PJ, October 2016, Vol 297, No 7894

Boots staff offered voluntary redundancy

Boots has announced that it has asked support office staff to volunteer for redundancy as part of plans to cut 700 jobs.…

Pfizer loses appeal in patent case concerning Lyrica use in pain relief

The Court of Appeal in London ruled on 13 October 2016 that it has upheld last year’s High Court decision that the patent covering Lyrica for pain relief has not been infringed by generic drug manufacturers Actavis and Mylan.  The drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, says that it will…

Transforming our workforce: an International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) report

Claire Anderson, vice-chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board, reflects on the launch of the ‘Transforming Our Workforce’ report at the 2016 International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, from her rol…

Study highlights drug-drug interaction risk from two commonly used drugs

Combined treatment with the antibiotic ceftriaxone and the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole can lead to an increased risk of drug-induced arrhythmia, a study has found.…

A useful generalist introduction to medicines management

Disease management. A guide to clinical pharmacology, 3rd edition, by Michael D Randall and Karen E Neil.…

How to evaluate services delivered within community pharmacy

How pharmacists and healthcare professionals can perform service-based evaluations within community pharmacy.…

Trials of genetic heart failure drug halted after patient deaths

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has discontinued development of an experimental therapy for a rare genetic condition that can cause heart failure because of higher death rates in patients taking the drug in late stage trials. Revusiran, an investigational RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic, was being…

Pharmacist-led medication reviews reduce drug-related readmissions

Medication reviews carried out by hospital pharmacists can reduce drug-related readmissions and emergency department visits but the evidence behind these services is of poor quality, according to a study.…

Homeopathic teething products licensed in UK are safe, says medicines regulator

Homeopathic teething products licensed in the UK are safe, says the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, after the US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety warning about US products.…

Q&A: From training surgeons in Ireland to providing healthcare education internationally

Paul Gallagher, head of the school of pharmacy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, speaks to Benedict Lam about how the royal college focus on education and training led to the expansion of its provision of healthcare education in Ireland and beyond.…