News summary
NICE clearance for new arthritis
drugs Use of the anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies
infliximab (Remicade) and etanercept (Enbrel) has been given the green
light by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence...[more]
Osteoporosis scanning through community pharmacy
People over the age of 60 years are being scanned for osteoporosis
in a community pharmacy in Havering Primary Care Trust as part of a four-week
pilot scheme...[more]
Tamoxifen prevents breast cancer, but are side
effects outweighing benefits? Use of tamoxifen as a preventive
measure in healthy women at high risk of breast cancer reduces the incidence
of the disease by a third, researchers say. However, they are unable to
conclude whether the benefits of tamoxifen outweigh its side effects,
such as thromboembolism, in these women...[more]
Few child deaths from food allergy The
risk of death from food allergies in children is small, researchers say...[more]
Risk of cervical cancer increased by long-term
oral contraception Long-term use of oral contraceptives increases
the risk of cervical carcinoma, a study confirms...[more]
Introduction of nurse prescribing may be too
fast Concern has been expressed by the Medicines Commission
that Government targets for the introduction of independent nurse prescribing
may be too ambitious and that the planned training is inadequate...[more]
GEHE's pharmacies show strong sales growth as
it expands in Europe Pharmacies owned by GEHE AG, including
the Lloydspharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, reported strong increases
in sales, profits and prescription numbers last year...[more]
Pfizer reprimanded for field force promoting
unlicensed products Pfizer Ltd has been publicly reprimanded
by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for having a
field force that promoted indications and products for which the company
did not hold marketing authorisations...[more]
Poor record keeping leads to drug errors Researchers
from the Imperial College Management School in London have identified
bad record keeping as a reason for patients getting the wrong medication...[more]
Paediatric pharmacy faculty launched Earlier
this week, the Faculty of Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy was launched
— as a result of collaboration between the College of Pharmacy Practice
and the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists' Group...[more]
Bradford spin-off opens new gel plant Advanced
Gel Technology (AGT), a spin-off company from the school of pharmacy at
Bradford University, has officially opened a new production plant at Listerhills
science park, adjacent to the university...[more]
Six research studentships created Six
special research studentships have been created by the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council in recognition of the excellence of
research in some schools of pharmacy...[more]
Students want information on herbal interactions
Students at the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association's
60th annual conference, which started in Glasgow this week, are concerned
about the lack of available information on interactions involving herbal
preparations...[more]
NSAID use may protect against prostate cancer
Daily use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
may lower the incidence of prostate cancer, an American study suggests...[more]
American guidelines include Plavix The
American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have
updated their guidelines for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome
to include clopidogrel (Plavix)...[more]
Insulin infusion versus injections Researchers
conclude that the small improvement in glycaemic control seen with insulin
infusion therapy compared with injection therapy would reduce the risk
of retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes by about 25 per cent...[more]
Children given wrong inhalers Large
numbers of children are given inhalers they cannot use, say researchers...[more]
Risk of contralateral breast cancer reduced by
anastrozole treatment Postmenopausal women with early breast
cancer have less risk of developing contralateral breast cancer if they
are treated with anastrozole (Arimidex) than if they receive tamoxifen,
data suggest...[more]
Cerivastatin reaches the end of the road Marketing
authorisation for cerivastatin (Lipobay) should be withdrawn, the European
Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) said on 21 March...[more]
Society supports Easter health care advice campaign
A campaign aimed at preventing unnecessary visits to accident
and emergency departments for non-urgent health advice over the Easter
holiday is being supported by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society together
with the Doctor Patient Partnership and the Consumer Health Information
Centre...[more]
Cancer cash used to pay off NHS debts, say MPs
The House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee
says that millions of pounds allocated to improving cancer services may
have been spent on repaying National Health Service debts instead...[more]
Extra £30m allocated for primary care modernisation
in Scotland An additional £30m is to be spent by the
Scottish Executive on modernising primary care services, including community
pharmacies, over the next three years...[more]
Medicines management in Northern Ireland Resources
to establish step-by-step pharmacy-based medication review services in
Northern Ireland are available at www.managingmedicines.com...[more]
PSNC medicines management project launches website
The PSNC led community pharmacy medicines management project
has launched a website...[more]
New Numark agreement Numark is to
launch a new shareholder agreement...[more]
Numark's risk-free trial Numark is
to allow its shareholders to order its top own-label products...[more]
PPA gets £236,000 from penalties Since
the start of penalty charges on 1 December 2001, the Prescription Pricing
Authority has recovered...[more]
Welsh NHS careers video A video promoting
careers in the National Health Service...[more]
Pharmacy students admit falsifying results One
in 10 pharmacy students admits to falsifying experimental results during
his or her training, but does not think that this constitutes academic
dishonesty. A further 50 per cent know it is dishonest but do it anyway...[more]
Nesiritide but not milrinone useful in heart
failure Results from two studies this week shed new light on
the treatment of acute heart failure...[more]
Statin therapy taken before cardiac interventions
reduces mortality Treating cardiac patients with statins at
the time they undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces
30-day mortality by nearly two-thirds...[more]
Unlicensed use of growth hormone should be controlled,
says DTB One-fifth of children treated with synthetic
growth hormone are being given it for an unlicensed indication...[more]
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