News summary
Benefits of smoking cessation
aids are lost when counselling is not given Improvements seen
in smoking cessation rates from the use of nicotine replacement therapy
(NRT) appear to have been lost since the products became available over
the counter, say American researchers...[more]
Kingston seeks pharmacy degree Kingston
University, Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London, is seeking to have
a pharmacy degree accredited by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society...[more]
Beconase to be a GSL medicine GLAXOSMITHKLINE
has asked the Medicines Control Agency to make Beconase Hayfever nasal
spray a general sale list medicine...[more]
All pharmacists should be eligible to be prescribers,
task group report says All pharmacists should be eligible to
become supplementary prescribers, a report prepared by the Pharmacist
Prescribing Task Group recommends, but priority for the necessary training
will have to be decided by the needs of the National Health Service...[more]
Pharmacy visits for PCT chairman
The chairman of Westminster Primary Care Trust, Diana Scott, spent five
hours visiting pharmacies in central London recently...[more]
BNF collection The Commonwealth Pharmaceutical
Association will be collecting recently outdated editions of the BNF for
redistribution to developing countries again this year...[more]
CPPE starts automated bookings Pharmacists
in England can now book places on workshops run by the Centre for Pharmacy
Postgraduate Education through an automated telephone booking line...[more]
Hospital ePACT volunteers wanted
The Prescription Pricing Authority is looking for hospital trusts to take
part in trials of an electronic prescription cost analysis system for
hospital prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies...[more]
New therapy an "advance" in COPD but
role in practice needs defining A new inhaled therapy for chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a place in treatment for the
"vast majority" of patients, according to a consultant respiratory
physician...[more]
Move to phase out BANs at end of 2003
The Medicines Control Agency is proposing to phase out the use of British
Approved Names (BANs) in favour of recommended International Non-proprietary
Names (rINNs) starting in December 2003...[more]
MCA reports £3.5m loss for 2001/2
The Medicines Control Agency reported a £3.5m deficit for the year
to 31 March 2002. The deficit is part of a long-term strategy to reduce
surpluses built up during the 1990s...[more]
NICE glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor guidance
updated Guidance on the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors
has been reviewed and updated by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence...[more]
Epogam and Efamast lose product licences
Patients prescribed gamolenic acid (Epogam or Efamast) for the symptomatic
relief of atopic eczema or to treat mastalgia should be advised to have
their treatment reviewed...[more]
Diabetes NSF delivery strategy Publication
of the second part of the National Service Framework for Diabetes —
the delivery strategy — is running to schedule, according to
a spokeswoman for the Department of Health...[more]
Trainee wins C&G medal of excellence
A pharmacy assistant taking the National Pharmaceutical Association's
pharmacy services level 3 national vocational qualification course has
won a City & Guilds medal of excellence...[more]
Increase in Lemierre's cases could be due to
decrease in antibiotic use Cases of a rare but potentially
fatal bacterial infection with symptoms similar to influenza could have
risen as a result of the decrease in antibiotic prescribing, according
to the Public Health Laboratory Service...[more]
Rise in type 1 diabetes among children could
be caused by increase in obesity The increase in the number
of children with type 1 diabetes may not be due to a rise in autoimmune
disease but because children are getting fatter...[more]
Hypoglycaemia could increase risk of cancer
mortality HYPOGLYCAEMIA could increase the risk of cancer and
all-cause mortality, according to results of a study presented at the
European Society of Cardiology annual congress in Berlin...[more]
NHS to keep profits from inventions
National Health Service trusts are to be allowed to form companies with
external investors to exploit inventions and ideas developed by NHS employees
and primary care contractors and their staff...[more]
Exemption from unit pricing comes under Euro-scrutiny
Retaining the exemption for small shops from displaying unit prices is
under review by the European Commission...[more]
New principal for Robert Gordon University school
of pharmacy The school of pharmacy at The Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen, has a new head, Professor Terry Healey, who intends to expand
the school's research with the National Health Service...[more]
OFT fires warning shot across the bows of scientific
publishers The Office of Fair Trading is watching the scientific,
technical and medical (STM) journals market, in which the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society has an interest...[more]
New delivery service for Scotland
A same-day delivery service to pharmacies in Thurso and Orkney is now
being provided from the Phoenix Medical Supplies depot at Aberdeen...[more]
Diabetes drug shows anti-platelet activity in
non-diabetic CHD patients ROSIGLITAZONE (Avandia) could decrease
the risk of atherothrombotic events in non-diabetic patients with coronary
heart disease (CHD), British researchers have suggested...[more]
New heparins better for patients with atrial
fibrillation, but blood pressure is also an important factor
Low molecular weight heparin is preferable to conventional anticoagulation
therapy in electrical cardioversion (ECV) of atrial fibrillation (AF)
patients, according to clinical trial results...[more]
Valsartan
cost-effective for HF Researchers have calculated that average
direct treatment costs over three years were almost £600 lower for
heart failure (HF) patients who took valsartan (Diovan), but not ACE inhibitors,
in addition to their other heart failure treatments...[more]
LIFE trial The angiotensin II antagonist
losartan (Cozaar) can cut stroke risk by 49 per cent in patients who have
atrial fibrillation, compared with standard beta-blocker therapy...[more]
Director-general for NHS IT appointed...[more]
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