News summary
Vets and manufacturers run
monopoly over medicines, says competition body A complex monopoly
exists in the supply of prescription medicines to animal owners and in
the supply of dog and cat vaccines to veterinary surgeries, the Competition
Commission has provisionally concluded...[more]
COX-2s less likely to cause gastric side effects,
says new research The risk of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects
associated with COX-2 inhibitors is lower than that with conventional
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), two new studies have concluded...[more]
New witnesses for CD destruction
Senior pharmacists working for primary care trusts have been authorised
to witness the destruction of Controlled Drugs in general practitioners'
surgeries...[more]
GPs and nurses need more guidance to assist
patients switch inhalers Primary care staff need more detailed
information on the pharmaceutical issues involved in switching patients
to different inhalers, according to research presented at this week's
European Respiratory Society annual congress in Stockholm...[more]
Increase in pneumonia deaths as antibiotic prescribing
decreases The recent drop in antibiotic prescribing has been
associated with an increase in pneumonia mortality by British researchers
in a study which has revealed that one pneumonia death occurs for every
160 fewer antibiotic prescriptions issued...[more]
New stainless steel spacer launched
ASTRAZENECA has launched a new spacer device (Nebuchamber)...[more]
"Stepping down" asthma medicine
"Stepping down" asthma medication, as recommended in United
Kingdom guidelines, is only safe if patients are closely monitored, researchers
have concluded...[more]
AF more common in winter Atrial fibrillation
(AF) among the elderly is more common in winter than in summer, researchers
have found...[more]
Accuracy of home blood-glucose monitors a cause
for concern? The accuracy of home glucose monitors dropped
dramatically during the 1990s, according to a French study. Despite some
improvements in the few years before 2000, they are no more accurate now
than they were a decade ago...[more]
Government seeks foresight over infectious diseases
research Drug resistant infectious diseases, brain function
and the prevention and treatment of addiction, and new technology for
health are among the topics for consideration in a consultation document
published by the Science Minister, Lord Sainsbury this week...[more]
Funding received for new projects in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire Pharmacy Forum has received £4,960 from Pembrokeshire
Local Health Group's clinical governance budget to give community pharmacists
protected time for continuing profession development...[more]
Scottish contractors voice anger at prescription
payment miscalculations Community pharmacy contractors in Scotland
have voiced anger and disapproval at the way they are reimbursed for National
Health Service prescriptions by the Practitioner Services Division (PSD)
of the Scottish Executive Health Department...[more]
UniChem's £88m for acquisitions
Alliance UniChem has raised £88m through a share placing. It
intends to use the money to acquire further pharmacy and wholesaling businesses
across Europe...[more]
Minor formulation changes cannot stop parallel
importing in Europe The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has
upheld an advocate-general's opinion that parallel import product licences
do not become void if the product licences for parent products are withdrawn
by their manufacturers...[more]
Merged regulatory agency named The
merged Medicines Control Agency and Medical Devices Agency is to be called
the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency...[more]
Clinical pharmacy services should target discharge
of surgical patients Clinical pharmacists should focus on providing
clinical pharmacy services to elective surgical patients on admission
and discharge, according to researchers...[more]
FDA criticised for alosetron ruling
The United States Food and Drug Administration has been criticised by
its own advisers for allowing the reintroduction of alosetron (Lotronex)...[more]
Angioplasty is not a better option than fibrinolysis
after MI Emergency angioplasty is no better than pre-hospital
treatment with fibrinolytic drugs after acute myocardial infarction (MI),
say French researchers...[more]
Three days of antibiotics as good as five days
for childhood pneumonia A THREE-DAY course of oral amoxicillin
is just as effective for treating children with non-severe pneumonia as
a five-day course of treatment, according to the results of a double-blind
trial...[more]
PPA scraps paper prescription charge exemption
certificates Paper prescription charge prepayment and exemption
certificates are to be discontinued in England and replaced by credit
card-style plastic certificates...[more]
New type 2 diabetes guidance from NICE
People with type 2 diabetes should have their HbA1c measured
at two- to six-monthly intervals and aim for a target HbA1c
of between 6.5 and 7.5 per cent, according to new guidelines issued by
the National Institute for Clinical Excellence this week...[more]
Tentative infection-cancer link made
Children born in areas where certain infections were common around the
time of birth have an increased risk of brain tumours, British researchers
have suggested...[more]
AstraZeneca invests £39m in UK
AstraZeneca is investing over £39m in a new compound management
and high throughput screening facility at its Alderley Park site in Cheshire...[more]
BNF 44 published September's edition
of the British National Formulary (number 44) is now available...[more]
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