The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 pp41-72 No 7282
17 January 2004

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COMMENT:

Leading Articles PDF (40K)   42

Plan now, don't panic later 42
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In 12 months’ time, a handful of pharmacists will be looking back on 2004 and be feeling rather smug. Their continuing professional development portfolios will be up to date and they will have finished the writing and implementation of all the necessary standard operating procedures for their dispensary before the summer holidays. In addition, they will have completed all the necessary assessments and form-filling on behalf of their long-serving pharmacy assistants and dispensing staff at the end of October to give them exemption from the compulsory training that will come into force on 1 January 2005

To be or not to be part of the NHS? 42
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Last week, The Journal featured two pharmacies in England that were promoting themselves as part of the NHS. Such promotion seems a valuable step forward because many patients are not aware of the part that pharmacists play in the primary care team and may not, therefore, value their input as highly as they could. So it seems a pity that pharmacists are now being advised to slow down on this initiative as the costs and precise branding details are negotiated by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the Department of Health


News & Features   43-50

News summary (including R & D news) 43-49
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How to keep assistants in their jobs 50
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From next year, minimum training requirements for pharmacy assistants come into force. The transitional arrangements for existing pharmacy assistants are published this week. Clare Bellingham describes the action pharmacists need to take


Products PDF (55K)   51

• Products Text 51
• Announcements Text 51

• Drug tariff updates Text
• Recalls & Drug alerts Text


Letters PDF (90K)   52-55

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Statin switch / Dispensing / Packaging / Amateur radio / Reciprocity / Onlooker / The Charter / The Journal


Agenda for 2004   56-57

Agenda series

Can we learn from nurse prescribing? 56
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By Jason Hall

Why choice is the good news for 2004 57
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By Beth Taylor


Continuing Professional Development (CPD)   58-60
Recent articles

Measuring prescribing series

(2) Ways for prescribing to be measured  58-60
PDF (150K)
In the second of four articles on measuring prescribing, Suzanne Jones, Susan Holdsworth and Helen Kendall describe the units used in the Prescription Pricing Authority's prescribing reports and information systems and explain how prescribing data are standardised


Articles   61-64

Capacity planning for chemotherapy   61-62
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Karen Shield describes how she set about producing a capacity planning formula for use in chemotherapy preparation units within the Northern Cancer Network

How the Scottish School of Primary Care can help pharmacists  63-64
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Margaret Watson and Lucy McCloughan say the SSPC recognises the importance of a multiprofessional approach to primary care


Meetings   65
Reports

British Oncology Pharmacy Association 65
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Educating patients and health professionals about oral chemotherapy is critical for patient safety, a recent meeting was told. Joanna Lumb reports


Onlooker PDF (65K)   66

Benevolent eccentric Last month saw the bicentenary of the birth of the remarkable and incredibly eccentric cleric Robert Stephen Hawker at Stoke Damerel, Plymouth Text

Thought for food A leading article in The Lancet for 15 November 2003 is calculated to provide food for thought and thought for food. It is based on a Food Standards Agency discussion on the diet of our children and the influences that play a part in determining what they choose to eat. It is found that television advertising promotes the consumption of sugar-laden breakfast cereals, sweetened soft drinks, sugary confectionery and savoury snacks. Added to this is a growing tendency to promote fast foods, which are not now considered the best choice for a child's dietary regimen Text

Insight into how MDMA dangerously raises body temperature The concept of a “recreational drug” should be vigorously stamped out, since it makes a mockery of recreation, which is defined as an activity calculated to restore a sense of balance and tranquillity to a frame that has suffered some kind of environmental stress Text


The Society PDF (340K)   67-72

•  Staff training requirements The Society has published guidance for pharmacists on how to ensure that existing dispensing and pharmacy assistants involved in pharmacy services can continue working without needing a new qualification when the regulation of such assistants begins next year Text 67
   Guidance: Regulation of dispensing/pharmacy assistants PDF (100K) insert

• Error found on pharmacists' 2004 retention fee form An error that could affect a small number of pharmacists has been spotted on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's retention fee form for 2004, which all pharmacists should by now have received Text 67

• Pharmacists invited to apply for practice research funding under 2004 awards and bursaries scheme The Pharmacy Practice Research Trust is inviting applications from pharmacists for 2004 practice research awards and bursariesText 68

• Society appoints new head of practice Sue Kilby has been appointed head of practice within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Directorate of Practice and Quality Improvement Text 68

• Welsh Executive appoints development officer The Welsh Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has appointed Jocelyn Parkes to the position of development officer, as from 27 January Text 68

• Society briefing paper promotes benefits of a supplementary prescribing role for pharmacists A briefing paper promoting the benefits and potential of a supplementary prescribing role for pharmacists has been issued by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Text 69

• Museum's latest information sheet looks at pharmaceutical symbols Pharmaceutical and medical symbols are the subject of the latest information sheet published by the museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in its series illustrating the history of the preparation of medicines Text 69

• Competencies project report now available online The report of a consultation on a project concerned with the competencies needed by the future pharmacy workforce can now be downloaded from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's website Text 69

• Birdsgrove Pharmacists in need of convalescence are reminded that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's convalescent home is at their service. Wives or husbands of members are eligible for admission, as are former members and, when room is available, parents of pharmacists Text 69

• President visits Portsmouth pharmacy school The President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Dr Gill Hawksworth, recently visited the school of pharmacy and biomedical sciences at the University of Portsmouth, where she spoke to final years students on what they can expect from Society and what the Society expects from them Text 70

• Benevolent Fund donations Donations are urgently needed to support the work of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Benevolent Fund, which exists to provide help to distressed members of the profession and their dependants Text 70

Law and Ethics Bulletin 2001 to present
• Aspirin and aloxiprin labels and inserts Text 70
• Amendments to emergency first aid booklet Text 70

• Delivering the “vision” for pharmacy Pharmacy development groups have a role in delivering the Government’s “vision” for pharmacy, participants in a recent PDG conference were told Text 71

Society meetings 72
Validation of bioanalytical procedures for large molecules (12-13 February) Text 


Diary Text

• Branch meetings Text 72
• Society meetings Text 72
• Future events Text 51
• Conferences Text
• Reunions Text

Awards Text

• Schering award Text 51
• Patient health care award Text 51

Resources Text

• CFC-free transition pack Text 51
• NiQuitin CQ materials Text 51