| 499 PGDs
for pharmacy supply in event of biological incidents released by DoH The
Department of Health has issued a set of patient group direction (PGD)
templates that will enable pharmacists
to supply treatment to people exposed to biological agents in mass casualty
situations ...[more]
500 UK backing
for American call to make greater use of bar codes on packaging Organisations
in the United Kingdom are backing a call by the United States Food and
Drug Administration for the greater use of bar codes on pharmaceutical
packaging...[more]
501 Lay members
appointed to health regulation body Eight lay
members have been appointed to the Council for the Regulation of Health
Care Professionals, which is to oversee the health care professions'
regulatory bodies...[more]
501 Medicine
imports and exports rising Imports and exports
of medicines to and from the United Kingdom rose sharply last year, according
to figures from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry...[more]
502 Prescriber training to start by summer Universities in England
are set to offer training in supplementary prescribing for pharmacists, with courses expected
to start by the summer...[more]
502 Regular use of aspirin and ibuprofen protects against breast cancer Regular
use of ibuprofen and aspirin protects women against breast cancer, say researchers from Ohio
State University...[more]
503 Which? calls
for independent body for patient information and group support Patient
organisations should publish details of who their sponsors are and should
make their funding policies widely available, says a report...[more]
503 Live lecture sessions on the internet Lectures and discussions
are to be broadcast live on the internet by the Royal College of Physicians for doctors, pharmacists
and nurses who want to see them...[more]
503 Internet pharmacies put people at risk, researchers say Buying
non-prescription and complementary medicines via the internet is not safe. That is the stark
conclusion of research conducted from Australia in the summer of 2001...[more]
504 Care needed
over use of obesity drug in teenagers Despite
showing that sibutramine (Reductil) can help teenagers lose weight, the
authors of a new study say that drugs used for weight loss should only
be used for this age group as part of a clinical
trial...[more]
504 Launch of triptan with long half-life for acute migraine A
new triptan, frovatriptan (Migard), for the acute treatment of headaches in migraine with or
without aura has been launched by Menarini...[more]
504 Training package for schizophrenia guideline launched An
interactive electronic training package to help health care professionals use the National Institute
for Clinical Excellence schizophrenia guideline was launched recently by the National Collaborating
Centre for Mental Health...[more]
504 Pegfilgrastim
launched this week...[more]
504 Corona virus
main cause of SARS...[more]
504 H pylori
and reflux disease...[more]
504 Sickle cell
drug prevents deaths...[more]
504 DHEA of no
benefit in Alzheimer's...[more]
505 Rowlands
pharmacies to be rebranded Rowlands pharmacies,
part of the chain owned by the Phoenix wholesaling group, are to receive
a new look with the aim of emphasising their group identity...[more]
505 New education centre facility to be opened in London pharmacy New
education facilities are to be introduced by Greenlight Pharmacy in north London...[more]
505 Prescriptions from hospitals cause problems in the community Hospital doctors receive inadequate training in writing outpatient prescriptions, according to preliminary research presented by Mike Wilcock, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, speaking on 7 April at the launch of the 2003 joint National Pharmaceutical Association and Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists award, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme...[more]
505 Funding for hospital manufacturing Hospital manufacturing units in England are set to receive £42m over the next three years, according to Dr Jim Smith, chief pharmaceutical officer, speaking at the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists annual meeting in Bristol on 5 April...[more]
505 Glucosamine daily doses vary widely Wide variation in the recommended dose of glucosamine sulphate has been identified by Health Which?...[more]
505 Call for 24-hour
pharmacies...[more] |
OFT American
College of Cardiology congress R & D
OFT report news & related links (more)
499 Confusion over Scottish pharmacy regulations and competition The
Government has failed to confirm whether pharmacy regulations in Scotland are a health matter
devolved to the Scottish Parliament or a matter of competition policy over which the Westminster
Parliament rules...[more]
499 Safeway rejects OFT Safeway has broken ranks with the other
supermarkets and rejected the Office of Fair Trading's call for pharmacy deregulation...[more]
 American
College of Cardiology congress more
502 Switching
statins leads to theoretical drug interactions Deliberately
switching hospital patients to simvastatin (Zocor) from other statins
raises theoretical problems of drug interactions that are not seen in
practice, hospital pharmacists told participants at the American College
of Cardiology meeting in Chicago last week...[more]
506 Cholesterol
absorption inhibitor adds to reductions in heart disease marker Adding
ezetimibe (Ezetrol), a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, to low-dose
simvastatin (Zocor) gives an additional reduction in C-reactive protein
(CRP), an important independent
marker for cardiovascular events and atherosclerosis...[more]
506 Nesiritide shortens hospital stay in heart failure Nesiritide
(Natrecor), a recombinant form of human B-type natriuretic peptide, significantly shortens the
time patients with acutely decompensated heart failure stay in hospital, new data show. However,
other results suggest that the drug may increase the risk of death compared with current treatments...[more]
506 Aldosterone blocker improves survival in heart failure after MI Adding
eplerenone (Inspra), a selective aldosterone blocker, to optimal treatment in patients with left
ventricular dysfunction after a myocardial infarction reduces deaths due to cardiovascular events,
according to data presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago last week...[more]
Research & development
507 Monoclonal
antibody may provide protection for peanut allergy sufferers An
experimental monoclonal antibody may provide protection against the effects
of accidental peanut ingestion in peanut allergy sufferers, researchers
report...[more]
507 Molecule promising for alleviating symptoms in Parkinson's disease A
naturally occurring molecule injected directly into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease
may help alleviate symptoms, a new study shows...[more]
507 New antifungal for oesophageal candidiasis An antifungal
agent in development, anidulafungin, is as effective as fluconazole in the treatment of oesophageal
candidiasis, new data show...[more]
507 Antiepileptic drug for obesity Antiepileptic drug
zonisamide plus a hypocaloric diet results in more weight loss than placebo plus a hypocaloric
diet when used in the treatment of obesity, researchers report...[more]
507 Benefit of new antiviral continue The benefits of adding
enfuvirtide (T-20, Fuzeon), an HIV type-1 fusion inhibitor, to an optimised antiretroviral regimens
in patients who had previously received multiple antiretroviral drugs has been reported...[more]
507 New basal insulin analogue A new basal insulin analogue,
insulin detemir (Levemir), provides more predictable glycaemic control than current basal insulins,
according to data presented at a Diabetes Dialogue conference held in Geneva last week...[more] |
