Nursing

Unit-dose drug system frees up nurses and ‘removes potential for error’

The introduction of a unit-dose medicines packing, distribution and administration system at University Hospital of Leicester has streamlined the work of nurses on the renal wards, according to senior nurses at the hospital.…

Deprescribing drugs for care home residents could improve quality of life

The use of multiple medicines is still a major problem in British care homes, from the impact on residents to the strain on NHS resources, but ‘deprescribing’ can mitigate these risks.…

Medication barcoding system tested in Welsh care homes improves patient safety

A pilot project trialling a barcoding system for dispensed medicines administered in care homes in Wales has shown that the system saves staff time, improves patient safety and reduces medicines waste.…

Donepezil may delay nursing home admission in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease

Discontinuing donepezil in Alzheimer’s patients as their disease worsens could double the risk of admission into a nursing home within a year, suggests a study published in The Lancet Neurology.…

Healthcare professionals support openness around industry payments

Most healthcare professionals believe payments made to them from the pharmaceutical industry should be transparent, according to the results of a survey.…

Pharmacist practitioner-run clinics are a good idea

I wish to comment on Eileen Neilson’s piece ‘Nurses in pharmacies could help solve the NHS crisis’ ( The Pharmaceutical Journal 2015;294:79). Having nurses in pharmacies is a great concept and would improve access for patients, especially since most …

How trainee pharmacist independent prescribers can work with their supervisors

In order to qualify as an independent prescriber, pharmacists must be supervised by a designated medical practitioner. Sasa Jankovic explains how aspiring prescribers can help their supervisors understand their role.…

Clinical Pharmacist’s monthly news round-up: the top 10 in the past month

What has been happening in the world of pharmacy? Here’s our pick of must-read news from the past month.…

Nurse practitioners in pharmacies: a potential solution to the NHS crisis

A pharmacy walk-in service run by nurse practitioners in the United States could be adopted in the UK to ease the burden on the overstretched NHS.…

Funding for pharmacists will support GPs to deliver seven-day service

Around £7.5m from the primary care infrastructure fund will be used to support community pharmacists with training to help GPs in England deliver a seven-day-a-week service.…