CP, December 2016, Vol 8, No 12

New Zealand pharmacists support OTC trimethoprim prescribing

Pharmacists in New Zealand who are allowed to give women with uncomplicated cystitis a three-day supply of trimethoprim say patients appreciate the improved access to treatment.…

Fixed dose combination products have little impact on medicines adherence

While persistence rates favoured patients taking a fixed dose combination of a statin and ezetimibe, it made no difference to adherence, researchers found.…

Dangers with inappropriate use of long-acting beta agonists

Caution is required when prescribing or dispensing long-acting beta agonists to manage airways diseases, such as asthma.…

Small molecule vaccine protects against UTI in mice

A vaccine using siderophores reduced bacterial burden in the urine and kidneys of mice, researchers report.…

Child obesity rates continue to grow in England — we need action now

In October 2016, NHS Digital released the latest set of figures from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). Another set of childhood obesity statistics and another bleak picture. Year on year, we are faced with sobering figures that reveal an increasingly worrying trend: the number of obes…

Conventional therapies and emergent precision medicines for cystic fibrosis: challenges and opportunities

Around 27 years ago, the discovery of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene – responsible for causing cystic fibrosis (CF) – marked a significant moment in the history of the condition. Despite the early promise of this target for gene therapy, a universally…

Promoting self care to reduce unnecessary GP visits

Healthcare is changing dramatically and so are the needs of our patients. As such, GPs and our teams are changing the ways in which we are working, but we also need our patients to play their part. There are many minor conditions and ailments that patients can treat themselves — or at le…

DMARDs do not increase post-surgical infection risk

Rates of post-surgical infections did not increase for patients taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologics, researchers discover.…

Gout treatment does not raise CKD risk

Study shows serum urate levels can be lowered using allopuruinol in gout without risk to kidneys.…

Methylprednisolone as effective as gentamicin for Ménière’s disease

Study shows that methylprednisolone and gentamicin are equally as effective in controlling vertigo attacks.…