PJ, April 2016, Vol 296, No 7888

Blocking the immune system in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the immune system attacking the body. It afflicts about 1% of people in the UK and is now treated with a variety of biologic drugs that dampen the immune system in different ways…

Carter’s review of NHS hospitals: a much better effort from the government compared with community pharmacy

Lord Carter appears to have got it right in his review about how to improve efficiencies in NHS hospitals.…

Celebrating 175 years of support to the profession

April 2016 marks a significant milestone for both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the profession’s independent charity Pharmacist Support. Together we celebrate 175 years of support to the profession, providing us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our own paths. It ha…

How to use the summary care record in community pharmacy

An overview of the summary care record, including its contents, who can view it, how its use can be monitored as well as how access in community pharmacies in England can benefit patients and pharmacy practice.…

If you want to influence pharmacy’s future, vote in the RPS elections

Our profession continues to face many challenges, not only those raised by the Department of Health consultation and the Carter review but also those such as the development of five-year integrated MPharm degree and improvements to training and experience in the preregistration year. Strong national…

Automated hub-and-spoke dispensing will create opportunities for greater patient contact; unless it’s all about the bottom line

Hub-and-spoke dispensing has the potential to change community pharmacy for the better but questions remain.…

Local practice forum events: 19 May – 1 June 2016

Thursday 19 May: South West of Scotland Local practice forum event, ‘Improving pharmaceutical care in dementia – play your part’. Wishaw General Hospital, 50 Netherton St, Wishaw, ML2 0BP. Event 7–9pm. Book via the RPS website. Wednesday 1 June: East of Scotl…

Tribute to Diana Emily Kerrod

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Diana Emily Gray (latterly Kerrod). Without question, my entire career was founded upon a solid grounding in regulatory affairs so ably nurtured by Diana from the outset of my transition into the pharmaceutical industry. We hit it off  from the …

Autism: in search of new drug targets

Genetic discoveries have invigorated autism research and raised the possibility of finding drug targets based on autism’s underlying pathophysiology, rather than merely treating symptoms.…

GP surgeries could employ an extra 1,500 pharmacists with £112m investment

An extra 1,500 pharmacists could be working in GP surgeries by 2020, after a funding boost of £112m by NHS England.…