News summary
Branch
meetings Future
Events Conferences
255 PSNC
confirms two-tier approach to new pharmacy contract for April 2004 The Pharmaceutical
Services Negotiating Committee has confirmed that it is planning to negotiate a two-tier pharmacy
contract. It still expects it to start in April 2004...[more]
255 Technicians' association wants to include assistants The
Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APT) wants to include pharmacy assistants in its membership
from next year...[more]
255 Hib booster campaign planned All children aged between six months and four years are to be offered a booster dose of Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine, the Department of Health has announced...[more]
255 NPA model contract for LPS pilots The National Pharmaceutical
Association has produced a generic model contract for local pharmaceutical services pilots...[more]
256 Longer-term
use of antidepressants could reduce patients' risk of relapse Longer-term
use of antidepressants could reduce the risk of relapse for patients with depressive disorders...[more]
256 Action plan for improvements in epilepsy services includes strategies
for medicines management Medicines management programmes are among a range of strategies
contained in an epilepsy action plan launched this week by the Department of Health...[more]
256 Ginseng may improve memory function after stroke Chinese
ginseng extract may improve memory function in stroke patients, say researchers...[more]
257 Put
stress on patients' interests in any reponses to OFT report, MP advises Patients'
interests in the consequences of pharmacy deregulation should be stressed above pharmacists'
interests, a Member of Parliament advises...[more]
257 Computers
to predict NHS fraud Computers are to be used
to find out what parts of the National Health Service are most susceptible to fraud...[more]
258 Low-dose
and coated aspirin may have a reduced effect in stroke prevention Patients
taking low-dose and enteric coated aspirin to prevent strokes may not be getting the antiplatelet
effect they need to avoid such events, a preliminary study indicates...[more]
258 Hormone
replacement therapy raises stroke risk for all women — with
or without high blood pressure ... and increases the risk of heart disease in women with diabetes Combination
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk of stroke in postmenopausal women of any
age, whether or not they have hypertension, researchers report...[more]
259 Buprenorphine
useful in managing dependence Further evidence for the success of buprenorphine in
the management of heroin dependence comes from a Swedish study published in this week's Lancet ...[more]
259 Dermatologist calls for pharmacist prescribing to reduce GP visits Pharmacists
should be able to prescribe effective medicines for skin complaints, Dr Allan Marsden, consultant
dermatologist and president of the British Association of Dermatologists, told the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Skin last week...[more]
259 Vit B1 prevents diabetes progression A derivative of vitamin
B1 prevents the progression of diabetic complications such as retinal damage, researchers report...[more]
259 Haemophilia treatments boost The Department of Health is to spend an additional £88m on recombinant clotting factors for treating haemophilia over the next three years...[more]
259 Mediterranean diet benefits arthritis Eating a mediterranean
diet reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), say Swedish researchers...[more]
259 Fish oil stabilises arterial plaques Omega-3 fatty acids
in fish oil stabilise atherosclerotic plaques, say researchers...[more]
260 Boots
ends complementary health services as part of Wellbeing review Boots
The Chemists is stopping eight complementary health services as part of a further review of its
Wellbeing Services...[more]
260 Pharmacists
play "critical" role in smoking cessation Pharmacists,
together with practice nurses, midwives and health visitors, have been in the vanguard of the
smoking cessation services and have a critical role in providing brief opportunistic advice and,
where appropriate, in becoming smoking cessation specialists. So says a new report from the Health
Development Agency...[more]
260 Public happy with smart cards Most members of the public
would be happy to have their medical records held on a smart card, a new survey has found...[more]
260 More choice offered for birth pain relief Women will be
given greater choice in the pain relief they may receive during while giving birth under new
guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence...[more]
260 Medicines information guidance The UK Medicines Information
Network is producing legal and ethical guidance for those providing medicines information services...[more]
260 United Co-op restructures health United Co-op has reorganised
its health group, combining its four divisions under new health care group general manager, John
Nuttall, MRPharmS...[more]
260 GHB reclassification Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is to be
reclassified as a Class C Controlled Drug by the early summer...[more]
261 Tamoxifen
reduces the risk of benign breast disease Tamoxifen
can reduce the risk of benign breast disease in women at high risk for breast cancer and may
reduce the need for some biopsies, a new trial analysis has shown...[more]
261 ACE
inhibitors superior to diuretics, trial suggests Treating
high blood pressure with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may result in fewer cardiovascular
events among elderly people than treatment with diuretics, new data suggest...[more] |
