Hospital Pharmacist
2008;15:35-37
February 2008

35 Responsible pharmacist not workable in hospital pharmacy Government proposals regarding the “responsible pharmacist” consultation will have implications for hospital pharmacies that supply medicines to other trusts, according to the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:35
Full Text

35 NPSA highlights risk of oral anticancer drugs All healthcare staff need to monitor oral anticancer drugs to the same extent as injected anticancer drugs, according to a new report by the National Patient Safety Agency. The NPSA received reports of three deaths and 400 patient safety incidents concerning oral anticancer drugs between November 2003 and July 2007
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:35
Full Text

35 MRSA and C.diff rates are still falling Reported cases of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections in England have fallen by 18 per cent since the middle of last year, according to the Health Protection Agency’s latest quarterly report
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:35
Full Text



37 Hospital Pharmacist Life-long Learning winners The winners of the Hospital Pharmacist Life-long Learning competition that ran from September to November 2007
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:37
Full Text



RESEARCH UPDATE

37 Thiazide benefit in metabolic syndrome Patients with metabolic syndrome should receive the same drug treatment for hypertension as other patients, according to a new study
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:37
Full Text

37 Unpublished studies cause review bias Biased literature reviews can occur because clinical trials that show negative results are not always published, according to a report
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:37
Full Text

35 NEWS IN BRIEF
Hospital Pharmacist 2008;15:35

Pharmacists can now order new leaflets and posters on how to prevent and detect skin cancer. The materials have been designed by the British Association of Dermatologists in advance of “Sun awareness week”, (starts 5 May 2008) and are free of charge.

Skin cancer is the subject of this month’s Special feature (p39).

Pharmacists are invited to submit abstracts for poster presentations for the fourth annual joint conference of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists and the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association. Submissions will be considered under the categories of research, audit or innovation and practice development. Abstracts must be submitted by 15 March 2008 (extended deadline).

Further details

Mental health service users and carers are encouraged to ask healthcare professionals questions about their medicines, in a leaflet from the Department of Health. The leaflet aims to help mental health and social care practitioners to deliver a patient-focused approach to medicines management.

The leaflet can be accessed online

A new faculty of cancer pharmacy has been announced by the College of Pharmacy Practice, in a joint initiative with the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA).

The aim is to provide accredited training and assessment for specialists in cancer pharmacy, leading to formal recognition of their skills. All members of BOPA have been invited to join the faculty and a faculty board is to be elected by the end of March 2008.