3 Pharmacy
teams join forces after fire at Royal Marsden Pharmacy
staff from the Royal Marsden and the Royal Brompton hospitals in
west London worked together to maintain the clinical care of patients
after a fire broke out at the Royal Marsden this month
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:3
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3 Medicines reconciliation guidance Pharmacists
should be involved with medicines reconciliation as soon as possible after a
patient is admitted to hospital, according to guidance produced by the National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in collaboration with the National
Patient Safety Agency
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:3
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4 Norovirus causes over 100 ward closures
across the UK Norovirus outbreaks have caused the
closure of over 100 hospital wards across the UK during the past month. The incidence
of illness caused by the highly contagious virus, which can cause projectile
vomiting and diarrhoea, was at its highest level for five years during December
2007
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:4
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4 SSRIs might interact with methyl blue Hospital
pharmacists working in pre-admission clinics should remain vigilant for a potential
interaction between methylthioninium chloride (methylene blue) and serotonergic
drugs, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:4
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4 PPIs are overprescribed in the NHS,
say experts Proton pump inhibitors are overprescribed
by NHS doctors to treat indigestion, experts say
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:4
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4 New guidance on biopharmaceuticals Biopharmaceuticals
(medicines derived from biotechnology) should always be prescribed by brand,
rather than by their generic name, according to a new Parliamentary panel report
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:4
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RESEARCH UPDATE
6 New vaccine target to fight pandemic
flu Pandemic influenza vaccination is a step closer
to reality according to a vaccine development company. Preliminary results from
a preclinical challenge study and a phase I clinical trial for the ACAM-FLU-A
vaccine were announced by Acambis earlier this month
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:6
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6 Pregnant women need vitamin D supplements Pregnant
and breastfeeding women should take vitamin D supplements during the winter months,
according to the Department of Health
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:6
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3 NEWS
IN BRIEF
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:3
A new infection control strategy was published by the
Department of Health this month and extra funding was announced for
specialist staff. “Clean,
safe care: reducing infections and saving lives” highlights
the importance of employing an antimicrobial pharmacist.
New guidance about how to reduce dispensing errors was published
by the National Patient Safety Agency recently. Two new documents focus
on the design of the dispensing area in hospital and community pharmacies
and on the design of the dispensed product.
Design
for patient safety
High incidence of influenza in the UK has triggered the implementation
of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance
on the use of antiviral drugs, according to the Department of Health.
The NICE guidance specifies the patient groups and situations in which
the prescription of antivirals is suitable.
The Parkinson’s Disease Society has produced advice for hospital
pharmacists to help them ensure that patients with Parkinson’s
disease get their medicines on time during their hospital stay. The
advice forms part of the “Get
it on time” campaign which
includes resources for patients.
‘Introduction
to renal therapeutics’, a new publication
from the Pharmaceutical Press, has now been published.
Further details |
Hospital
Pharmacist