Chemist & Druggist articles from August 2003

Chemist & Druggist archives from August 2003

Progress in Scotland on contract.
August 2, 2003... The Scottish General Pharmaceutical Council is seeking to agree with the Scottish Executive Health Department a framework to underpin the set of principles proposed for its new pharmacy contract. It will gather members' views on the subject...

Lack of clarity may derail ballot.
August 2, 2003... PSNC may have to delay its planned ballot of contractors on the new pharmacy contract, given the lack of clarity over the proposed new control of entry regulations. Committee representatives met with the Department of Health last week to...

Prison for pharmacist who cheated NHS.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... A community pharmacist from London has been sent to prison after it was discovered he was defrauding the NHS of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Bernard Masters, owner and proprietor of Clifford Evans Ltd, on Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill,...

Saturday closing proposed in Scotland.
August 2, 2003... Community pharmacies in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire want to close on Saturdays following a decision by many local GPs to stop Saturday surgeries. Six out of 123 community pharmacies have applied to Grampian Health Board to close on...

Free doses.(Filariasis Prevention Day)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... On July 27, which was designated Filariasis Prevention Day, 10 million Sri Lankans were invited to receive free doses of the anthelminitic albendazole in an initiative designed to boost the ongoing global alliance to eliminate lymphatic...

Scottish pharmacists get ready to surf the NHSnet.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Scottish pharmacies should all be connected to NHSnet by early 2005, according to the Scottish Executive Health Department. Following a regional scheme in Ayrshire and Arran, which was put in place to facilitate electronically transferred...

PCT criticised for lack of contact with pharmacy.
August 2, 2003... The Commission for Health Improvement has criticised a primary care trust in north Cumbria for its lack of communication with pharmacy, but has praised pharmacists' prescribing advice schemes. The CHI said Carlisle & District PCT needs to...

Consistency urged in drug misuse services.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... There needs to be adequate communication with all community pharmacists involved in the provision of services to drug misusers, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has said in its response to the National Treatment Agency's consultation on quality...

Dioralyte P to GSL?(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is consulting on whether Dioralyte Relief raspberry and blackcurrant should be reclassified from P to GSL. Comments should be with Amanda Lawrence at the MHRA...

Which? mystery shoppers are back.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The Consumers' Association is to publish two new reports on pharmacy. The first, appearing in an autumn edition of Health Which?, plans to survey the public's perception of existing pharmacy services and poll opinion on access and desirable new...

PI restrictions help boost Alliance UniChem's profits.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Alliance UniChem's half year results show an increase in group turnover to #4,437 million for the six months to June 30, 2003, up 13.9 per cent on last year. Total operating profit increased by 15.6 per cent to #122.5m. In the UK, group...

GSK second quarter earnings boosted.(GlaxoSmithKline)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline is once again under the financial spotlight, but this time it is over the 15 per cent jump in its second quarter profits, rather than the fat cat pay of its ceo Jean-Pierre Garnier. Total pharmaceutical turnover grew 3 per...

GSK AIDS drugs lawsuit continues.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The United States District Court has rejected a motion from GlaxoSmithKline to dismiss AIDS medical care provider AIDS Healthcare Foundation's patent piracy lawsuit against it over GSK's patent for AZT (Retrovir), the first AIDS drug. The...

Merger impacts on Pfizer results.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... In its first set of results since taking over Pharmacia in April, Pfizer exits its 2003 second quarter with a net loss of #2.21 billion. Second quarter revenues grew 37 per cent to #6.164bn, compared to the same period in the prior year....

PAGB PERSPECTIVE: Taking a studied approach.
August 2, 2003... Sheila Kelly, director of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, says that well-informed sales reps are an asset A recent survey by market research company IMS showed that UK pharmacists would still like to see a representative about...

Sales unchanged for AZ.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... AstraZeneca sales for the first half of the year were unchanged despite the loss of #74 million in US sales of Losec, Zestril and Nolvadex. Operating profit for the period declined by 10 per cent. Sales of anti-cholesterol drug Crestor were...

Silver award for PPA.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Paul Robinson from the Prescription Pricing Authority, has won the silver award for outstanding workplace leadership in the Lord Oxfuird's Awards for Excellence 2003, presented at the House of Lords. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Schering joins CoMedis.com.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Online pharmaceutical ordering portal CoMedis.com has signed up Schering Plough Consumer Health as a supplier, taking its OTC range to over 700 pharmaceutical products. CoMedis director Mike Owen said: "It was always our main aim to...

Comment from the Editor.
August 2, 2003... Pharmacy leaders have been saying for years that if community pharmacists are to be truly effective within the primary care team, they must be properly integrated within its structures. The nonsensical perception that pharmacists are...

YOUR VIEWS: We need clarity and detail, not ambiguity.
August 2, 2003... The NPA believes that the Government's `balanced package of measures' in response to the OFT report could lead to phased deregulation Following publication of the Government's `balanced package of measures' in response to the OFT report...

Accidental discoveries are the best.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Chance is a fine thing. Pick up a copy of the BNF and look up aspirin. Check out the adverse reactions. Not a pretty sight. Yet aspirin - perhaps the world's first convenient analgesic - contains properties we never even thought about until...

Little comfort in OFT outcome.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Once again clouds of uncertainty hang heavily over my future. What an opportunity lost! An unequivocal rejection of the recommendations of the Office of Fair Trading report into contract limitation and positive support for the proposed...

Why so many pre-reg exam failures?(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... If I were a pre-registration tutor I would expect that any student I signed off as competent to practice would pass the pre-reg examination. However, this year's statistics deny this theory and I find that worrying. The failure rate at the...

Sound pharmaceutical practice loses sales.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The debate over the open display of medicines and the continuing trend to switch from P to GSL continues. As the senior industry manager so accurately states (C&D July 26, p15) the overall increase in sales of medicines is poor but when branded...

Letter: PCTs with pharmacists on their executive.(Letter to the Editor)
August 2, 2003... The national pharmacy bodies were interested to read Martin Wakeling's analysis of the challenges facing the profession (C&D July 12, p12). However, on a particularly important issue, Mr Wakeling's facts are wrong. He states that "only a...

Cymru COMMENT: Pharmacy revolution in Wales.
August 2, 2003... With the rejection of deregulation, plans for free prescriptions and Remedies for Success in the pipeline, these are exciting times for pharmacy in Wales, says Cath O'Brien Has there ever been a more exciting time to be a pharmacist in...

Letter: Get the know how on LIFT from the NPA.(Letter to the Editor)
August 2, 2003... The NPA was interested to read coverage of UniChem's survey of its consultative boards regarding their lack of awareness of LIFT and its implications. The NPA has recently launched a resource pack for members on primary care estate - including...

RSPGB coat of arms and motto.
August 2, 2003... The RSPGB is explaining its coat of arms and motto in two new information sheets. The Latin motto, Habendia ratio valetudinis, is loosely translated as: "We must pay attention to our health." The coat of arms sheet explains the history and...

PHARMACY UPDATE: Heads and toes.
August 2, 2003... In the first of a major series on skin infections, Dr Mike Wyndham describes the appearance and treatment of fungal infections of the scalp and foot Objectives * To revise how fungal infections damage skin * To revise the main...

Schizophrenia outcomes affected.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... People with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics improve both in clinical status and social function, but there are significant differences in the long-term effectiveness of treatments. The Schizophrenia Outpatients Health Outcomes...

Use of CFC salbutamol inhalers still OK.(AAH Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... AAH Pharmaceuticals is hoping to remove any confusion surrounding the dispensing of CFC salbutamol inhalers following the European Commission directive on their removal from the UK market. This follows the recent communication issued by the...

Teratogenicity fear denying women care?(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... A doctor has suggested that the teratogenicity of drugs is "probably exaggerated" and this is having an adverse effect as drugs are being underused in pregnancy. Writing in last week's Lancet, Sebastiano Bianca says that drugs cause fewer...

Heart failure guidelines from NICE.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued clinical guidelines on the management of chronic heart failure in adults in England and Wales. Covering diagnosis and treatment, the guidance defines the combination of symptoms,...

Updated SPC for Exelon.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The Summary of Product Characteristics for Exelon (rivastigmine) has been updated, according to manufacturer Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The main changes are: * Section 4.4 now includes a statement regarding the fact that like other...

Tubifast garments on FP10.(ready-to-wear stretch bandages for eczema patients)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Tubifast Garments - ready-to-wear stretch bandages for eczema patients - will be available on prescription from September 1 in a new sub- category of the Drug Tariff called Elasticated Viscose Stockinette - Garments. The range includes...

Antepsin pack changes.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Distriphar has announced that the pack size of Antepsin is to change from 112 to 100, to bring the UK pack in line with other European countries. The NHS Tariff price will be reduced pro-rata. All current orders will be converted to the new...

Foiled Fematrix and Femapak.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Solvay says that the estradiol patches in Fematrix and Femapak products have been repackaged in foil sachets, resulting in smaller and slimmer packs of both products. No other changes have been made to the products and the constituents of the...

Durex helps lovers to Play.(SSL International developed lubricants to help make sex more pleasurable)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... SSL International has developed a new lubricant to help people enhance their sex lives. Durex Play is designed to make lubricants a normal part of anyone's love life, making sex more sensual and enjoyable. Presented in a modern pump pack,...

Lower prices for Accu-Chek meters.(Roche Diagnostics reduces price for blood glucose meters)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Roche Diagnostics has announced that it is permanently reducing the prices of two of its blood glucose meters. Accu-Chek Compact is now #10 instead of #20 and Accu-Chek Advantage is now #7 (previously #15). The company has also reduced...

Brush strokes for the boys.(G.B. Kent & Sons debuts hairbrushes)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Kent is launching a range of functional hairbrushes especially for men. The Kent for Men range comprises four flexi quill brushes: * KFM 1 Wet Styler is a half-radial brush with sponge base to absorb and distribute water or styling...

Extra Fresh launch for Sensodyne.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is launching an addition to the Sensodyne range of toothpastes. Sensodyne Total Care Extra Fresh is a dual action toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth. The formulation incorporates the everyday...

Vaseline takes a firm approach.(Lever Faberge debuts Vaseline Intensive Care Firming & Nourishing Lotion)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Lever Faberge is adding a firming lotion to the Vaseline Intensive Care range of bodycare products. Vaseline Intensive Care Firming & Nourishing Lotion is claimed to provide smoother, firmer skin. The product is being introduced to...

Prevent fading with Silvikrin.(Wella AG debuts Wella Silvikrin UV Protection Hairspray)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Wella is launching a hairspray to help prevent coloured hair from fading when exposed to sunlight. Wella Silvikrin UV Protection Hairspray is formulated to help prevent damage from UV rays and consequent colour fading. The product is...

PHARMACY PRACTICE: Text and drugs and rock and roll.(Lloydspharmacy will use live in-store radio for pharmacy health promotion)
August 2, 2003... Lloydspharmacy's live in-store radio will create a new benchmark for pharmacy health promotion, pharmacy director Andy Murdock tells C&D Health promotion through community pharmacies took a significant leap forward earlier this year...

FAMILY PLANNING: It's a family affair.(overview of family planning surveys, facts)
August 2, 2003... Much time in the pharmacy seems to be spent either helping women avoid pregnancy or helping them to conceive. Vanessa Sherwood takes a look at family planning Pharmacists seem to spend a lot of time and energy helping women to avoid...

FAMILY PLANNING: Mates relaunch.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The Mates condoms range underwent a brand transformation in April. As Teulings Remco, marketing and business development manager for Mates condoms, explains: "Future success in our sector lies with brands which continue to identify with the...

FAMILY PLANNING: Pick up a patch.
August 2, 2003... With patches for nicotine replacement therapy and HRT it was only a matter of time before a contraceptive patch was launched. Following a successful launch in the USA, Janssen-Cilag launched Evra, the UK's first contraceptive patch, in the...

FAMILY PLANNING: Calm, confident EHC.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The new Levonelle campaign, launched in the middle of July, promotes the brand name as a straightforward way to ask for the morning-after pill. Even though it has been available over the counter in pharmacies for more than 18 months, focus...

FAMILY PLANNING: Digital answer.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Unipath is launching a digital version of the Clearblue Pregnancy Test next month. The test has been developed following consumer research which showed that eliminating uncertainty is one of the most important issues for women using a pregnancy...

Dilip's in with a chance.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Golf hit the news last weekend with the unknown Ben Curtis winning the 132nd British Open down the road from the Pfizer factory in Sandwich last weekend. This week, the news is of Dilip Desai, pharmacist at the Andrew Bass Pharmacy,...

This won't hurt a bit.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Following reports that family doctors were advised to buy face masks from B&Q to protect themselves during the SARS outbreak, news of the use of other DIY staples reaches us from Peru, where a surgeon is using builders' tools to operate on...

Winner of C&D Cambridge Counterpart.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... The latest winner of the C&D Cambridge Counterpart monthly bottle of champagne is Isabel Kennedy of the Munro Pharmacy in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire. Isabel, who worked for Munro until four years ago, has returned to the company after...

Cheer up - it might never happen.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... A research study that could have been carried out on Snow White's seven dwarves suggests that Doc would know that Happy was less likely to be thought of as Sneezy compared to Grumpy. Why? Well, as tradition would have it, laughter really is...

Not tonight, darling.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2003... Futura Medical, the erectile disfunction treatment manufacturer which joined the Alternative Investment Market last week, may well be hoping to cash in on a goldmine with the topical cream it is developing to help erections. The company...

Shipman inquiry focus moves onto pharmacy.
August 9, 2003... The next stage of the inquiry into the serial killer Harold Shipman will put pharmacy under the spotlight, as it examines the prescribing and dispensing of Controlled Drugs in the community. Stage 3 of the inquiry will focus on who can...

Government's OFT response could be worse than full deregulation.
August 9, 2003... The `balanced package' of measures proposed by the Government in response to the OFT report into pharmacy entry controls could lead to a situation worse than complete deregulation, acccording to the NPA. Chief executive John D'Arcy has...

EpiPen drug alert.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is highlighting a problem with the labelling on all batches of EpiPen (Adrenaline BP 1 in 1,000) Auto-Injector 0.3mg. Although the outer pack and the syringe label carry identical and...

Scots to see new contract by next year.(Senior Scottish Executive Health Department)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Some Scottish pharmacists could be working under their new contract as early as next year, the Scottish Executive revealed in a letter sent to contractors last week. Senior Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) executives believe...

PSNC wants more details of proposed exemptions.
August 9, 2003... PSNC has written to the Department of Health asking for greater details of the Government's proposed exemptions to pharmacy entry control. Although the Government proposed making shopping developments of more than 15,000m2 and one-stop...

NI drug paraphernalia laws in force.(Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Northern Ireland pharmacists can now legally supply articles for administering or preparing controlled drugs, following a change to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. The changes, which came into effect on August 1 via Statutory Rule 2003 No...

Contractors' views sought on contract framework.
August 9, 2003... PSNC is asking contractors to comment on the proposed new pharmacy contract framework by August 20 when it will begin considering these views along with those expressed at the contract roadshows. In a letter sent to contractors last week,...

RPSGB calls for `fair' press coverage.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain)
August 9, 2003... Senior members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society called for "fair and balanced" reporting from the press at a briefing on modernisation issues last week. RPSGB president Gill Hawksworth said she was concerned over the tone of some of the...

NPA intranet goes live.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The National Pharmaceutical Association intranet has gone live at www.npanet.co.uk with a new look and layout. The site continues to provide news and information relevant to NPA members. Improvements include streamlined content, easier...

Society confident over technician numbers.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is confident that the majority of pharmacy technicians will register with the Society, despite not knowing exactly how many technicians there are. Nigel Graham, the RPSGB's head of practice, said last week:...

New nomenclature for old drugs begins in December.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Current medicines will begin changing to new recommended international non-proprietary names (rINNs) from December 1 this year, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency has confirmed. All manufacturers with existing marketing...

Technician registrations at record high.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The national body representing pharmacy technicians is reporting record numbers of new members. Darren Leech, president of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, said the organisation is currently enjoying its "greatest membership in...

Making waves.(campaign run by Northern Ireland community pharmacists earlier this year to make the public aware of the consequences of OFT-style deregulation)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The campaign run by Northern Ireland community pharmacists earlier this year to make the public aware of the consequences of OFT-style deregulation has been making waves elsewhere. The campaign was highly commended in the public...

VMS claims face regulation under EU law.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Health or nutritional claims made by manufacturers for vitamin and mineral supplements will be regulated under new proposed European regulations. The proposals aim to harmonise European Community member states' rules on food claims as...

MHRA extends boundaries of PGD.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is proposing to widen the groups of health professionals allowed to sell, supply or administer medicines under patient group directions. The proposals, which are under consultation...

NPA warns on health centre rates rise.
August 9, 2003... The NPA is warning that the revaluation of business rates in England and Wales which is due to take place in 2005 could lead to pharmacies in health centres being valued on a different basis from ordinary retail premises. Trefor Williams,...

Customers tour AAH Romford.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... More than 50 hospital customers from across the South East were invited to AAH's Romford branch to see the results of a #4 million refurbishment. Visitors met members of the Hospital Service team and toured the warehouse following the...

Suncare advice from Moss.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Moss Pharmacy has launched a suncare campaign throughout its 800 branches, encouraging members of the public to discuss their suncare needs with their pharmacist. Moss has also produced an educational leaflet called The Sun and Your Skin,...

Boots Group sales up in first quarter.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The Boots Group has reported sales growth of 4.7 per cent for its first quarter results, thanks to an 8 per cent growth in dispensing sales and strong cosmetics and fragrance growth of 6 per cent. John McGrath, chief executive of Boots...

C&D survey winners announced.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... For those of you who responded to C&D's latest Business Trends Survey, the waiting is over to discover if you have been lucky in the cash prize draw. The survey is supported by UniChem. Mr S Bhogal, of Bhogal Dispensing Chemist, in Easton...

Co-operative group Scotmid buys M&S Toiletries.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The Scottish co-operative group Scotmid has bought M&S Toiletries in a deal reported to be worth around #10 million. M&S is the largest independent distributor of health & beauty products in the UK. The move comes five years after a...

Aventis ousts Powderject.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Aventis Pasteur MSD has won the tender for a #45.2 million government contract for new supplies of smallpox vaccine after Labour donor Powderject Pharmaceuticals controversially was awarded a #32m contract last year. A smallpox response...

Wyeth convicted of illegal infant formula advertising.
August 9, 2003... Wyeth, parent company of SMA Nutrition, has been fined #26,000 and ordered to pay nearly #35,000 in costs after being found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court of illegally advertising infant formula to the public. This case enforced UK...

Loyalty scheme pilot could boost business.
August 9, 2003... The NPA Business Sales Department is developing a customer loyalty scheme and is keen to hear from members interested in taking part in a pilot this autumn. The scheme allows independent NPA members, groups and multiples to operate their...

Chairman for Goldshield.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Goldshield Group has appointed Peter Brown FCA FRSA as non-executive chairman. A qualified accountant since 1960, Mr Brown's current roles include chairman of the private Independent Remuneration Solutions; chairman of Dawson Holdings plc...

New C&D Directory available.(Chemist & Druggist Directory)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... The 2004 edition of the Chemist & Druggist Directory is now available, fully updated to include details of more than 2,600 products and services from 11,000 organisations. It is packed with essential healthcare and pharmaceutical...

CP acquired.(CP Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... UK generic manufacturer CP Pharmaceuticals has been bought by Indian company Wockhardt Limited for #10.85 million. This is Wockhardt's second acquisition in the UK after it bought Wallis Laboratory in Luton in 1998, bringing its total UK...

GSK setback in PI case.(parallel importers)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2003... Parallel importers have won part of a trademark case brought by GSK and others to force them to use potentially dangerous black and white packaging when reboxing imported drugs. In the ongoing case between GSK, Boehringer-Ingelheim and...

Comment from the Editor.(Medicines Act, which was introduced following the horrific effects of thalidomide)
August 9, 2003... While the fundamentals of medicine supply have remained basically the same for years, any changes that have taken place tend to have been reactive rather than proactive. The Medicines Act, which was introduced following the horrific...

YOUR VIEWS: `Vision' impossible without IT.
August 9, 2003... Geoff Mackay of AAH Pharmaceuticals responds to the latest DoH vision for pharmacy The Government's Vision for Pharmacy announced last month is not possible without dramatic information technology - and attitude - changes. Plans...