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Dangerous cough advice on the radio
Potentially dangerous advice on treating coughs was given to the public
by BBC Radio 4's You and yours programme on 7 November...[more]
There is widespread support for extending PGDs
beyond the NHS Consultation has revealed wide ranging support
for proposals to extend patient group directions (PGDs) beyond the National
Health Service...[more]
Reform for Welfare Food Scheme Plans
to reform the Welfare Food Scheme to give pregnant women, mothers and
young children in low income groups in England access to a healthier diet
have been published...[more]
New Medicines Compendium The 2003
edition of the Medicines Compendium will be published in January...[more]
New methadone service is easing the workload
of pharmacists in Stranraer Increased demand for methadone
services in Stranraer, south west Scotland, has prompted the creation
of a new scheme, where consumption is supervised by a drug project worker
rather than by a community pharmacist...[more]
Public laboratory warns risk of botulism in
wounds of heroin users A spate of wound botulism among heroin
users has prompted the Public Health Laboratory Service to issue an alert
for health care workers to be on the look out for symptoms...[more]
Breast cancer risk is linked with alcohol
About 4 per cent of breast cancers in women in developed countries may
be attributable to alcohol, researchers say...[more]
Alcohol intake during pregnancy Even
moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy could lead to behavioural and
physiological problems in offspring, a study using rodents has suggested...[more]
Omacor capsules launched Omacor capsules
containing 1g of 90 per cent concentrate of omega-3-acid ethyl esters
(46 per cent eicosapentaenoic acid and 38 per cent docosahexaenoic acid)
have been launched this week by Solvay Healthcare...[more]
Pharmacists could be left out by NHS three-year
plans, Hemant Patel warns Community pharmacies could find themselves
frozen out of service developments in the National Health Service in England
for the next three years if local pharmaceutical committees do not move
swiftly...[more]
New Health Bills in Queen's speech
A new Health and Social Care Bill, which will introduce National Health
Service foundation trusts and inspection bodies for health and for social
services, formed part of the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament
on 13 November...[more]
Pharmacist seeks to promote idea of co-location
with GP surgeries Pharmacist Hiren Satra has established a
company that seeks to promote the co-location of pharmacies with general
practitioners' surgeries...[more]
Patients fail to receive many essential regular
medicines before operations Many patients are not being given
essential regular medicines before operations, according to data collected
as part of the National Confidential Enquiry into Peri-Operative Deaths
(NCEPOD)...[more]
NPA sees pharmacy role in local pathology services
Community pharmacies have a role to play in the provision of primary care-based
pathology services, according to the National Pharmaceutical Association...[more]
NPA resource packs Two new resource
packs for community pharmacists have been published by the National Pharmaceutical
Association...[more]
Targeted smallpox vaccinations Vaccinating
only those people who have been in close contact with smallpox-infected
individuals could be as effective as population-wide vaccination, but
only if existing immunity is sufficiently high...[more]
Latest MMR study supports vaccine safety but
methodology is questioned Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
vaccine does not increase the risk of autism or autistic-spectrum disorder,
according to the results of a population-based study. However, an independent
reviewer has questioned the methodology used by the researchers...[more]
Use lower INR targets and smaller therapeutic
range, study suggests Keeping the international normalised
ratio (INR) close to 2.2–2.3, irrespective of the indication for
anticoagulation treatment, could help to reduce mortality, say Swedish
researchers...[more]
EHC consumption up by 20 per cent
Use of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) has risen by nearly a fifth
in England since the introduction of Levonelle as a pharmacy medicine
in January 2002, despite a reduction in EHC prescribing...[more]
Lothian joint formulary The latest
edition of the Lothian joint formulary is now available on the internet...[more]
Cannabis as hazardous as tobacco, says British
Lung Foundation report Smoking three to four cannabis cigarettes
a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucosa
as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes, a report from the British Lung Foundation
(BLF) has concluded...[more]
Few adverse respiratory effects with beta-blockers
Cardioselective beta-blockers should not be withheld from patients with
mild to moderate reactive airways disease, researchers say...[more]
Potential roles for statins widening to include
MS Growing research evidence suggests that statins could modify
and even stop disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS)...[more]
Angus LHCC newsletter promotes local pharmacy
Angus Local Health Care Co-operative in Tayside has produced a newsletter
to promote pharmacy services to the public in its area...[more]
Adding abciximab and reteplase does not reduce
coronary deaths Abciximab and reteplase combination therapy
does not reduce mortality over one year, new data show. However, it represents
a therapeutic advance with regard to non-fatal outcomes, researchers say...[more]
Boots seeks further £100m in cost cuts
The Boots Co Plc is seeking to make cost savings of more than
£100m in non-store operations over the next two-and-a-half years...[more]
Early aspirin improves survival Early
treatment with aspirin improves survival after coronary bypass surgery,
say American researchers...[more]
No psychology effect in cancer There
is little evidence to show that psychological coping styles, such as a
fighting spirit, can improve survival or reduce disease recurrence in
cancer patients...[more]
NICE citizens council selected Thirty
members of the public have been selected to sit on the United Kingdom's
first citizens council...[more]
Thalidomide and myeloma Thalidomide
plus dexamethasone is a feasible regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed
multiple myeloma, a new study shows...[more]
Dispensing glucosamine The Prescription
Pricing Authority has decided that National Health Service prescriptions
for glucosamine and glucosamine sulphate can be reimbursed because glucosamine
and glucosamine sulphate are recommended International Non-proprietary
Names (rINNs)...[more] |
