Chemist & Druggist articles from February 2005

Chemist & Druggist archives from February 2005

Welsh health minister reiterates OFT rejection.
February 5, 2005... Fears that pressure from England's Department of Trade and Industry could lead to Wales adopting the OFT proposals on freeing up control of entry for pharmaceutical services have been firmly rejected by the new health minister. In a formal...

Co-proxamol to be withdrawn.(Pharmaceutical industry)
February 5, 2005... The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has announced a phased withdrawal of co-proxamol. The decision follows a recent Committee on Safety of Medicines review into the risks and benefits of the painkiller (C&D, July 10,...

Patrick Lane named president.(Ulster Chemists' Association)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Patrick Lane has been named president of the Ulster Chemists' Association, succeeding Paula McDaid who will remain on the UCA executive as education and training convenor. Proprietor of Patrick Lane Pharmacy in Newry, County Down, Mr Lane has...

Labour MP says drug labelling is `ambiguous'.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Current labelling of pharmaceuticals that act on the brain and central nervous system is "ambiguous and unhelpful", Labour MP Andrew Dismore said in the Commons this week. He introduced a backbench bill to force manufacturers to display a...

BPC medals.(British Pharmaceutical Conference)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Nominations are being sought for the two research awards to be presented at this year's British Pharmaceutical Conference. The C&D-sponsored Practice Research Medal recognises individuals aged up to 45 years who have made a significant...

ZD update.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... APO-Go 5mg per 5ml Solution for Infusion pre-filled syringe (Brittania) has been added to the Zero Discount List A for the March 2005 Drug Tariff, PSNC has announced. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Drug recall.(Crescent Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Crescent Pharmaceuticals is recalling a batch of bendrofluazide 2.5mg tablets as it has been found to contain warfarin 3mg tablets. Pharmacists are asked to quarantine all Crescent livery packs of bendrofluazide 2.5mg tablets with batch no...

Pharmacist Nos.(registering )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The number of pharmacists registering as non-practising has increased to 5,212, a rise of over 700 in one week, the RPSGB announced on Tuesday. To date, 38,408 pharmacists have registered with the RPSGB, with 86.4 per cent as practising...

NPA seeks oxygen talks with health minister.(National Pharmaceutical Association)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... NPA representatives are to meet the health minister again to try to resolve problems with the new arrangements for oxygen supply. BOC has written to pharmacy contractors asking them to check the whereabouts of the oxygen cylinders they have...

Kava-kava review.(Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The MHRA has issued a consultation document on whether the ban on kava- kava in unlicensed medicines should be lifted. Following the 2003 ban, the MHRA committed to a review of available evidence after two years. This consultation is now...

Lorazepam supply.(Genus Pharmaceuticals )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Genus Pharmaceuticals says it has increased its manufacturing capacity for lorazepam tablets in light of last week's lorazepam recall issued by IVAX Pharmaceuticals. Genus expects "no problems getting supplies from any of the normal pharmacy...

NPA training.(National Pharmaceutical Association's "From Prescription to Patient" program)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The NPA has launched a distance learning training course to help pharmacists provide advanced services under the new contract. The training - From Prescription to Patient - incorporates a competency assessment, which will be carried out by...

NPA calls election.(National Pharmaceutical Association)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... * The NPA has called an election to fill the vacancy created by Graham Phillips' resignation from its board. Voting closes on March 11; the result will be known on March 14. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Clinical roles could be saving grace for sector.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The clinical roles that the new pharmacy contract will bring could be the thing to save the independent pharmacy sector, NPA chief executive John D'Arcy has said in response to the latest DoH pharmacy statistics. These reveal that...

Key points in 10-year statistics.(pharmacy related statistics)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... * During 2003-04, pharmacists in England and Wales received 660.9 million dispensing fees, an increase of 42.9 per cent over the decade to 2003-04 * Over the decade, the proportion of pharmacies dispensing more than 10,000 items a month...

Touch screen service.(cancer prevention education service)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... A project to take cancer prevention information to Glasgow started in three locations last month. The touch screen service was developed by NHS Greater Glasgow and is supported by a Lottery grant. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

P&G seeks GSL switch for Pepto-Bismol.(Proctor & Gamble)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Proctor & Gamble has applied to the MHRA to have Pepto-Bismol reclassified as a GSL product. The company says that the product has been a P medicine in the UK for 25 years with no evidence of misuse and with a small hazard to health. ...

MHRA posts ADRs online.(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency posts all adverse drug reactions reports online)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... All adverse reactions to every licensed drug are being posted online for patients to read by the Post-Licensing Division of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. This follows MHRA chairman Sir Alasdair Breckenridge's...

P&G acquires Gillette.(Procter & Gamble )(Mergers and acquisitions)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Procter & Gamble has signed a deal to acquire Gillette for $57 billion (#30 billion) - the largest acquisition in P&G's history. P&G will acquire all of Gillette's business, including manufacturing. The deal, which is subject to regulatory...

Reid launches GMC review to put patient interest first.(General Medical Council)(Health secretary John Reid)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The Government is to review the way the General Medical Council revalidates and ensures doctors are fit to practise. Health secretary John Reid asserted the GMC's primary role is to protect patients and not to represent doctors. His...

Eye drop switch welcomed.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the NPA have welcomed the proposal to reclassify chloramphenicol eye drops from POM to P (C&D, December 4, 2004, p4). But the NPA suggested the product should be indicated for the treatment of...

Screen ads.(Pharmacy Channel's plans for pharmacy screen distribution)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... In-store digital media network the Pharmacy Channel expects to have screens in 3,000 pharmacies by the end of the summer. The channel airs a mix of health education and advertising messages, which can include those from the host pharmacy. There...

Waste not.(unwanted medicines collected by Bromley and Sutton & Merton primary care trusts)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Bromley and Sutton & Merton PCTs have collected the most unwanted medicine (by weight) of all English and Welsh PCTs/LHBs, latest DoH statistics reveal. In 2003-04, Bromley PCT collected 16,600kg of unwanted medicine, up from 4,300kg the...

Pfizer jobs go.(Human resource)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Pfizer is to slash nearly 900 jobs in the UK, following a review of business. Pfizer intends to shed 400 jobs from its site in Sandwich, Kent, although manufacturing will still take place there but its Morpeth, Northumberland site will be sold...

Europe calls for `tighter watch'.(drug safety issues)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... European medicines regulators have called for a radical shake-up in the systems for post-marketing drug surveillance. In an interview with the Financial Times to mark the 10th anniversary of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA),...

Signed, sealed, delivered.(new pharmacy contracts)
February 5, 2005... Signed, sealed, delivered... or will it be? As the April 1 deadline approaches, Adrienne de Mont looks at how ready pharmacy software suppliers are likely to be England and Wales will have a new pharmacy contract in less than eight weeks,...

PAGB PERSPECTIVE: A fairer incentive.(drug manufacturing)
February 5, 2005... Is a year's market exclusivity a trigger for more POM to P, asks PAGB executive director Sheila Kelly Why would companies invest in switching old ingredients if competitors can join them in the market by piggy backing on their work without...

Comment from the Editor.(precautions while prescribing drugs)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 5, 2005... Events such as the Bristol Infirmary, Alder Hey Hospital and Harold Shipman cases are having a huge impact on the principles upon which NHS care is, and will be, provided. Risk management, of which patient safety is a major element, is top of...

Opinion: What is top of your stress list.
February 5, 2005... Our question to pharmacists this week was: With the RPSGB looking at the pressures faced by community pharmacists, what is top of your stress list? "CPD: the sheer bureaucracy of it. Actually doing it isn't a problem, I've been doing...

YOUR VIEWS: Help from the wholesaler.(drug wholesalers)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... David Coles looks ahead to new challenges for the supply industry This is a key time for the full-line wholesale industry to be positioning itself as integral to our pharmacy customers' preparations for the new community pharmacy contract....

NORTHERN IRELAND NOTEBOOK: Keeping up to date.
February 5, 2005... With details vague and communication intermittent, it is difficult to say with much certainty if CPD will be mandatory in Northern Ireland from June. A CPD pilot to establish which format it will take and what will be required of...

Medicines use reviews - who needs them?(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Pharmacists' medicines use reviews have been shown to increase hospital visits (C&D, Jan 29, p26). Oh dear, there doesn't seem much point doing them in that case then. Or does there? The study concluded that because pharmacist advice meant...

When the Amplichips are down.(genetics may cut down work for pharmacists)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Roche's Amplichip heralds a whole new age for prescribing (C&D, Jan 29, p10). It will take much of the guesswork, or artistry if you prefer, from selecting the best drug and its optimum dose in each case and allow prescribers to prescribe on a...

How to lighten pharmacists' workload.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... I'm sure that the RPSGB's investigation into pharmacists' workload (C&D, Jan 29, p4), will find that we are intolerably overworked, but the solution is not so obvious. There is little that can be done quickly to either stem the increasing...

OPINION: Time to overhaul the Statutory Committee?
February 5, 2005... David Reissner of Charles Russell solicitors certainly thinks so. He says it's not representative of the membership and is stuck in a time warp The Health Act 1999 gave the Government power to create new disciplinary procedures for the...

PHARMACY UPDATE: Tailoring drugs.(cytochrome research)
February 5, 2005... In this final article on cytochromes P450, Professor Danny Burke explains how knowledge of these enzymes will have an increasing influence on treatment choice This article can help in the following areas of competence as set out in the...

Death link query over Reminyl.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... A study has linked Reminyl (galantamine hydrobromide) to slightly higher mortality rates when used in patients with mild cognitive impairment, a currently unlicensed indication. The trial found that patients with mild cognitive impairment...

Less SSRI use could raise suicide rates.(Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Limiting SSRI prescriptions in light of recent regulatory actions may increase death rates from untreated depression, say researchers from the USA. The researchers claim that suicide rates have fallen since SSRIs were introduced and that...

NICE advises on osteoporosis.(National Osteoporosis Society )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... An osteoporosis charity says it is "broadly satisfied" with NICE's latest guidelines on drug treatments for the bone condition. The National Osteoporosis Society says it believes "much has been achieved" with the new guidelines. NICE has...

Four ED appliances in DT.(erectile dysfunction cure drugs to be under drug tariff)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... iMedicare has announced that four of its products for erectile dysfunction will be in Part IXA of the Drug Tariff from February 1. They are: SomaErect Response II, SomaErect Touch II, Assist Erection Maintenance System, and SureEase...

Neogest and Logynon.(Schering Health Care )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Schering Health Care has announced it is discontinuing Neogest tablets ( DL-norgestrel 75mcg) and the Logynon tablets Clinic Pack (ethinylestradiol and levonorgesterel). The company estimates that current stock levels can support demand...

Aventis product orders.
February 5, 2005... All orders for Aventis products should now be sent to Sanofi-aventis's Guildford office at 1 Onslow Street, Guildford,Surrey GU1 4YS. Orders for Aventis and Sanofi-Synthelabo should be kept separate until further notice to prevent delivery...

Microgynon 30.(Schering Health Care )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Schering has announced that a new pack size for Microgynon 30 tablets: (levonorgesterel 150mcg, ethinylestradiol 30mcg) will replace the single cycle pack. Price: #2.85 Pack size: 3 x 21 tablets Pip code: 310-8909 Schering...

Formance supply problems.(Abbott Nutritional Services )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Abbott Nutrition has announced a temporary cessation in supply for Formance, its dessert style products for dysphagia patients. This is due to Abbott transferring its production sites. As yet, Abbott does not know when supply will...

Allens sticks to traditional roots.(Allens Healthcare)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Allens Healthcare has relabelled its Allens Pine & Honey Balsam cough and cold remedy. Allens managing director, Howard Dixon, said: "The new label for Pine & Honey Balsam will keep the key elements of its original traditional image but...

Clairol promotes winning streak.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Procter & Gamble is set to roll out an instant-win on-pack promotion with its Nice 'n Easy colourant product under the Clairol brand. The promotion, to be launched on February 14, will only be available to the pharmacy sector. The...

Bisodol goes live on the net.(Forest Laboratories)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Forest Laboratories has launched a website for its recently acquired heartburn and indigestion brand, Bisodol. The website contains information for sufferers of heartburn and indigestion, including a "Hints & Tips" section, as well as...

Lynx kicks off with kung-fu ads.(Unilever UK Home and Personal Care)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Unilever UK Home and Personal Care is supporting its new Lynx brand fragrance with a Far Eastern inspired advertising campaign. Adverts for Lynx Unlimited will be screened in cinemas from February 4 and on television from February 7 with...

Cleaner teeth with seaweed.(Molar Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... A Swedish oral tablet made from seaweed claimed to improve oral hygiene is being introduced to UK pharmacies. PlaqueOff, which was discovered and developed by a dentist, showed reductions in tartar levels by up to 68 per cent and reductions...

New formula for Gaviscon.(Pharmaceutical industry)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Reckitt Benckiser is launching a reformulated Gaviscon dispensing tablet - Gaviscon Advance - and will discontinue the current dispensing version. Gaviscon 500mg tablets in lemon and peppermint flavour are being withdrawn as a result of an...

Olay in radio drive for Mother's Day profits.(Procter & Gamble Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Procter & Gamble is hoping to boost Mother's Day profits for its Olay brand by launching a radio campaign. It will cover all Olay product categories and will have the theme: "Have a beautiful Mother's Day with Olay." Procter & Gamble...

Boots and Moss to take Grafton.(Grafton International)(Pharmaceutical industry)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Grafton International will distribute the Badger Balms brand through Boots. Four lines of aromatherapy based organic balms - Healing Hands Balm, Sore Muscle Rub, Sleep Balm and Foot Balm -- will be available in 335 Boots stores from April. ...

Lil-lets expands with pantliners.(Accantia Health and Beauty Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Accantia Health & Beauty Ltd is extending its Lil-lets brand by adding pantliners to the range. They are available in two sizes: normal (in packs of 18) and large (in packs of 28) from last month. The company says the pantliners have a...

NUMARK CONFERENCE: Paradise gained?(Pharmacists)
February 5, 2005... Pharmacists attending the Numark Conference in Mauritius this week discussed the new pharmacy contract, medicines, IT and CPD in the opening session on Tuesday morning. Charles Gladwin reports Pharmacists should not expect to see too much...

NUMARK CONFERENCE: Parallel importers may look to P medicines.(Pharmaceutical Prices Regulation Scheme )
February 5, 2005... Parallel importers may start to bring in P medicines to respond to increasing pressures being put on prescription products. Paul Bottomley, commercial director for Dowelhurst, said that the recent re-negotiation of the Pharmaceutical Prices...

NUMARK CONFERENCE: Implications for IT.(Information technology)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Pharmacists should no longer be using DOS-based or DOS for Windows based systems, said David Wood, chief executive of Numark. "You will need an up-to-date system that is not DOS-based as these will not be compliant. There's a lot of systems...

NUMARK CONFERENCE: PPRS across Europe.(Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (UK))(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Other parts of Europe are introducing forms of PPRS. Holland and Belgium introduced new systems on January 1, and Italy and Spain brought in new measures from February 1. Italy had been looking to reduce the price of the 180 top products by 13...

OPENSHOP: Ray of hope?
February 5, 2005... Last October community pharmacist David Morgan spelt out some home truths about what it was like working as a locum. In this article David looks to the future and how things might be better The new contract for community pharmacy...

PROFESSION: A pharmacy vision.
February 5, 2005... The CD-Rom `Pharmacy Vision' is accredited for four hours' learning with the College of Pharmacy Practice The new contract for community pharmacy completes the most radical shake up in the delivery of health services in the UK since 1948....

Sausages at the cutting edge?
February 5, 2005... An e-mail in our inbox flagging up an "SSI press release" and referring to "TROPOS" would normally suggest something clinical. You know, news perhaps about the `Treatment Of Peripheral Osteoporosis' study and some new class of drug (serum...

Sangers nurse wins stoma care title.(Nurse of the Year title to Jean Roberts)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Salts Healthcare has awarded its Nurse of the Year title to Jean Roberts. The award recognises an individual's lifetime contribution to stoma care, and Ms Roberts was considered a worthy winner by the judges for her "level of dedication...

United Co-op Healthcare - Appointment.(Lindsey Fairbrother )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Lindsey Fairbrother has been promoted to group ethical commercial manager of United Co-op Healthcare. Since joining the company as a pharmacist in 1995, Ms Fairbrother has taken on increasingly senior management roles. Her responsibilities in...

United Co-op Healthcare - Appointment.(Chris Barton)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Chris Barton has joined United Co-op Healthcare as logistics and distribution manager. His remit includes importing branded ethical products from the European Community. Mr Barton has over 20 years' experience at senior level within...

OTC: COUNTER TALK.
February 5, 2005... It's the time of year when we ask you to cast your vote for the pharmacy heroes of 2004. On page 15 of this issue of Over The Counter you will find your voting form for the Over The Counter Awards, sponsored this year by Kobayashi...

OTC: Caught in a flash?(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Next time your pharmaceutical sales rep is late for his or her call, don't get cross. When they finally arrive, congratulate them on their responsible driving. Because it seems that pharmaceutical salespeople are the ones most likely to...

OTC: Treating acne.(Benzoyl peroxide lotion)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Benzoyl peroxide lotion is as effective as prescribing oral antibiotics in treating mild to moderate acne, according to UK research published in The Lancet. Professor Hywel Williams, from Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, studied 650...

OTC: Pressure relief.(Blood pressure)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... One of the largest long-term health studies in the USA has reported that women who take folate supplements reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure. Young women who take more than 800ug per day cut their risk by 29 per cent...

OTC: Time to end script charges?(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Prescription charges should be abolished or the system should undergo major reform, the RSPGB has announced. The current system is unfair and illogical and the Government should follow the example of the Welsh National Assembly, which is...

OTC: Sea - hear - with Audiclean.(cotton bud )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Cleaning ears with a cotton bud may be common practice, but it can cause long-term damage to the ear canal, warns Passion for Life Healthcare, distributor of Audiclean, which is described as the safer alternative to cotton buds. In fact,...

OTC: New strategies for migraine.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Three new pieces of research published in recent weeks hold out hope for the millions who suffer the misery of migraine. A study conducted by King's College Hospital in London and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is examining a possible link...

OTC: New law on veterinary medicines controls.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is consulting formally on proposed legislation controlling veterinary medicines. The proposal outlines four categories of veterinary medicines: * POM-V: These medicines may be supplied only by a vet or...

OTC: Patch is a pain for Nurofen.(Pharmaceutical industry)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... As Crookes Healthcare was withdrawing its recently launched Nurofen Back Pain Heat Patches, two other manufacturers with heat patches on the UK market were quick to stress the safety and effectiveness of their products. Crookes recalled...

OTC: `Days, weeks and months'.(Calendar)
February 5, 2005... FEBRUARY * February 1-28: Raynaud's and Scleroderma Awareness Month - and annual awareness-raising campaign www.raynauds.demon.co.uk * February 6-12: Eating Disorders Week - the week consists of open-door days at hospitals and...

OTC: Bio is eco-friendly!(Bio-Health Ltd )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Health supplement company Bio-Health Ltd won two awards within three weeks for its commitment to protecting the environment. It won the small business category of the South East England Development Agency Sustainable Business Awards for...

OTC: Dinner with Dawn?
February 5, 2005... Nearly a third of us would like to have dinner with Dawn French, according to a poll carried out on behalf of heartburn and indigestion treatment Bisodol. Least popular celebrity dinner date was Vanessa Feltz. Bisodol also reveals that...

OTC: RNIB approval for ICaps website.(Pharmaceutical industry)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... ICaps new look website - www.icapsinfo.co.uk - has been awarded the RNIB See it Right Accessibility logo. The site for ICaps - the dietary supplement for healthy eyes from Alcon Laboratories - has been revamped with improved and updated...

OTC: Multibionta puts something back.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Seven Seas is on TV with the second part of its #3.5 million campaign for the best selling multivitamin Multibionta. The commercial runs until March on Channel 4 including E4, and on key Satellite stations and MTV music channels, targeting...

OTC: Snore Relief puts problems to bed.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Arkopharma has developed Snore Relief to combat snoring. Most snoring is caused by vibrations of the uvula and soft tissues in the throat as the muscles slacken and narrow the air passage during sleep. Snore Relief, with natural plant oils...

OTC: Pharmaton fizzes.(orange drink )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... New from Pharmaton Natural Health, Activit G is a natural, refreshing and rehydrating orange drink in fizzy-tab form. Each fizzy-tab contains vitamins, minerals and Ginseng G115. The formulation in Activit G is scientifically proven to help...

OTC: Hermesetas campaign.(drug advertising)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Hermesetas continues its #1.14 million TV campaign this month featuring ads for Hermesetas Granulated and Tablets on satellite and terrestrial channels. Jenks Sales Brokers, Tel: 01844 293600 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

OTC: Safety first with Cura-Heat.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Kobayashi Healthcare Europe is continuing to support its Cura-Heat air- activated heat pack through 2005, with a #1.8 million investment in TV advertising. When the pack is opened and the ingredients come into contact with the air, they...

OTC: Foaming fun for bathtime.(Foaming Bath Milk )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Crookes Healthcare is launching a Junior Foaming Bath Milk variant in the E45 range. The new variant is also presented in funky formats and packaging designed to appeal to a child's imagination. Free from perfume, colour and soap, E45...

OTC: Passion for TV.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... Passion for Life Healthcare is back on TV with its Audiclean product. The company says the first three TV campaigns had a real impact on sales of Audiclean, which cleans ears, disperses ear wax plugs and, with regular use, prevents build up....

OTC: For teeth and tongues.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2005... The Aquafresh Tooth & Tongue toothbrush continues its #1 million national TV campaign into this month, with an ad highlighting the fact that the tongue is a major source of bacteria. GSK says the Aquafresh Tooth & Tongue brush is the first...