Global health

Counterfeits designed to deceive pharmacists, RPS conference hears

Counterfeit medicines are being designed specifically to deceive pharmacists, the annual Royal Pharmaceutical Society conference heard.…

World Health Organization expedites trials for potential Ebola vaccines

The World Health Organization has announced that two vaccines will be expedited to clinical trials and could be available as soon as November 2014 for priority use in healthcare workers.…

Efforts to counter climate change-related health risks need to be put centre stage, says WHO

President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim calls for action on climate change, saying most serious impacts will be on public health.…

Online initiative aims to improve pharmacy education in Africa

A virtual centre of excellence that aims to help pharmacy schools in Africa increase the number of regionally-trained pharmacists has been launched.…

WHO calls on health sector to promote policies that will reduce climate change

The health sector needs to act quickly and assertively to promote policies that will reduce climate change and its consequences, says the World Health Organization.…

Rates of medication errors similar across countries

The rates of medication errors in primary care are similar in health systems across the world, with most ranging between 6% and 8%, according to an international review…

Simvastatin has no therapeutic benefit in COPD, researchers conclude

Simvastatin does not prevent exacerbations in people with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)…

Long-acting interferon-beta cuts relapse rate in multiple sclerosis

A new long-acting form of interferon-beta has shown significant efficacy versus placebo when used in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), reveal results of a Phase III trial published online in The Lancet Neurology.…

There is more to access than you may think

Luc Besançon, general secretary of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), urges readers to explore the many ways in which they can bring about healthy outcomes…

How treatment is labelled affects migraine pain scores, study finds

Giving patients positive information about their treatment for acute migraine contributes to a successful outcome, whether the patient is given active drug or placebo, a US study has shown ( Science Translational Medicine ; 8 January 2013).…