The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 pp87-114 No 7462
28 July 2007

Jobs and Classified advertising

Leading Articles   88

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Can you take up the slack? 88
Difficulties faced by patients wishing to see a GP — let alone “their” GP — when they want have been given widespread publicity this week. A survey of over two million patients in England suggests that, with the current emphasis on giving access to GPs within 48 hours of requesting an appointment, one in four patients is unable to book an appointment three or four days in advance at a time to suit his or her own convenience
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Funding for infection control pharmacists 88
This week we would also like to hear from chief pharmacists in hospitals who may have found it difficult to find ongoing funding for infection control pharmacists
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News & Features   89-96

News summary  89-94
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Headlines   PDF (180K)

Lead stories
-Pharmacists' role in reducing MRSA highlighted
-Government proposes devolving global sum to primary care trusts
-Napp decides to deal only with three selected wholesalers
-Antibiotic prescribing guidance still ignored by GPs
-Offer methadone or buprenorphine first line for opioid detoxification
-Prescription charge consultation to start in autumn
-Rimonabant's depression warnings to be upgraded
-Divergent views emerge over status of loperamide

The Safer Patients Initiative: using new methods to tackle old problems 95-96
Pharmacists and technicians at four acute hospital trusts in the UK have been developing methods to improve patient safety through their participation in the first wave of the Safer Patients Initiative. Dawn Connelly finds out more about the initiative and why it is yielding tangible improvements
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Products   97

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Products   97
-SPC changes
-Prescription products
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Medical device alert   97
-Blood glucose meters
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Drug tariff updates   97
-England and Wales
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Broad Spectrum   98

People have a right to know if their medicines contain animal ingredients 98
By Nitin Mehta
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Letters   99-100

-White Paper
-Agenda for change
-Opiate addiction
-Pfizer
-Retention fees
-CPD
PJ   2007;279:99-100
Full Text   PDF (40K)

Interview   101-102

A benign Pied Piper — leading the pharmacy profession to a better place 101-102
Jeremy Holmes has recently been appointed chief executive and registrar of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and he will take up his new position on 1 September 2007. Olivia Timbs, editor of The Journal, finds out how he intends to lead the Society towards a new future
PJ   2007;279:101-102
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Articles   103-106

A resource to help pharmacists in England get the best from involvement in practice-based commissioning 103-104
What does practice-based commissioning mean for pharmacists? Heidi Wright, head of quality improvement at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, outlines the benefits of becoming involved and points to the various resources available to help community pharmacists
PJ   2007;279:103-104
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Pharmacists: taking charge of minor ailments and unlocking prison health 105-106
In this article Rod Tucker discusses the potentially valuable role that pharmacists can play in managing the health of patients held in custody
PJ   2007;279:105-106
Summary   PDF (40K)

Meetings   107

Reports index

Health Service Journal
Budgetary impact of expensive drugs needs to be anticipated locally 107
The consequences of funding expensive drugs and implementing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines need to be managed locally, but this should be nothing new for primary care organisations. Tom Moberly reports
PJ   2007;279:107
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Onlooker   108

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Nothing like a good night’s sleep 108
An interesting sidelight upon the vexed question of the value of a child’s afternoon nap is cast in a commentary in the 30 June issue of New Scientist. If a child indulges in a brief nap during the afternoon it is often regarded as beneficial by the parents. Yet there are doubts concerning the value of such a habit by the child later on
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Such stuff as dreams are made on 108
Homer remarked that dreams are gifts from Jupiter. For ages there has been a belief that they impart some insight into the future of an individual. Many other philosophers have argued to the contrary, saying that dreams are mere delusions. They do not agree over their causes but allow some role for the processes of imagination in the dreamer
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Dementia and taking to the road 108
There is a review in the 30 June issue of the BMJ dealing with the tricky question of dementia as it affects the driving of cars
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PJ   2007;279:109-114
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English board to address All-Party concerns about pharmacy barriers 109
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Three candidates in Welsh by-election 109
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BPC TV on air during 2007 conference in Manchester 109
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Over 92 per cent pass Society's summer registration examination 110
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Society seeks PCTs to take part in audit software research 110
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Law and Ethics Bulletin 2001 to present
Restrictions on the self selection of pharmacy medicines to remain 110
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Official notices 2001 to present

Health Committee decision 111
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Registration examination successes 111-114
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Summary   PDF (170K)


Obituaries & tributes 114

Obituaries
-Edge
-Mckie
-Parr

Tributes
-Edge
-Parr

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Diary
Diary / Health events

Future events 97
-Clinical nutrition (4-7 September)
-New technologies (13 September)
-Care of elderly (19 September)
-Patient partnerships (4 October)
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Awards 97
-Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group
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Resources 97
-Pharmacogenetics
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Corrections/clarifications 97
-Industry code breaches
-Code of Ethics
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