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.

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

FDA issues warning on adolescent use of antidepressants

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory announcing a multi-pronged strategy to warn the public about the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior ("suicidality") in children and adolescents being treated with antidepressant medications.

18 Oct 2004

You can't buy cigarettes from your doctor, so why can you purchase tobacco products at some pharmacies?

People do not expect to be able to purchase cigarettes or other tobacco products when they visit their doctors' or dentists' offices.

13 Oct 2004

New survey reveals continued drug price disparities across the New York State

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has announced that his office's drug price website has been expanded to include pharmacies within every county in New York State.

11 Oct 2004

Pharmacists respond to unprecedented demand for the flu vaccine in the wake of the current shortage

Pharmacists are responding to unprecedented demand for the flu vaccine in the wake of the current shortage. The pharmacist is on the front line in addressing consumers’ questions and concerns about the availability of the vaccine and in helping Americans understand the CDC’s priorities for administration of the immunization.

10 Oct 2004

UK's Department of Health flu immunisation campaign launches

Manchester United's Paul Scholes is backing the UK's Department of Health flu immunisation campaign, which launched today.

4 Oct 2004

High blood pressure can effect many life activities, including sex

Despite its seeming invisibility, high blood pressure is dangerous, even deadly. Its effects can linger throughout many life activities, including sex.

29 Sep 2004

Half of Britons at risk from heart disease

More than half the people tested in a national pharmacy initiative to identify the threat of high blood pressure were found to be at risk according to new research launched today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference.

27 Sep 2004

People should be aware of the risks of herbal remedies interacting with conventional medicines

A high percentage of the population could be endangering their health by taking herbal medicines without checking with a health professional first according to Peter Houghton, Professor in Pharmacognosy, King’s College London.

7 Sep 2004

Public call for legal age of smoking to be raised helps underline dire health-care consequences of long-term smoking

A new British report commissioned as part of BBC News' Healthy Britons poll has found that 80% of people want the legal age of smoking raised from 16 to 18. This follows a recent report in the journal Education and Health on the health-care consequences of long-term smoking.

6 Sep 2004

Regulatory agency alerts consumers about poor quality of some traditional chinese medicines

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued advice to consumers and the herbal sector about the poor quality of some traditional chinese medicines (TCMs) on the UK market.

5 Sep 2004

Consumer education campaign warning Connecticut residents of the dangers of illegal drug importation

Connecticut became the sixteenth state to join forces with the FDA to launch the "Looks Can Be Deceiving" educational campaign. During a press conference in Hartford, officials from CPA unveiled examples of the more than 40,000 flyers and prescription bag inserts that have been sent to 166 pharmacies across Connecticut.

18 Aug 2004

Drug interactions between prescription medication and herbal supplements can be extremely dangerous

Herbal supplements may be natural, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are safe.

11 Aug 2004

Injuries kill more Washingtonians under the age of 45 than all diseases combined

Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for younger people in Washington and are largely preventable. During the summer months, there are more deaths and hospitalizations due to injury.

2 Aug 2004

Medicare prescription drug plan for seniors and the disabled is providing substantial discounts on drugs

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the Medicare prescription drug plan for seniors and the disabled is providing substantial discounts on drugs. In its report, the organization finds that prices have not been fluctuating as much as had been feared.

29 Jul 2004