General Practitioner News and Research

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GPs antibiotic prescribing practices are still contributing to resistance

GPs are still prescribing antibiotics for up to 80% of cases of sore throat, otitis media, upper respiratory tract infections, and sinusitis, despite the fact that official guidance warns against this practice, according to an analysis of the world's largest primary care database of consultations and prescriptions, published this week in a supplement to the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

26 Jul 2007

Most patients satisfied with their GP's opening hours

Proof that GP practices are open at times to suit the vast majority of patients (84%) comes today (24 July 2007) ) with publication of results from the English Department of Health's GP Patient Survey.

24 Jul 2007

Schering-Plough announces licensing of Acadesine

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced the worldwide licensing of acadesine, an investigational, potentially first-in-class adenosine regulating agent (ARA), from PeriCor Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, specialty biopharmaceutical company.

20 Jul 2007

Review examines how well GPs treat anxiety, depression or substance abuse

When patients have psychosocial problems such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse, a general practice doctor is often the first healthcare professional they see.

18 Jul 2007

2 week wait rule for breast cancer patients questioned

The "two week wait rule" is failing breast cancer patients and needs to be reviewed urgently say the authors of a seven year study examining the impact of the target, published on bmj.com.

13 Jul 2007

Study targets pharmacists to help diabetes sufferers

A new Wesley Research Institute project aims to make it much easier for people to manager their Type 2 Diabetes by using community pharmacists.

9 Jul 2007

Smoking cessation clinics provide a new opportunity to detect early carbon monoxide poisoning

Results from routine carbon monoxide (CO) testing in the breath of people attending such clinics or GP support services can alert healthcare professionals to patients who are suffering from chronic, low-level CO poisoning.

9 Jul 2007

Link between autism and triple vaccination questioned again

According to a new but as yet unpublished study, the number of children in Britain with autism is far higher than previously thought.

8 Jul 2007

One in four Britons have mental health problems

The UK's first jargon-fee guide to mental health aimed at the general public is published this week.

4 Jul 2007

Single dose of vitamin D may be enough to boost the immune system to fight against tuberculosis

Their findings came from a study that identified an extraordinarily high incidence of vitamin D deficiency amongst those communities in London most at risk from the disease, which kills around two million people each year.

16 May 2007

Should women be prescribed statins?

Women in western countries are more likely to die from heart disease than from cancer.

11 May 2007

No alcohol in pregancy is the safest choice

Women should not drink alcohol while pregnant or planning to become pregnant, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians was told today in Melbourne.

8 May 2007

Doctors say too many Brits addicted to OTC drugs

Doctors in Britain are warning about the dangers of becoming addicted to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines; they say more research is needed on how many misuse OTC drugs.

7 May 2007

1758 cases of malaria reported in UK travellers in 2006

1386 of the cases were due to the potentially fatal Plasmodium falciparum which is a major international health risk and which kills more than a million people a year in Africa. 219 were due to Plasmodium vivax which causes a debilitating disease, but is rarely fatal.

2 May 2007

Community based digital eye screening programme set to expand

Community based digital eye screening programme designed to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, is being rolled out to other locations, following its huge success since launching seven months ago.

24 Apr 2007

GP surgeries with specialist nurses can help save lives

One of the biggest research trials carried out in GP surgeries has confirmed that those with specialist cardiac nurse clinics can help to improve patients' lives.

24 Apr 2007

Ambulance staff struggling to cope

National ambulance officer Sam Oestreicher said the ambulance service had been relying heavily on the goodwill and commitment of staff to keep up with the huge increase in demand over the past decade.

20 Apr 2007

Brief meetings with healthcare workers curb excessive drinking in men

Between one and four standard appointments with a general practitioner or nurse can reduce a patient's alcohol consumption by an average of five standard drink units a week, according to a Cochrane Review.

19 Apr 2007

Safeguarding patient services, maintaining cost-effectivenes

GPs struggling to balance their books in the face of rising expenses and a zero percent increase in funding will have to take tough, business-minded decisions to minimise the effect on both their practices and patient services, advises the BMA's General Practitioners Committee (GPC).

5 Apr 2007