Pharmacist News and Research

RSS

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.

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

High blood pressure research advances efforts to tailor drugs to individual patients

Having high blood pressure and a particular genetic alteration dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke or death, and may explain why some hypertensive patients fare worse than others - even if they take the same medication, University of Florida researchers announced.

26 Nov 2005

Fruits and vegetables can increase or decrease the activity and toxicity of orally-administered drugs

Eating fruits and vegetables is essential to living a long and healthy life, yet research has shown they can cause dangerous interactions with medicines.

5 Oct 2005

Pharmacists can play a vital role in bridging the care gap for patients with cystic fibrosis

Patients with cystic fibrosis typically take large numbers of medicines and are managed by healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care. Most of patients' regular medication is prescribed by general practitioners, whereas complex and new treatments are initiated and provided through hospital outpatient clinics.

26 Sep 2005

Clinical trial participants may not be as unrepresentative of general clinical populations as often reported

It is often suggested that the results of clinical trials are affected by the fact that the patients who volunteer for a trial are more likely to take their medication effectively than those in standard care. This supposition is, however, strongly refuted in the results of a new study revealed at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

26 Sep 2005

Pharmacists can drastically reduce patients worries about using steroids

For those people who suffer from eczema, the use of topical corticosteroids is high up on their list of concerns: How should they be used? And are they safe?

26 Sep 2005

New study into the health-related quality of life for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients

Pharmacists in Wales have conducted a new study into the health-related quality of life for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. The surprising results were revealed at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

26 Sep 2005

BMA(NI) initial response to Appleby Report

"The BMA met with Professor Appleby as part of this independent review and early indications are that much of his report appears to be consistent with the evidence provided by the Association."

31 Aug 2005

New guidance highlights pharmacist's role in protecting vulnerable adults

Two new pieces of guidance, Child Protection and Protection of Vulnerable Adults, published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain this week 6 August 2005 will help pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians recognise and act on instances where they believe patients may be victims of abuse.

4 Aug 2005

NitroMed have launched BiDil for the treatment of heart failure in black patients

NitroMed, Inc. announced today that BiDil® (isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine hydrochloride) is being launched for the treatment of heart failure in black patients as an adjunct to current standard therapies.

4 Jul 2005

Safety warning on Internet drugs

Thousands of men in the UK buy “lifestyle drugs” such as erectile dysfunction medication, weight and hair loss products from websites and are oblivious to the fact that some (not all) of the websites belong to unscrupulous vendors.

21 Jun 2005

New topical pain cream, Maxilene, eases procedural pain

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) have found that a new topical anaesthetic (liposomal lidocaine 4% cream, brand name Maxilene) effectively reduced pain for children having IVs inserted (cannulation) in the emergency department and improved procedural success rates.

20 Jun 2005

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

Pharmacist News and Research

Further Reading

Warning that breast cancer drug can harm fetus

High blood pressure research advances efforts to tailor drugs to individual patients

Fruits and vegetables can increase or decrease the activity and toxicity of orally-administered drugs

Pharmacists can play a vital role in bridging the care gap for patients with cystic fibrosis

Clinical trial participants may not be as unrepresentative of general clinical populations as often reported

Pharmacists can drastically reduce patients worries about using steroids

New study into the health-related quality of life for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients

BMA(NI) initial response to Appleby Report

New guidance highlights pharmacist's role in protecting vulnerable adults

NitroMed have launched BiDil for the treatment of heart failure in black patients

Safety warning on Internet drugs

New topical pain cream, Maxilene, eases procedural pain

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

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News