PJ, November 2016, Vol 297, No 7895

RPS chief executive to leave for new role at Royal Society of Medicine

Helen Gordon, chief executive of the RPS, has announced that she will be leaving in Feburary 2017 to take up a new role at the Royal Society of Medicine.…

RPS event ‘The future of diabetes in pharmacy’: Tuesday 6 December 2016

Following the successful launch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) long-term conditions campaign, which calls for more pharmacist-led support in the care of patients with long-term conditions, the RPS are hosting events that highlight the importance of pharmacists in the patient care pathway.…

High-intensity statin treatment increases chance of survival

Patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease receiving high-intensity statins — including those aged over 75 years — have a lower risk of death than those on a lower-intensity statin, according to new research.…

Sore Throat Test and Treat is good news for GPs under pressure

14 November 2016: Ash Soni, member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English Pharmacy Board, fronted media interviews on ITV News, Channel 4 News and Sky News to explain how making the most of pharmacists’ skills through point of care diagnostics, such as Sore Throat Test and Trea…

Deaths: Charles Vivian Shawn

On 12 November 2016, Charles Vivian Shawn MRPharmS, aged 81, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. Mr Shawn registered with the Society in 1958.…

Do not self-diagnose without getting advice from a pharmacist first

15 November 2016: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) released survey results highlighting the risks of self-diagnosis online and self-treatment without getting advice from a pharmacist first. Olutayo Arikawe, winner of the RPS I Love My Pharmacist Award, took to the airways on local radio to dri…

UK drug funding framework needs an overhaul to ensure the right areas are being prioritised

If the NHS is to get value for money from medicines, it needs to consider what the UK population values and where its priorities lie.…

How to build and maintain trust with patients

Patients are more likely to open up and disclose information if they trust their pharmacist or healthcare professional, and a better quality of interaction may result in greater patient autonomy and shared decision-making.…

NHS has power to fund PrEP HIV drug, Court of Appeal rules

NHS England has the power to fund a ‘game changing’ drug that can prevent HIV infection, the UK Court of Appeal has ruled.…

Inadequate funding hampers research into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A lack of funding for research into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as difficulties in conducting clinical trials, make finding new treatments for this respiratory condition challenging. But there are glimmers of hope, such as reversing steroid resistance and identifying subpopulation…