Online, a training site started by... More

Society announces £1.9m surplus after a challenging financial year

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced an operating surplus of £1.9m for 2009, before pension fund and tax deductions. A surplus of £2.8m was reported the previous year.... More

BOPA publishes guidance on checking oncology prescriptions

Guidance for pharmacists on the checks they must perform when dispensing anticancer drugs has been published by the British Oncology Pharmacy Association.... More

Work with strategic health authorities to effect real professional change

What can pharmacists learn from experiences in the north west of England relating to improving pharmacy commissioning and service development? Georgina Craig finds out from Liz Stafford, national primary care... More

Numark announces new benefits as membership numbers climb

Numark membership has increased so significantly in recent times that the organisation is nearly as big as Boots, managing director Tony Mottram said at the company?s spring conference this week... More

Court orders new inquest into death of patient using fentanyl patches

A grieving mother believes that she has evidence that fentanyl skin patches are dangerous, leading to the High Court ordering a new inquest into the death of her son.... More

Authentication system for products dispensed in EU moves closer

Product authentication as part of the dispensing process across Europe came a step closer this week, when amendments to the European Commission's pharmaceutical package were backed by a key European... More

Pharmacist Donald Wood seeks election for Barnsley Central

Pharmacist Donald Wood, who stood unsuccessfully in the 2005 general election as an independent candidate for Barnsley Central, is standing again this year.... More

Targeted CV screening could be as effective as national screening

Targeted cardiovascular screening using routinely available data could prevent a similar number of cardiovascular events as the Government's national vascular risk assessment programme for all 40- to 74-year-olds, but at... More

Pharmacists should be involved in care of heart failure patients

Pharmacists should be included in specialist multidisciplinary teams looking after heart failure patients, clinical standards on heart disease from NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published this week state.... More

Dapoxetine available in UK for men with premature ejaculation

Men with premature ejaculation now have access to drug treatment. Dapoxetine, marketed as Priligy (Janssen-Cilag), has been launched this week by Lloydspharmacy's online doctor service.... More

Pharmacy potential not fully exploited, say Conservatives

Pharmacy should be put to better use in the delivery of public health agendas like smoking cessation, according to the Conservative shadow secretary of state for health, Andrew Lansley.... More

Society's Charter gold medal goes to past president Gill Hawksworth

Gill Hawksworth, fellow and former president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, has been awarded the Society's Charter gold medal for 2010.... More

Changes planned for EC's clinical trials directive

Rules governing medical research in Europe are to be updated by the European Commission, which has proposed a series of amendments to the clinical trials directive.... More

Pharmacy students' gender and ethnicity linked to career outcomes

Gender, ethnicity and academic performance as a pharmacy student are important predictors of who subsequently enters the profession, according to the final report (PDF 390K) from a longitudinal cohort study... More

Personalised healthcare could cut costs and errors

Personalised healthcare could improve patient safety and save money in the long term but financial, technical and regulatory problems are holding the field back, according to the results of a... More

Pandemic flu vaccines gain full marketing authorisation

Full marketing authorisations for pandemic influenza vaccines Celvapan, Focetria and Pandemrix have been granted by the European Medicines Agency.... More

Trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin POM-to-P switches abandoned

Applications to reclassify trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin to over-the-counter status have been withdrawn by the drug companies behind the switch requests.... More

Methadone use during pregnancy could damage child's eyesight

Pregnant women prescribed methadone could be putting their unborn children at risk of sight defects, findings from 20 children have shown.... More

Extended Cerezyme and Fabrazyme shortages prompt fresh EMA advice

Shortages of Genzyme's Cerezyme (imiglucerase) and Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) look set to continue until the end of September 2010, the European Medicines Agency has announced.... More

Prescribing incentive schemes not illegal, European court rules

Incentive schemes that reward GPs for prescribing certain medicines are not illegal, the European Court of Justice ruled yesterday (22 April 2010).... More

MHRA restrictions hinder child cancer treatment

Advertising restrictions in the UK are preventing specialists from finding suitable formulations of chemotherapeutic medicines for children.... More

Whatever the outcome of 6 May, there will be new opportunities for pharmacy

The three main political parties have launched their manifestos for the forthcoming general election, so how will pharmacy fare under a new government?... More

Contractors urged to monitor fees in wake of global sum devolvement

Community pharmacy contractors are being encouraged to monitor their businesses closely following devolvement of the global sum to primary care trusts on 1 April 2010, so that temporary measures to... More

Should conscience come before care?

The subject of conscience clauses for healthcare workers is likely to be controversial for some time.... More

New NICE guidance webpage available

A new webpage containing guidance written for patients and the public is available from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence website.... More

Brief interventions programme launched

Brief interventions, a programme for primary care trusts and other commissioners who want community pharmacists and their staff to be equipped to support public health services, has been launched by... More

Minocycline as novel anti-HIV agent

Minocycline could be an effective, low-cost treatment for HIV when added to existing antiretroviral therapy, according to the authors of an in vitro study published online in The Journal of... More

Dual inhibition lowers BP further

LCZ696, a first in class inhibitor of the angiotensin II receptor and neprilysin, provides a greater reduction in blood pressure than valsartan, according to a proof-of-concept study published in The... More

Fee payable for CPPE return-to-work course

Pharmacists in England who wish to return to work after a break or after changing sectors will now have to pay £200 if they take the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate... More

Latest guidelines on diabetic emergencies

March was a busy month for diabetes. It saw the release of new guidelines for the diagnosis and management of diabetic ketoacidosis from the Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) and... More

UKCPA puts Society partnership talks on hold as plans develop

Discussions are on hold over a possible partnership between the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, although the UKCPA is still involved in planning meetings.... More

PTECO stops grants to the PPRT but makes £300,000 available for grass-roots pharmacy audit and research

The trustees of the Pharmaceutical Trust for Educational and Charitable Objectives (PTECO), a charity with the objective of promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society?s charities and... More

A refocused outlook for grass-roots evidence gathering through the PTECO

Lin-Nam Wang reports on a charity keen to establish an identity as an enabler of grass-roots audit and research for pharmacy... More

Make sense of local decisions

Each year primary care organisations have to look at their budgets and decide which treatments they are going to fund, in accordance with NHS Constitution principles.... More

Volcanic ash flight restrictions not causing medicines shortages

Wholesalers are not encountering problems with medicines supplies because of the flight restrictions imposed on the UK as a result of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland, Martin Sawer,... More

Specification for Scotland's chronic medication service published

The service specification for Scotland's chronic medication service (CMS) has now been published. Further implementation details, updated CMS directions and details of remuneration will follow once negotiations between Community Pharmacy... More

GPhC standards consultation now launched

A consultation has now been launched on the General Pharmaceutical Council's revised draft standards in four key areas, including conduct, ethics and performance.... More

New medicine launched for chronic blood disorder ITP

Eltrombopag, a new treatment for adult patients with chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), has been launched today (19 April 2010).... More

£1m funding available to develop rural healthcare in Wales

Pharmacists in Wales are being encouraged to submit bids for funding to develop innovative ideas for the delivery of care to rural communities.... More

Society mentoring scheme for pharmacists launching this summer

Pharmacists will have access to a mentoring scheme later this year through the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, its President Steve Churton has told PJ Online. ... More

New medicine launched for chronic blood disorder ITP

Eltrombopag, a new treatment for adult patients with chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), has been launched today (19 April 2010).... More

Consultation on regulation of nicotine products extended

An extension has been made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency?s consultation on the regulation of nicotine-containing products.... More

Volcanic ash prompts HPA warning for patients with respiratory conditions

People with respiratory conditions, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma, may be more affected than others by Icelandic volcanic ash and should ensure they carry inhalers and medicines with... More

Pharmacy students concerned about lack of training placements

Lack of preregistration and summer work placements and lack of support in sourcing them appears to be a major concern for pharmacy students, according to an article published online in... More

Infliximab outdoes azathioprine for treating Crohn's disease, study suggests

Crohn's disease is treated more effectively with the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor infliximab than with the standard second-line agent azathioprine, French researchers have shown.... More

Higher suicide risk with some anticonvulsants, study shows

Use of certain anticonvulsants may be associated with an increased risk of suicide or violent death, according to the authors of a large cohort study to evaluate the safety of... More

Alglucosidase alfa shows potential for late-onset Pompe disease

Alglucosidase alfa could have a positive effect on patients with late-onset Pompe disease, new international research suggests (New England Journal of Medicine 2010;362:1396).... More

Steve Churton to stand again for Society President

Steve Churton will stand for a third-term as President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, PJ Online can exclusively reveal.... More

Anti-counterfeit product coding system shows promise in Swedish pilot

Positive results from a Swedish pilot to help combat counterfeit medicines were published yesterday (14 April 2010) in a joint report (PDF, 150K) by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries... More

New consultation on revised draft standards for conducts, ethics and performance

Consultation is expected to begin next week on revised draft standards for conduct, ethics and performance, which the General Pharmaceutical Council has cut back to seven principles in line with... More

Annual general meeting 2010 (Official notice)

Notice is hereby given that the 169th annual general meeting of the members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain will take place at 1 Lambeth High Street, London,... More

Quality by design for analytical methods

Does the application of the principles of quality by design represent a revolution in method cycle management? A large audience of analysts from the pharmaceutical industry attended a recent symposium... More

The new Royal Pharmaceutical Society will be an accomplished, respected and fine professional body

The new professional body for pharmacy has more than just the prospect for achievement. It is a professional body that ? given the right conditions, sufficient nourishment, the care and... More

New scheme to improve medicines management

Improving medicines management in Welsh hospitals is the aim of a scheme due to begin soon, with financial backing from the Welsh Assembly Government.... More

New consultation on revised draft standards for conducts, ethics and performance

Consultation is expected to begin next week on revised draft standards for conduct, ethics and performance, which the General Pharmaceutical Council has cut back to seven principles in line with... More

Debate on PPI use by patients taking clopidogrel continues

Health professionals should focus on the possibilities of gastric bleeding in individual patients when prescribing clopidogrel before they rule out concomitant use of proton-pump inhibitors, the authors of a meta-analysis... More

PDA says profession should take initiative on supervision

The impending general election has provided a window of opportunity to seize the initiative on pharmacy supervision back from the hands of the Government and for the profession to develop... More

Coventry and Warwickshire commemorative branch dinner to be held

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Coventry and Warwickshire branch wants to contact past committee members/officers in connection with a farewell dinner to commemorate the closure of the branch.... More

New superintendent pharmacist appointed at Lloydspharmacy

Steve Howard has been appointed superintendent pharmacist at Lloydspharmacy, replacing Nick Mortimer, who has held the position for five years.... More

SMC approves four medicines and rejects three

Patients with type 2 diabetes in Scotland can be treated with metformin (Glucophage) powder for oral solution 500mg and 1,000mg if they are unable to swallow the tablet formulations, the... More

CCA announces appointment of new chairman

Murray Duncanson has been appointed chairman of the Company Chemists? Association. He replaces Digby Emson, who has retired after 12 years in the post.... More

Eight medicines approved for use in NHS Wales and five rejected

A new treatment option is now available for haematological cancer patients in Wales in the form of plerixafor (Mozobil), following ministerial ratification of the latest recommendations from the All Wales... More

AAH joins criticism of generic substitution plans

AAH has criticised the Government?s generic substitution plans, citing concerns over the proposed one-month notice period for adding or removing products from the list of those that can be substituted.... More

Society launches pharmacy manifesto

Decriminalising dispensing errors is one of nine pharmacy objectives highlighted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as requiring action after next month?s general election.... More

Management of diabetic ketoacidosis: new guidelines published

New guidelines for the management of adults with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have been published by the Joint British Diabetes Societies Inpatient Care Group.... More

Patient access to electronic health records piloted in Scotland

A website giving patients in Scotland access to their health records is being trialled in a pilot launched last week (7 April 2010). Over the next six months two GP... More

Three major pharmaceutical companies found in breach of ABPI code of practice

Three major pharmaceutical companies have become the latest to contravene the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's code of practice.... More

Chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association resigns

John Turk has resigned as chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association after two years in the job, the NPA confirmed yesterday (8 April 2010), adding that he is leaving... More

How pharmacists can play a useful part in bipolar disorder

Pharmacists can play a useful role engaging patients in open, honest and non-judgemental discussions around the importance of compliance in bipolar disorder, according to the authors of a new continuing... More

Next step in pharmacist-led diabetes care: initiating insulin in primary care

In some cultures there is still a stigma attached to having diabetes, according to Daljinder Singh Sidhu, a pharmacist who initiates insulin in a primary care clinic.... More

Antipsychotic medicines associated with increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia in elderly patients

Antipsychotic drugs are associated with an increase in the risk of community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2010;152:418) suggests... More

Mephedrone to be banned

Mephedrone will be banned next week (16 April 2010) following recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.... More

Pharmacists in Scotland to receive £500 to support delivery of the CMS

Community pharmacists in Scotland who plan to provide the chronic medication service (CMS) when it launches this year will receive an extra £500 in their March 2010 monthly payments to... More

Preventive care at centre of Labour's vision for the NHS

Preventive care is at the centre of the Labour party's vision for the NHS, Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced at a King's Fund debate in London this week (7 April... More

Community pharmacy recommended to be an official shortage occupation

Community pharmacy should be reinstated to the shortage occupation list, the UK Borders Agency Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended.... More

Doctors are as poorly informed about herbal medicines as they think their patients are

Doctors are as poorly informed about herbal medicines as they think their patients are, according to a survey of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin subscribers, published today (8 April 2010).... More

Three-quarters of men have never had an STI test

Nearly three-quarters of men have never had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test yet have double the likelihood of testing positive compared with women, a study has found.... More

Scottish Pharmacy Board co-opts 13th member

Derek Stewart has been co-opted as the 13th member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish Pharmacy Board following concerns that there was no board member to work with and represent... More

Range of POMs for supply by midwives and dental staff to be expanded from June

The range of prescription-only medicines that may be sold, supplied or administered by registered midwives will be expanded from 1 June 2010.... More

Automated voice and text messages improve patient compliance, study suggests

Data indicate that compliance is improved when patients are sent automated texts or voice messages that remind them that their repeat prescription is due and inform them when it is... More

Beta-blockers may cut breast cancer deaths

Beta-blockers appear to reduce metastasis and death from breast cancer, according to the results of an epidemiological study presented at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona last month.... More

Free prescriptions do not increase dispensing rate

Removing the charge for prescriptions in Wales has not increased the number of prescriptions dispensed, new statistics from the Welsh Assembly Government show.... More

Yasmin oral contraceptive associated with slightly higher VTE risk than previously thought

Ethinylestradiol and drospirenone (Yasmin; Bayer) oral contraceptive is associated with a slightly higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) than previously thought, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency?s... More

Zoledronic acid may reduce spread of cancer

Zoledronic acid, given as an adjuvant to chemotherapy, could decrease the spread of breast cancer in women with locally advanced disease, according to a phase II study published online in... More

Generic substitution proposals criticised by pharmacy organisations

Proposals for generically substituting medicines are a short term fix and not a long term solution, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has said in response to a Department of Health consultation... More

Pharmacists to take part in campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer

Community pharmacists across England and Wales will be receiving bowel cancer awareness packs from today (6 April 2010) as a campaign organised by the charity Beating Bowel Cancer, in partnership... More

Bowel cancer awareness campaign rolled out in England and Wales

This week sees the national roll-out to all community pharmacies in England and Wales of a campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer symptoms and the importance of screening. The... More

NICE ordered to issue fresh guidance on strontium ranelate after Appeal Court decision

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been ordered to issue fresh guidance on the use of strontium ranelate (Protelos; Servier Laboratories) in osteoporosis after the licence holder... More

Tranexamic acid to be available over the counter

Tranexamic acid will be available over the counter to treat heavy menstrual bleeding from early next year after the approval yesterday (31 March 2010) of Cyklo-F by the Medicines... More

Sorafenib and sunitinib increase risk of blood clots, research shows

Two cancer drugs triple the risk of blood clots in the arteries, a meta-analysis published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (29 March 2010) has found.... More

Flomax Relief MR now available from pharmacies

Flomax Relief MR, the over-the-counter tamsulosin product, became available as a pharmacy medicine today (1 April 2010) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in men.... More

Payment package agreed for contractors over problems with CIP pricing

Contractors in England will receive a further “errors of payment” package to acknowledge difficulties experienced with the prescription pricing technology known as CIP (capacity improvement programme), the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating... More

NPA boss on way out?

A reliable source has revealed to Pharmacy Magazine that NPA chief executive John Turk is to leave the organisation after less than two years in charge. Mr Turk joined the... More

Medical Education England to help shape NHS workforce

The influence that Medical Education England (MEE) will have in shaping the future medical workforce, including pharmacists, was confirmed this week (29 March 2010) with the publication of the NHS... More

Consultation on Scottish control of entry regulations

Comments on proposals to change the regulations that govern the opening of new community pharmacies are being sought by the Scottish Government.... More

Government to strengthen definitions in PNA regulations

The Government has decided to strengthen its definitions of “health need” and “pharmaceutical need” in the proposed regulations being developed to govern pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs), it announced this week... More

Preregistration trainees can now attend CPPE events

Preregistration trainees reaching the end of their preregistration year will be able to attend the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education's events.... More

Contractors in England to sort prescriptions differently

NHS Prescription Services is changing the way it asks contractors to sort prescriptions before they send them for processing, the PSNC has announced.... More

NICE updates lipid modification guidance

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk should be assessed using the tool deemed most suitable rather than applying the Framingham tool as the preferred method, according to updated guidance on lipid modification... More

Consultant pharmacist becomes NICE fellow

Consultant pharmacist and university lecturer Mahendra Patel has become the first pharmacist to be awarded one of 10 inaugural fellowships by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, it... More

CPP reports to Charity Commission after Charles Butler conviction

The College of Pharmacy Practice has been required to report the conviction of pharmacist Charles Butler, who was yesterday jailed for fraud and possessing narcotics, to the Charity Commission because... More

England and Wales community pharmacy contract yields savings but reimbursement increases

The England and Wales community pharmacy contract has saved the NHS £1.8bn since it was introduced, but that amount of money was almost wiped out by the extra amount of... More

Class 2 Drug Alert (Action within 48 hours): P.I.E. Pharma Limited and Star Pharmaceuticals Limited - Multiple product Drug Alert, parallel imports - EL (10)A/08

P.I.E. Pharma Limited / Star Pharmaceuticals Limited are recalling unused stock from batches of products with the PLPI numbers shown above and with expiry dates within the stated ranges because... More

Class 2 Drug Alert (Action within 48 hours): Acino Pharma GmbH - Clopidrogel 75 mg Tablets - EL (10)A/09

Acino Pharma GmbH are carrying out a precautionary medicine recall of several batches of Clopidogrel 75mg tablets at wholesale and pharmacy level.... More

Class 3 Drug Alert (Action within five days): Landmark Pharma Limited Timoptol 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution, 5 ml (Timolol Maleate 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution) - EL (10)A/07

Landmark Pharma Limited is recalling all unexpired stock of the above parallel imported product because of errors on the carton label, as follows:... More

Society Fellow in sex, drugs and fraud shame

Charles Butler, a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, was today (29 March 2010) jailed for three years for misappropriating £141,000 of public money and possessing narcotics.... More

Updated diabetes management guidelines launched in Scotland

Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are now included in guidance on the management of diabetes in Scotland.... More

Scottish pharmacy board co-opts two new members

A hospital pharmacist and a community locum have been appointed to the Scottish Pharmacy Board, it was announced last week (25 March 2010).... More

CQC pharmacist appointed to Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Gillian Arr-Jones, chief pharmacist for the Care Quality Commission, has been appointed to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Home Secretary announced today (29 March 2010).... More

Free vitamins for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Wales

Free vitamins are being given to all children under the age of four years and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Wales, as part of a pilot launched by the Welsh... More

Blood pressure lowering measures are reducing heart failure risk

Lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients is helping to reduce the risk of people developing heart failure, says a new report. Heart failure costs the NHS £625m per year. Its... More

Swine flu antiviral collection points to be stopped from 1 April

Antiviral collection points in England are to stand down on 1 April 2010, the Department of Health told healthcare professionals yesterday (25 March 2010). The move follows the closure of... More

Recommendations for community prescribing of low molecular weight heparins outlined in Wales

Five recommendations for the prescribing of low molecular weight heparins should clarify community prescribing of the products in Wales, says the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).... More

English prescription charges frozen for 2010-11

Prescription charges in England will remain the same for 2010–11, the Government has announced.... More

Adverse events in NHS in decline, staff survey shows

Adverse events in the NHS workplace in England appear to be on the decline according to the latest results of the NHS staff survey published last week (17 March 2010).... More

Patient Rights Bill proposed in Scotland

A legal right for patients to complain, along with a patient advice and support centre, may be introduced in Scotland in a bid to improve patient rights.... More

Counselling on weight gain helps female smokers quit

Counselling women on weight gain that occurs after quitting smoking — in addition to drug treatment — appears to help them stay off cigarettes for longer, a study has... More

APPG sets out 'Policy action plan' for next Government

Twelve action points for the next Government to address have been issued by the All-Party Pharmacy Group in a “Policy action plan” (PDF 500K), launched today (25 March 2010).... More

New treatment for chronic constipation in women launched in UK

Prucalopride, a novel enterokinetic agent, is now available in the UK for the symptomatic treatment of chronic constipation for women in whom laxatives fail to provide adequate relief.... More

Scottish Pharmacy Board looks to co-opt member from Grampian region

The Scottish Pharmacy Board is looking to co-opt a pharmacist from the Grampian region.... More

Five years of the pharmacy contract

The latest community pharmacy contract for England and Wales was introduced on 1 April 2005. To mark the contract's fifth anniversary, Dawn Connelly asks contractors and pharmacy organisations which aspects... More

What factors should you focus on to provide meaningful risk assessments?

By Denham Phipps, Peter Noyce, Kieran Walshe, Dianne Parker and Darren Ashcroft, of the Centre for Innovation in Practice at the University of Manchester School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences... More

Travel medicine website

Information about travel medicines is available for health professionals from the National Travel Health Network and Centre.... More

NHS Constitution now available

The NHS Constitution for England 2010 and accompanying handbook are now available, detailing the rights and responsibilities of NHS patients and staff.... More

Neuropathic pain guidance issued

Amitriptyline or pregabalin should be used as first-line treatment for neuropathic pain, according to new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.... More

NHS to save up to £20bn by 2014, Budget confirms

The NHS will deliver efficiency savings of £15–20bn by 2013–14, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling confirmed in his 2010 Budget speech.... More

Regular reporting of patient safety incidents on the rise

Regular reporting of patient safety incidents of no or low harm between 1 April and 30 September 2009 increased by 16 per cent among all trusts across England and Wales... More

Electronic Prescription Service roll-out should be speeded up, says 2020health

Speeding up the roll-out of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) would make substantial back-office savings as well as create a bank of useful national prescription data, according to a report... More

Control-of-entry change regulations lead to 8.8 per cent more pharmacies

Changes to the entry rules for new community pharmacies triggered an 8.8 per cent rise in pharmacies — 61 per cent of them opening for more than 100 hours a... More

National Pharmacy Association is top professional body

The National Pharmacy Association is the top professional body for community pharmacists for the second year running, according to the results of an annual survey. Some 64 per cent of... More

Guidance needed on pharmacy champions, Society says

National guidance on pharmacy champions is being called for by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in its response (PDF 40K) to a consultation on draft regulations concerning Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNAs).... More

Drug cost-effectiveness measures should take into account views of patients

Patient views, disease severity and unmet need should all be taken into account when deciding the cost-effectiveness of new drugs to be made available on the NHS, according to a... More

Patients with very rare conditions to be given access to drugs before NICE appraisal

Patients in England with very rare conditions are to be given access to new medicines not yet appraised by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use... More

GPhC scraps proposed changes to code of ethics

Proposed changes to the code of ethics for pharmacy professionals are being scrapped after they attracted widespread criticism during consultation, the General Pharmaceutical Council has revealed.... More

Pharmacist to join rare conditions advisory group

A pharmacist will be appointed to a new advisory committee that will make recommendations on how services are commissioned for people with extremely rare conditions, the Department of Health has... More

Antidepressants of benefit in people with depression and physical illness, Cochrane reviewers say

People with physical illness and who are depressed benefit from taking antidepressants, a Cochrane review has found (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010; issue 3).... More

Pharmacists asked for views on GP clinical indicators

Pharmacists have been invited to comment on 13 potential health improvement and clinical indicators that could be included in the GP contract for 2011–2012.... More

New member for wholesaler association

Lexon (UK) Ltd became a member of the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers on 1 February 2010, the BAPW has announced.... More

Swings and roundabouts

Now that the fee for the professional body has been set at £192 for 2011, pharmacists will be able to calculate what fee will be acceptable for the General Pharmaceutical... More

Evidence and more evidence

There can be few pharmacists who are not aware of the need to have solid evidence underpinning any service they offer. But those who think this is all too much... More

Community pharmacy allergy screening to be promoted at this weekend's Ideal Home Show

Allergy screening through community pharmacies is to be promoted at this year's Ideal Home Show, taking place in London (20 March–5 April 2010).... More

Advance provision of EHC does not reduce pregnancy rates

Pregnancy rates do not alter for women given emergency contraception in advance of when they need it when compared with those receiving standard contraceptive care, Cochrane reviewers have found... More

Epilepsy drugs should be permanently excluded from generic substitution list, experts say

Epilepsy drugs should be permanently excluded from the generic substitution list, a group of experts has proposed.... More

How do we measure patient outcomes?

In this final feature in a series on three key aspects of quality — safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness — Dawn Connelly looks at why measuring the clinical effectiveness... More

Call to promote self treatment of minor ailments

Unnecessary GP consultations for minor ailments that can be self-treated are costing the NHS £2bn a year, according to research published this week (16 March 2010).... More

Minister confirms no reduction in margins

Community pharmacists in England will not see a reduction in margins in the first quarter of 2010, health minister Mike O'Brien has confirmed.... More

Superintendent pharmacist set to retire from Tesco

Penny Beck, superintendent pharmacist at Tesco, is leaving the company and taking early retirement, it was confirmed this week (16 March 2010).... More

Guide to promote joint working

A new guide about the changing role of GPs, their funding and their staff has been produced for community pharmacists and appears in the March 2010 issue of Community Pharmacy... More

PCTs to pay for scripts written, not dispensed, in their area

Primary care trusts will have to pay for the prescriptions written in their area, not those dispensed in their area, once the pharmacy global sum is devolved, Mike Dent, head... More

Redesign of primary care needed, says PSNC

Primary care needs to be redesigned so that community pharmacists play a much greater role in helping the NHS and their primary care colleagues, said Sue Sharpe, chief executive officer,... More

Collaborative care does not improve dyslipidaemia control

Collaborative care between GPs and pharmacists does not result in better control of patient dyslipidaemia, according to a study conducted in Canada and published online in the Canadian Medical Association... More

Conservative Government has best pharmacy proposals, according to conference vote

Pharmacy would be best served by a Conservative Government, attendees at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee community pharmacy conference in Birmingham decided yesterday (15 March 2010) after hearing speeches from... More

Sexual and mental health resources launched

All community pharmacists in England are to receive a resources pack to help them give advice about sexual and mental health.... More

PSNC launch Community pharmacy charter

National negotiators have launched a campaign in the run up to the general election to raise the profile of community pharmacists and the increased role they can play in delivering... More

Next Government should introduce incentives for more integrated working between pharmacists and GPs

Pharmacy and GP contracts should be changed by the next Government to offer incentives to encourage more integrated working, according to a report by the NHS Confederation (PDF 350K) that... More

New professional body fee announced

Membership of the new professional body for pharmacy will cost £192 in 2011, it was announced today (15 March 2010).... More

Oral contraceptives linked to lower rates of death from any cause, say researchers

Women who have ever taken oral contraceptives are less likely to die from any cause compared with those who have never used them, the latest findings from the Royal College... More

AstraZeneca breaches industry marketing code of practice

AstraZeneca will not appeal against a ruling that an advertisement for its antipsychotic drug quetiapine (Seroquel) breached the industry's marketing code.... More

Mental health hospital fails to meet medicines management requirements

A mental health hospital was ordered to pay £17,015 in fines and costs after its medicines management failed to meet statutory requirements.... More

Sir Liam Donaldson to become chairman of NPSA

Sir Liam Donaldson, who steps down as chief medical officer for England in May 2010 after 12 years of service, is to become chairman of the National Patient Safety Agency,... More

#drug alert 3# Teva recalls Glibenclamide 5mg Tablets (Teva UK Limited and Generics (UK) Limited Livery)

Please replace the Drug Alert issued on 9 March 2010 with this revised document. Teva UK limited has informed us that one additional batch in Teva UK Limited... More

Fife pharmacies report positive results for weight management pilot

Positive results have been reported from the first community pharmacy pilot of a weight management programme that is traditionally offered by GPs.... More

Calling all pharmacy history buffs

A TV company is looking for pharmacists to contribute towards a BBC 2 documentary series about pharmacy in the Victorian age, which is being aired in April 2010.... More

GPhC steps out of the shadow

The General Pharmaceutical Council became a legal entity and has a constitution from today (12 March 2010), a spokeswoman for the GPhC told PJ Online.... More

Conservatives would allow service change to be determined locally

Service change within the NHS would be enabled at a local level under a Conservative Government, according to shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien.... More

Hand-held magnetic device alternative to drugs available for migraine treatment

A hand-held device using magnetic stimulation could be used as an alternative to drug treatment for migraine sufferers, early data suggest.... More

Pharmacist screening of patients at risk of osteoporosis doubles testing and treatment

Getting community pharmacists to screen patients at high risk of osteoporosis doubled the number who went on for testing and treatment, a trial has shown.... More

Venous thromboembolism risk assessment tool revised by DoH

The Department of Health has revised its venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment tool.... More

DoH warns PCTs not to abuse position once global sum devolved

Primary care trusts must avoid taking action that would produce shocks in the medicines supply system following devolvement of pharmacy's global sum to PCTs on 1 April 2010, the Department... More

New drug for chronic hyperuricaemia launched

Patients with high concentrations of uric acid in their blood could benefit from a new medicine launched today (11 March 2010). Febuxostat (Adenuric, Menarini) is indicated for the treatment of... More

Boots makes Sunday Times' top 25 companies to work for list

Boots has been ranked as one of the top 25 best large companies to work for, in a list published in the latest edition of The Sunday Times (7 March... More

Stress accounts for 41 per cent of pharmacists' health problems

Stress is behind 41 per cent of health-related problems suffered by pharmacists in the past five years, according to a Government report published last week, which analysed the health of... More

Ballot to be held on membership categories

Members' views will be sought on the establishment of new membership categories following the separation of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. A “special resolution” ballot on the proposed new categories —... More

Improve directions for GPs following an MUR

Pharmacists need to improve written recommendations to GPs arising from medicines use reviews (MURs), the results of an evaluation project released this week have shown. The National Pharmacy Association and... More

Helen Gordon appointed new chief executive at Society

Helen Gordon has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, it was announced this morning (9 March 2010). Mrs Gordon will join the Society on... More

Interim guidance to protect pharmacists developed for CPS

Interim guidance for the Crown Prosecution Service to protect practising pharmacists who have made a one-off dispensing error from criminal conviction has been drafted. A Department of Health spokesman told... More

Guidance on opioid use for persistent pain updated

Updated guidance on the use of opioids for persistent pain has been published by the British Pain Society (PDF 212K). The guidance outlines good practice regarding decision making in relation... More

#drug alert 3# Class 3 alert: Glibenclamide 5mg Tablets in Teva & Generics Livery

Teva UK Limited are recalling all remaining stock of the certain batches as a precautionary measure because routine stability testing has indicated that the specification for tablet dissolution may not be... More

Pharmacists should be able to opt out of generic substitution

Pharmacies should have the right to opt out of generic substitution to support patient care, and be reimbursed for the product supplied, should the Department of Health's proposals on the... More

HIV fingertip blood tests available at Superdrug for GBP79

Community pharmacists could become involved with HIV testing if a Superdrug pilot involving nurses goes well. The service includes a fingertip blood test for HIV and costs GBP79. The result... More

Medical Device Alert: Clearview hCG Combo

A medical device alert for Clearview hCG Combo pregnancy test has been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency because of a risk of false positive results. The... More

Elizabeth Lee did not contribute to patient's death, says coroner

The dispensing error that led to former locum pharmacist Elizabeth Lee receiving a suspended prison sentence following the death of a patient did not contribute to 72-year-old Carmel Sheller's death,... More

Government in talks to identify cost saving cuts to IT programme

The Government is in discussion with IT suppliers and hopes to confirm where cuts can be made to the NHS National Programme for IT by the end of the month,... More

Drug misusers receiving treatment is increasing

More drug misusers are receiving treatment and the number successfully treated is also increasing, according to an analysis into the success of the Government's drug strategy by the National Audit... More

Tough new measures to tackle medicines supply problems

Details of tough new measures to tackle medicines supply problems, agreed at this week's summit on the issue, were released by the Department of Health today (4 March 2010). The... More

Assura pharmacy strategy safe following Virgin buy

No changes will be made to the Assura pharmacy strategy following the announcement that Virgin Healthcare has purchased a 75.1 per cent stake in Assura's medical services, an Assura spokeswoman... More

AztraZeneca R&D sites in the UK to close

AstraZeneca has announced the closure of its research and development (R&D) site in Charnwood, Leicestershire, and a smaller facility in Cambridge. Pharmaceutical development work at the company's facility near Bristol... More

#drug alert 2#Class 2 Drug Alert: Alimemazine Tartrate 7.5 mg/5 ml Syrup

Winthrop Pharmaceuticals UK is recalling all remaining stocks of a batch of Alimemazine Tartrate 7.5 mg/5 ml Syrup. This action is being taken as a precautionary measure because the company... More

Professional bodies should help raise concerns about patient care

Healthcare professional bodies must encourage a culture of openness and transparency, and support members in raising concerns over quality of care as early as possible, according to the latest report... More

Extending role for pharmacists could improve healthcare

Extending the role of pharmacists could improve the quality of healthcare, and lead to better clinical outcomes and save money, according to the results of a study that looked at... More

Chloramphenicol eye drops should not be a P medicine

The decision to make chloramphenicol eye drops an over-the-counter treatment was a mistake, a consultant microbiologist has declared. In an editorial published online in the BMJ (26 February), consultant microbiologist... More

AstraZeneca ends pharmacy-based adherence scheme

AstraZeneca has ended the adherence programme it provides through community pharmacies because its effects on compliance are inconclusive and pharmacist participation in the scheme has dwindled. The “Making the most... More

Regular analgesic use associated with adult deafness

Regular use of analgesics might increase the risk of adult hearing loss, particularly in those under 50 years of age, according to a study published in The American Journal of... More

Pharmacists pilot annual reports on service quality

Community pharmacists in the North East of England and the East Midlands are piloting a national programme to create annual reports for the public on the quality of their pharmacy... More

Elizabeth Lee granted leave to appeal against conviction and sentence

Elizabeth Lee, the former locum pharmacist who received a suspended prison sentence last year following a single dispensing error, has been granted leave to appeal against her conviction and her... More

High error rates in insulin prescribing in hospitals

High error rates in insulin prescribing for hospital inpatients will be exposed in research presented at this week's Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in Liverpool (3–5 March 2010). In an... More

CHRE audit shows fitness-to-practise case decisions reasonable

Decisions on whether disciplinary cases should be closed or referred to a final fitness-to-practise panel are reasonable in most cases and do not present a potential risk to the public,... More

Ridge warns hospital pharmacists about exporting medicines

Clear warnings on the risks and potential consequences of exporting medicines for profit went out to chief pharmacists of hospitals in England today (26 February 2010), in a letter from... More

Vigilant pharmacists identify vet's dishonest attempt to obtain steroids

Vigilance by two community pharmacists in Colchester helped to expose a veterinary surgeon's dishonest attempts to obtain anabolic steroids, and secure his removal from the veterinary register, PJ Online has... More

Experts call for NICE to issue guidance on which drugs to disinvest in

Drugs experts have called for a clear framework to be used by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to identify which medicines should be abandoned in lieu of... More

LibDems would scrap SHAs and NHS Connecting for Health

NHS Connecting for Health would be scrapped under Liberal Democrat leadership, which would also see an end to strategic health authorities (SHAs) according to party leader Nick Clegg.... More

NHS warned to give medicines on time

Immediate action is required by all NHS organisations involved with inpatient care to reduce the risk of missed and delayed doses of critical medicines, which can cause serious harm and... More

Society launches survey on extent of medicines shortages problems

Pharmacists are invited to take part in a survey to gauge the extent of the medicines shortage problem in community pharmacy. The results of the survey, launched by the Royal... More

Reckitt Benckiser accused of rigging market with Gaviscon

Reckitt Benckiser has been accused of rigging the market for the NHS supply of its heartburn medicine Gaviscon. The Office of Fair Trading alleges that the company has abused it... More

NICE approves another anti-TNF to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) has been added to the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors that can used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in the latest round of National Institute for Health and... More

Petition challenging 'three-year rule' may go to European Court of Justice

A petition challenging rules that prevent EU-qualified pharmacists from being placed in charge of new premises may be referred to the European Court of Justice, the EU Parliament concluded yesterday... More

NHS Evidence rejects British Thoracic Society for accreditation

The British Thoracic Society is unlikely to receive NHS Evidence accreditation for its guidelines, it emerged last week. A draft accreditation decision from the NHS Evidence advisory committee, issued for... More

OTC tamsulosin available to order for April launch

Flomax Relief, the first over-the-counter tamsulosin product, is now available for pharmacists to order in preparation for its planned launch at the beginning of April 2010. Boehringer Ingelheim's modified release... More

'At risk' swine flu vaccination should continue despite pandemic tail-off

Swine influenza vaccination should continue among selected patient groups, according to latest advice (PDF 34K) from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. People over six months of age in... More

Homoeopathy licensing and funding condemned by MPs

Homoeopathy should not be funded on the NHS and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency should stop licensing homoeopathic products, a parliamentary group has concluded following its inquiry into... More

Seasonal flu vaccine should contain pandemic H1N1 strain

Seasonal influenza vaccination might include protection against a pandemic H1N1 strain this year. The World Health Organization has recommended that the 2010–11 seasonal flu vaccine in the Northern hemisphere should... More

Datapharm first health info provider awarded DH stamp of approval

Datapharm has become the first pharmacy organisation to be accredited to the Information Standard, a voluntary scheme that recognises high quality and user-friendly health and social care information in England.... More

Challenge to 'three year rule' reaches European Parliament

A petition challenging rules that prevent EU-qualified pharmacists from being placed in charge of new premises will be heard by European Parliament this week (23 February 2010). French pharmacist Fosso... More

Pharmacies may face PCT action over failure to meet Christmas hours

Pharmacies that failed to open on Saturday 26 December 2009 without notifying their primary care trust may be subject to disciplinary action. Because in 2009 Christmas day fell on a... More

Huge rise in prescriptions for strongest painkillers

As new prescribing guidelines are launched, we reveal a huge rise in the use of opioids such as codeine and diamorphine. Just 10 years ago, a million prescriptions for strong... More

GSK issues warning over long-term use of denture adhesives

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare will be issuing a 'Dear Healthcare Professional' letter and a consumer advisory warning about a potential health risk associated with long-term, excessive use of GSK's zinc-containing denture... More

Society backs pharmacy candidate for drugs misuse panel

Jeremy Clitherow, chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Community Pharmacists Group, is being backed by the Society to represent pharmacy on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Pharmacist... More

Pharmacists asked for views on weight management in pregnancy

Community pharmacists are being targeted to respond to a consultation on weight management in pregnancy and after childbirth. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence today (18 February 2010)... More

GPhC consults on draft rules for pharmacy

Five sets of draft rules for the pharmacy profession have been put out to consultation by the General Pharmaceutical Council yesterday (16 February 2010).... More

NHS trusts are failing to act on NPSA safety alerts

Nearly 75 per cent of NHS trusts in England have failed to act on at least one patient safety alert, according to statistics (PDF 2.6Mb) released this week. Sixteen of... More

Publish late pharmacy findings, says Welsh Assembly

Overdue findings from a government review of community pharmacy services in Wales must be published as soon as possible, according to a motion passed in the Welsh Assembly last week... More

Prescribing incentive schemes may be illegal under EU law

Prescribing incentive schemes that reward GPs for prescribing specific medicines are illegal under European law, in the opinion of a European Court of Justice Advocate General. Advocate General Nilo Jaaskinen... More

Pharmacy funding could change when global sum is devolved, GPs warn

Current funding arrangements for community pharmacy contractors could be altered once the pharmacy global sum is devolved to primary care trusts in April 2010, a group of dispensing doctors has... More

Over 90 per cent of patients follow MUR advice, national audit finds

Most patients (93 per cent) are likely to follow advice about medicines given as part of a medicines use review (MUR), the first national audit of MURs has found. Almost... More

Pharmacy's central role in response to influenza pandemic recognised by DH

Pharmacy has won considerable credit in Whitehall for its role in dealing with the influenza pandemic. Keith Ridge, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, expressed gratitude to the profession during his... More

MHRA seeks views about online product information resource

Demand for an online resource offering product information for all UK medicines is being gauged by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, via an online discussion forum. The forum... More

Patients 'struggling to get vital drugs because wholesalers exporting them'

British patients are struggling to get vital drugs because wholesalers are exporting them abroad where they can make higher profits, experts have warned. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPSGB) has called... More

#drug alert 2# Class 2 Drug Alert - Citanest 1% solution for injection, multi-dose vials 10mg/ml, prilocaine hydrochloride

AstraZeneca UK Ltd is recalling all remaining stock of batches of the above product expiring before the end of 2011. This action is being taken because routine stability testing... More

Scottish board agrees communications strategy

Engaging with the Scottish Government is at the heart of a new communications strategy agreed by the Scottish Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. At its meeting in Edinburgh... More

Communication between primary and secondary care needs to improve

Communication about medicines to patients and between healthcare professions is not always optimal, a report from the Care Quality Commission has shown. In its first yearly report to Parliament on... More

Tacrolimus formulations not interchangeable

Formulations of the immunosuppressant medicine tacrolimus are not interchangeable, warns the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in its latest Drug Safety Update. Swapping to a different formulation requires monitoring,... More

Canada bans pharmacy sale of unlicensed herbal remedies

Community pharmacists in Canada have been banned by their professional regulators from selling non-licensed herbal medicines and homoeopathic remedies on the grounds of public safety. A statement from the National... More

Welsh Pharmacy Board chairman elected

Nuala Brennan has been elected chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's new Welsh Pharmacy Board, which met for the first time today (11 February 2010). Mair Davies was elected vice-chairman.... More

GPhC moves closer as draft Pharmacy Order approved by the Queen

Establishment of the General Pharmaceutical Council came a step closer yesterday (10 February 2010) when the draft Pharmacy Order was approved by the Queen at the Privy Council meeting. The... More

University cuts may affect schools of pharmacy

Schools of pharmacy may be hit by reductions in university funding totalling GBP449m announced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) last week. Anthony Smith, dean of the... More

Avoid paroxetine with tamoxifen in breast cancer

Breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen are at an increased risk of dying if they are also receiving the antidepressant paroxetine, according to the results of a study published online... More

Somerset pharmacists in chlamydia testing promotion

Young people in Somerset may be in for a little surprise this Valentine's Day (14th February) if they are shopping at their local pharmacist. Pharmacy staff are giving their support... More

Stop smoking campaigns should promote unassisted quit methods

Stop smoking campaigns should promote the message that most smokers quit the habit on their own without relying on cessation therapies. Smoking cessation services have become increasingly medicalised, with emphasis... More

Contaminated heroin causes anthrax in England

England has seen its first case of anthrax appearing in an injecting drug misuser, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS London have confirmed. The heroin user is being treated... More