Chemist & Druggist articles from November 2004

Chemist & Druggist archives from November 2004

Low script volume fears for new contract.
November 6, 2004... Pharmacies dispensing low prescription volumes have expressed concerns that they will lose money under the new national pharmacy contract. Currently pharmacies dispensing 1,100 items per month receive an annual practice allowance of #9,300...

Correction: PSNC.(Correction Notice)
November 6, 2004... Last week, we stated that "PSNC estimates that only about 100 pharmacies dispense fewer than 2,000 items a month". This was a misunderstanding on our part, for which we apologise. PSNC has calculated that there are no more than 100...

New contract is `missed opportunity'.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The new pharmacy contract continues to be volume driven and does not reward cognitive services as much as had been expected, Numark's chief executive David Wood has said. "The idea was we move from a volume led contract to one that was...

Antibiotic awareness campaign.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Central Cornwall PCT staff took advantage of this year's Ask About Medicines Week to launch its antibiotic awareness campaign. Leaflets and posters have been distributed to surgeries, hospitals and pharmacies throughout the region highlighting...

Sales and dispensing consultation expected.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The consultation document on changes in the law on dispensing and the sale of medicines by community pharmacies will be issued "soon", Rosie Winterton, the health minister, has said. The announcement came in a written Commons answer to Nick...

Fees `should be in global sum'.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's fees for premises registration and retention should be included as part of overall pharmacy funding and be added to the global sum, the NPA's board of management suggested at its October meeting. The new...

Examples of legislation.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The NPA is to ask members for examples of legislation that is unnecessary or overburdens them with red tape, in response to an approach by the Regulatory Impact Unit, based in the Cabinet Office. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Association supports electronic signature proposal.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The National Pharmaceutical Association fully supports the use of advanced electronic signatures on prescriptions that are transferred electronically. The Association agrees with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's...

PCT puts #10k towards pharmacy consulting room.(Primary Care Trust)(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT has given #10,000 to a community pharmacy to fund the building of a consultation room. Pharmacist Manish Suchak said a practice nurse would use the room at Coldean Pharmacy to supplement healthcare...

Pharmacies offered roadtohealth.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Roadtohealth has launched its professional services to all community pharmacies. The company's package includes IT systems, software, staff training, marketing and support to enable pharmacies to provide a range of professional services,...

Metered dose inhaler recall.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... AstraZeneca is recalling a batch of Bricanyl 0.25mg/dose metered dose inhalers as a precautionary measure. The product is being recalled due to a small number of devices either failing or needing a higher than normal pressure to actuate....

International launch.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The University of Bradford's Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation's research capabilities were promoted to the pharmaceutical industry at an international launch last week. IPI director Paul Thorning said the event aimed to encourage...

CAM info needed.(Complimentary and Alternative Medicine )(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Eighty five per cent of GPs say they do not know enough about the safety and efficacy of complementary medicines and would like more guidance, a survey has revealed. The findings support the launch of a Developing Patient Partnerships...

Boots price cuts boost sales and volume growth.
November 6, 2004... Boots The Chemists has reported a 4.9 per cent sales growth and 6.8 per cent volume growth following a policy of reducing prices. In its half year results published last week, the Boots Company also reported increased sales for Boots...

Scott Wheway appointed.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... BTC has appointed a new retail director, Scott Wheway. He joins from Tesco, where he is currently CEO of its operations in Japan. He will join Boots in the new year and take over the role of retail director at the start of the 2005-06 financial...

Cegedim acquires NDC.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... French health IT supplier Cegedim has bought NDCHealth's UK operation. The purchase will strengthen Cegedim's presence in the UK, as it is already providing its In Practice Systems to over 1,900 GP practices. NDCHealth is one of the...

200th pharmacy.(Lipotrim-buildings and facilities)(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Lipotrim has signed up its 200th pharmacy to its professional weight management system. Pharmacy First in Southport has included Lipotrim among the services it will offer following a refit. Pharmacist Paul Middleton commented: "Lipotrim gives...

Gunman robs pharmacies.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Staff were threatened with a knife and a gun when an armed robber stole money and drugs from two pharmacies in Belfast recently. The Co-op Pharmacy on Crumlin Road was robbed by a man brandishing a knife at around 2pm on October 24. Staff...

CPP approval.(College of Pharmacy Practice )(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The College of Pharmacy Practice has accredited Vantage's dispensing assistant course. Staff who complete the course will be qualified to NVQ Level 2, and comply with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's minimum competence requirements for...

Naloxone switch.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The MHRA is proposing to amend regulations to add the opioid antidote naloxone to the range of POMs that can be administered parentally by anyone to save a life in an emergency. The MHRA proposal is aimed specifically at allowing ambulance...

7pc drugs price cut is `imposed'.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The Department of Health has "secured" a 7 per cent price cut on branded prescription medicines as part of the new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. The move should save the Department of Health more than #1.8 billion over the next...

PAGB PERSPECTIVE: Check for understanding.(Proprietary Association of Great Britain )
November 6, 2004... A patient's familiarity with a medicine needs testing every time, suggests Sheila Kelly, executive director, PAGB If only 15 per cent of people get their information from a medicine's label or leaflet, is it worth putting so much effort...

Novartis defends decision on Scopoderm marketing.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Novartis Consumer Health has defended its decision to market Scopoderm TTS as an OTC medicine in Boots only. The decision to make Boots the sole outlet for one year was to determine the level of marketing support the company would give...

No comment on switch.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... It is understood Aventis has applied to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for a POM to P switch for chloramphenicol. Refusing to confirm or deny the proposed product switch, Aventis strategy and public affairs...

EMEA looks at Cox-2.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The European medicines regulator will review Cox-2 inhibitors' safety data after last month's withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib). The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has been asked by the EC to review the five Cox-2 inhibitors available on...

Contractors voice concerns at first three roadshows.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)
November 6, 2004... The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee's first round of new contract roadshows last Sunday attracted concerns about the impact on small pharmacies. Rajni Hindocha, vice-chairman, Leicestershire LPC and managing director, CAMRx,...

Contract QUESTIONS.
November 6, 2004... PSNC's Dhiren Bhatt answers questions relating to fees and allowances 1. Will I still be paid for dispensing? How much per item? The item fees are set out in the new contract book. The following fees and allowances will be applicable...

Comment from the Editor.(low prescription volume)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
November 6, 2004... Last week, our initial impression of the new pharmacy contract proposals was that it was reasonably fair. But others have got their calculators out and dug deeper, resulting in some concerns. The problem is for those low prescription volume...

OPINION.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Our question to pharmacists this week was: Now that funding details of the new pharmacy contract for England and Wales have been published, how do you think pharmacists will respond? "They'll have no choice but to accept it, because if not...

YOUR VIEWS: Contract doesn't go far enough.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... An immediate opportunity to bring pharmacy closer to the heart of the NHS has been missed, claims Steve Dunn of AAH Pharmaceuticals An ideal chance to enhance the role of community pharmacy in healthcare has not been seized. I am not...

NORTHERN IRELAND NOTEBOOK: The only certainty is uncertainty.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The multiple dispensing saga continues (C&D, October 2, p15). I was told by CSA in September that I wouldn't be paid for instalment dispensing unless the medicines involved were those with the potential for abuse. Then the Boards told me I...

Looking for the catch in the contract book.
November 6, 2004... I've read my new contract book several times now looking for the catch. There must be one because there always is with these things. An insignificant looking sentence in the small print can hint at a hidden agenda or potential disaster. In the...

Not so helpful medicine helpline.(Over The Counter)(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... I'm sure the OTC industry had the best intentions at heart when it launched its medicines helpline (C&D, Oct 30, p6). But I question the need for a helpline giving advice on medicines when the telephone number of every community pharmacy in the...

Obituary: Graham Ford.(Obituary)
November 6, 2004... Rob Yateman, sales director, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, has issued this statement following the death of Graham Ford, sales manager at Pfizer: We are deeply saddened on hearing of the death of Graham Ford on Sunday October 17. ...

Letter: Leaving to be a lawyer.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... I read with interest your Xrayser article (C&D, October 23, p19). As a locum pharmacist of seven years, I too was once under the assumption of a career for life and negligible risk of unemployment. However, as several pharmacy multiples are...

Letter: Questions to ask before voting.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... PNSC has produced a booklet, sent out last week, giving contractors, RPSGB and LPCs no time to analyse and reflect on the content. The roadshows started on October 31. PSNC is expecting ballots to be held directly after the roadshows. Is...

Letter: Company versus individuals.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... I am surprised by Sid Dajani's response to my letter (C&D, Oct 23, p16). Firstly, he has confused an individual with a company. An individual is employed to do a job and is paid the market rate. This a simple economic fact and has nothing to do...

Letter: Exit payment is a `slap in the face'.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... When the new contract was being promoted everyone was on a high. We would be true clinicians and lose that `tablet counting shopkeeper' label but the finished article does not live up to expectation. The majority basis is still on...

Letter: It was called a sweet pill for pharmacists.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... The Department of Health press release announcing the financial proposals for the new pharmacy contract was entitled: "A sweet pill for pharmacists." At the All-Party Pharmacy Group launch of the new contract on October 25, the chairman,...

Letter: Pharmacists need to be more proactive in promoting OTCs.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... Zocor Heart-Pro was launched this summer. We did get stock in, but unfortunately there has been no interest in the product. The rep was very thorough in going through the necessary protocol and how the questionnaires need to be completed....

Letter: Supervision and the new role.(Letter to the Editor)
November 6, 2004... Just to say that I really identified with all the thoughts expressed in David Morgan's article (C&D, October 16, p22). I thought it was a very fair and accurate reflection of life in a pharmacy. I, too, have concerns about how we are...

RPSGB to respond.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has indicated that it will respond to the points made in an article about mandatory CPD (`Hobson's Choice' by David Temple and Guy Thompson of WCPPE, C&D October 23 p30). We hope to print the society's views...

Business profile: `Your Portfolio' explained.
November 6, 2004... UniChem is enabling its customers to tailor added value services to their pharmacy's requirements. Alistair Marsh, UniChem's general manager for pharmacy and retail services, talks to C&D UniChem is offering all of its customers the...

PHARMACY UPDATE: At the heart of AF.
November 6, 2004... Mark Greener outlines some potential new drugs for atrial fibrillation Objectives * To appreciate the incidence of AF * To be aware of contributory factors * To know what happens to the heart in AF * To appreciate the...

Link confirmed: small pack sizes of analgesics cut deaths.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Smaller pack sizes for paracetamol and other analgesics have dramatically reduced the suicide rates and liver damage from paracetamol poisoning, UK researchers have claimed. Paracetamol or aspirin overdose suicides have fallen by almost a...

Nexium also for gastric ulcers.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Nexium (esomeprazole) has been approved to include an indication to treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers in patients needing continuous NSAID therapy. Trial data has showed esomeprazole 20mg is significantly more effective at...

OA benefits associated with osteoporosis drugs.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Treatment for osteoporosis may offer benefits for those with osteoarthritis, researchers from the USA have discovered. A study of 818 white and African-American women found that the 214 women who were taking antiresorptive agents, such as...

Inspra launched.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Pfizer has launched Inspra (eplerenone) for risk reduction of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity after a heart attack. Eplerenone is an aldosterone antagonist. It is indicated, in addition to standard therapy including beta-blockers, to...

Qvar Easi-Breathe.
November 6, 2004... IVAX Pharmaceuticals has launched Qvar Easi-Breathe (beclometasone dipropionate) a CFC-free, breath-actuated inhaler for asthma. Qvar Easi-Breathe is available in 50mcg per dose and 100mcg per dose presentations. For more information:...

Zomig Rapimelt 5mg.
November 6, 2004... AstraZeneca has announced the launch of Zomig Rapimelt (zolmitriptan) 5mg orodispersable tablets for the treatment of migraine with or without aura. Zomig Rapimelt should be placed on the tongue where it will rapidly dissolve. A drink of...

Baby face for Dentinox.
November 6, 2004... Dendron is repackaging its Dentinox Teething Gel and Cradle Cap shampoo. Both products now feature the winner of the Dentinox Beautiful Baby competition on the packaging. Ten month old Charlie Lumb from Rochdale was chosen from...

Germoloids cleans up with soothing wipes.
November 6, 2004... Bayer Consumer Care is replacing its Germoloids Moist Toilet Tissues with improved soothing cleansing wipes for piles sufferers. Germoloids Soothing Wipes are formulated to provide a cooling and soothing effect to the anal area. The...

Vicks makes a splash.
November 6, 2004... Procter & Gamble is backing its Vicks range with a national TV campaign throughout November and December. The campaign will feature individual commercials for Vicks Soothing VapoBath, Vicks Sinex and Vicks VapoRub. New for this winter...

All suited up with Comfifast.
November 6, 2004... Shiloh Healthcare is launching a washable wet wrap clothing range for use in the treatment of paediatric atopic eczema. Comfifast Easywrap Suits are designed to make wet wrapping easier for parents and carers. The range comprises...

Zocor is on display.
November 6, 2004... Johnson & Johnson.MSD has produced eye-catching new point of sale material to help raise awareness of its Zocor Heart-Pro 10mg tablets in pharmacies. The material includes large glossy heart shaped mobiles for ceilings and/or windows and a...

No disguising Zovirax.
November 6, 2004... Zovirax Cold Sore Cream will be on national TV from November 8 until January to coincide with the peak selling period for cold sore cream. The commercial features a woman who initially disguises her face with a motorbike helmet until she...

Soothagel to the rescue.
November 6, 2004... Soothagel mouth ulcer gel will be in the public eye this winter backed by a #650,000 TV and press advertising campaign. The product will appear on GMTV from January 3 until February 7, followed by press advertising in The Sun and News of...

PAGB CONFERENCE: Self-care: don't do it alone.(Proprietary Association of Great Britain)
November 6, 2004... The Proprietary Association of Great Britain held its seventh annual self-care conference in London last week. Pharmacists received plenty of praise, reports Fiona Salvage Self-care doesn't mean looking after yourself with no support from...

PAGB CONFERENCE: Men: a new opportunity for pharmacy.(Proprietary Association of Great Britain)
November 6, 2004... Pharmacists have a fantastic new opportunity to reach men more effectively as they are easy to access and no appointment is necessary, said Peter Baker from the Men's Health Forum. There is huge potential for men to improve their use of...

Ads motivate quit attempts.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Continuous advertising of the anti-smoking message has made the media the biggest trigger for quit attempts, said Wyn Roberts from the Department of Health. But it doesn't help people actually quit: "Advertising is only a trigger to...

EHFCC CONFERENCE: Healthcare fraud: a Europe-wide issue.(European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Conference)
November 6, 2004... Delegates from across Europe recently met to discuss ways of tackling healthcare fraud and corruption. Asha Fowells reports European countries should work together to tackle healthcare fraud and corruption, so the resources invested in the...

C&D INTERVIEW: A good investment.
November 6, 2004... St Helens and Knowsley LPC seems to have the recipe for success, as C&D found out The past year or two have been full of contractor negativity and pessimism. This has been due to the uncertainty of the new contract, the Office of Fair...

Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland - Appointment.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland has appointed Lesley Young as its temporary business manager. Ms Young has extensive experience in healthcare administration and management, and has worked in Bangladesh and Australia. ...

GlaxoSmithKline - Appointment.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... GlaxoSmithKline has announced the appointment of Julian Heslop as chief financial officer, to succeed John Coombe who is retiring next year. Mr Heslop joined GSK in 1998, and his most recent position was senior vice- president, operations...

Runners raise over #2,000.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Thanks to two pharmacists' participation in the recent Stroud Half Marathon, the Williams Syndrome Foundation is over #2,000 better off. Williams syndrome is a genetic condition, thought to occur in 20,000 births. As well as affecting the...

An apple a day keeps cancer away.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... It may be an old proverb, but new research has shown that an apple a day really may keep the doctor away. A French study has shown the fruit to contain compounds called procyanidins, and experiments on rats have revealed that these...

It pays to read the small print.(Brief Article)
November 6, 2004... Art fans who bought items from Damien Hirst's Pharmacy Restaurant and Bar at Sotheby's last month (C&D, Oct 16, p5) may have been stung by the catalogue's small print. Some of the 168 lots were not from the original restaurant. Several...

`Contract should cover London weighting'.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Nucare's managing director Mahesh Shah is concerned about the implications for contractors dispensing fewer than 2,000 items a month - particularly if the thresholds change in future. "We would like these thresholds to be fixed and not...

Contract begins move towards clinical role.
November 13, 2004... The new pharmacy contract is the start of a process of moving towards a more clinical role for community pharmacists, NPA chief executive John D'Arcy has said. It will strategically bind contractors into the NHS and create a framework for...

Concerns that small contractors could be disadvantaged.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... The Department of Health and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have responded to concerns that small contractors could be disadvantaged under the new contract. The DoH said it had agreed a number of measures with PSNC to support low volume...

PSNC and LPC in contract row.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)(Legal Practice Course )(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... PSNC is disputing a formula developed by North East London LPC to help contractors calculate how their future contract payments compare with present income. PSNC head of finance Mike Dent said: "This contains a number of estimates and...

PSNC issues oxygen alert.(Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee)(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Contractors should attempt to reconcile the number of oxygen cylinders their supplier claims they have with their actual stock holding, but not enter into any financial arrangements, PSNC has said. The announcement follows oxygen supplier...

Call for GSL equality.(General Sales Licence (medicine) )(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Personal control should be interpreted pragmatically to ensure customers have equal access to GSL medicines, said the Company Chemists' Association. A return to this interpretation would reflect custom and practice, should be possible...

PPRS will have wider impact, says Sigma MD.(Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme)(Bharat Shah,managing director)
November 13, 2004... Cutting branded drug prices will reduce wholesalers' margins and affect the service offered to contractors, Sigma Pharmaceuticals managing director Bharat Shah has warned. The 7 per cent price drop for branded medicines, agreed as part of...

Health secretary orders MHRA reform.(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)
November 13, 2004... Health secretary John Reid has ordered radical reforms to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to end alleged conflicts of interest between its members and the drugs industry it is supposed to regulate. Officials said...

Success of the NHS Organ Donor Register.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Health minister Rosie Winterton visited a London Boots store this week to celebrate the success of the NHS Organ Donor Register tie-in with the company's Advantage Card scheme. During her visit to the Kensington High Street branch, Ms Winterton...

Commuter WICs in '05.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Seven NHS walk-in centres are to be built close to commuter stations in four major cities. The Department of Health is inviting tenders to run stand-alone WICs in London, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds. The new centres are expected to...

Epilepsy guide out.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... The Department of Health has funded a guide to managing epilepsy for patients and carers. It was developed by the Medicines Partnership programme with epilepsy charities and clinicians. Free copies are being distributed through PCTs, neurology...

Roadshow gets down to nitty gritty.
November 13, 2004... Contractors attending PSNC's roadshows in Wales over the past week seemed positive about the new contract proposals, said Community Pharmacy Wales's chief executive Peter Haydn Jones. "Mostly they were seeking clarification of various...

Standards framework proposed by NHS Wales.
November 13, 2004... NHS Wales has proposed a common framework of healthcare quality and safety standards. The consultation document A Statement of Healthcare Standards outlines the assessment criteria and standards that will underpin the framework. The...

Nottingham pharmacies run DUMP campaign.(Dispose of Unwanted Medicines Properly)(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Nottingham pharmacists are encouraging patients to return unused medicines this month as part of an awareness campaign. Nottingham City PCT has provided all pharmacies with special bins to support its `Dispose of Unwanted Medicines...

RPSGB responds to Shipman report.
November 13, 2004... The RPSGB has published its response to the Shipman Inquiry's Fourth Report, which covers Controlled Drugs and pharmacy services. Welcoming the recommendation to inspect dispensing doctors and doctors' premises like pharmacies, the Society...

Mawdsleys offers support on new contract.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... Wholesaler Mawdsleys has announced an extension to its services portfolio in response to the new pharmacy contract. Mawdsley's `Advanced Services Support Programme' has been designed to support its customers in developing and marketing...

New online cholesterol medicines information guide.(Brief Article)
November 13, 2004... England's chief pharmaceutical officer Jim Smith visited Riaz Esmail's pharmacy in Harrow, Middlesex, to launch a new online cholesterol medicines information guide. Joining existing guides on epilepsy and flu, the guide to cholesterol-lowering...