PJ, April 2019, Vol 302, No 7924

Five-year pharmacy apprenticeship proposals published

Proposals to develop a five-year apprenticeship scheme for pharmacists have been criticised as “highly disruptive to the profession”.…

Antibiotic OTC treatments for sore throat could be fuelling antimicrobial resistance, researchers warn

Over-the-counter treatments that do not contain antibiotics should be considered for the symptomatic management of sore throat to help protect against antimicrobial resistance, researchers have recommended.…

Advising patients about malaria risks and prevention

Pharmacists must be able to advise UK-based travellers to malaria-endemic areas on the precautions they can take to protect themselves against the disease.…

Captivating insight into landmark drugs and their discoveries

Ten Drugs: how plants, powders, and pills have shaped the history of medicine by Thomas Hager.…

Gender pay gap at LloydsPharmacy sees year-on-year increase

LloydsPharmacy’s male employees continue to earn more than their female colleagues as the company’s gender pay gap saw a 2.5% increase in 2018 compared to 2017.…

Daily dosing of any vitamin D supplementation is valuable

A research briefing in the March 2019 issue of Clinical Pharmacist has the headline: ‘Monthly vitamin D dosing does not slow bone loss’. This story refers to a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , which was published on 8 January 2019. The study author…

‘Critical’ contract negotiations begin for community pharmacy

The government has shared its proposals for a new community pharmacy contract for 2019/2020 “and beyond”, with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee opening the latest round of negotiations.…

Looking at the ‘disproportionate’ number of fitness-to-practise cases between ethnic groups

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Unimpressed with new paper RPS membership card

I would just like to add my voice to that of my esteemed friend Mr Peter Lowe with regard to the disgracefully unimpressive membership card I have just received. I get a much more impressive card from my local gym. It indicates no professional standing whatsoever, and the very least you can do…

NHS Tayside pharmacists felt ‘professionally vulnerable’ drug dosing concerns were ignored

Pharmacists at NHS Tayside said they felt “professionally vulnerable” after changes to breast cancer drug dosing were introduced by a consultant breast cancer oncology team, a report by Health Improvement Scotland has found.…