Chemist & Druggist articles from October 2003

Chemist & Druggist archives from October 2003

PSNC to become a Ltd company.
October 4, 2003... PSNC's committee is being enlarged to accommodate three more Company Chemists' Association members plus three independent multiple representatives in a bid to ensure better regional representation. In addition, in a change to its...

Scots seek voice in new RPSGB structure.
October 4, 2003... Scotland must be adequately represented in any future organisational structure the Royal Pharmaceutical Society adopts to carry out its leadership role, the chairman of the Society's Scottish arm has said. Scottish Executive chairman David...

Sandy Forrest appointed.
October 4, 2003... Sandy Forrest, the assistant inspector of constabulary for Scotland, has been appointed director of the Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals. "I am looking forward to being part of an independent body that is dedicated to...

Technicians can study for degrees.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... A three-year degree course for pharmacy technicians will launch next month in the East Midlands. The part-time foundation degree in pharmacy is aimed at hospital and industry-based technicians and covers topics such as therapeutics,...

Pharmacy Update Knockout: the final round.
October 4, 2003... The end of the year is drawing closer and the pharmacists listed below are still in with a chance of winning the #2,000 prize in the C&D Pharmacy Update Knockout sponsored by Genus Pharmaceuticals. We will be writing in the next week or so...

Sodium valproate warning.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Pregnant women should avoid taking sodium valproate as the infant is at a higher risk of congenital malformations, according to the latest Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance. Women taking the anti-epileptic medication should receive...

Drug naming proposal extended.
October 4, 2003... The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has extended the deadline for stakeholders to respond to its proposal to ensure that UK drug nomenclature complies with European law. Stakeholders now have until October 17 to comment on...

40th birthday celebrated.
October 4, 2003... Some people celebrate their 40th birthday with a party - John Nuttall, United Co-operative Healthcare's general manager, celebrated his with blood, sweat and gears. Last month, John joined 42 others in a challenge to cycle some of the toughest...

PCTs threaten backlash over Pfizer price increases.
October 4, 2003... PCTs across the country are threatening a backlash against the recent double-digit increases in the prices of two popular prescription drugs. Pfizer announced a 17.5 per cent price rise for its arthritis treatment Celebrex (celecoxib) and...

Scots launch e-mail news.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland has launched an e-mail service to inform Scottish MPs of pharmacy issues. Pharmacy Bytes will be issued up to five times a year and will incorporate information and news relevant to MSPs. ...

ETP may quicken payments.
October 4, 2003... Quicker payment by the Prescription Pricing Authority could be one of the benefits offered by electronic transfer of prescriptions, PSNC has said. Other benefits could be time savings and opportunities for improving stock management, PSNC...

Pre-registration trainee of the year.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Boots's pre-registration trainee of the year for 2003 is Clare Karia, who fought off competition from eight other finalists to win the coveted award. Clare's winning presentation was entitled Encouraging self-care: the pharmacist as first port...

Contract update.
October 4, 2003... PSNC's weekly update on the new pharmacy contract. What services in the new contract will benefit older patients? More than half of all prescriptions are for people over the age of 60 years and pharmacists have a vital role to play in...

Tighter medicine supply controls predicted.
October 4, 2003... European legislation could have a significant impact on wholesaling and medicines supply, Alliance UniChem's group deputy chief executive, Geoff Cooper, has warned. While discounts to pharmacists have continued to rise regardless of the...

New AAH asthma service.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... AAH Pharmaceuticals has added an asthma management package to its Vantage Health Watch range of medicines management services. The service aims to enable pharmacists to utilise their skills in order to provide patients with a better...

BP awareness week.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Last month's BP awareness week was a resounding success, with 1,320 pharmacists playing a role in taking up to 200,000 people's blood pressure, says the Blood Pressure Association. Surrey pharmacist Shenu Barclay (pictured) saw over 30 patients...

New drug tendering service from NPA.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... The NPA is launching its NPASource electronic tendering, purchasing and spend management system this month free to members, which it claims "turns the traditional purchasing process for PIs, generics and dressings on its head. You no longer...

Call for entries.
October 4, 2003... Organisers of The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are making a final call for more entries from the pharmaceutical sector before the application deadline of October 31. Queen's Awards are made in three categories - International Trade,...

Get the net from Lloyds.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Lloydspharmacy has joined with internet service provider Freeserve, to offer its customers the chance to sign up to Freeserve's AnyTime tariff, giving unlimited access to the internet for #9.99 per month for the first three months and #14.99...

Minimum wage rise.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... From October 1 the national minimum wage rose to #4.50 an hour for adults and #3.80 for the youth rate. Anyone who thinks they are not being paid the minimum wage should call the Inland Revenue helpline on 0845 6000 678. Copyright: CMP...

Pharmacists feel poorly equipped for extended role.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... sjankovic@cmpinformation.com A survey of over 100 pharmacists conducted by Vicks has found that they do not feel they are equipped to perform an extended health practitioner role, despite Government plans to reinforce their role in primary...

Is mail order an option in the UK?(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Opposing views on mail order pharmacy were expressed at Alliance UniChem's annual conference this week in Dubai. Group deputy chief executive Geoff Cooper suggested that there is little scope for a mail order operation to be run...

NPA welcomes all clear for Morrisons' Safeway bid.
October 4, 2003... Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has decided an acquisition of Safeway by Asda, Sainsbury's or Tesco would operate against the public interest, but has given the go ahead for Morrisons to make a bid for Safeway provided 53 store...

Basic skills training in Surrey.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Business Link Surrey and the Surrey Flagship Project are working together to provide fully-funded, tailor-made essential skills training in reading, writing and arithmetic in the workplace and are particularly keen to assist the retail sector....

Try to score in rugby competition.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Health Perception, manufacturer of GlucOsamax and the GlucOsamine Gelpatch, is offering a pair of tickets including full hospitality to one of the Six Nations rugby matches at Twickenham in March, to the health store and pharmacy with the most...

Platinum Design Awards.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Have you redeveloped your pharmacy since January 2002? Would you like to win the UK's most prestigious pharmacy design Award - and the top #2,500 prize? There's also a special trophy for best entry from a multiple pharmacy business. ...

Abbott expands in Dartford.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Abbott Laboratories has started construction of a #39 million biotechnology facility at its Murex manufacturing plant in Dartford, Kent. The expansion will create 125 new jobs, increasing Abbott's Dartford workforce to 410. Murex already...

Comment from the Editor.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... One of the more difficult things to do in life is stand back and make an objective assessment of how other people perceive you or your business. It's often an uncomfortable exercise. Research among users or purchasers of your services can paint...

PAGB perspective: OTCs and the power of brand loyalty.
October 4, 2003... Sheila Kelly, director of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, looks at brand names For many consumers of OTC medicines the familiarity of a brand name is a key reason for choosing a product. In a recent survey of 1,000 people...

What new contract?(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Making it Better, the Northern Ireland pharmacy strategy, gives a clear commitment to begin negotiations between DHSSPS and PCC on a new pharmacy contract. This is needed for many reasons, not least because negotiations are already well...

Where is the solution to the pre-reg problem?
October 4, 2003... I used to be a pre-registration tutor but I have not taken on a graduate for a few years now. The increasingly stringent requirements of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and, finally, the new student/tutor learning contract system with its...

Targets and the law of unintended consequences.
October 4, 2003... I liked Steve Dunn's quip about the law of unintended consequences (C&D Sept 20, p32), and have my own tale to tell. I have had a number of complaints in the past few weeks from patients unable to make an appointment with their GP. It seems...

Serious accusation or merely a cock-up?
October 4, 2003... So former RPSGB Council member Mark Koziol thinks that the Society has been "sexing up" its response to motions voted on at the Branch Representatives Meeting (C&D Sept 27, p4). The Society has promised an investigation into how the response...

PHARMACY UPDATE: Poles apart.
October 4, 2003... Bipolar disorder, or manic depression as it was formerly known, can be a severe mental illness. Vanessa Sherwood looks at the disease and its treatment Objectives * To understand the classifications of bipolar disorder * To revise...

COPD challenge to pharmacists.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Pharmacists can play a greater role in identifying patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) within their community, says a respiratory medicine professor. By asking three simple questions, pharmacists can identify...

Antacids alleged to cause food allergies.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... The Proprietary Association of Great Britain has refuted scientists' claims that antacids can cause food allergies. PAGB issued a statement saying that OTC indigestion remedies are safe and effective. Helen Darracott, PAGB's director...

Simvastatin best at night.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Simvastatin is best taken at night, according to a trial in Sunderland. Patients who took either 10mg or 20mg simvastatin at night achieved a greater lowering of their cholesterol than those who took it in the morning, according to the...

Glutafin extends range.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Glutafin is introducing two new products to its gluten-free range: Crisp Rolls and Crisp Breads. The Crisp Rolls are wheat, gluten and egg- free and the Crisp Breads are also milk-free. Both the Crisp Breads and Rolls are cellophane-wrapped...

Occlusal still available.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... DermaPharm is still producing Occlusal (26 per cent salicylic acid in a polyacrylic vehicle) wart and verruca treatment, contrary to a message that pharmacists may have received from their wholesaler. Stocks of the product are available again...

SPC changes.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... The SPCs for Deseril tablets (methysergide) and Naseptin nasal cream (neomycin 0.5 per cent and chlorhexidine 0.1 per cent) have been updated. Concomitant use of Deseril with cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inhibitors, such as macrolide...

Stoma care products.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... CliniMed is launching two stoma care products. HydroFrame flange extenders are available in packs of 20 and are available on NHS prescription. These are gentler, easier-to-use flanges for "picture- framing" hydrocolloid flanges. HydroFrame...

Breath tester to help quitters monitor CO levels.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... A device that measures the levels of carbon monoxide in the body is now being distributed through pharmacies for people to use at home as part of their own smoking cessation programme. The Smokerlyzer System includes a personal carbon...

Radian-B TENS sends signal to pain.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Ransom Consumer Healthcare is introducing an easy-to-use TENS machine into the Radian B range. Radian B TENS is designed as a natural, drug-free pain relief system for relieving ongoing aches and pains. The compact machine sends...

Panadol gets tough and packs a punch.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is relaunching Panadol in a crush- resistant pack designed to appeal to younger users - especially women. Panadol Compack is a tough plastic wallet pack that can be carried in a pocket or handbag. ...

Glucose meter is a Breeze.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Bayer Diagnostics is launching an easy-to-use blood glucose meter into its Ascensia line of diabetes care products. The Ascensia Breeze is designed with single function buttons to make it convenient and simple to operate. It features the...

Giving first aid with Care.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Thornton & Ross is introducing a new antiseptic cream for minor problems into the Care range of skincare products. Care Antiseptic First Aid Cream contains cetrimide 0.5 per cent and is suitable for use on minor burns, abrasions and nappy...

Clarityn Allergy thinks big.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Schering-Plough is introducing Clarityn Allergy syrup in a larger 100ml `P' pack. Clarityn Allergy contains loratadine and is suitable for adults and children aged two years and over. It will not make a child drowsy and the `no drowsiness'...

Profoot goes soft on feet.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Profoot is launching a new range of footcare products which include polymer gel dressings to help prevent friction and relieve pressure on tender areas. The Profoot Soft Gel range includes Corn Wrap, Toe Protector and Toe Spreader. ...

Putty in your hand.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Hair styling `putty' that styles and adds scented colour to the hair is being launched into the Jerome Russell range. Colour Shot Putty has a wash-out formula and provides medium hold strength. There are four vibrant shades, each with a...

Antistatic comb targets head lice.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... An antistatic lice comb is the latest addition to the Xterminett range of head lice combs. The Xterminator comb has a carbon fibre body with antistatic properties and fine polished metal pins which will not damage the hair. Made in the...

Aquafresh Mouth Whoosh for kids.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is launching a fun mouthwash designed to appeal to children aged six to 12. Aquafresh Mouth Whoosh is an antibacterial, alcohol-free, fluoride mouthwash designed to give added reassurance to parents by...

Simple kicks off with TV sponsorship.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Simple Skin Defence for Men is making its debut on UK TV with sponsorship of a new series of Sky One's Dream Team football drama. The sponsorship creative is set within the Simple Skin Defence for Men club changing rooms and sees the...

Brylcreem and the Barnet Sutra.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... A humorous new advertising campaign for Brylcreem Reshaper will appear in leading men's magazines in November and December. The hero is a plastercine figure created with the help of Aardman Studios, creators of Wallace and Gromit and...

Nivea makes lips shine.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Beiersdorf has introduced a glossy multi-benefit lip product into the Nivea range. Nivea Lip Care CareGloss & Shine is formulated to provide a non-sticky, glossy, transparent shine while also moisturising and caring for the lips. ...

UniChem Conference 2003: Don't assume you will have a role as of right.
October 4, 2003... Many of the services that could be provided by pharmacists and their staff could also be done by others, a leading PCT spokesman has warned. "Although we have a skill shortage, I suspect that, over time, that will change as jobs and...

UniChem Conference 2003: GP contract will have major impact.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... The new GP contract will have a significant impact on the way pharmacists work, Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's General Practitioner's Committee, has warned. "Not only will better use be made of the skills of all primary healthcare...

UniChem Conference 2003: Get out of dispensary, urge patients.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... No longer can pharmacists be remote figures who stand at the back of the dispensing area never talking to the people they are dispensing for. Instead, pharmacists should be happy to talk to patients, to explain things and answer questions....

UniChem Conference 2003: Wholesaler support for development.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Martyn Ward, UniChem's sales and marketing director, agreed with Mike Stone that pharmacists need to be seen and "not buried - out of sight and out of mind - at the back of the dispensary". "There is some confusion about what pharmacists...

PHARMACY PRACTICE: A two-year stretch.
October 4, 2003... Two years after C&D went to prison to report on Moss Pharmacy's smoking cessation service for young offenders in Scotland, Gary Paragpuri returned to see how Moss's prison service is developing Since winning the Scottish Prison Service...

UniChem - Appointment.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... UniChem has appointed Amanda Butler as its first ever human resources director. Amanda joins from DFDS and among her new responsibilities will be to ensure "that the `people' side of the business is considered at the most senior level - the...

Beatson Clark - Appointment.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Beatson Clark has appointed Doug Parton as its news business development manager with responsibility for all UK and export sales within Beatson Clark's distributor and wholesale department. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

William Ransom - Appointments.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... William Ransom has two new non-executive directors. Jacqueline Paterson was head of beauty and lingerie at Marks & Spencer, but spent nine years prior to M&S at Boots where among her roles was head of toiletries. The other new WR director is...

Apex Partners - Appointments.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... Private equity finance group Apex Partners has appointed Dr David U'Prichard as a venture partner and Khawar Mann as a member of the healthcare team. Dr U'Prichard was formerly CEO of 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals and prior to this president...

Picky or what?(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... There's no pleasing some. There you are, a liberal government and decriminalising cannabis so it can be used as a medicine and what do you get? Ingratitude, that's what. Well, that seems to be the case in Canada where the federal health...

A la recherche du temps perdu.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2003... In remembrance of times past, a reunion took place last month ahead of the BPC. The reason? It was the 10th anniversary of BPC '93 which was held in the hazy fin de siecle days in Reading. That was one of the last British Pharmaceutical...

Council revises draft Charter.
October 11, 2003... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued a second draft Charter that it believes addresses concerns raised by members during consultations earlier this year. The revised Charter, which will go out for further consultation until November...

RPSGB's Scottish Executive loses secretary.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Dr Sheila Stevens has left her position as the secretary to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish Executive. There has been speculation about Dr Stevens' position for some weeks, compounded by her conspicuous absence at last month's...

RPSGB dismisses Koziol allegation and clears staff of report tampering.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... An internal investigation by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has dismissed claims made at the BPC that a statement approved by Council members was changed prior to publication in the Pharmaceutical Journal. RPSGB practice and quality...

NPC Guide.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... The National Prescribing Centre has released a 25-page guide on supplementary prescribing. Topics covered include the concept and scope of supplementary prescribing, clinical management plans and safe prescribing. For more information:...

Scripts will be cheaper next year.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Welsh NHS prescription charges will be cut by #1 from next October as the first step in phasing out the tax in Wales by 2007, health minister Jane Hutt has announced. "The changes will be introduced in phases, with free prescriptions being...

Numark family weekend.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once. Numark held its 8th annual family weekend and conference last weekend. As well as speeches on the new contract, LPS pilots and a supplier exhibition, the 450 delegates took part in a fancy dress...

New contract by April 2004 `fanciful nonsense'.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... The idea that the new pharmacy contract will be settled by April 2004 is "fanciful nonsense" according to Alliance UniChem senior non- executive director and former health secretary Ken Clarke MP. "It will never be settled that quickly....

Framework ballot papers to be issued next week.
October 11, 2003... PSNC is urging contractors in England and Wales to vote in the ballot on the new pharmacy contract framework when ballot papers go out next week. In an article this week (see p14), PSNC's lead negotiator on the new contract, Steven...

RPSGB puts pharmacy case to Shipman Inquiry.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has put forward information to be considered by the next stage of the inquiry into the serial killer Harold Shipman. From January, the inquiry will focus on the prescribing and dispensing of controlled...

Portable oxygen on prescription.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Scottish GPs will be able to prescribe portable oxygen cylinders on the NHS from April 2004, health minister Malcolm Chisholm announced this week. In addition, the threshold at which patients on non-portable cylinder therapy become...

RPSGB objection.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has objected to Bayer's proposed reclassification of Canesten Combi from P to GSL (C&D September 13, p9). The RPSGB highlights the role that pharmacists have played in making clotrimazole a safe product for...

Fabian Society reception.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Lloydspharmacy supported this year's Fabian Society reception at the Labour Party conference. As well as musician Billy Bragg and former Fabian Society general secretary Michael Jacobs, Lloydspharmacy's pharmacy director and superintendent...

Seton seeks GSL listing for adult gel.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Seton Products is seeking a P to GSL reclassification for its mouth ulcer treatment Anbesol adult strength gel (lidocaine 2 per cent). Seton said consumers would benefit from the convenience of the product being more widely available. The...

Contract update.
October 11, 2003... PSNC's weekly update on the new pharmacy contract. The new pharmacy contract and IM&T. Information management and technology (IM&T) is an integral part of all aspects of service provision and will play a fundamental part in helping...

Project aims to boost self-care and make it lifelong.
October 11, 2003... A project starting next year aims to integrate self-care into the NHS by changing people's attitudes and making self-care a lifelong habit. Community pharmacists will play key roles in the project, which will take place in a primary care...

Chief nurse to take lead on self-care.
October 11, 2003... The chief nursing officer, Sarah Mullaly, is to be the lead director for self-care issues at the Department of Health in London. The DoH has worked hard to give self-care a higher profile, said health minister Rosie Winterton, making the...

Supplementary prescribing update.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Physiotherapists and optometrists could be the next professions to be given supplementary prescribing rights, according to Paul Robinson of the DoH's Medicines, Pharmacy and Industry division. By the end of this month, seven supplementary...

Duncan: be prepared to hand over some roles.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2003... Moss Pharmacy's managing director has argued that pharmacists must be prepared to let go of some of their traditional roles to take on new ones. Referring to the `skills escalator' Steve Duncan told UniChem Convention delegates: "As...

Meeting delay swells ETP rumours.
October 11, 2003... PSNC has confirmed that its meeting with NHS IT chief Richard Granger has been deferred - and no new date has been set - fuelling speculation that the ETP programme is in trouble. The deadline for the award of the first contracts for the...