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News

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


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

News in brief

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.