Chemist & Druggist articles from April 2001

Chemist & Druggist archives from April 2001

COMMENT.(UK government's contracts with Pharmacy2U, Sema and TransScript)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... At last we know who will be conducting the electronic transfer of prescription pilots. Not surprisingly, the Government has awarded them to the three biggest consortia: TransScript, Sema and Pharmacy2U. They represent the UK's main...

Task force to look at how patients take medicines.(UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Health minister Lord Hunt has announced that a task force will be set up to look into how patients take their medicines. It will oversee a project team based at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which will continue the work already done on...

Joint award offers #5,000.(for research for pharmacy practice in UK National Health Service)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... A grant of #5,000 is available for research into evidence-based pharmacy practice in the NHS. The award is a joint initiative of the National Pharmaceutical Association, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists and Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd....

RPSGB Council candidates announced.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced the candidates for the forthcoming Council election. The names are: * Andrew Burr * Sarah Cockbill * Sultan Dajani * Marshall Davies * William Dawson * Wally Dove * Sally...

First needle exchange for N Ireland.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Northern Ireland has launched its first needle exchange scheme through pharmacy. The pilot will operate initially from two pharmacies in the Northern Board, two in the Western Board and one in the Eastern Board. A second pharmacy in the Eastern...

Pharmacy's vital statistics.(pharmaceutical services in Wales and England, UK)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2001... The percentage of pharmacies in chains of more than five rose from 43 per cent in the year 1998-99 to 46 per cent in 1999-2000, according to the latest statistical bulletin on pharmaceutical services in England and Wales. The other main...

Guide to OTC Medicines is here.(`Chemist & Druggist Guide to OTC Medicines')(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The 18th edition of the `Chemist & Druggist Guide to OTC Medicines' is published this week. Copies are being sent out with this issue of the magazine. The Guide has over 40 chapters listing branded Pharmacy and General Sales List medicines...

NPA questions proposed disciplinary powers.(National Pharmaceutical Association on pharmaceutical services, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The National Pharmaceutical Association has expressed concern over the proposed reforms of the profession's disciplinary procedures. It has also questioned the way in which the right to practise would be linked to competency assessment. In...

Drug alert.(APS/Berk recalls calcitriol capsules)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... APS/Berk is recalling two batches of calcitriol capsules due to problems identified during stability testing. The affected batches are: calcitriol capsules 0.25mcg 30s BN 559005; and calcitriol capsules 0.5mcg. Both have an expiry date of April...

NRT on FP10.(nicotine replacement therapy product prescribing in UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... PSNC is advising pharmacists that until Schedule 10 of the NHS (General Medical Services) regulations is amended, nicotine replacement therapy products currently blacklisted in the Drug Tariff (Part XVIIA) may not be prescribed on the NHS....

Welsh prescription charges.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The National Assembly for Wales has confirmed its intention to freeze the NHS prescription levy at #6.00 per item. It has also increased the age at which young people will be exempt from charges to 24 years and under. Copyright: United...

NCSO endorsements.(for prescribing atenolol oral solution 25mg/5ml in UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The Department of Health and the National Assembly for Wales have agreed to allow NCSO endorsements for the following items for April prescriptions: atenolol oral solution 25mg/5ml. Copyright: United Business Media International Ltd.

Self-help group directory.
April 7, 2001... The 8th edition of the Directory of UK Self Help Groups has been published, containing over 800 contact details. Further information is available from www.doctor.gp/help or copies, priced #10, are available from G-Text, 259 Squires Gate Lane,...

NPA triennial election results.(National Pharmaceutical Association, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The National Pharmaceutical Association has announced the results of the triennial elections for the Board. The new Board now comprises (by Region): 1 Umesh Patel 2 Ian Conquest 3 Peter Cattee (replacing John Hind) 4 Hemant...

Lloydspharmacy diabetes awareness events.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Lloydspharmacy has held the first in a series of diabetes awareness events in Leicester. It was organised in conjunction with De Montfort University. Diabetes UK and the Juvenile Diabetes Association also attended the event. Pictured promoting...

PPA on its way to recovery.(Prescription Pricing Authority, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Payments to pharmacy contractors from the Prescription Pricing Authority should be back to normal by October 1. The backlog of prescriptions, caused originally by the reduced availability of some generic drugs leading to an increase in...

APPG urges swift action on pharmacist prescribing.(All-Party Pharmacy Group)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The parliamentary All-Party Pharmacy Group is urging health ministers to act swiftly on pharmacist prescribing and to discuss ways of supporting pharmacists with training and adapting their premises. The APPG bases its report on a recent...

NSF welcomed by pharmacists.(National Service Framework for Older People, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The National Service Framework for Older People has been well received by pharmacists in East London. Barking & Havering and Redbridge & Waltham Forest local pharmaceutical committees issued a press release welcoming the Government's plans...

Sutaria pharmacy relaunched.(as Crawley Down Pharmacy, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Sutaria Pharmacy in Crawley Down, West Sussex, has been relaunched as Crawley Down Pharmacy by the shadow foreign secretary, the Rt Hon Francis Maude MP. The pharmacy hit the headlines five years ago when it opened amid opposition from...

New book on ADRs published.(Adverse Drug Reactions)(Brief Article)(Review)
April 7, 2001... A new book on adverse drug reactions is now available from the Pharmaceutical Press. Following a brief introduction, there are 12 chapters on reactions affecting particular organ systems. Each chapter covers the most common types of reaction,...

CE web site for community pharmacists.
April 7, 2001... Community pharmacists will have access to continuing education on the internet after the launch of IDIS's Pharmacist Education Programme. The first phase of the programme involves pharmacists voting for the topics which would interest them...

Moss seeks contract extension with `special unit'.(Moss Pharmacy, Hazel Centre at St Peter's Hospital, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Moss Pharmacy is re-negotiating a contract to provide pharmacy services to a specialist unit set up to relieve pressure on NHS hospital beds. The Hazel Centre, at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, caters for patients who no longer...

Impact of the Napp fine.(Office of Fair Trading fines Napp Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Last week, the Post Office lost its monopoly on delivering letters and my copy of the C&D at the same time. Prophetic, possibly, but all was not lost as www.dotPharmacy.com came to my rescue not only with the highlights of this week's news...

The pharmacist as an educator.
April 7, 2001... Before the revolution in drug therapy that started around the time of the Second World War, preventing disease was essential to public health and the great public works of the 19th and early 20th centuries fuelled huge gains. Since then `drugs'...

OTCs are still confusing.
April 7, 2001... I have always been sceptical about the balance between marketing and ethical priorities exhibited by the OTC medicines industry, and was recently taken to task by Sheila Kelly, PAGB's executive director, for my criticisms of the information on...

Stroke awareness days for health professionals.
April 7, 2001... A series of one-day meetings is being organised for health professionals involved in developing and implementing community stroke services. The Stroke Information days will look at the requirements of the National Service Framework for...

Question Time at West Midlands.(Region of Royal Pharmaceutical Society's meeting)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Last Sunday, the West Midlands Region of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society hosted a `Question Time' debate. On the panel were RPSGB vice president Marshall Davies, National Pharmaceutical Association chief executive John D'Arcy, the Department...

Lords still concerned about antibiotic resistance.(Lords' Science and Technology Committee, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The reduction in antibiotic prescribing by GPs has been welcomed by the Lords' Science and Technology committee, but it warns there is still much work to be done to prevent the `inevitable rise and spread of resistance'. Its third report,...

GPs `too hasty' with levodopa.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Levodopa is no longer the treatment of choice when people are first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Yet research shows that 95 per cent of GPs who start treatment for new patients prescribe this drug rather than dopamine agonists, which...

Wella launches conditioners.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 7, 2001... Wella is aiming to spearhead growth in the medicated haircare market with the launch of two conditioners in its Wella Vosene medicated range. Both conditioners are formulated to protect, care for, and condition the hair and scalp. ...

Laughing freely with Aquaflex.(SSL International's product for training women's continence muscles)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 7, 2001... SSL International is introducing a Pharmacy-only product, designed to help cure women's stress incontinence, into pharmacies nationwide. Aquaflex is an easy-to-use pelvic floor exercise system that is already available in Boots. It...

Lil-lets Well-being helps ease monthly blues.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Accantia Health & Beauty is extending its Lil-lets tampon brand into wellbeing products suitable for menstruating women. The Lil-lets Well-being range has been developed following research that shows 79 per cent of menstruating women suffer...

Elastoplast makes a splash on TV.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 7, 2001... Beiersdorf is launching Elastoplast Aqua Protect waterproof plasters with a #1.8 million campaign this summer. Elastoplast Aqua Protect is an ultra thin, waterproof and breathable plaster. Suitable for the young and active, it is designed...

Simple skincare for men.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 7, 2001... Accantia Health & Beauty is launching a range of men's facial skincare products under its Simple brand in May. Simple Skin Defence for Men has been developed to protect men's skin from shaving, pollution, UV rays and city grime. The...

Superspecs eye opener.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Superspecs is promoting its reading glasses with an introductory offer for new pharmacy customers. A special price starter package includes six different models (retailing from #32.99 to #38.99) plus a counter or shelf display. The...

Activa aims sky high with compression sock for air travellers.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Activa Healthcare has developed a unisex below knee Class 1 sock in its range of compression hosiery. The new sock is intended to help prevent deep vein thrombosis linked to flying. It is is designed to be soft against the skin and has...

Fragrant designs on the future.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Woods of Windsor is updating its floral fragrance collection with a new look to appeal to a wider market. Mimosa will be the first brand to be relaunched, in May. The packaging will have a bright, fresh look, reflecting the simplicity of...

Pulmo Baley change.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... DDD Ltd has acquired the Pulmo Bailey cough sedative expectorant brand from Roche Consumer Health. The product is available in cases of 12 units (rsp #3.19). Dendron. Tel: 01923 229251. Copyright: United Business Media International...

Gift pack for Dads.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... For Father's Day on June 17, Bronnley has created a travel case gift pack containing three products from the Bronnley for Men range. H Bronnley & Co Ltd. Tel: 01280 702291. Copyright: United Business Media International Ltd.

NeoRecormon for anaemia.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... NeoRecormon (epoetin beta) can now be used in the treatment of cancer- related anaemia. The recombinant human erythropoetin has had its licence extended in the UK to include the treatment of patients with anaemia associated with the...

Prevenar from Wyeth.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Prevenar is a new pneumococcal saccharide conjugated vaccine from Wyeth. Prevenar is indicated for the immunisation of infants and young children from the age of two months to two years against invasive disease caused by specific Streptococcus...

Benzamycin Gel shortage.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Benzamycin Gel (benzoyl peroxide/erythromycin) is currently out of stock because of continued manufacturing problems experienced by Dermik Laboratories Inc. Both the 23.3g and 46.6g sizes are affected. Bioglan expects the situation to continue...

Imazin pack changes.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Napp Pharmaceuticals has repacked Imazin XL and Imazin XL Forte into securitainers. The new packs are expected to start being distributed from late April as the old packs are run down. The changeover should be complete by mid-May. Napp...

Intraval Sodium 25 vials.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Averntis Pharma has discontinued Intraval Sodium (thiopentone sodium) 25 vials and Intraval Sodium (thiopentone sodium) + WFI 25 vials with immediate effect, due to technical problems. The company says it holds no more stock and must,...

Tenormin Syrup shortage.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... AstraZeneca has announced that supplies of Tenormin Syrup, which is currently out of stock, should resume by the middle to end of April. Further information is available from AstraZeneca on 0800 7830033. Copyright: United Business Media...

Survey says Norplant is safe as IUDs.(intrauterine devices)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... A five-year international post-marketing surveillance of Norplant (levonorgestrel implant) has found the contraceptive device to be as safe and effective as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and sterilization. The study compared 8,000 Norplant...

Heart disease benefits of fat reduction can take two years.
April 7, 2001... The benefits of fat reduction in heart disease can take up to two years to be realised, according to a study. Lee Hooper et al from the University Dental Hospital of Manchester reviewed 27 trials involving over 30,000 healthy adults to...

Lentard MC discontinuation reminder.(Novo Nordisk's diabetes medication)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Novo Nordisk has written to pharmacists reminding them that Lentard MC will no longer be available from July 31, 2001. Enclosed with the letter are cards which advise patients on Lentard MC to return to their prescriber to have their...

Drafting the final plan.(pharmacies' marketing strategies, UK)
April 7, 2001... Having decided on an overall marketing strategy for the three pharmacies described in the previous article, John Kerry looks at the tactics and activities that need to be built into the plans to make their strategies workable When deciding...

Pharmacists to the rescue.(of Indian earthquake)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... A German pharmacist left the familiar surroundings of his dispensary behind to spend a fortnight helping the victims of the earthquake in the Indian province of Gujarat. Andreas Portugal, who is a member of the German aid organisation...

Clinical pharmacy becomes a mandatory subject.(Germany)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Clinical pharmacy has been made a mandatory subject in the German pharmacy undergraduate course. The country's Upper House passed amendments to the current regulations governing the accreditation of pharmacists in Germany. From October,...

Dispensing with the waiting time.(German pharmacists use Willach's Consis robot to dispense drugs)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... German community pharmacists have been given a new ally in their daily task of dispensing prescriptions - a dispensing robot. Consis is designed to deliver the most commonly prescribed medicines directly to the pharmacy counter within...

Spain puts generics to the forefront.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 7, 2001... Donald Macarthur continues this series on pharmacy in Europe by contrasting the changes facing Spanish pharmacists with the apparent stability of Portugal Pharmaceutical expenditure in Spain's National Health Service (SNS) has grown in...

The golden era.(UK Dept.of Health on future of pharmacy)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Besides announcing a task force for medicines taking (see p4), health minister Lord Hunt signalled the impact of the Health and Social Care Bill when addressing the West Midlands Region of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Birmingham last...

Davies warns of `fear of radical change'.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society vice president Marshall Davies on pharmacy contractors, UK)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Marshall Davies warned Lord Hunt of the concerns pharmacy contractors have over the changes taking place within healthcare. "As vice president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, I must draw attention to the threat that the prospect of...

Collaboration is needed, says Tweedie.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... New partnerships, particularly with doctors, will be crucial for medicines management pilots to succeed, said Alan Tweedie of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. Medicines management in practice will require a structured...

Hunt announces successful bids for ETP pilots.
April 7, 2001... Three consortia, TransScript, Sema and Pharmacy2U, which include the major players in retail pharmacy, pharmaceutical wholesaling and online pharmacy, have been given the go-ahead to start pilots for the electronic transfer of prescriptions...

Nucare to acquire pharmacies.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Nucare is to own its own pharmacies for the first time, and plans to build up a `significant chain' of independent pharmacies. Veni Harania, Nucare's chairman, said it had sufficient funds to acquire around 50 pharmacies over the next six...

OFT fines Napp #3.2m.
April 7, 2001... The Office of Fair Trading has fined Napp Pharmaceuticals #3.2 million for abusing a dominant market position - the first company to be judged under the new competition law. Chapter II of the Competition Act of 1998 `prohibits conduct by...

Novartis Generics acquires Lagap.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Novartis Generics, a subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceuticals group Novartis, has acquired Lagap Pharmaceuticals for an undisclosed sum. The take-over marks Novartis' entry into the British generics market. "As a global leader in generics, our...

Willach to launch dispensing robots in UK pharmacies.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... German company Willach has designed a dispensing robot - Consis2 - aimed specifically at the UK market. Consis2 is designed to dispense the fastest selling prescription medicines within seconds and deliver them directly to the pharmacy...

AAH launches community trust.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Vantage pharmacists can apply for a one grant of up to #500 under a new scheme launched by AAH Pharmaceuticals. The Vantage Community Trust is designed to boost the profile of pharmacy in the community by supporting local initiatives and worthy...

UniChem Healthy Times.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... UniChem has relaunched its customer magazine Healthy Times in a new glossy format. The magazine now has features on health issues, beauty tips, healthy eating recipes, a step-by-step exercise guide and a reader Q&A section. Christine Morgan,...

Lanes receives IiP status.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... GR Lanes Health Products, the manufacturer of herbal medicines, has been given the Investors in People award. Copyright: United Business Media International Ltd.

Intercare opens depot in Derby.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The Intercare Group has expanded its distribution activities by forming Trent Pharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned new distribution depot based at a 7,000ft2 site near Derby. The new company, which started trading on April 2, will supply...

Boots offers travel vaccination.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Boots The Chemists plans to introduce travel immunisation clinics at its health and beauty experience stores. There are currently two such stores in High Street Kensington (London) and Milton Keynes. Similar stores in Reading, Leeds and...

SkyePharma secure approval.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... SkyePharma has secured European approval for DepoCyt, its treatment for lymphomatous meningitis. The company said it had already had substantial interest from potential partners for marketing the drug in Europe. News of the approval came as...

Shire/BioChem merger delay.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Plans for the merger between Shire Pharmaceuticals and Canadian pharmaceutical company BioChem were put on hold after the Canadian government said that it had yet to be convinced of the benefits the proposed merger would offer to Canada....

J&J in $12bn bid for Alza.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has launched a $12 billion (#8 billion) bid for California-based health products manufacturer ALZA Corporation. The deal is to be completed via a stock-for-stock exchange, under which ALZA shareholders would receive one...

SSL to cut 197 jobs.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... SSL International is to shed around 197 jobs, of which 140 are permanent positions, by closing one of its two factories in Bootle, Merseyside. The redundancies are the result of SSL's decision to move the production of some OTCs to a plant...

APPOINTMENTS.(International Pages)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... The Boots Company has appointed Andy Smith as group personnel director. Mr Smith, formerly Boots The Chemists' director of personnel, succeeds Mike Ruddell who has retired. Sir Clive Whitmore, a Boots non-executive director since 1994, has also...

AAH Hospital launches regional customer support.(International Pages)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... AAH Hospital Service has launched a regional customer support service team. This offers customers a regional support trainer who is responsible for training hospital pharmacy staff on AAH initiatives, such as e-Mediate and Electronic Data...

Flower power.(International Pages)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2001... Where are the artists among you? More specifically, who'd like to decorate a flower pot - and raise money for Arthritis Care (AC)? The charity is co-ordinating the contest through its 615 groups and branches across the UK. Its aim is to...

Straight to the heart of diabetes.
April 7, 2001... Cardiovascular disease is responsible for up to 80 per cent of deaths in patients with diabetes. GP Dr Mike Mead explains how this risk can be controlled This course (module 1196), in association with multiple choice questions being...

Chesty or dry?
April 7, 2001... It is probably the most common condition that pharmacists are asked to treat. This article from TESEMED, the European electronic self- medication programme for pharmacists, gives a thorough description of all aspects of cough OBJECTIVES...

COMMENT.(professional development for dentists provided by National Health System)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 14, 2001... Cor blimey, guv. Fifty-two quid just for doing some continuing education, and the Government's going to pay. That was our reaction to the news that dentists are to receive a continuing professional development allowance of up to #52 an hour...

European survey on smoking attitudes.(pharmacists asked to participate)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... Pharmacists are being asked to take part in a European survey on their attitudes to smoking and their role in smoking cessation. Over the next few weeks the Europharm Forum will send a questionnaire to a random sample of pharmacies in Great...

NRT on FP10.(nicotine replacement therapy)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... Nicotine replacement therapy will be available on prescription in England and Northern Ireland from Tuesday. The Department of Health issued the following statement on April 10: "Regulations have been laid before Parliament which...

Hospital calling.
April 14, 2001... Pharmacy technicians and support staff are invited to find out about a career in hospital pharmacy at one of London's teaching hospitals. The pharmacy department at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust is holding an open day to show...

RPSGB to consult on self-checking by non-pharmacists.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council has agreed to consult pharmacists on whether support staff should self-check for accuracy the items they have dispensed. The Practice Committee has been considering a draft document giving...

Drug recall.(Alpharma Ltd. recalls Glyceryl Trinitrate Tablets)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... Alpharma Ltd (formerly Cox) is recalling three batches of its Glyceryl Trinitrate Tablets 500mcg 100s as some bottles may be contaminated with glass slivers due to a manufacturing fault at the glass bottle supplier. The affected batches are:...

Drug recall 2.(Serono Pharmaceuticals Ltd. recalls Crinone Vaginal Gel)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... Serono Pharmaceuticals Ltd is recalling some batches of its Crinone (progesterone) Vaginal Gel. The affected batch of Crinone Vaginal Gel 4 per cent (6 applicators) has batch number C00118 and expiry October 2003. The affected batches of...

Health Supplements web site.(Health Supplements Information Service)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2001... The Health Supplements Information Service has relaunched its web site. The HSIS provides an independent, reliable source of information about vitamins, minerals and food supplements. The site includes guidelines on Recommended Daily Amounts as...

RPSGB AGM format change.
April 14, 2001... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Annual General Meeting is to start with an hour long special forum for members "to raise any topical issues they wish to discuss". The agenda for the evening starts at 5pm with refreshments being served,...