CP, November 2018, Vol 10, No 11

How pharmacists can help prevent an ‘opioid crisis’ developing in the UK

Pharmacy must demonstrate that it has the knowledge and skills to support people to use opiods safely and effectively.…

Role of dual and triple fixed-dose combination inhalers in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A review of the current evidence, including the safety and efficacy of dual and triple-combination inhalers for the treatment of stable COPD, and their place in therapy.…

Pharmacist prescribing support releases GP capacity, Scottish project shows

Prescribing support from specialist pharmacy staff could free up GPs’ time and capacity, results from a pilot project in Scotland have shown.…

Empirical antibiotic treatment of sepsis: impact of specialist pharmacist review

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommend that empirical antibiotic courses initiated in hospital inpatients should be reviewed within 72 hours[1] ; a revised decision for ongoing therapy should be made in light of culture results, investigations and cl…

Prescribing and deprescribing sodium valproate: implications for pharmacy practice

Children exposed to valproate in utero are at a high risk of serious developmental disorders (30–40% risk) and congenital malformations (10% risk). Valproate is now contraindicated in pregnancy for all indications, except for the treatment of epilepsy in the absence of a suitable alternative[1…

Point-of-care testing can support antimicrobial stewardship

Researchers say the integration of point-of-care testing could help identify lower-risk patients in hospitals and subsequently reduce antibiotic use.…

Daily vaping increases heart attack risk

Despite e-cigarettes being recommended as a safer alternative to tobacco smoking, researchers found data linking both e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking with a higher risk of myocardial infarction compared with not smoking.…

One in six women with breast cancer ‘do not adhere to tamoxifen’

Some 16% of premenopausal women with early-onset breast cancer fail to adequately adhere to tamoxifen, increasing their risk of recurrence and reduced survival.…

PrEP rollout has cut new HIV diagnoses, finds Australian study

Rollout of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV has resulted in a rapid decrease of new infections among men who have sex with men, according to data collected in New South Wales, Australia.…

Pharmacists have good understanding of biosimilars but concerns over switching, study results show

UK pharmacists have a high level of understanding of biosimilars but have concerns about the safety and efficacy of switching patients to the drugs, research has shown.…