CP, January 2019, Vol 11, No 1

Tobacco smoking and its potential drug interactions

Smoking and smoking cessation treatments have a pharmacological impact on some commonly used drugs and should be taken into account during the selection, introduction and cessation of medicines.…

Impact of including clinical indications on inpatient prescriptions

The appropriate use of medicines is dependant on the accurate use of clinical indications on inpatient paper and electronic prescriptions. This mixed-methods study involving semi-structured interviews with 64 chief pharmacists, 11 focus groups from three NHS trusts and a medical documentation r…

Personalising treatment for type 2 diabetes: why is NICE so behind?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s rudimentary approach to managing diabetes needs to catch up with the available evidence and put patients centre stage.…

Pembrolizumab extends survival in recurrent head and neck cancer

A study of nearly 500 patients with head and neck cancers reveals that pembrolizumab could extend survival compared with methotrexate, docetaxel or cetuximab, which are the standard of care.…

Recruiting community pharmacies to a smoking support service trial using the ‘Russian doll’ approach

‘Smoking Treatment Optimisation in Pharmacies’ (STOP) is a six-year programme funded by the National Institute for Health Research. STOP is a complex intervention based on behavioural theory, and involves training for pharmacy staff and associated study materials, such as badges and post…

Managing interstitial lung disease: impact of involving a specialist respiratory pharmacist

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an umbrella term describing a diverse group of lung diseases that result in impairment or fibrosis of the alveolar interstitium. Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are the most common ILDs; and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is most common among this cohort of…

Night shifts and unhealthy lifestyles both increase risk of T2DM

Researchers have found evidence suggesting that the benefits of adhering to a healthy lifestyle could be even greater in people who work rotating night shifts.…

Early life exposure to antibiotics and acid suppressants increases obesity risk

Exposure to antibiotics and acid suppressants in the first two years of life is associated with an increased risk of obesity later in childhood, particularly if prescribed in combination, study results show.…

Antibiotic with novel mode of action effective against gonorrhoea infection

A novel antibiotic, which prevents bacterial cells from replicating DNA, is effective in the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea, results from a phase II clinical trial have shown.…

Androgen deprivation therapy ‘increases heart failure risk’

Patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy were 72% more likely to experience heart failure than those unexposed to the therapy, a study has shown.…