MST granule sachets have been discontinued. If you still have some in stock it is fine to continue to use them, and wholesalers may have a little stock left, but it will eventually run out. If you need to offer a modified release morphine product to a patient with swallowing difficulties or a feeding tube,…
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Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects approximately one in every 500 people in the UK. It is more prevalent in men than in women and it usually starts after the age of 50. PD is caused by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra in the brain, which is usually…
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Ashtons provides a wide range of training courses, including e-learning and clinical training seminars. You can now choose from these 12 clinical training seminars: Anaphylaxis Cannabis oil Controlled drugs for hospices Drug interactions for hospices NEW End-of-life care for people with Parkinson’s disease NEW Management of diabetes towards the end of life Managing oral problems…
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Last November, the Association of Supportive and Palliative Care hosted a virtual conference that included an exceptional talk called ‘Taking your Breath Away’ by Dr Helen Meynell, Consultant Pharmacist in Respiratory and Palliative Care in Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS foundation trust. This article is based on the various interesting points discussed in that presentation and…
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Ashtons Hospital Pharmacy Services, the UK’s leading provider of specialist pharmacy services to independent healthcare providers, is delighted to have entered into a partnership this spring with St Joseph’s Hospice, the largest and one of the oldest hospices in the UK. St Joseph’s Hospice was founded by the Sisters of Charity, who came from Ireland…
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We mentioned this in a previous newsletter but another query has come in from our hospices which has led to a more thorough review. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease and work by blocking the transport of acid into the stomach to decrease the acidity. They are used widely in…
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We have had some interesting queries over the past few months which have required some time to answer in full. We also had some feedback from previous queries which we respond to below. All our visiting pharmacists are there to respond to your queries and if they can’t answer the question on the spot, we…
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Who issues medication safety alerts? The Medicines Healthcare Products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for issuing medication and medical device safety alerts. How are these communicated? This autumn, the way the MHRA communicates safety alerts is changing. All medication safety and critical alerts that need to be actioned by healthcare organisations will be issued…
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Advance planning for flu vaccination clinics has become an important part of patient care. The flu vaccination delivered in the following year provides vulnerable patients with protection against the strands of flu that are going to be the most prevalent over the next year. This is even more important this year, as hospitals deal with…
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The MHRA has repeated its concerns about overuse of opioids based on a set of recommendations from its Opioid Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines. The first step taken was to put safety warnings on packs of medicines containing opioids. They now want to ensure people are supplied with consistent information on…
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