CP, March 2019, Vol 11, No 3

Impact of opioid prescribing following arthroplasty on long-term opioid prescribing in the community

Adequate relief of acute postsurgical pain is a metric of patient satisfaction [1] . Patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty — in which joints are altered or replaced — at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, receive strong opioids in the immediate postoperat…

Managing the symptoms of overactive bladder

Overactive bladder can be distressing and embarrassing. Understanding the symptoms, diagnosis and evidence-based management can significantly improve quality of life.…

How a breath biopsy test could change the face of early cancer detection

A pain-free 1–10 minute breath sampler could enhance and speed up the early detection of a range of cancers, writes Balkees Abderrahman.…

What could UK pharmacy teams learn about suicide prevention from North America?

From the perspective of their clinical and holistic role, and restriction of access to means, there are opportunities to involve pharmacy teams in suicide prevention. This article examines the published evidence-base and the success of ongoing programmes and initiatives in the United States and Cana…

Preventing hazardous prescribing with a pharmacist-led dashboard intervention

Medication errors that lead to adverse drug events are a major problem, and one that has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization’s third Global Patient Safety Challenge. In the UK, 1 in every 550 prescriptions in primary care contains potentially life-threatening errors, 1 in 25 hos…

Needle and syringe programmes cost effective in reducing HCV transmission

Study shows needle and syringe programmes reduce transmission of hepatitis C while delivering cost savings.…

Long-term follow-up allays fears that finasteride increases mortality

Initial concerns that finasteride could increase risk of prostate cancer death have been found to be unwarranted in a long-term follow-up study.…

Study questions link between antidepressants and hip fractures

A previously identified link between antidepressant use and hip fractures needs further examination, the authors of a study published in JAMA Psychiatry have concluded.…

High dose vitamin D has no increased benefit for bone mineral density

Monthly dosing of vitamin D3 supplements in older adults does not increase bone mineral density, the results of a recent study show.…

Patient-centred clinic improves outcomes after myocardial infarction

A post-myocardial infarction medicines optimisation clinic, led primarily by a pharmacist with support from a cardiologist, has resulted in improved medicines adherence and guideline concordance, study results published in Open Heart show.…