PJ, January 2000

Hospital pharmacy: thinking the unthinkable

Keith Farrar has “thought the unthinkable” to provide his vision for the future of hospital pharmaceutical services…

The role of international pharmacy organisations

In this article, John Ferguson considers the achievements of international pharmacy groups and gives his views on the future for such organisations…

Pharmaceutical manufacturing into the future

In this article, the author looks at the history and the future of industrial pharmacy…

The future of the profession

In this article, the first of eight commissioned by The Journal to mark the beginning of the new millennium, the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society outlines her vision for the future of the pharmaceutical profession…

Professional business: the achievements of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society since 1841

This article explores the relationship between economic and cultural capital in the long-term development of the practice of pharmacy in Britain. It argues that one of the major achievements of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been to facilitate and encourage the replacement of property ownershi…

Zinc supplements may reduce pneumonia and diarrhoea

Zinc supplementation may reduce the incidence of pneumonia by 41 per cent and that of diarrhoea by up to 25 per cent, say the Zinc Investigators’ Collaborative Group. Writing in the Journal of Pediatrics (1999;135:689), they report a pooled analysis of 10 trials (published and unpublished) in …

New tobramycin formulation licensed for nebulisation

A formulation of tobramycin for nebulisation is now available for treating patients with cystic fibrosis. Tobi nebuliser solution (Pathogenesis) is licensed for long-term management of chronic pulmonary infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (see p39). It is the first tobramycin product to…

Survey finds gap between social classes in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease

The overall prevalence in England of ischaemic heart disease or stroke increased between 1994 and 1998, according to a survey published in December, 1999, by the Department of Health. In addition, the survey found a socio-economic gradient in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The risk…

Single dose secretin no more effective than placebo for autism

Secretin, a hormone reported to be useful in the treatment of autism, is no more effective than placebo, according to Dr Adrian Sandler (Olson Huff centre for child development, Asheville, North Carolina, US) and colleagues. Reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine (1999;341:1801), the…

Isotretinoin availability under threat

Isotretinoin (Roaccutane), a treatment of last resort for many patients with acne, has been banned by two health authorities on cost grounds, according to Miss Alison Dudley (chief executive, Acne Support Group). She believes that “this is probably the tip of the iceberg”. Speakin…