The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 pp491-524 No 7499
26 April 2008

Jobs and Classified advertising

Leading Article   492

No time to be sentimental 492
About two weeks ago the Royal Pharmaceutical Society celebrated its birthday. Reaching the age of 167 is not a cause for much razzmatazz but some people may reflect on the implications for the Society’s next milestone — its 170th anniversary on 15 April 2011
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News & Features   493-501

News summary  493-499
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Lead stories
-Eight groups want to be central to professional body
-Most contractors using barcoded prescriptions encountering problems
-EPS could protect independents against polyclinics
-Pharmacists in Scotland still loaning medicines
-Pharmacists' role in PBC is often peripheral
-“Square” spin off wins Queen's Award
-Pathfinder project to improve health of South Asians
-Vaccine protects under 19-year-olds from dying from meningitis C

Candidates’ priorities for the Society 500-501
Tom Moberly asked this year’s candidates in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council election what is the most important thing the Society needs to do in the next 12 months, who should be included in the new professional body and what will make people join it. Here are their answers
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Products   502-503

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Products   502
-SPC changes
-Prescription products
-Discontinued products
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Announcements   502
-Hydrocortone
-King Pharmaceuticals
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Letters   504-508

-White Paper
-Patient records
-Electronic prescribing
-Pharmacy contract
-Community pharmacy
-Medicines use reviews
-Minor ailment scheme
-Medication errors
-English Pharmacy Board
-Council election
-Education
-Public relations
-New professional body
-The Society
-Euthanasia
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Articles   509-512

Importance of community pharmacy support for patients with epilepsy 509
The average UK community pharmacy has about 40 patients with epilepsy, mostly on long-term drug therapy. To help pharmacists support these patients, the charity Epilepsy Action has collaborated with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s practice division to produce practice guidance, which is being distributed this week with The Journal to all community pharmacists. The guidance highlights issues that pharmacists should be aware of to help patients manage their condition. This article, prepared by Joanna Lumb on behalf of the practice division, offers an overview of the UK epilepsy scene
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Parallel trade
Recent challenges to parallel trade 510-512
In the first article in this series, Cathal Gallagher and Richard O’Neil discussed the genesis of the law governing parallel imports. In this article they examine recent challenges to the legality of the parallel trade and measures designed to reduce or prevent it
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Summary   PDF (60K)

Prescribing and medicines management   513-514

Prescribing and Medicines Management resources

How hospital trusts are creating capacity to tackle medicines management 513-514
To achieve a satisfactory system of medicines management, a fundamental organisational requirement is the creation of capacity and the potential for change to deliver the huge agenda that exists, says chief pharmacist David Campbell. In this article, he gives examples from Northumbria
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Meetings   515-520

Reports index

AAH Pharmaceuticals
Think like a responsible pharmacist now 515-516
The responsible pharmacist, the pharmacy White Paper, commissioning of services and financial instability were among the issues discussed at the AAH Pharmaceuticals 2008 convention. Matthew Wright reports
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Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice
Measures of competence now required 517-518
Research papers that aim to inform policy and practice development were presented at a recent conference. Dawn Connelly reports
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Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group
Faster and smarter analytical techniques 519-520
New techniques that can improve the efficiency of pharmaceutical analysis were discussed at a recent symposium of the Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group. Joseph Chamberlain reports
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Pharmacy 2020   insert

Pharmacy 2020

Pharmacy 2020: How you see your future
The responses to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Pharmacy 2020 consultation have now been analysed. In this four-page pull-out supplement, the President of the Society, Hemant Patel, summarises the findings
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Footler   521

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Type 2 diabetes and the incredible shrinking frog 521
Research at the University of Ulster has suggested a possible treatment for type 2 diabetes. The researchers have discovered that a synthetic version of a natural peptide called pseudin-2 can be used to produce a drug to stimulate the production of insulin in pancreatic cells in the laboratory. There seem to be no toxic effects on the cells
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Brain-taxing puzzles and competitions 521
Much of our daily work demands mental agility but using our brains can also be relaxing. New word and number puzzles appear constantly. We have brain training software on game consoles and most newpapers have adopted su doku. Some have whole pages devoted to challenging the reader’s brain, with hidden word games, anagram puzzles and the ever-frustrating crossword
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You can’t choose your ancestors 521
Research at the University of Louisville in Kentucky by Joanna Rowe has found that blue-eyed students perform better academically than brown-eyed individuals. They plan better, study more effectively and produce better examination results
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The man who left us his “Ch” 521
The name Joseph-Frédéric-Benoît Charrière may not roll easily off the tongue, and its 19th century owner may now be largely forgotten. But although few will be aware of his full name, the first two letters of his surname still live on in the field of urology
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Official notices 2001 to present

Annual general meeting 522
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Council election 522
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Disciplinary Committee 522
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Obituaries & tributes 522-523

Obituaries
-Fletcher
-Puxon

Tributes
-Hazlehurst

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My career   524

Careers

Work as a veterinary pharmacist 524
From James Herriot and aerial crop spraying to health planning and “mind mapping”, veterinary pharmacy is never dull, says David Keith
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Diary
Diary / Health events

Branch meetings 523
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Society meetings 522-523
-Ophthalmic drug delivery (30 June)
-Pharmacogenetics in context (4 June)
-Biologically active compounds in foods and drinks (1 May)
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Future events 503
-Pain management (30 April)
-NHS IT (20 May)
-Antibiotic prescribing (22 May)
-Patient involvement (22 May)
-Anticoagulation (18 June)
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Awards 502-503
-ABPI pharmacy awards
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Wants 503
-Chlamydia screening
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Resources 503
-PSNC website
-Anticoagulant therapy
-Pseudoephedrine
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Corrections 503
-CLARIFICATION: Headache paper
-CORRECTION: Alison Moore
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