News summary
Do not leave concentrated
potassium chloride on wards, says safety agency Potassium chloride
solution, in its concentrated form, should be removed from all general
wards in the United Kingdom and replaced by dilute products, says the
National Patient Safety Agency in its first "patient safety alert"
which is expected to be issued shortly...[more]
NHS Direct referrals to pharmacy fall as nurses
lose enthusiasm, but callers happy with pharmacy advice Nurses
taking calls for NHS Direct are less likely to follow computerised prompts
to refer callers to community pharmacists the more they use the system...[more]
Pharmacists feature in honours list
Three pharmacists received honours for services to pharmacy and the National
Health Service in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, published on 15 June...[more]
Nottingham PCTs plan primary care centres without
considering the need for pharmacy services Four primary care
trusts in Nottingham have developed proposals for modernising GP premises
without realising that they could have significant consequences for pharmacy
services in the area...[more]
Small PCTs help to integrate NHS care
The fact that primary care trusts in England are too small to support
a full range of services on their own is a real advantage of the latest
National Health Service reorganisation, according to the chief executive
of the NHS Confederation, Dr Gill Morgan...[more]
Legal requirements for emergency supplies not
appreciated by doctors Many pharmacists believe that doctors
do not fully appreciate either the legal requirements or the extra work
involved in providing emergency supplies of prescription only medicines,
researchers say...[more]
Regulatory agencies to merge The
Medicines Control Agency and its sister body the Medical Devices Agency
will merge in April 2003...[more]
NPA to issue series of SOP templates
The National Pharmaceutical Association is planning to issue templates
which its members can use to create standard operating procedures for
their pharmacies...[more]
Blockbuster drugs hard to come by
Eighteen new pharmaceutical products with the potential to reach blockbuster
status (annual sales of more than $1bn) are expected to reach the market
by 2008, according to analyst Datamonitor...[more]
Inequalities in statin prescribing for both
the elderly and smokers identified Patients who are eligible
for treatment with statins are less likely to receive lipid-lowering therapy
if they are elderly, have angina but no previous heart attack, or are
smokers, according to researchers from St George's Hospital medical school,
London...[more]
Routine use of clopidogrel not warranted, says
DTB Routine use of clopidogrel (Plavix) in patients with acute
coronary syndrome without ST elevation is not warranted, according to
the June issue of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin...[more]
Heart function also improved by antihypertensives
Treating high blood pressure improves the function of the
heart as well as lowering blood pressure, say researchers...[more]
Pharmacists face NHS job checks Pharmacists
intending to take up jobs in the National Health Service in England are
to face stringent new checks before receiving unconditional job offers...[more]
Welsh repeat dispensing on hold?
Plans for legislation to allow pharmacists in Wales to manage National
Health Service repeat dispensing are likely to be put on hold...[more]
Anastrozole trial results published
The first analysis of the ATAC (Arimidex, tamoxifen, alone or in combination)
trial has been published this week...[more]
Electronic dispensing of methadone goes on trial
A research programme to test the use of an electronic dispensing system
for administering methadone or diamorphine to drug misusers is to start
next month...[more]
Survey shows that patients are unaware of NSAID
risks Almost half of all people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs for chronic arthritis pain in the United Kingdom are unaware of
the potential side effects of these agents, authors of a European survey
presented at the European League Against Rheumatism meeting held last
week have warned...[more]
COX-2 inhibitor safe before surgery
The cyclo-oxygenase (COX) 2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) is a safe and
effective alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pre-empting
post-surgery pain, according to data presented at last week's European
League Against Rheumatism meeting in Stockholm...[more]
FDA removes celecoxib’s gastric protection
claim The United States Food and Drug Administration has told
Pharmacia, the manufacturer of the cyclo-oxygenase (COX) 2 inhibitor Celebrex
(celecoxib), that it can no longer make the claim that the product protects
arthritis patients against gastric damage...[more]
Dosage guide for applying suncream
A simple guide to help people apply the correct amount of sunscreen is
published in a letter to the BMJ...[more]
Benefits of HIV therapy in pregnancy outweigh
risks Treatment of women with antiretrovirals during pregnancy
carries only a small risk of adverse outcomes, say American researchers...[more]
S-Enantiomer of citalopram launched
Escitalopram (Cipralex), the S-enantiomer of citalopram, has been launched
this week for the treatment of major depressive episodes...[more]
New drug launched for claudication
Cilostazol (Pletal), a new drug for patients with intermittent claudication,
has been launched this week by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals...[more]
Alternative approach predicted for obstructive
pulmonary disease Future treatment of chronic lung disease
will mirror the approach used in hypertension, a respiratory expert has
predicted...[more]
Prescription charges in the news for over 50
years ...[more]
AstraZeneca expansion...[more]
Multiple prescription charges...[more]
Welsh diabetes standard...[more]
Co-op merger talks...[more]
End to free MAIL...[more]
Takeda diabetes donation...[more]
Treat rheumatoid arthritis early...[more]
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