The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 pp171-202 No 7286
14 February 2004

Jobs and Classified advertising

COMMENT:

Leading Articles PDF (40K)   172

Time for “No-Eating Day”? 172
Text  
With yet another report on the dangers of obesity — particularly those facing overweight children — and the part that pharmacists can play in helping people tackle the problem (p173), the issue is becoming as significant as smoking in terms of public health. And with “No-Smoking Day” less than a month away, how soon will it be before a “No-Eating Day” is introduced? (We are not suggesting, of course, that people stop eating completely!)

New approach to Council meeting reports 172
Text  
As an experiment for six months, the Council has agreed that The Journal will report open business from the bimonthly Council meeting in a new way. Instead of one continuous report based on the transcript, we will be presenting proceedings as separate stories — written by Journal staff


News & Features   173-180

News summary (including R & D) 173-178
Text   PDF (270K)

POEMs in the PJ: a new series about treatments relevant to your patients 179
Text   PDF (45K)
A new series starts this week in The Journal. Harriet Adcock explains what POEMS are

POEMs series

POEM: Withdrawal of long-acting nitrates is safe in stable angina 179
Text   PDF (45K)

Making it better for Northern Ireland 180
Text   PDF (45K)
This week saw the publication of “Making it better”, the pharmacy strategy for Northern Ireland. Clare Bellingham examines its recommendations


Products PDF (50K)   181

• Products Text 181

• Superdrug supports asthma campaign Text 181

• Drug tariff updates Text
• Recalls & Drug alerts Text


Letters PDF (100K)   182-186

Text  
Which? report / Dispensing / Community pharmacy / Cannabis / Locum pay / Mental health / Nomenclature / Minor ailments service / The Society / SOS action / CPD / The Charter


Continuing Professional Development (CPD)   187-189
Recent articles

Gastrointestinal series

(1) Strategies against NSAID-induced gastrointestinal side effects  187-189
PDF (85K)
In the first in a series of three articles on minimising the gastrointestinal risk associated with anti-inflammatory drugs, Fiona MacRae, Lisa MacKenzie, Kenneth McColl and David Williams outline the available safety and tolerability data supporting the main risk-minimisation strategies


Articles   190-194

How a risk management programme can ensure safety in thalidomide use  190-191
Text   PDF (50K)
In this article, David Thomson and Toby Capstick review the history of the use of thalidomide and its risks, and summarise their experience of the use of a risk management programme and their plans for the future

A new approach to the management of MPharm student research projects  192-193
Text   PDF (55K)
Caroline Morris and Shahireh Sharif describe the establishment of a research post to support undergraduate research projects

Life measured out in medicines  194
Text   PDF (40K)
An exhibition that may be of interest to pharmacists opened at the British Museum in London late last year. Lin-Nam Wang reports


Meetings   195
Reports

UK Drug Utilisation Research Group 195
Text   PDF (55K)
More multidisciplinary working but increased prescribing costs are predicted once the new GMS contract begins. The 15th annual scientific meeting of the UK Drug Utilisation Research Group took place in Nottingham on 29 January


Onlooker PDF (110K)   196

Exploring Atlas's kingdom The ancient Greeks told strange tales of an island kingdom far out in the Atlantic Ocean. They called it Atlantis, after the Titan Atlas, who was reputed to rule over it. Plato in the fourth century BC was the chief source for the story, which was claimed to have been transmitted originally from Egyptian priests Text

Beating bitterness The processing of food has a tendency to intensify any bitterness naturally present, and food manufacturers have therefore taken great pains to mask this bitterness by adding substantial quantities of sugar, salt and fats. Such additives are not calculated to improve health prospects, and an alternative method for reducing bitterness has been sought Text

Cannabis confusion Cannabis has now been reclassified in the UK from a class B to a class C Controlled Drug. With all the vague sequelae which that this relaxation of control has produced in terms of legal penalties, it is not surprising that attention has once again been directed to its possible virtues and its probable vices Text

Using exercise to ward off childhood obesity In the 17 January issue of The Lancet there is a report of a measurement of total energy expenditure and physical activity in young children in Glasgow, which aims at developing a strategy for preventing further increases in childhood obesity and all the health-related hazards this involves. The authors of the report, from Glasgow and Aberdeen, stress that in recent years the prevalence of obesity among young children in the UK has increased strikingly, though not to the alarming extent that has been witnessed in the US Text


The Society PDF (250K)   197-202

•  February Council meeting: new format for reports Our reports this week of the meeting of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council on 3 and 4 February follow a new format. Instead of publishing one long report, we have produced separate news items about various matters raised at the meeting Text 197

    •  Devolution review Text 197
    •  Byelaw change will allow more members to nominate themselves for fellowship Text 197
    •  CRHP and disciplinary cases Text 198
    •  Society will address Which?issues in its work to improve practice Text 198
    •  Health Minister supports moves to strengthen Society's leadership role Text 199
    •  Society to work on knowledge and skills map for managed sector pharmacy workforce Text 199
    •  Council members seek clarification of Charter vote Text 199
    •  Honorary membership certificates presented Text 200
    •  Society to develop a strategy for input to IT policy in the NHS Text 200


•  Branches join in response to Which? report Many representative of the Society's local branches appeared on television and radio programmes to talk about the standards of care and advice provided by pharmacies following the Which? report on pharmacy services Text 199

•  Some retention fee reminder letters wrongly sent out The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is trying to determine why a number of members have received a retention reminder letter despite having already paid the fee Text 200

•  BPC 2004 website goes live New webpages for the 2004 British Pharmaceutical Conference can be accessed via the Royal Pharmaceutical Society website Text 200

•  President and V-P no longer to serve on all committees The Privy Council has approved an amendment to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Byelaws to delete a requirement that the President and Vice-President shall be ex officio members of all Council committees Text 200

Statutory Committee Reports
• Reprimand for possession of “ecstasy” and cocaine Text 201
• Name restored after removal for sales to addict Text 201
• Restoration for man who was struck off for motoring offences Text 201
• Former addict restored to the register after rehabilitation Text 201

Obituaries & tributes Text 202

Official notices 2001 to present
• Council election 2004 Text 202


Diary Text

• Branch meetings Text 202
• Society meetings Text
• Future events Text
• Conferences Text
• Reunions Text


Awards Text


Corrections Text

• Methadone pumps 181
• CPD picture credit 181


Resources Text


Wants Text