Conference preview

Medicines management — learning from the health check

The 10th conference and exhibition organised by Hospital Pharmacist takes place on Thursday 1 February at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. This article previews the programme and the companies that will be exhibiting

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Medicines management in the spotlight is the theme of the 10th Hospital Pharmacist conference. The conference will focus on areas of medicines management that NHS trusts need to improve on, as highlighted by the Healthcare Commission’s medicines management review.

Keith Ridge, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, will be giving the keynote address, and attendees will hear from the Healthcare Commission about how the medicines management review was carried out, and the implications for NHS trusts. Attendees will hear speakers who are experts in their field share their experiences of work in a number of medicines management areas. In particular, challenges and progress in the management of Controlled Drugs, self-administration of medicines and the aseptic preparation of unlicensed drugs will be discussed.

The conference will also hear about medicines management from the perspective of mental health trusts. A speaker from the National Prescribing Centre will describe its new programme, the integrated medicines management programme for long term conditions, and the president of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK will highlight areas in which pharmacy technicians are contributing to good medicines management.

Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in discussions during question and answer sessions, as well as networking during lunch and coffee breaks.

The venue is the headquarters of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in London, in the newly refurbished conference hall.

The pre-conference dinner, which will be held in the Society’s rooftop restaurant, will give delegates the chance to meet other pharmacists facing similar challenges and to share experiences.

The Hospital Pharmacist conference will feature:

• A pre-conference dinner on Wednesday 31 January, arranged in association with Mayne Pharma. The cost of the dinner is included in the registration fee although numbers are limited

• Eight presentations, as listed in the advertisement on page 16

• A chance for attendees to put their questions to an expert panel consisting of the day’s speakers

• An exhibition that conference attendees will have time to visit throughout the day

• Accreditation from the Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management of the College of Pharmacy Practice. All attendees will receive a certificate of participation

The conference attracts a multidisciplinary audience and Hospital Pharmacist welcomes attendance by pharmacists, technicians and other health care professionals.

Conference essentials

How to book The closing date for registration is 25 January 2007. Registration can be made by fax using the registration form in the display advertisement on page 16, or by contacting Emma Kerby-Evans at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society:

• Telephone 020 7572 2414
• e-mail emma.kerby-evans@pharmj.org.uk
• Fax 020 7572 2504

Registration fees £125 (including VAT) for members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and £165 (including VAT) for non-members. A special rate for two members from the same organisation is also available. All major credit cards (except AMEX) accepted.

Registration fees include refreshments and lunch on 1 February and the pre-conference dinner, hosted by Mayne Pharma, on 31 January, as indicated in the programme.

Registration From 9.15am on 1 February on the Ground Floor, 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN.

Accommodation Special rates for overnight accommodation have been arranged for attendees who may wish to stay in Central London. Rates are subject to availability at the time of booking. Please telephone directly to make a reservation, asking for the “Royal Pharmaceutical Society rate”. The hotel contact details are as follows:

• Novotel Waterloo: 020 7793 1010
• Days Inn Waterloo: 020 7922 1331

Directions The nearest tube stations to the Society are Waterloo, Lambeth North and Vauxhall. Attendees will be sent a map on application.

The exhibition

The exhibition will take place adjacent to the conference hall. As well as stands and displays, the participating companies will have representatives available during the day to give information about their products and services.

Refreshments and lunch will be served in the exhibition area, allowing conference attendees ample opportunity to view the stands.

The following summaries have been provided by some of the companies that are exhibiting at the conference:

Ascribe Ascribe plc is a leading health care company that develops and markets software solutions supporting patient, clinical and business processes to primary and secondary health care providers in the UK and overseas. Ascribe is committed to providing technologies that improve patient safety standards. The company’s solutions directly improve patient care and deliver financial benefits to customers.

Ascribe’s pharmacy division provides departmental software solutions including stock control, parenteral nutrition, manufacturing and interfaces to robotic systems. In addition, Ascribe provides solutions for ward-based electronic prescribing, medicines management and medicines administration.

Offering patient and decision support information to clinicians in context with their activity is the key to the company’s ongoing success.

Baxter Baxter Healthcare Ltd is the primary domestic operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc (NYSE:BAX). Baxter International Inc, through its subsidiaries, assists health care professionals and their patients with treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, haemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives.

Crusader Established in 1964, Crusader has undergone considerable expansion and significant diversification and is now recognised as one of the leading designers and manufacturers of high quality retail display and storage systems. With over 40 years experience, Crusader has worked with some of the countries leading retail brands including Boots, Halfords and Specsavers.

Over four decades of leading-edge product development has laid the foundations for Crusader to specialise in carefully targeted marketplaces with products such as Pharmashelve and the highly successful range of consumer systems, Inov8 lifestyle products. Based in Manchester, Crusader is ideally placed to distribute to all parts of the UK.

Digitron Digitron’s fully automated data collection and monitoring solution, DigiTrak, offers significant time savings and guaranteed accuracy to meet monitoring needs in any hospital environment from food to laboratories, blood banks and pharmaceuticals, where a constant temperature and humidity needs to be maintained to meet health, storage and quality requirements.

Using wireless technology, DigiTrak can be used effectively in collecting data from blood fridges and fridges and freezers throughout the pharmacy and operating theatres, ensuring that drugs, bone marrow and other critical materials are maintained at correct temperatures and with appropriately monitored security.

Durbin Plc Durbin Plc has a strong reputation for sourcing hard-to-find medicines and delivering products promptly in critical emergency situations. This year an increasing number of hospitals have turned to Durbin Plc for their regular imported pharmaceuticals. Combining an ever increasing database of products, 40 years of exports experience and specialist knowledge of the UK pharmaceutical import market, Durbin Plc offers tailored services to supply the following categories of medicine: imported unlicensed or named-patient supplies; products discontinued in the UK; UK supply shortages and orphan drugs.

Medacs Medacs Pharmacy, established in 1954, is one of the leading suppliers of qualified pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the UK. Services range from permanent and locum staff selection. Medacs works closely with many sectors, NHS, private hospitals, Ministry of Defence, HM Prison Service, pharmaceutical industry and community. Our service is combined with support to help clients maximise the efficiency and productivity of their workforce. Our CRB registration enables us to check all candidates. Medacs has earned a strong reputation for supplying appropriately skilled and experienced candidates. We pride ourselves on the high standards of our service and take time to understand the sectors we serve.

Merck Pharmaceuticals (division of Merck Limited) The Merck Group is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company. It focuses on the development, manufacture and marketing of innovative drugs and chemicals. Merck’s pharmaceutical business encompasses prescription drugs, generic drugs and self-medication products. The prescription drugs marketed by Merck Pharmaceuticals in the UK include those in the cardiovascular, diabetic, oncology and central nervous system areas.

Merck regards its talented, entrepreneurial employees, its applications-oriented research and development, its consistent customer focus and its responsible handling of natural resources as the keys to its success. Today, around 34,500 committed Merck employees are helping to continue the company’s 337-year-old tradition.

MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited is the UK subsidiary of one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, Merck & Co. Inc, of Whitehouse St, New Jersey, US. The company discovers, manufactures and markets a broad range of innovative products and services to improve human health.

Territorial army medical services The territorial army is a highly trained force of 41,200 men and women who support the regular armed forces. With 11 field hospitals across the UK, the territorial army provides some 75 per cent of the army’s medical services. The 256 Field Hospital (City of London) trains on Tuesday evenings at four locations in and around London. The territorial army is currently seeking male and female volunteers from all health professions. Volunteers will experience adventure and enjoy an excellent social life. Volunteers are also paid to train, and receive an annual bonus or “bounty” upon meeting certain training requirements.

Poppitts The new smart professional tool, the “Poppitt”, was designed by a pharmacist to address the problem of repetitive strain injury. Fingers, thumbs and even wrists are being affected as large quantities of tablets and capsules are de-blistered by hand in order to fill the various individual dosage systems now being used. This specialist electro-magnetic low voltage device fits neatly on any worktop and is convenient and easy to use. It is both robust and stylish and is available in two colours (green or blue).

To quote one pharmacist: “The Poppitt is a great invention and the perfect addition to the dispensing bench.” For more information on the benefits of the Poppitt can be obtained by visiting the stand.

Specials At this year’s Hospital Pharmacist conference, The Specials Laboratory will be launching its tailor-made pre-pack and over-labelling service. Designed to meet specific requirements, this unique service delivers direct to hospital pharmacies at a suitable time with a suitable pack presentation. Competitively priced, the service is delivered at the unrivalled benchmark associated with the company’s “specials service”.

The award-winning company continues to manufacture and deliver unlicensed medicines to hospitals across the UK and is committed to providing a knowledgeable and personal service. As always, standard delivery time is 24–48 hours. Representatives at The Specials Laboratory stand will be happy to discuss individual requirements.