BACKGROUND: In the UK, over 90 medicines that were previously available only through prescription have been reclassified to allow over-the-counter (OTC) availability via pharmacies. Pharmacists are personally responsible for undertaking or supervising the sales and supplies of these OTC 'pharmacy only' (P) medicines. Reclassification facilitates pharmacy management of a wide ...

BACKGROUND: Patient non-adherence to medicines represents a significant waste of health resource and lost opportunity for health gain. Medicine management services are a key health policy strategy to encourage patients to take medicines as they are prescribed. One such service is the English Medicines Use Review (MUR) which is an ...

OBJECTIVES: To explore current arrangements for identifying and managing performance concerns in community pharmacists in the UK. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with 20 senior managers from community pharmacies and locum agencies. RESULTS: A strong emphasis was placed on business performance alongside other aspects of professional performance in ...

BACKGROUND: It is important that pharmacists counsel patients about their prescribed medicines, as it leads to improved therapeutic outcome, increases compliance, and decreases confusion and insecurity. Studies have shown that the number of patients getting any pharmaceutical counseling varies greatly. Swedish pharmacists claim that the focus of the dialog with ...

Objective : The paper highlights the extent of pharmaceutical drug misuse problems in Australia and explores how pharmaceutical opioid misuse could be reduced by implementation of a technological tool: a prescription co-ordination program (PCP). The paper explores how enhancements to existing computer-assisted clinical decision support systems through real-time, on-line information ...

Four performing artists with musculoskeletal complaints were found to have an underlying malignancy.

With revalidation in pharmacy in the United Kingdom fast approaching, appropriate systems of revalidation in community pharmacy are required. With little known about the potential use of appraisals for evaluating fitness to practice in pharmacy professionals (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) in this sector, research was undertaken to explore their potential ...

Revalidation is about assuring that health practitioners remain up to date and fit to practice, and demonstrating that they continue to meet the requirements of their professional regulator. To critically discuss issues that need to be considered when designing a system of revalidation for pharmacy professionals. Although providing international context, ...

To determine if defined subgroups of pharmacists' have variability in their expectations for competency of entry-level practitioners. Rating scale data collected from the 2009 National Pharmacy Practice Survey were analyzed to determine to what extent pharmacists' degree, practice setting, and experience as a preceptor were associated with the ratings they ...

Pharmacy benefit managers are connected to some 215 million Americans and to every prescribing physician and retail pharmacy in the United States. Many of them have their own large and sophisticated dispensing operations. These capabilities could be put to use when drug shortages threaten life. Indeed, these capabilities are such ...

Abstract We describe an External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) intended for reference (calibration) laboratories in laboratory medicine and supervised by the Scientific Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the responsible Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine. The official EQAS website, RELA (www.dgkl-rfb.de:81), is open ...

The sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines from community pharmacies offers important opportunities for members of the public to access medicines and self-treat conditions. They are increasingly recognised, however, as having the potential for abuse and harm despite their perceived relative safety. This study reports on a qualitative study that explored ...

Biosafety practices in anatomical pathology laboratories are crucial to prevent unnecessary exposures to both chemical and biological agents. Regulatory and guidance agencies have general regulations and recommendations regarding anatomical pathology laboratory biosafety practices. This study aimed to determine if professionals' perceptions and actual practice mirror these guidelines. Current available regulations ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to map and analyze the content and quality of the encounter when customers buy non-prescription medicines for pain and fever. METHODS: 297 pharmacies and 801 general sales stores (GSS) in Sweden were selected. A "Mystery shopper" exercise was conducted. Three scenarios were used ...

The study aims to evaluate the predictors of non-prescription medicine purchasing patterns among pharmacy patrons in Malaysia. A cross-sectional nationwide study was undertaken in 2011 in sixty randomly selected community pharmacies across 14 Malaysian states. A pharmacy exit survey was conducted over a 6-month period across Malaysia. A one-stage random ...

Abstract In the early 1960s, Joachim Brugsch, one of the founders of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) (then Zeitschrift für Klinische Chemie), had the idea to found a journal in the upcoming field of clinical chemistry. He approached Ernst Schütte, who was associated with the De Gruyter publishing house ...

Background Ocular allergies frequently present in pharmacy practices. However, research into the actual management of ocular allergy in pharmacies is lacking. Objective To determine and quantify history and symptom questioning of a patient with presumed allergic conjunctivitis and management strategies employed by pharmacy staff in the UK. Method A mystery ...

Objective. To evaluate the impact of an evidence-based course in complementary medicines on the attitudes, knowledge, and professional practice behavior of undergraduate pharmacy students.Design. A required 12-week evidence-based complementary medicine course was designed and introduced into the third-year undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. The course included a combination of traditional lectures, interactive ...

In December 1698 Sir John Clerk, second baronet of Penicuik, visited Cosimo III of Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, while on his Grand Tour of Europe - an essential part of the broader education of the gentleman at this time. The Duke presented him with a wooden medicine chest, in ...

Objective. To determine those characteristics that are most valued by members of the pharmacy practice community when hiring a new pharmacist.Methods. A survey instrument describing 20 characteristics that a pharmacy graduate may possess was created and sent to pharmacists licensed in Colorado. Respondents were asked to select and prioritize the ...

Objective. To describe the use of capacity ratios following the assignment of introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) to a rising third-year pharmacy (P3) class.Methods. Practice experience availability for IPPEs was collected by means of preceptor response to requests. Following assignment of IPPEs to the rising P3 class, capacity ratios from ...

Abstract The concept of measurement traceability provides the most important strategy in achieving standardization in laboratory medicine aimed at equivalent measurement results regardless of the principle of measurement, the method, the actual measurement procedure (test kit) and the laboratory where analyses are carried out.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore the range of dermatology medicines use reviews (MURs) undertaken by pharmacists and their confidence in dealing with the provision of advice to patients with skin problems. METHOD: A self-completion questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 3500 community pharmacies in ...

The canary (Serinus canaria) is a highly popular bird with families as a companion animal and among breeders for competitive purposes. The mortality rate in these animals is very high at the onset of an epidemic, and the technical times of a laboratory often necessitate starting treatment before having completed ...

Timely release and communication of critical test results may have significant impact on medical decisions and subsequent patient outcomes. Laboratories therefore have an important responsibility and contribution to patient safety. Certification, accreditation and regulatory bodies also require that laboratories follow procedures to ensure patient safety, but there is limited guidance ...

This paper presents a case study of clinical guidance within oncology clinics. Close to all patients treated within the observed clinics were treated according to clinical practice guidelines in the form of either a research or a standard treatment protocol. The clinical practice guideline artifacts were however rarely applied in ...

Abstract Laboratory medicine is a medical specialty at the centre of healthcare. When used optimally laboratory medicine generates knowledge that can facilitate patient safety, improve patient outcomes, shorten patient journeys and lead to more cost-effective healthcare. Optimal use of laboratory medicine relies on dynamic and authoritative leadership outside as well ...

The identification of new biomarkers that help understand the epidemiological basis of patterns of malignancy at a population level is reshaping conceptions of health, disease and normality. These developments create new challenges for clinicians and the ways in which they work with scientists and engage with patients. Bioclinical collectives, an ...

Background Effective and safe use of medicines depends on patients' good understanding of the pharmacotherapy. Pictograms are a communication tool, as complement of verbal/written information, to facilitate drug use and, avoiding errors, being useful for drug effectiveness and safety. Objective To assess the ability of pharmacy's clients, in understanding USP ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Complementary medicines (CMs) are widely used by the Australian public, and pharmacies are major suppliers of these medicines. The integration of CMs into pharmacy practice is well documented, but the behaviours of pharmacists in recommending CMs to customers are less well studied. This study reports on factors that ...

BACKGROUND: Nurse practitioners (NPs) are independent health professionals with prescribing rights, and have recently established primary care roles in pharmacies. OBJECTIVE: To describe the roles of pharmacy-based NPs in Australia. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken onsite or by telephone, with 28 staff of all 9 Revive NP Clinics in Western ...

Abstract Background: Correct information provided by guidelines may reduce laboratory test related errors during the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phase and increase the quality of laboratory results. Methods: Twelve clinical practice guidelines were reviewed regarding inclusion of important laboratory investigations. Based on the results and the authors' experience, two checklists ...

BACKGROUND: Taking a career break or moving between sectors of practice (for example, between patient-facing and non-patient-facing roles) often has been assumed to pose a risk for pharmacists' fitness to practice. However, it is not clear what the nature of that risk is, or what its implications are for professional ...

BACKGROUND: Despite pharmacists' extensive knowledge in the optimization of patients' medical treatments, community pharmacies are still fighting to earn patients' trust with respect to medicinal counselling at the counter. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate how patients perceive pharmacy counselling at the present time, in order to develop the patient-pharmacy ...

Abstract HbA1cwas discovered in the late 1960s and its use as marker of glycemic control has gradually increased over the course of the last four decades. Recognized as the gold standard of diabetic survey, this parameter was successfully implemented in clinical practice in the 1970s and 1980s and internationally standardized ...

Abstract Cancer represents a leading cause of death in the developed countries. The past 50 years have witnessed major progress in both laboratory medicine and clinical oncology that has translated into improved prognosis of cancer patients. From the humble beginnings as unrelated specialties, major advances in the understanding of molecular ...

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been formulated for in-house preparation, quality control, dispensing and administration of (131)I-rituximab appropriate for the safe, effective, radioimmunotherapy of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A decade of experience of semi-automated radioiodination of rituximab in our hospital radiopharmaceutical laboratory was analysed. The methodology was then refined for safe, ...

Abstract Background: For the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the journal Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), an historic overview of papers that the journal has published in the field of laboratory hematology (LH) is presented. Methods: All past volumes of CCLM were screened for papers on LH and ...

Traditional medicine plays an important role in the healthcare system of Vietnam. Vietnamese traditional medicine (VTM) is underpinned by the oriental philosophy and theory of healing. VTM is largely influenced by traditional Chinese medicine, but differs to a certain extent. VTM is largely not evidence-based from a clinical perspective but ...

To explore the role of evidence of effectiveness when making decisions about over-the-counter (OTC) medication and to ascertain whether evidence-based medicine training raised awareness in decision-making. Additionally, this work aimed to complement the findings of a previous study because all participants in this current study had received training in evidence-based ...

BACKGROUND: Nuclear medicine began to be developed in the USA after 1938 when radionuclides were introduced into medicine and in Europe after radionuclides began to be produced at the Harwell reactor (England, 1947). Slovenia began its first investigations in the 1950s. This article describes the development of nuclear medicine in ...

>Background: OTC medicines make up an important part of the community pharmacy world. As with most aspects of practice, however, hurdles exist that prevent an optimal level of care. To gauge pharmacist agreement on the scheduling status of various OTC medicines. Pharmacists across Canada were surveyed by mail. Of the ...

There is growing evidence to the importance of translational science and medicine in the improvement of patient outcome, even though the definitions of translational science, translational medicine, and clinical and translational medicine need to be further clarified. In the present perspective, we collected commentaries and descriptions about clinical and translational ...

Medicine for Policymakers is a Journal column that provides decision makers with brief explanations of the meaning and implications for biosecurity of clinical issues. The articles describe, for a nonmedical audience, hospital practices, medical challenges, healthcare delivery issues, and other topics of current interest. Readers may submit ideas to the ...

The aim of our study was to observe the dynamic changes of immunity for patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and intervention by traditional Chinese medicine. Twenty-three patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomized to combined treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (TCM) or conventional western medicine ...

Phlebotomy is a potential cause of preanalytical errors. We have observed phlebotomy in routine practice in a busy Emergency Department, to see how current practice compares with optimal blood sampling. Phlebotomy episodes were audited and compared with standard procedures. A computer-based search of the number of haemolysed samples from Emergency ...

Background and Aim:  Chinese traditional medical science is generally used as a therapeutic method against functional dyspepsia (FD) in China. Although great effort is made to understand the pharmaceutical mechanisms of Chinese traditional medicine, such as typical traditional Chinese medicine, Wei Kangning, there are still many mysteries to be uncovered. ...

Alendronate sodium is a medicine, which is commonly used in osteoporosis treatment. Nowadays, this substance is given to patients in tablets, but in future it is planned that it will be administrated into human organisms as intravenous infusions; therefore, significant interactions of this medicine with erythrocytes will be inevitable. It ...

The following article from Medicinal Research Reviews, Tetraoxanes: Synthetic and medicinal chemistry perspective by Nitin Kumar, Ram Singh, Diwan S. Rawat, published online on 21 December 2009 in Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, Binghe Wang and Wiley Periodicals, ...

A case of severe sodium valproate overdose is presented in which medicinal management failed to reverse coma of the patient. High-flux hemodialysis was then used to eliminate sodium valproate. This case demonstrated the effectiveness of hemodialysis in not only decreasing valproate levels very rapidly but also as an effective anti-coma ...