PJ, 11 July 2015, Vol 295, No 7870

How tutors can prepare students for the new GPhC registration assessment

In 2016, pre-registration trainees will sit the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) registration assessment in a new format. Johanne Barry, who writes assessment questions for the GPhC, explains how tutors can make sure their trainees are ready.…

Scotland brings in medicine card to avoid kidney injury after dehydration

Pocket-sized patient information cards that warn patients to temporarily stop taking specific medicines if they have a dehydrating illness are being introduced across Scotland.…

Learn how to administer drugs via enteral feeding tubes safely

‘Handbook of drug administration via enteral feeding tubes: third edition’, by Rebecca White and Vicky Bradnam.…

Acid-reducing drugs could increase risk of bacterial infection in children

Acid suppression medication is associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in infants and children aged up to 17 years in an outpatient setting, researchers found in a population-based study.…

RPS national boards elect new chairs

Chairs and vice-chairs elected in England, Scotland and Wales as new and re-elected board members assume positions.…

Make sunscreen protection rating clearer, urges pharmacist organisation

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society calls on sunscreen manufacturers to adopt single sun protection rating after survey reveals public confusion.…

Smart insulin patch delivers ‘fast, painless, continuous dose’

A ‘smart insulin patch’ that detects increases in blood sugar and responds by releasing necessary doses of the hormone could mean an end to painful injections, say US researchers. …

Australia moves to allow biosimilar substitution

The independent body that advises the Australian government about which drugs it should subsidise has taken steps towards allowing pharmacists and clinicians to substitute a biosimilar product for a biologic therapy.…

Challenging the gold standard of double-blind drug trials

The double-blind randomised controlled trial may be the gold standard of medical research but it fails to take full account of interactions between treatment and behaviour, say researchers writing in PLoS ONE.…

The RPS is not representing the majority of members

Douglas Hancox expresses concern over the low voter turnout in recent Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English Pharmacy Board elections ( The Pharmaceutical Journal 2015;294:661). If people do not vote it could be that they do not want any of the candidates. The fact that those c…