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.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society responds to over the counter medication report

Responding to the British Medical Association's (BMA) report, Over the counter medication, David Pruce, Director of Practice and Quality Improvement, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, said:

14 Jun 2005

Medication errors dramatically reduced in patients with kidney disease

A first of its kind study has shown a dramatic reduction in medication errors in patients with chronic kidney disease when Kaiser Permanente Colorado researchers teamed with pharmacists to use a computerized system to electronically screen prescriptions for unsafe medication orders.

3 Jun 2005

Leading patient safety advocates assess progress in reducing medical error five years after landmark IOM report

It has been five years since the release of the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report on medical errors, “To Err is Human.” What progress has been made to improve patient safety since the report found that nearly 100,000 deaths occur annually as a result of medical error?

18 May 2005

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

The study found that patients taking lisinopril – a medication used to treat chronic high blood pressure – were more likely to have their prescriptions refilled on time if the medication came in a blister package rather than as loose tablets in a bottle. In this case, the blister package clearly started the day on which to take each pill.

16 May 2005

Pharmacies in supermarkets: Where's the public benefit?

Protecting public health is more important than Woolworths' profits and should be the primary consideration in any government decision over whether to allow pharmacies in supermarkets, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Vice-President Frank Payne said yesterday.

10 May 2005

International internet drug ring shattered

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Karen P. Tandy has announced the results of Operation “Cyber Chase”, a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation that targeted international Internet pharmaceutical traffickers operating in the United States, India, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. These e-traffickers distributed drugs world-wide using “rogue” Internet pharmacies.

23 Apr 2005

Pfizer recalls epilepsy medicine

Pfizer has voluntarily recalled one lot (40,000 bottles) of 100 mg capsules of its epilepsy medication, Neurontin, after a manufacturing mechanical failure resulted in some bottles containing empty or partially filled capsules.

23 Apr 2005

Efforts to raise awareness on teen substance abuse

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today echoed the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's call for increased parental awareness about the intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines among teenagers.

23 Apr 2005

Emergency contraceptive Plan B now available over the counter in Canada

The emergency contraceptive drug Plan B will now be available over the counter in all of Canada as Health Canada yesterday ended the prescription requirement for Paladin Labs Inc.'s contraceptive.

20 Apr 2005

Metabolic side effects of antipsychotics are known, but rarely monitored

Psychiatrists are doing a “modest” job of monitoring for weight gain, diabetes and other metabolic problems that may result from use of the newer antipsychotics for schizophrenia, researchers say.

5 Apr 2005

Hospital admission medication errors common and potentially harmful

A medication use history is an integral part of the hospital admission process, but errors in the history may result in failure to detect drug-related problems or lead to interrupted or inappropriate drug therapy during hospitalization, according to background information in the article. Earlier studies suggest that these errors are a potentially serious safety issue.

28 Feb 2005

Clot-dissolving drugs such as tPA may help detect potentially deadly leg clots

A possible diagnostic use for clot-dissolving drugs such as tPA has been found by Medical College of Georgia researchers working to improve a test that identifies potentially deadly blood clots in the legs.

14 Feb 2005

Pharmacist review does not keep older people out of hospital

The NHS recommends regular medication reviews for older patients, yet a study published on bmj.com today finds that home based monitoring does not keep older people out of hospital.

20 Jan 2005

Easier access to emergency contraception would not increase the risk of STDs

Making it easier to obtain emergency contraception would not increase unprotected intercourse, lead to abandonment of regular contraception, or increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2005

Bush Administration pressures Canada to eliminate drug importation

The following news release is being issued by CIPA - Canadian mail-order drug importation may become illegal soon due to new regulations proposed by the Liberal Government. After quietly supporting the practice for four years, the Liberals made a conspicuous about face after President Bush's November visit to Canada.

4 Jan 2005

U.S. pharmacists not opposed to importing drugs to lower patients' costs

Many community pharmacists are not opposed to importing drugs to lower patients' costs as long as those drugs are channeled through U.S. pharmacies to ensure safety and efficacy, according to a study by pharmacists at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Michigan.

24 Nov 2004

Australian trial set to transform nursing home care

Medications trolleys in nursing homes may soon become mobile medical centres. The University of New South Wales has won a $300,000 grant to develop and trial a new point-of-care system that will allow nursing staff to manage medications, check patients’ clinical signs and streamline administration and clinical interaction with patients’ GPs.

8 Nov 2004

Cholesterol-lowering drugs can interact with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of the drugs' potential side-effects

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recently issued prescribing advice reminding healthcare professionals that certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, namely Zocor (simvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin), can interact with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of the drugs' potential side-effects.

4 Nov 2004

Help for NHS staff bringing healthcare to the world's poor

NHS staff from England who are planning health projects in the world's poorest communities are being supported by a new Department of Health fund, now opening its second wave (3 November 2004).

3 Nov 2004

Agreement reached on new community pharmacy contract

Patients in the UK will gain a better service from their local pharmacist as Government plans for a more flexible, modernised service moved a step further towards implementation, Health Minister Rosie Winterton announced today.

25 Oct 2004

Pharmacist News and Research

Further Reading

Royal Pharmaceutical Society responds to over the counter medication report

Medication errors dramatically reduced in patients with kidney disease

Leading patient safety advocates assess progress in reducing medical error five years after landmark IOM report

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

Pharmacies in supermarkets: Where's the public benefit?

International internet drug ring shattered

Pfizer recalls epilepsy medicine

Efforts to raise awareness on teen substance abuse

Emergency contraceptive Plan B now available over the counter in Canada

Metabolic side effects of antipsychotics are known, but rarely monitored

Hospital admission medication errors common and potentially harmful

Clot-dissolving drugs such as tPA may help detect potentially deadly leg clots

Pharmacist review does not keep older people out of hospital

Easier access to emergency contraception would not increase the risk of STDs

Bush Administration pressures Canada to eliminate drug importation

U.S. pharmacists not opposed to importing drugs to lower patients' costs

Australian trial set to transform nursing home care

Cholesterol-lowering drugs can interact with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of the drugs' potential side-effects

Help for NHS staff bringing healthcare to the world's poor

Agreement reached on new community pharmacy contract

Innovations in baculovirus–insect cell expression systems

Compound Management and its Crucial Role in Early Pharmaceutical Research

Natural products: the next frontier in drug discovery

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