The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists respond to MHRA draft 2013-2018 corporate plan consultation
Source: Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists Area: News The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists has issued a response to the MHRA draft 2013-2018 corporate plan consultation. See below for the response to this consultation (Source: NeLM - News)
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Timing of diabetic patients consuming food following insulin administration
Source: Diabetes Care Area: News Type 2 diabetics can eat right after an insulin injection, according to a new study from Germany.   In a study of 100 diabetics (mean age 66.7 years), researchers found that blood sugar levels remained steady regardless of whether or not participants waited 20 to 30 minutes between using insulin and eating a meal.   In a crossover trial, they randomly assigned half their diabetic patients to wait 20 minutes to eat after injecting human insulin, and the other half to eat immediately.     After four weeks, the groups switched. All the participants had generall...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Observational study suggests nitrofurantoins may pose little risk of birth defects
Source: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters Health Area: News A large observational study in Norway, published in the February edition of the journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, suggests that nitrofurantoins may pose little risk for birth defects when taken during pregnancy.   The researchers studied a Norwegian national birth registry and a national prescription database for pregnancies in 2004-2008 to find 5,794 women exposed to nitrofurantoins (3.2%) at different stages during their pregnancy, (1,334 women (0.7%) in the first trimester and 979 women (0.5%) in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy). They compared th...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Tresiba (insulin degludec) launched in the UK
Source: EMC Area: News Tresiba FlexTouch pre-filled pen containing 100 units insulin degludec per mL and 200 units insulin degludec per mL, and Tresiba penfill cartridges containing 100 units insulin degludec per mL have been launched in the UK for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults. (Source: NeLM - News)
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

New GMC prescribing guidance published
Source: GMC, PharmaTimes Area: News The General Medical Council (GMC) has released its new prescribing guidance. The 'Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices' strengthens and broadens the current advice on prescribing medicines to include medical devices, and gives key updates on using unlicensed medicines.   Following concerns that doctors may be prescribing some unlicensed medicines when a more expensive licensed alternative exists, in the new publication the doctors' regulator said clinicians can still prescribe medicines outside their licence only "when it is necessary to do so to meet...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

NICE issues Appraisal Consultation Document on dapagliflozin for type 2 diabetes and requests more information from the manufacturer
Source: NICE Area: News The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued for consultation an Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) on the use of dapagliflozin for type 2 diabetes.   The following preliminary recommendations have been made:   . The Committee is minded not to recommend dapagliflozin in combination therapy for treating type 2 diabetes.   . The Committee recommends that NICE requests further clarification from the manufacturers, which should be made available for the second Appraisal Committee meeting on the 5th March 2013   The consulta...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

NICE issues ACD on bevacizumab for recurrent advanced platinum sensitive or partially platinum sensitive ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer
Source: NICE Area: News The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued for consultation an Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) on the use of bevacizumab for treating advanced ovarian cancer that has returned six months or more after initial treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy (platinum-sensitive disease).   The following preliminary recommendations have been made:   . Bevacizumab in combination with gemcitabine and carboplatin is not recommended for treating the first recurrence of platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer (including fallopian tube and primary ...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

NICE issues Appraisal Consultation Document on pegloticase for severe gout
Source: NICE Area: News The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued for consultation, an Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) on pegloticase for the treatment of severe gout.   The following preliminary recommendations have been made:   . Pegloticase is not recommended within its marketing authorisation, that is, for treating severe debilitating chronic tophaceous gout in adults who may also have erosive joint involvement and in whom xanthine oxidase inhibitors at the maximum medically appropriate dose have failed to normalise serum uric acid or for whom these medic...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

NICE consultation opens on 2014/15 Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set
Source: NICE Area: News NICE has opened its consultation on potential additional indicators for the proposed 2014/2015 Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set (CCGOIS, formerly known as the 'Commissioning Outcomes Framework'). Anyone with an interest in health is invited to comment on the 32 indicators which cover a broad range of topics, including chronic heart failure, cancer, and hip fracture. The consultation will take place between Friday 1 February and Friday 1 March. (Source: NeLM - News)
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Department of Health launches 12 week consultation to establish a full set of NICE quality standards and guidance for social care
Source: Department of Health Area: News The Department of Health is looking for ideas from care users, their families and carers, service commissioners, care providers, and front line staff to help decide on future topics for NICE guidance and standards for social care.   Some of the potential NICE standards for discussion in the consultation include:   . Falls . Deprivation of liberty safeguards . Medicines management in home-based settings.   The role of NICE in driving up the quality of social care is outlined in The Caring for our Future White Paper. The 12 week consulta...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

NICE publishes QIPP Medicines Management document
Source: NICE Area: News NICE has published an evidence based document summarising medicines management options for local implementation on identified topics supporting the QIPP medicines use and procurement work stream. The document, which is not formal NICE guidance, covers the following identified topics:   . Laxatives . Renin-angiotensin system drugs . Lipid modifying drugs including ezetimibe . Omega-3 fatty acid supplements . High dose inhaled corticosteroids in asthma . Hypnotics . Low dose antipsychotics in people with dementia . First-choice ant...
Source: NeLM - News - February 1, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Patient advice and information leaflets on footcare for people with diabetes
Source: NHS Diabetes Area: News The following leaflets were developed for people with diabetes nationally in Scotland and have been endorsed by the Scottish Diabetes Group and NHS Diabetes:   . Advice about your footwear . High risk . Low risk . Moderate risk . Holiday feet . Looking after your diabetic foot ulcer . The Charcot Foot (Source: NeLM - News)
Source: NeLM - News - January 31, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Posters to promote key pharmacy services to the public
Source: PSNC Area: News A new set of display posters designed to help promote key pharmacy services to the public can now be downloaded from the PSNC website. The posters were designed by Cumbria LPC and feature the 'Think Pharmacy' slogan. They can be printed off in poster form or used as part of smaller leaflets and are suitable for use both in pharmacies and other local community venues. The posters cover medicines advice, smoking cessation help, travel health advice, emergency hormonal contraception and minor ailments. They advise patients that rather than visiting their GP, they should 'think pharmacy' as their local...
Source: NeLM - News - January 31, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

GP Practice Prescribing Data England, October 2012
Source: NHS Information Centre Area: News General practice prescribing data for October 2012 are now available from the NHS information Centre, These data consist of a list of all medicines, dressings and appliances that are prescribed and dispensed each month. For each practice in England, the following information is presented:   . total number of items prescribed and dispensed . total net ingredient cost . total actual cost . total quantity (Source: NeLM - News)
Source: NeLM - News - January 31, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news

Secretary of State publishes decision on South London Healthcare NHS Trust
Source: Department of Health (DH) Area: News The Trust Special Administrator was appointed in July 2012 to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on the future of South London Healthcare NHS Trust. The broad recommendations of the report have been accepted, which are:   . the trust will be dissolved, with each of its hospitals taken over by a neighbouring hospital trust- these mergers are subject to approval from the relevant regulators.   . all 3 hospitals within South London Healthcare NHS Trust - Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, Queen Mary's in Sidcup and the Princess Royal in B...
Source: NeLM - News - January 31, 2013 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news