Chemist & Druggist articles from January 2004

Chemist & Druggist archives from January 2004

Update news.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Signing up for Pharmacy Update in 2004 will provide you with over 30 hours of continuing education... and if you are a new registrant it could cost you nothing. Genus Pharmaceuticals, the company that sponsors the Update MCQ paper each...

Drug companies deny price fixing.
January 3, 2004... Generic antibiotic manufacturers have refuted allegations of anti- competitive practices made by the NHS, which has taken legal action to recoup #30 million. The NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management has accused seven generic drug...

Call for OTC label clarity.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Labelling on OTC medicines should specify by age which patients the drugs are intended for, a pharmacy body has warned. The RPSGB says terms such as `adult strength' can be misleading to the public when the product is actually suitable for...

Clinical response centre opened.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Health minister John Hutton last month opened a #3 million clinical response centre in Birmingham for Primecare, a company that provides out-of-hours service to primary care organisations. The centre will handle calls and clinical triage for...

Cannabis reclassified.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Cannabis will be reclassified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 this month. Statutory Instrument 2003 No 3201, which comes into force on January 29, states that cannabinol and its derivatives and cannabis and cannabis resin...

January DT delayed.(Professional Pharmacy Alliance)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The PPA has warned of a delay in the publication of the January edition of the Drug Tariff due to a press breakdown. Although contractors should receive it by the middle of next week, the preface to that edition is available via the PPA's...

Scots change script forms.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Scottish prescriptions dated after December 31, 2003 must be written on new style prescriptions, as the previous forms are no longer valid, the SPGC has warned. Pharmacists who continue to receive old style forms should inform the PSD,...

NHS saves #60m via PIs.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The use of parallel imported drugs saves the NHS in England about #60 million per year in the community sector, health minister Rosie Winterton has said. But the NHS does not reap the full benefit of price differentials associated with PIs...

Mental health costs triple.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The amount of money spent by Scotland on drugs for treating mental health has tripled in the past five years, health minister Malcolm Chisholm has confirmed. Spending for atypical antipsychotics rose from #5 million in 1999 to #16.9m in...

Last year's record broken.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... AAH Pharmaceuticals broke last year's record with its collection of nearly 10,000 British National Formularies as part of the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association's PharmAid week. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Repeat prescriptions at centre of minister's reform.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Health minister John Reid has said that changes to the way repeat prescriptions are issued will be at the centre of his reforms to the NHS to give patients more choice. Greater flexibility in the primary sector, including pharmacy...

NPA publishes health priorities guide.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The NPA has published a guide to help community pharmacists reach Scottish health targets. The Quick Reference Guide to the NHS in Scotland Priorities and Targets 2004-2005 includes the evidence base to support service development talks...

PCTs wary of relaxing entry controls.
January 3, 2004... Relaxing pharmacy entry controls could destabilise existing services and hinder PCTs' ability to develop pharmacy services, the NHS Confederation has warned. The NHS needed community pharmacy to deliver services so that the goals in the...

PDA says ethics code unfair.(Pharmacists' Defence Association)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Pharmacists' professional code of ethics is prejudiced against locums and employees, an employee representative body has warned. The code's use of the phrase "locums and employees are expected to comply with any security procedures imposed...

Atkins products for Boots.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Boots will be stocking products aimed at people following the Atkins diet from next week. The low-carbohydrate, high protein products in the Atkins Nutritional range will include snack bars, breakfast bars, ready to drink shakes and...

EU sets data rules.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The European Parliament has agreed new data protection rules for human and veterinary medicines in a bid to encourage research and development. Drug data will now be protected for eight years, with 10 years marketing protection, extendable to...

Scots endorsements.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Following reports of shortages, the Scottish Executive Health Department has agreed that PSD will accept endorsements during December for: doxazosin tablets 1mg, 2mg and 4mg. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Free herbal training.(Kiwiherb)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Herbal manufacturer Kiwiherb has launched a free training course on herbal remedies for pharmacists. The three-month correspondence course gives an overview of common ailments and treatments. For more information: Tel: 020 8961 4410 ...

Drug security in NHS safety drive.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The security of drugs and prescriptions will be covered as part of a DoH strategy to make the NHS a safer place to work in. Launched last week by health minister John Reid, the strategy will aim to address the rising number of violent attacks...

NE London LPC regrets PSNC action.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)
January 3, 2004... A London LPC in dispute with PSNC over its levy payments is concerned that the matter has been made public. North East London LPC, which has withheld its levy payments to PSNC since 2002, said it was disappointed PSNC had written to the...

Academy for Technicians.(Buttercups Training Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Buttercups Training Ltd has launched an Academy for Technicians. It is designed for pharmacy support staff - both technicians and medicine counter assistants - who plan to further their professional development. Training will be available via...

NPA sales catalogue online.(National Pharmaceutical Association)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The National Pharmaceutical Association has added Webshop to its NPAnet members-only intranet, giving users access to the NPA sales catalogue and online ordering. Members can browse through all the categories of the online catalogue. Once...

Kent challenge to SFO raid.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Kent Pharmaceuticals has won a High Court ruling stating that it received insufficient notice that documents seized in a Serious Fraud Office raid would be released to the Department of Health. The judicial review on December 17, 2003,...

AAH good deed.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... AAH Pharmaceuticals has forgone the traditional Christmas card for a good deed this festive season. Instead of spending #5,000 on Christmas cards, the wholesaler donated the money to the ICARE charity at Coventry's Walsgrave Hospital to put...

PLATINUM DESIGN AWARDS: One month to go.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... There's only a month to go for you to get your entry in for the Platinum Pharmacy Design Awards. If you have refitted your pharmacy - as a multiple or independent - since January 2002 and are proud of the result, you can enter. It costs...

Elan sales and marketing to be sold for $120m.(Medeus UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Dublin-based drug manaufacturer Elan Corporation is to sell its European sales and marketing business to Medeus UK Ltd for $120 million (approx #70m). It anticipates that it will also be "selling certain rights to two products in the UK and...

OPEN SHOP: The shape of things to come.
January 3, 2004... Barry Andrews, chairman of Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, has high hopes for the year ahead 2004 is the year in which community pharmacy contractors will decide the shape of their future. The opportunities to develop a...

Comment from the Editor.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 3, 2004... Twelve months ago, this column predicted a potentially gloomy year ahead - Britain was facing war and the economy was showing signs of a decline. For pharmacy the OFT had yet to announce its recommendations, progress on the new contract had...

PAGB perspective: Time to focus on training.(Proprietary Association of Great Britain)
January 3, 2004... Training will be important in POM to P switches, says Sheila Kelly, director of the PAGB As if 2003 hadn't been busy enough, in mid December the Government issued the results of its consultation on choice and confirmed its commitment to...

PSNI should move to Lambeth.(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
January 3, 2004... PSNI's informative, well written newsletter in December identified clearly what Council is doing and more importantly what I need to know about my professional responsibilities. Dr McClelland attacked my view that PSNI should link with the...

Supply and supervision debate looms large.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 3, 2004... I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas and New Year and are now recharged ready for the year ahead. Welcome to 2004, potentially the most momentous for community pharmacy in recent memory. If the Government acts on its own...

Let's have more realism in consumer advertising.
January 3, 2004... Some words and methods used by advertisers should be banned. Now I know I have said it before but nothing changes. Over the holiday I was bombarded with television advertisements trumpeting the power of new Gavilast as if the drug had never...

INSIGHT: Germans get smart.
January 3, 2004... Richard King reports on some recent pharmacy systems developments highlighted at the autumn Expopharm in Cologne, Germany The German government announced in August in its annual health review a reduction in reimbursement margin to...

PHARMACY UPDATE: The obesity epidemic.
January 3, 2004... Many of your customers will start the new year resolving to lose weight. Joanna Lumb, FRPharmS, looks at solutions to a major health problem Objectives * To be aware of the health risks of obesity * To know how obesity is assessed...

Evra under fire from DTB.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The medicines regulatory agency has defended a pharmaceutical company against allegations by the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB). A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the agency disagreed...

Two drugs better than one for BPH.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Dual therapy is more effective for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia than single drug therapy, according to researchers in the USA. The combination of finasteride (Proscar) and doxazosin (Cardura) was shown to be particularly effective...

Zithromax discontinued.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Pfizer has announced Zithromax (azithromycin) tablets 500mg x 3 will be discontinued from January 14 for commercial reasons. All other Zithromax formulations will be unaffected. For more information: Pfizer Tel: 01304 645100. ...

ZD list A additions.(www.psnc.org.uk)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The Department of Health has announced that the following products will be added to the ZD list A in the February 2004 Drug Tariff: Sustiva (efavirenz) 600mg tablets, vancomycin 125mg capsules, vancomycin 250mg capsules. For more...

Aspirin and PPI cancer treatment.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Aspirin and an anti-ulcer drug together could help prevent some cancers of the oesophagus. Cancer Research UK is carrying out trials to discover whether a combination of aspirin and proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole (Nexium) can prevent...

Statins reduce arthritis symptoms.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Researchers in Scotland have found that statins have anti-inflammatory properties useful for treating arthritis. Atorvastatin was used in 116 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis to investigate whether it was beneficial for reducing...

Impulse turns to Goddess for inspiration.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Lever Faberge is introducing a new variant into the Impulse range in a move to attract new users into the body spray category for 2004. Impulse Goddess is a fresh, uplifting fragrance created to improve self- confidence, making users feel...

Kalms helps juggle life naturally.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... GR Lane Health Products is investing #1.7 million in a national TV campaign for Kalms. The new commercial focuses on the issue of having to juggle all of the elements in your life. Lanes says research showed the juggling theme was felt...

Devilish campaign for Nicotinell.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... The Nicotinell devil returns to TV throughout January as part of a campaign to target smokers at a time of year when many traditionally make the commitment to quit. Two commercials highlight the recently launched Liquorice Coated Gum and...

A Touch of Lynx for men.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Lever Faberge aims to drive growth in the #390 million male toiletries market this year with the launch of a new Lynx fragrance. Lynx Touch is a light, sensual men's fragrance developed by top perfume creator Ann Gottlieb. The concept is...

Macleans has something to smile about.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is ringing in the new year with a #1.3 million TV campaign for Macleans. On air in two bursts in January and February, the commercial focuses on Macleans Pristine Ice Whitening toothpaste. The brand...

Lemsip campaign on the right track.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Reckitt Benckiser is supporting Lemsip Max Direct with a #2.6 million advertising campaign this winter. On air throughout January is a TV commercial featuring a man with cold/'flu travelling on a train. It is designed to highlight the...

Bassett's bounces into the new year.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Bassett's Soft & Chewy Vitamins have bounced back onto TV screens in an advertising campaign running on GMTV and satellite channels until February. The animated trampolining commercial is designed to show that the range is a suitable way...

Zovirax is for men too.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Zovirax Cold Sore Cream appears on television for the next six weeks in the `Frankenstein' advert, which demonstrates "there's no need to hide away when suffering from cold sores". The #2.2 million television campaign features a man hiding...

Names needed for Schering award.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Do you know a pharmacist who has made an outstanding contribution to pharmacy practice? If so, why not put them forward for the 2003 Schering Award? Nominations should be made in writing to Ian Simpson, The College of Pharmacy Practice, 28...

Eat, drink and be merry.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Those disciplined enough to have not eaten and drunk all the chocolate and red wine they received at Christmas can be reassured that it is safe to do so as new evidence shows their health benefits. Scientists have discovered that red wine...

Fun run.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Lorna Wilcox, Pat Stephens, Wendy McLean and Suren Solanki donned "sperm suits" to take part in a 2.5km fun run at Cambridge Science Park. Creating much amusement as they ran round the perimeter of the park, the efforts of the four staff from...

Gillette raises #45k for Everyman.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... A moustache growing competition was one of the more unconventional events used by Gillette UK recently to raise nearly #45,000 for the Everyman charity. This and other fund-raisers, including a five-a-side football tournament, raised over...

Durex poster competition.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2004... Schools are being offered the chance to win #1,000 worth of computer equipment by designing next year's official National Condom Week poster for Durex. The campaign will run from May 10-16 and will be backed by MP Lembit Opik and So Solid...

Battered pharmacist is told he broke law.
January 10, 2004... An Essex pharmacist knocked unconscious during a robbery has been accused of breaking data protection rules for identifying his attacker from patient medication records. Brian Conn, manager at the Barry Shooter pharmacy in Chadwell Heath...

Update news.(Pharmacy Update)
January 10, 2004... Signing up for Pharmacy Update in 2004 will provide you with over 30 hours of continuing education... and if you are a new registrant it could cost you nothing. Genus Pharmaceuticals, the company that sponsors the Update MCQ paper each...

Drug theft prompts security update.
January 10, 2004... Pharmacies in Jersey are now legally bound to have monitored burglar alarms and install them at their own expense. In addition, all Controlled Drugs must be stored in safes, while benzodiazepines and dihydrocodeine medicines are to be kept...

Sheffield PCTs pay drug costs.(Sheffield Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
January 10, 2004... Sheffield PCTs have agreed to compensate pharmacists for any loss incurred as a result of a prescribing initiative. Last month the four PCTs in Sheffield agreed to stop prescribing methotrexate 10mg tablets following a `near-miss' incident....

Optipen warning.(Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
January 10, 2004... The MHRA has issued a warning following reports of patients having difficulty in using Aventis's Optipen Pro insulin pen injection system. The company has received over 1,000 technical complaints, which in some cases have resulted in...

More walking in.(United Kingdom. National Health Service)
January 10, 2004... Health minister John Hutton has announced 11 more NHS Walk-In Centres will be opened in England, over the next two years. The centres will open in Barking and Dagenham, Brighton, Darlington, Colchester, Gateshead, Huntingdon, Lewisham,...

Official opening on January 16.(Medway School of Pharmacy )
January 10, 2004... Health minister Rosie Winterton visited the Medway School of Pharmacy this week, prior to its official opening on January 16. The school, a joint project between Greenwich and Kent Universities, is based at the Chatham Maritime campus. Pictured...

MHRA consults on unlicensed drugs use by supplementary prescribers.(Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)
January 10, 2004... Pharmacists could be allowed to prescribe unlicensed medicines under the latest government proposals for supplementary prescribing. In addition to unlicensed medicines manufactured in the UK (known as `specials'), the Medicines and...

Sheffield quit service funds pharmacy scheme.
January 10, 2004... Sheffield pharmacists are being funded to run a smoking cessation scheme led by pharmacy support staff. Twenty one pharmacies have enrolled in the scheme that began on January 1 and is being funded by the Sheffield Stop Smoking Service. ...

Liverpool LPC tackles fraud.
January 10, 2004... Liverpool LPC has drawn up a checklist to help pharmacists tackle prescription fraud. The `schedule of doubt' outlines factors that may indicate that a prescription is a forgery and describes typical signs of attempted prescription fraud....

GPs warned `not to get territorial with pharmacists'.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2004... Doctors should "not get territorial" over pharmacist-led medication review schemes, a GP has warned. Pharmacists added value to repeat prescribing schemes and cut GPs' workloads, West Northumberland PCT's clinical governance lead Bill...

Side effects lead to non-compliance.
January 10, 2004... Side effects are the main reason cited by patients for choosing not to take a medicine, American researchers claim. One fifth of patients say that side effects were the main reason for non-compliance. The remaining patients claimed their...

OTC author.(Over The Counter)
January 10, 2004... Dr Shirley Bond is medical advisor to the Natural Menopause Advice Service and not the Women's Nutritional Advisory Service as stated in the November 22 issue of Over The Counter. The Women's Nutritional Advisory Service was founded by Maryon...

Doctors concerned over costs of supervised methadone.
January 10, 2004... Dundee GPs have expressed concern at the costs involved in a health authority plan to switch drug addicts to daily-supervised methadone consumption. Dundee Local Healthcare Co-operative chairman and GP Dr Charles Carney has reportedly said...

RPSGB rolls out new-look staff structure.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain)
January 10, 2004... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced further details of how its staff structure will look as part of its plans to have seven staff directorates. The directorates of Education and Registration; Fitness to Practice and Legal...

First 'Fit for the Future'.
January 10, 2004... Kay Lodge accepts the National Co-operative Chemists' first "Fit for the Future" award from chief operating officer for the specialist retail division Yvonne Rankin. The pharmacist manager won the award for organising a diabetes awareness day...

Failure to stick to drug protocol put patients at risk.
January 10, 2004... Two pharmacists gave schizophrenic patients a drug with potentially fatal side effects without checking it was safe to do so, the Statutory Committee heard. Lambeth Hospital Pharmacy's principal pharmacist Neil Graham Spencer, together...

Bayer wins European court battle over Adalat.
January 10, 2004... The European Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Bayer in a parallel imports dispute over its cardiovascular drug Adalat and annulled an earlier fine. In October 2000 the Court of First Instance annulled the European Commission's 1996...

Neolab to distribute Apotex paroxetine in UK.
January 10, 2004... Neolab is distributing Apotex's generic paroxetine in the UK following a High Court judgement in December that the product did not infringe GlaxoSmithKline's patent. GSK markets its product under the brand name Paxil in the USA and as...

SkyePharma cuts jobs as revenues fall.
January 10, 2004... SkyePharma is to cut 10 per cent of its workforce in research and development after issuing a profit warning for 2003. In a statement, the company blames this on delays in concluding a number of key deals in 2003. It says this will lead to...

Health access on NHS TV.(United Kingdom. National Health Service)
January 10, 2004... The NHS has awarded the contract to provide its new digital TV service from this summer to MMTV Limited. NHS Direct Digital TV will enable users to access health information from home, with #15 million invested in developing and running...

One Care Record Service contract remains.(United Kingdom. National Health Service)
January 10, 2004... Two of the final three contracts to deliver the NHS Care Records Service in England have now been finalised. CSC has been awarded the #973 million contract for the North West and West Midlands region and Accenture has won the Eastern region...

GSK loses Augmentin dispute.
January 10, 2004... The US Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Ranbaxy, and upheld rulings that invalidated GSK's US patents for its antibiotic Augmentin. GSK says it continues to be committed to its newer...

How well managed are you?(Brief Article)
January 10, 2004... UK businesses can prove they are well managed by entering a new business award from The Institute of Directors and Cranfield School of Management. All entrants will receive a benchmarking report comparing them with others in their sector....

Subsidiary for Paradigm opens.(Dr. Ian Gray hired)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2004... UK drug discovery company Paradigm Therapeutics has set up a wholly owned Singapore subsidiary based in the Biopolis, a new facility for biomedical R&D in Asia. Dr Ian Gray has been appointed head of research of Paradigm Therapeutics...

Barr gains rights.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2004... Barr Laboratories is to acquire the exclusive rights in the USA and Canada for Loestrin and Loestrin FE oral contraceptive products from Galen Holdings. The deal includes a settlement of pending litigation between Barr and Galen regarding...

GSK may owe $6bn.(GlaxoSmithKline AB)
January 10, 2004... GlaxoSmithKline has received a claim from the US government for $2.7 billion (#1.5 billion) in additional taxes from 1989-96. Interest, which GSK estimates to be $2.5 billion, would also be payable, bringing the total owed to about $6.2...

Tesco challenges Boots with price cuts.
January 10, 2004... Tesco has mounted a challenge to the high street with price cuts worth #70 million, mainly on its babycare and health and beauty lines. Prices will fall by an average of eight per cent on over 600 products. Tesco director Tim Mason...

Ceuta takes over.(Ceuta Healthcare)(Lever Faberge)
January 10, 2004... Ceuta has taken over the management of some of the Lever Faberge brands. Its pharmacy teams will now be representing Ponds, Mentadent, Signal, Shield and Brut. Support plans for the sector will be unveiled later in the year Copyright: CMP...

Shire moves to block rival.(Shire Laboratories)(Impax Laboratories Inc.)
January 10, 2004... Shire Pharmaceuticals Group subsidiary Shire Laboratories has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the USA against Impax Laboratories to block a rival hyperactivity drug launch. The lawsuit results from an Abbreviated New Drug Application...

ABPI welcomes NHS expenditure growth.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2004... The ABPI has hailed figures from the Office of National Statistics showing a five year growth in NHS expenditure as making a major contribution to the health of the nation. The figures show spending on public healthcare in the UK has risen...