Pharmacist News and Research

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There are many tasks that a pharmacist is responsible for each day. Pharmacists are some of the most accessible members of the healthcare team, as individuals can seek their advice quickly and easily, even without an appointment.

Needle-less immunisation is coming

Those of us who are squeamish about having an injection can take a sigh of relief: needle-less immunisation is coming our way according to new research revealed today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

4 Sep 2006

Effective method of multidimensional work sampling in nursing homes

A study to develop an effective method of multidimensional work sampling (MDWS) in nursing homes has found that, initially, the proportion of time pharmacists spend in non-professional or semi-professional activities compared with professional activities is 3:1.

4 Sep 2006

Artificial jelly set to restore lost sight for people with diabetes

Brand new research launched today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester is bringing hope to hundreds of people with diabetes who lose their sight each year as a side-effect of the disease.

4 Sep 2006

Ayurvedic medicine - a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Plants traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to boost mental abilities in old age have been found to have the same action as conventional drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

4 Sep 2006

African plant root, Paullinia pinnata, may be the answer to MRSA

A plant root used in Africa as a traditional remedy could hold the key to combating the potentially fatal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection, according to research findings presented today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

4 Sep 2006

Washington State Gov. Gregoire proposes compromise that would allow individual pharmacists to refuse to fill prescription, nonprescription EC

Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) has proposed a compromise that would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescription and nonprescription emergency contraceptives only if the drugs can be provided by another pharmacist in the same pharmacy, the AP/Seattle Times reports.

1 Sep 2006

Summary of editorials on approval of nonprescription plan B sales to women over age 18

Some editorials respond to FDA's decision on Thursday to approve Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B to women ages 18 and older.

30 Aug 2006

Legislation allowing conscientious objection for pharmacists introduced in about half of state legislatures this year; none were approved

Legislation that would have allowed pharmacists not to fill some prescriptions, such as emergency contraception, because of moral or religious objections were introduced in nearly half of the state legislatures in 2006, the Washington Times reports.

24 Aug 2006

Complaint filed against pharmacists for declining to fill emergency contraception prescription refills

The New York Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed complaints with the New York State Department of Education's Office of Professions alleging that CVS and Rite Aid pharmacists refused to dispense refills of prescriptions for emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

17 Aug 2006

Few children in need of HIV/AIDS medications receiving them

Five percent of the children who urgently need HIV/AIDS medications are receiving them, according to research released Tuesday by Medecins Sans Frontieres at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Reuters AlertNet reports.

17 Aug 2006

High rates of off-label prescriptions for antidepressant, anticonvulsant and antipsychotic drugs

A University of Georgia study has found that three-quarters of people prescribed antidepressant drugs receive the medications for a reason not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

26 Jul 2006

Why does prolonged IV feeding damage the liver?

Children who cannot eat on their own because of intestinal failure must rely on parenteral nutrition (PN), an intravenous method of feeding.

3 Jul 2006

Patients more satisfied if they have more contact with pharmacist

Getting hospital-based pharmacists out from "behind the counter" to work directly with inpatients and health care teams reduces medication errors and problems, according to a University of Iowa and Department of Veterans Affairs review of previously published studies.

23 May 2006

Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence

While many treatment approaches were found helpful, the authors report that the patients who were most successful in abstaining from alcohol 16 weeks after treatment were those prescribed naltrexone under medical management and those participating in a multi-session program of alcohol counseling delivered by a behavioral specialist.

3 May 2006

Real cure for beating insomnia is to find out what is causing it in the first place

Studies show that many Americans are struggling to get a good night's sleep, but seeing a doctor for an instant insomnia "cure," however, shouldn't be the first course of action, says a Purdue University expert.

27 Mar 2006

Topical anaesthesia and morphine effective in treating procedural pain in newborn infants

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have found that intravenous morphine used alone or with a topical anaesthetic (tetracaine) effectively reduced levels of pain in newborn infants undergoing insertion of central venous catheters (central lines).

17 Feb 2006

Grapefruits help reduce cholesterol

A grapefruit a day - particularly the red variety - can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a new study by Israeli researchers.

16 Feb 2006

Grapefruit reduces risk from heart disease

Heart disease patients who eat one grapefruit daily can significantly reduce the levels of cholesterol in their blood in comparison to patients who do not eat the fruit, a new study has found. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

16 Feb 2006

Pharmacists in disagreement over law on morning-after pill

A recent survey of pharmacists in the United States has revealed that as many as 39 percent of respondents are against state laws that would require them to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill.

6 Dec 2005

Warning that breast cancer drug can harm fetus

Health Canada along with drug company Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada, have issued a warning concerning the drug Femara (letrozole), which is used to treat breast cancer in women who are postmenopausal.

30 Nov 2005