Bone health campaign
Bone health is the latest campaign in Unichem Ltd’s Pharmacy Alliance medicines
management programme. Thirty independent pharmacies will be taking part in the
campaign. Post-menopausal women who are identified as being at risk of osteoporosis
will be offered advice on improving dietary calcium intake and taking exercise
and will be recommended to take calcium supplements where appropriate.
New jobs at Organon
Organon, the pharmaceuticals division of Akzo Nobel NV, is planning to create
110 new jobs over the next three years at its pharmacology research centre at
Newhouse, near Airdrie, Lanarkshire, with staff numbers at the centre rising
to 350. A £10m extension to the centre was opened on October 6. The centre
carries out research on new treatments for psychiatric illnesses and atherothrombosis.
Expansion at Norgine
Norgine Ltd is to expand production of Movicol, its polyethylene glycol based
laxative, at Hengoed, South Wales. The company is to start work on a £4m
extension early next year following the receipt of a substantial grant from
the National Assembly for Wales. Production capacity will rise from 3.75m packs
per year to 10m packs by the end of 2002. Movicol is now Norgine’s best
selling product with 50 per cent of Hengoed’s production going for export.
WM Co-op keeps buying
West Midlands Co-operative Society Ltd has acquired two more pharmacies, bring
the total acquired in the past six months to 16. The new acquisitions are at
Great Bridge, Tipton, and New Street, Hill Top, West Bromwich.
Weldrick purchase
The Doncaster based pharmacy chain H. I. Weldrick Ltd has purchased Buttercross
Pharmacy, Tickhill, Doncaster, bringing the number of pharmacies in the group
to 34.
SB acquires Block Drug
Smithkline Beecham Plc has purchased the Block Drug Co Inc for $1.24bn (£850m).
Block Drug produces a number of oral health care products including Sensodyne
toothpaste. Smith-kline Beecham is the manufacturer of the Aquafresh and Macleans
brands.