PJ, October 2015, Vol 295, No 7882

Effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccine and new production methods

Despite a mismatch between the 2014–2015 seasonal flu vaccine and circulating strains, the flu jab is still the best way to protect people in at-risk groups.…

Tutors can help address preregistration training problems now

Preregistration tutors must take their responsibility to trainees seriously and provide a supportive learning environment.…

Gaining patient trust over pharmacy access to records

With the roll out of pharmacy access to summary care records, some patients will inevitably express concerns about privacy, but the signs are that patients support this move.…

Proposed cuts to public health budgets are short-sighted

Sandra Gidley, chair of the English Pharmacy Board, calls on pharmacists to campaign against cuts to public health funding for local authorities.…

Scaremongering about e-cigarettes is not in the best interest of patients

As evidence continues to emerge about the safety and benefits of e-cigarettes as a displacement tool for smoking, healthcare professionals have a duty to inform, not scare, people about these products.…

Synthetic biology: microbes made to manufacture drugs

From flu vaccines to a mission to Mars, scientists are engineering biological systems to meet the medical needs of the 21st century.…

RPS to review membership following Pharmacy2U investigation

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will review the membership of any RPS members found guilty of wrongdoing or who have been the subject of a complaint.…

Pharmacy2U fined £130,000 for selling patient data

The online pharmacy company Pharmacy2U has been fined £130,000 for selling details of more than 20,000 of its customers to marketing companies without their knowledge or consent.…

It may be imperfect, but the flu vaccine saves lives

I spend my time infecting volunteers with influenza virus to better understand how vaccines and antivirals work. How well the flu vaccine works can vary from season to season and is dependent on the similarity or “match” between the circulating flu viruses and the strains in the flu vacc…

Helminth infections: diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis and selection of appropriate drug treatments for common helminth infections.…