Chemist & Druggist articles from March 2008

Chemist & Druggist archives from March 2008

Comment from the Editor.(introduction of 100-hour pharmacies)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... Despite pharmacy's reticence, the idea behind 100-hour pharmacies was a laudable one: better access to medicines and healthcare advice. However, it's fair to say that their introduction has been anything but successful. With no real...

100-hour row hits Westminster.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... MP demands explanation for `totally wrong' exemption that threatens small pharmacies Zoe Smeaton Concerns about 100-hour pharmacies went all the way to Parliament this week, backed by an MP who told C+D the exemption rules were...

Exemption fuels Asda growth bid.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Asda plans to open 53 more pharmacies this year, the majority under 100- hour contracts. John Evans, superintendent pharmacist at Asda, told C+D this will bring the total number of Asda pharmacies to 100. Mr Evans said: "Our plan is to...

Fresh crystal meth conviction.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Pharmacists received another stark reminder to scrutinise sales of flu remedies this week as a man was sentenced for manufacturing crystal meth in Derbyshire. The police said no pharmacy-bought pseudoephedrine or ephedrine was involved in...

Sainsbury's is first with in-store GP.(supermarket to offer an in-store GP surgery.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A Sainsbury's store in North West England has become the first supermarket to offer an in-store GP surgery. The service will run from the consultation area of a 100-hour Sainsbury's pharmacy at the branch in Heaton Park, near Manchester....

IN BRIEF: Enhanced service rates.
March 1, 2008... A 4 per cent rise in indicative rates for national enhanced services in Wales has been agreed. The rates, for 2007-08, become operative from March 1, and contractors who have been offering services since April 1, 2007, should receive back...

IN BRIEF: Celebrating Simon.
March 1, 2008... A celebration of Simon Colebeck's life will be held on April 18 at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester. The event will include some "typical Simon memories" from colleagues and friends of the former Numark managing director, who died of...

IN BRIEF: Nice guides available.
March 1, 2008... Nice issued clinical guidelines on smoking cessation services, and the management of irritable bowel syndrome, osteoarthritis and prostate cancer this week. For more information, go to www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/clinical Copyright: CMP...

IN BRIEF: Depression study.(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Depressed patients do not benefit significantly from taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, authors of a meta-analysis have claimed. For the full story go to www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Alphega appointment.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Alphega, the UniChem virtual chain launched in the UK last November, has appointed a business manager to liaise with interested independent contractors. The brand's UK website has also been unveiled. www.alphega-pharmacy.co.uk ...

Industry fights red tape threat.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Pharmacists face extra admin over proposals on safeguarding vulnerable groups Zoe Smeaton Industry bodies have united against government proposals to subject pharmacists to yet more regulation. A consultation on safeguarding...

Links are poor, Lord Darzi told.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... There are insufficient local links between the ongoing review of the NHS and the profession, pharmacists have told Lord Darzi. At a pharmacy engagement event for his NHS Next Stage Review, Lord Darzi encouraged delegates to contact the...

Gale goes down a storm.
March 1, 2008... MP Roger Gale caught up with his local pharmacist Keith Howell in the second Building Bridges visit last week. The Conservative MP took to the scales for an obesity test during the visit to the Delmergate Pharmacy at Beltinge, Kent. Mr...

Tory MP: use pharmacy to solve dental crisis.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Hygiene clinics would address problem of patients with no access to dental care Colin Brown/Jennifer Richardson The Conservatives are proposing to allow community pharmacies to run clinics for dental hygienists. Tory health...

Dispensary Talk: 01.03.08.
March 1, 2008... Would you join a pharmacy trade union covering employees and contractors? "I would be more likely if it would cover both employees and contractors but it would have to demonstrate it was of benefit." Mark Collins, Cornwell's Chemist,...

Avicenna profits top #1million as CEO lauds member loyalty.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Avicenna has attributed record profits approaching #1.2 million to member support. In its 2007 chairman's report, the buying group revealed a 15th successive year of growth, with net profit increasing 23 per cent to more than #1m for the...

IN BRIEF: Asbestos video warning.(Health and Safety Executive launched video recording)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The government's Health and Safety Executive has launched a web video warning tradesmen about the dangers of asbestos. The release marked Action Mesothelioma Day on Wednesday, February 27, as part of HSE's Hidden Killer campaign. ...

IN BRIEF: Chronic pain control.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Three-quarters of patients who completed a pharmacy and physiotherapy- led chronic pain management programme adjusted their medication to provide better pain control, an evaluation has shown. Two additional pharmacists are currently being...

IN BRIEF: NAWP seeks mentors.(The National Association of Women Pharmacists)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The National Association of Women Pharmacists is seeking voluntary mentors to offer friendly support to people likely to be moving or returning to community pharmacy. For more information contact Christine Heading at enquiries@nawp.org.uk ...

IN BRIEF: Diabetes undetected.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Tens of thousands of people with diabetes could be going undiagnosed, according to research published in the British Journal of General Practice. A survey of blood glucose measurements in the records of 3.6 million patients found 3,758...

RPSGB pays for legal defeat.(Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Partial costs awarded in `significant case' Rob Finch/UKL A landmark ruling will force the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to pay up to #20,000 legal costs to two brothers who had misconduct cases against them dismissed. Judge Mota...

Pub swaps drinks for dispensing.(Burrows and Close Pharmacy,)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A pharmacy in Radford, Nottingham, is planning to expand the business by moving into a local pub. Alan Close, managing director of Burrows and Close Pharmacy, said the Wheatsheaf Inn offered a prime spot near the local GP surgery. He...

Assura wins appeal case against contract application.(Assura Pharmacy)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Assura Pharmacy has won a High Court appeal against the NHS's rejection of a contract application. Two other appeals were dismissed. The case was hailed an "important decision" on choice of pharmaceutical services in contract...

Building blocks.
March 1, 2008... Once you've set a date with your local MP - then what? Jennifer Richardson has 10 steps to a successful Building Bridges visit 1. Plan ahead Decide what you are going to talk to your politician about in advance - and remember that less...

Letter: Why are we being mandated to perform checks for free?(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I would like to raise awareness of yet another example of how pharmacists are being undervalued. From April 1, I will be expected, as a matter of course, to play a role in improving the safety of anticoagulant prescribing. This is a...

Letter: PSNC can use your experiences to negotiate with the DH.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Alastair Buxton, head of NHS Services, PSNC, replies: Compliance with the recent NPSA guidance on anticoagulant therapy will hopefully improve the safety of this type of therapy; clearly it is important that community pharmacy engages with...

Xrayser: Not the smartest card in the pack.
March 1, 2008... A screen alert warning me when my smartcard is about to expire (C+D February 23, p6) is a clever bit of technology that will no doubt come in useful if EPS ever truly gets off the ground. My smartcard is bound to expire just as release two...

Irish eye: Terry Maguire - Hocus-pocus?(Viewpoint essay)
March 1, 2008... Always one for writing letters of complaint, I spent some time in therapy and now find I can keep my fingers off the keyboard even when the most irritating of issues bite. Yet recently I fell off the wagon, overpowered as I was by a compulsion...

Pharmacist prescribing: `time is right' for ideas.(Conference notes)
March 1, 2008... Fiona Salvage reports on the highlights from a National Prescribing Centre conference for non-medical prescribers Around 200 non-medical prescribers (NMPs) heard that the "time is right for bringing [their] ideas forward", at a conference...

Pharmacy Update: A burning issue.
March 1, 2008... This article considers the causes, symptoms and OTC management of indigestion Key points * 40 per cent of the UK population suffers from indigestion at some point, with 10 per cent thought to suffer on a weekly basis. * Antacids...

Clinical Alerts: SPC Changes.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Losec range (omeprazole) Warnings on use with vitamin K antagonists and voriconazole, and dermatitis added to undesirable effects section. Acezide tablets (captopril, hydrochlorothiazide) Alpha-blockers and carbamazepine added to...

Doubt thrown on SSRI link to suicide rates.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... SSRI prescribing and suicide rates in adolescents do not appear to be linked, according to two papers published online by the BMJ. The first of the papers analysed the suicide rate since the UK prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake...

Clinical Alerts: SPC Changes.(Fludara tablets, Deltacortril, Vfend range, Sebivo tablets)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Fludara tablets (fludarabine phosphate) Statement added that drug is not recommended for use in children. Deltacortril enteric-coated tablets (prednisolone) Potentially severe psychiatric adverse reactions added to side effects and warnings...

Clinical Alerts: New Products.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Xeomin injection (clostridium botulinum toxin type A) Indicated for the symptomatic management of blepherospasm and spasmodic torticollis in adults. Merz Pharma, tel: 0845 009 2440. Tazocin injection (piperacillin, tazobactam) Reformulated...

Clinical News: Anxiety over CV risk calculator.(QRISK calculator for calculating cardiovascular risk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A lipid specialist has expressed concerns shared by many of his colleagues about the haste with which Nice is adopting a new tool for calculating cardiovascular risk. Nice is advocating the new QRISK calculator in place of the established...

Clinical News: Combined therapy effective in Crohn's.(The Lancet)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease benefit more from combined immunosuppressants than from conventional corticosteroid treatment, a trial published by The Lancet has concluded. Treatment protocols may have to be changed if the...

Clinical News: CKS updated.(Clinical Knowledge Summaries)
March 1, 2008... The DH's Clinical Knowledge Summaries now include management summaries covering iron deficiency, childhood immunisations, venous leg ulcers, opioid dependence and constipation in palliative care. http://cks.library.nhs.uk Copyright:...

Clinical News: Avian flu vaccine gets go-ahead.(European Medicines Agency)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The first pre-pandemic vaccine available for avian flu has been given the green light by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Prepandrix is a vaccine prepared from influenza viruses that have the potential to cause a pandemic. The GSK...

Clinical News: One child in three is overweight.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... One child in three in school year six is now officially overweight or obese, according to the latest government survey figures. The results of the National Child Measurement Programme, covering 80 per cent of children in reception and year...

Awards: Winner takes all.
March 1, 2008... Winning an award is your ticket to transforming business for the better. Max Gosney reports The glitzy award ceremony - a night of red carpets, Dom Perignon and tearful acceptance speeches. What was once the reserve of Hollywood stars and...

Product News: Sanex range matures.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dermo re-vital is a new range from the Sanex skincare brand. It is designed to provide more mature skin with the care it needs to stay healthy, says manufacturer Sara Lee. Positioned for the 35+ market, the range includes bath, shower and...

Product News: Bonjela's quick fix.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Bonjela Once has been launched by Reckitt Benckiser. As its name suggests, one application stops the pain of mouth ulcers, says RB. The product is derived from hybenx technology and contains a combination of ingredients to find and remove...

Product News: New name, more energy.(Abbott Nutrition)
March 1, 2008... Ensure Plus Juce is the new name for Enlive Plus from Abbott Nutrition. The move aims to simplify prescribing, bringing all products within the Ensure Plus family, says the company. The product is said to contain more energy and protein...

Product News: Cetraben goes large.(Genus Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A 1,050g pack size of Cetraben is newly available from Genus Pharmaceuticals. The GSL product with a pump dispenser becomes available on the NHS from March 3. Price: #11.11; Pip code: 327-0550 Genus Pharmaceuticals Tel: 01635 568400...

Product News: Hold on to your hair.(Schwarzkopf and Henkel)( )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Haircare brand Schwarzkopf is entering the hair loss sector with its latest launch: the Activ hair retention care system. Comprising a shampoo and tonic designed to encourage hair growth and reduce normal hair loss, there are gender-specific...

Product News: Tins to the Rescue.
March 1, 2008... Rescue Remedy pastilles have been added to the stress-fighting flower essence range from Nelsons. Flavoured with elderflower and orange, the pastilles are free from alcohol or sugar and suitable for all the family. They are presented...

Product News: Abbott's gotta lotta bottle.
March 1, 2008... Ensure Plus products are moving over to a bottle format. Replacing the existing Tetrapak, the bottle is designed to be easier to use and was created following market research among patients and healthcare professionals. It features a large...

Product News: Cooling reminder.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Refrigeration specialist Labcold is reminding pharmacists their fridges must comply with the new Department of Health Green Book requirements on vaccine refrigeration and RPSGB guidelines. New to the Labcold range of pharmacy refrigerators...

Comment from the Editor.(Editorial)
March 8, 2008... If a pharmacist launched a new service that led to hundreds of dispensing errors, they'd be struck off before you could say Jack Robinson. Yet, new technology at the Prescription Pricing Division is leading to numerous errors in prescription...

PSNC approach too `soft' on costly prescription switch errors.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... The contract negotiator should insist on automatic safeguards, say contractors Jennifer Richardson Contractors have been left out of pocket because the NHS has wrongly switched prescriptions from exempt to paid status, PSNC has said....

MP visits set for double figures.(members of parliament)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Ten MPs have now said yes to visiting their local pharmacy as part of the C+D Building Bridges campaign. Tory MPs Stephen Hammond and Simon Burns will carry out the third and fourth visits this week. Six MP colleagues have agreed to...

MPs push for preventative role.(members of parliament)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... MPs have pledged to make pharmacy roles in preventative healthcare into national enhanced services. At a meeting of the all-party pharmacy group (APPG) on Tuesday, MPs, commissioners and pharmacists heard about a successful anti-coagulant...

IN BRIEF: PPRS end date set.(Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... The DH has set a date for the termination of the current pricing deal for branded prescription medicines. Pharmaceutical companies in the UK have been told the PPRS will cease on September 1, more than two years ahead of schedule. ...

IN BRIEF: Nucare changes.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Nucare has moved offices and is seeking a pharmacy development manager. John D'Arcy, Rowlands commercial director, has also confirmed the 35 Nucare-branded pharmacies are now trading under the Rowlands brand. Nucare CEO Mahesh Shah said the...

IN BRIEF: Lib Dem lobbying.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Ross Finnie highlighted pharmacy's role in managing long-term conditions at the party's conference last weekend. RPSGB and Community Pharmacy Scotland joined forces to attend, and lobbied MPs and...

IN BRIEF: Goldshield settles.(Goldshield Pharmaceuticals Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Goldshield Pharmaceuticals and Forley Generics have reached a #750,000 settlement with the Scottish government over alleged anti-competitive cartel conduct in the supply of drugs to the NHS. Goldshield has also agreed a #250,000 settlement with...

Put on spot by patient prescription dilemma.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Patients unable to afford multiple items asking pharmacists to choose for them Jennifer Richardson Patients are asking their pharmacists to choose between their prescribed medicines, because they cannot afford to pay for more than one...

Keep up with EPS releases.(European physical society)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Pharmacists burying their heads in the sand about EPS have been warned that once release two roll-out begins, there may be little chance to catch up. Speaking exclusively to C+D, Tim Donohoe, group programme director of Connecting for...

IN BRIEF: IT issues may slow workflow.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... There has been little reassurance this week for pharmacists concerned about workflow issues under EPS. Pharmacists with a single screen are worried about how checking and dispensing will work alongside each other without paper prescriptions....

PSNC `must review' category M.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Independent Pharmacy Federation urges realistic level of prices Zoe Smeaton Pharmacy industry leaders have called for an urgent review of category M prices to help independent contractors being "crippled" by the clawback. The...

Dispensary Talk: 08.03.08.(Brief article)(Column)
March 8, 2008... Would you want a dental clinic in your pharmacy? "Yes - very much so. I don't know if it's the same in the rest of the country as it is up here as its horrendous to get NHS dentists up here. There's certainly a demand for it." Stuart...

Get set for push on herbals.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Pharmacists are likely to face consumer questions about herbal medicines and targeted advertising campaigns from manufacturers in coming years. By 2011, all herbal medicines will need to be registered under the MHRA's Traditional Herbal...

Rowlands champions cancer-fighting role.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Pharmacists in the north of England could play a greater role in cancer detection, thanks to a community-led initiative. Community representatives from some of the most deprived wards in England heard from Rowlands' NHS liaison manager Liz...

IN BRIEF: Decongestant reminder.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Pharmacists have been reminded that products containing more than 720mg pseudoephedrine or 180mg ephedrine will be prescription-only from April. The MHRA's latest drug safety update said the drugs would still be reclassified in 2009 unless...

IN BRIEF: Training worries.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Concerns about how pharmacy will fare if student funding is reduced for those not taking it as a first degree have been raised in Parliament. The government said the rules would not decrease student numbers and the situation will be reviewed...

IN BRIEF: Welsh services boost.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Community Safety Partnerships in Wales, which tackle substance misuse, will receive an extra #9 million over the next three years. The partnerships could fund community pharmacy services, and Community Pharmacy Wales and the RPSGB Welsh...

IN BRIEF: Blood test takes off.(Survey)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... A service providing phlebotomy across 25 primary care sites, including 18 pharmacies in Coventry, has provided one in five blood tests in its first three weeks of operation. In a survey, 97 per cent of service users said having a blood test in...

IN BRIEF: Boots strike.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Staff at Boots Logistics in Nottingham have voted to go on strike over a disagreement about terms and conditions. The 726 members of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers at the site, which has around 1,000 employees, voted nearly...

IN BRIEF: Call for clean slate.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Future professional leadership must not fall into the hands of a re- badged Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) has warned. UKCPA chair Dr Catherine Duggan said: "We have a real opportunity to get the...

Stress levels soaring.(Survey)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Category M highlighted as most significant worry for independent contractors Jennifer Richardson Stress among independent contractors has risen five-fold over the past year, a buying group's survey has shown. Seventy-five per cent...

NW HAG scheme to roll out nationwide?(North West Harmonisation of Accreditation Group)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... The days when pharmacists have to be accredited separately by each PCT to provide the same enhanced service could be coming to an end if plans to roll out the North West Harmonisation of Accreditation Group (NW HAG) scheme nationally are...

The responsible pharmacist... does it apply to hospitals too?
March 8, 2008... Colin Rodden examines the Department of Health's revamp of how pharmacy is run and finds that hospitals could choose to deregister their pharmacies as a result Actually no. A surprising number of hospital pharmacies are either registered...

Xrayser: We're having an identity crisis.(Column)
March 8, 2008... The accessibility of the community pharmacy network is one of our greatest strengths, we are led to believe. There is no other service, apart from a public house perhaps, that you can rely on finding in high streets of all types up and down the...

Pharmacist in the House: The times they might be a-changin'.
March 8, 2008... There are a large number of all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs). There is one for practically every country on the planet and, when it comes to health, there appears to be a group for every condition known to man or beast. I have now reached...

Letter: Encouraged by developments.(Letter to the editor)
March 8, 2008... I was very much encouraged by the articles I read in C+D (February 23, p14-16) regarding pharmacy-led services. It is good to have something positive to read about among all of the recent downbeat headlines and I think we sometimes forget that...

Letter: Situation is `unsustainable' following cat M clawback.(Letter to the editor)
March 8, 2008... Having read your articles in C+D (C+D, February 23, p14-16), I would like to let you know that I own two pharmacies and I've had to reduce staff hours, stop deliveries, and cut my locum cover. Even then, I've had to ask my bank manager for an...

Letter: Widen campaign's influence.(Letter to the editor)
March 8, 2008... Congratulations on the Building Bridges campaign - pharmacists have long punched well below their weight. An angle which is often overlooked is the local one. It is well worth pharmacists also trying to influence local politicians and...

Letter: Building on shaky ground.(Letter to the editor)
March 8, 2008... C+D's Building Bridges campaign targeted at MPs is to be applauded. But, unfortunately, the bridges being attempted to be built are being raised on very shaky foundations and are liable to collapse. Our paymasters continually use the...

Pharmacy Update: The first cut is the deepest.
March 8, 2008... The main types of chronic wounds, their causes, and the principles of healing Key points * Chronic wounds tend to be suffered by people with underlying medical conditions, such as peripheral vascular disease and diabetes mellitus. ...

Clinical News: HBA1c reduces falls.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Elderly patients who achieve tight HBA1c control using insulin are less likely to fall, a study of 446 patients published by the journal Diabetes Care has revealed. http://tinyurl.com/2zhqrd Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Clinical News: Early AMD risks.(Age-related macular degeneration)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Age-related macular degeneration is associated with double the risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack, Australian researchers have said in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. bjo.bmj.com See www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/clinical for...

Clinical Alerts: MHRA Alerts.(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... SmartCheck INR system (Unipath) Recalled by manufacturer due to risk of inaccurate results, leading to incorrect anticoagulant dosing. All meters should be returned to Unipath and all consumables destroyed. All patients should be reviewed as...

Clinical Alerts: New Products.
March 8, 2008... Fucibet Lipid cream 30g (fusidic acid 2 per cent, betamethasone valerate 0.1 per cent) Licensed for the treatment of eczematous dermatoses with secondary bacterial infection in patients aged six years and over. Leo Pharma, tel: 01844 347333....

Clinical: HRT link to cancer persists after stopping.(Brief article)
March 8, 2008... Women on combined HRT are at increased cancer risk for years after stopping the medication. A US study, published in this week's JAMA, followed up nearly 16,000 women involved in the Women's Health Initiative trial, which was stopped early...