PJ, 8 November 2014, Vol 293, No 7835

Embrace opportunities under five-year NHS plan, pharmacists urged

Pharmacy organisations have identified opportunities to integrate more with other services and have a real impact on improving patient care within the five-year NHS plan.…

Pharmacists could carry out medication reviews in GP practices, says RCGP chair

The Royal College of General Practitioners has spoken out about the increased role that community pharmacy could play in primary care. …

First drug for rare sun disease recommended for approval in Europe

The European Medicines Agency recommends that Scenesse (afamelanotide) should be approved for the prevention of severe sunburn in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria.…

Scientific advances are not translating into new cancer drugs, expert warns

The global system for discovering new cancer drugs is failing to turn scientific advances into innovative new medicines, Paul Workman, interim chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research in London has warned.…

Can small changes in the food environment encourage healthier eating?

Pam Mason describes a study that suggests slim diners have different eating habits to heavier diners.…

Boosting drugs manufacture in developing countries will improve health outcomes, UN investment forum told

Increasing pharmaceutical production in developing countries — especially in sub-Saharan Africa — could improve access to affordable medicines, experts say. …

Pre-registration assessment pass rate down nearly nine percentage points

The General Pharmaceutical Council says 427 out of 701 pre-registration trainee pharmacists have passed its September 2014 registration assessment, a pass rate of 60.9%.…

E-cigarettes in pharmacies

I attended this year’s Pharmacy Show at the NEC in Birmingham on 5–6 October 2014 and saw a large number of exhibitors flogging their e-cigarette products to attendees, many of whom are pharmacists. How can pharmacists encourage patients to give up smoking while at the same time promote …

Johnson & Johnson accelerates Ebola vaccine push

Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceuticals unit, Janssen, will invest US$200m in accelerating and expanding production of its Ebola vaccine.…

To prescribe or not to prescribe, that is the question…

A patient with asthma comes into your community pharmacy to collect his regular inhalers. Johnathan Laird describes an intervention you could make.…