Pharmacy - Articles

Weekly Swine Flu Update for the Week Ending September 4th.
Week 36 of the Swine Flu outbreak has witnessed a substantial amendment to the government’s fatality predictions, with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) reporting markedly lowered predictions of H1N1 related deaths. Specifically, the government’s experts now anticipate approximately 19,000 deaths in the worst case scenario – a significant fall from the previous figure of 65,000 fatalities that was given in July. Both figures function under the assumption that 30% of the population would be infected should the virus surge during the autumn and winter months. While the number of new cases continues to fall – with around 4,500 new cases reported for last week, compared to 5,000 cases for the week before and a z…

Max Golby, Freelance Journalist, takes a look at the history of the e-Detailing market, considers what the e-Detail of the future might look like and asks what marketing departments can learn from an academic analysis of the instrument.
The History of e-Detailing: Call it what you will - e-Detailing, e-Marketing or e-Business - now almost a decade on from the days of the dot-com predictions - and a time when the temerity that surrounded the birth of the medium was in full-flow - the e-Detail has proven itself as one of the most cost-effective, growth intensive strategies available to healthcare professionals. For many physicians, the e-Detail quickly asserted itself as a more informative - and cost effective - alternative to the sales representative. Far more than just another email in t…

Weekly Swine Flu Update for the Week Ending August 27th.
Despite a continued fall in the number of new cases for last week – with 5,000 new cases reported, compared to a peak of 100,000 at the start of the month - and a consecutive decline in the number of GP consultations, – the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, once again warned Britons against complacency in the fight against the virus - adding that whilst "It is normally a mild illness…for some it continues to be very serious”. An additional 7 deaths were recorded for the week and over 200 people continue to be hospitalized with the illness. HPA figures continue to be questioned for their reliability since the transition to the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) earlier in the month. Moreover, on the issue of anti-vi…

Weekly Swine Flu Update for the Week Ending August 16th.
In certain ways, the past few weeks of the Swine Flu outbreak have been positive for everyone involved. Numbers of cases have decreased steadily and as a result, GP consultation rates have diminished too. In addition, the majority of patients continue to suffer only mild reactions and there are no signs of any impending mutations - either in terms of the severity of the virus itself, or with regards to anti-viral resistance. News on the development and testing of the new H1N1 vaccine continues to impress and estimates continue to predict the emergence of the first batch of drugs around October – with the hope that at least 50% of government stocks may be delivered by the New Year. Whilst some questions have been raised over the…

As Capitol Hill readies itself for the August Recess, and as President Barack Obama demands that a bill reach his desk in the Oval Office by October, healthcare reform still finds itself in more-or-less the same quagmire as it did in 1993. We take a look at the chances of comprehensive reform this year and tackle the nitty-gritty of one of the most complex and polarising issues of Washington politics today.
Simply put, they're at it again. In 1993, Bill Clinton – then 42nd President of the United States – set about to make healthcare reform one of the foremost priorities of his administration and he appointed his wife and First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton to set about delivering this seemingly impossible objective. Known for her long-standing interest in healthcare reform and her consider…

Weekly Swine Flu Update for the Week Ending July 26.
As the world continues to come to terms with the first global flu pandemic since the Hong Kong Flu of 1968, and as the outbreak continues to gain further traction over the autumn and winter months to come, this series of weekly ‘Swine Flu Update’ articles will attempt to provide both informed editorial analysis and key national – and supranational – updates. With the Healthcare Protection Agency (HPA) estimating that there were around 110,000 new cases of Swine Flu in the UK for the week ending July 26th, the virus is doubtless continuing to gain considerable momentum. GP consultation rates continued to grow above those of a typical seasonal flu outbreak and the under 5s and 5-14 year olds continued to be age groups most predominately…

Ahead of the NHS Confederation Conference last month, David Nicholson, Chief Executive of NHS pulled no punches with his assessment of NHS finances.
Ahead of the NHS Confederation Conference last month, David Nicholson, Chief Executive of NHS pulled no punches with his assessment of NHS finances. He stated that the NHS would need to find £15-20 billion over the next three years; and that ‘all bets were off’ as to where that money might come from. Well respected NHS senior managers like Mike Farrar, Chief Executive at North West Strategic Health Authority are singing a similarly radical tune. Describing the financial crisis about to beset the whole service, Dr Farrar predicted that the NHS would need to embrace and invest in new technology much faster and think radically differently about h…

Unless it paints the right picture you’re letting the side down!In a depressed job market, an employer is likely to receive 50+ CVs per job advertised from 5 or more Preferred Agencies and many more from agencies who ‘piggy back’ in. So now, more than ever, your CV needs to stand out and be tailored to the role and client and submitted by an agency with valid access.
The more senior you are, the more the “one CV fits all” becomes dangerous when the market is tight because if that CV is submitted and rejected you may be excluded from valid jobs there with other agencies for some months to come as a result.After 15 years examining what works and what doesn’t in terms of securing interviews for thousands of candidates, we know a thing or two about how to present a candidate in the best light…

The recent outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) infection, previously referred to as swine flu, has thrown the spotlight on governments around the world and their ability to manage a pandemic. In the UAE, customers are currently finding it difficult to source antivirals but, with Dubai seen as a hub for international travel, the government has stockpiles ready for distribution should an outbreak occur.
To date, there have been 1,124 cases of the infection in 21 countries. Unlike both SARS and bird flu, sustained human-to-human transmission of the disease has occurred. However, the strain appears to be more in line with seasonal flu, having a significantly lower mortality rate than both SARS and bird flu. Transmission of the virus between human beings occurs when an infected individual coughs and…

There has been no shortage of conversation lately about current problems facing the Pharmaceutical industry...
There has been no shortage of conversation lately about current problems facing the Pharmaceutical industry. Communication is vital to work through the current economic crisis and unite in this unreliable climate. Time management is a constant battle for executives who are now turning to online networking sites to liaise effectively and efficiently with their peers. Communities such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are a fantastic resource to all, socially - But what are the true business benefits? MeettheBoss has found the need to create a business platform purely for these executives. “Social networking sites are great to catch-up with old friends, share photographs, music and l…

As part of the UK government's drive to save over GBP2 billion in the NHS during 2010-11, GBP550m will be cut from the prices of branded drugs as a result of the revised Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. With the volume of branded drugs having remained flat over the last four years, total sales of the UK branded pharmaceutical industry are forecast to decline from 2009 onwards.
Due to the global economic downturn, branded pharmaceutical sales are suffering in countries such as the US, which lack a nationalized healthcare system. The rising number of unemployed, and therefore uninsured patients, are switching to cheaper generic alternatives, the result of which will be a knock on effect on branded prescription drug sales, which are now forecast to decline by 1-2% in 2009 (IMS Health).…

Where the pharmaceutical industry is often said to be immune to economic depression, the current economic crisis cannot be considered a direct historical equal to the recessions of the past.
Thus, where the current crisis finds its roots primarily in the banking industry, almost no-one and no industry is completely sheltered. Innovation in healthcare is therefore paying at least a small cost for what is now the most serious economic crisis since October 1929 and the depression of the 1930s that followedYet whilst some of the grandest headlines of all tell of fallen bankers and experienced professionals back in the market for new work, there is another demographic which is being increasingly affected by the uncertainty of the current climate– new graduates.For where healthcare remains a div…

Public opinion has for long been regarded as essential to the success of a thriving business. In fact, whilst the benefits of popular perception can often appear somewhat intangible on the balance sheet, what is essentially the respect of the customer is the bastion of almost every profession
Healthcare is no exception. For where it may sometimes prove challenging to pin down the precise ways in which public opinion can make a direct impact on a company’s revenues, a positive brand identity can, amongst other things, greatly assist in attracting some of the brightest new minds in the industry. Indeed, a positive image is particularly profitable when it comes to something like recruitment and the establishment of something in the way of a social contract with the general public can also enco…

Any positive effect on the pharmaceutical industry derived from the G20 summit and European Union summit will be indirect and much of the direct healthcare spending increase will cover the cost of cheaper generics accessed through publically funded programs. Furthermore, emerging markets previously targeted to drive revenue growth face potentially crippling consequences from the downturn.
Historically, pharmaceutical companies have faced a number of major challenges, both internally and externally, which have shaped the industry as it exists today. Ongoing issues include the declining efficiency of internal R&D processes, together with growing competition from both branded and generic players in increasingly crowded markets, ultimately resulting in fierce price competition. Heightened…

We have all heard the doom and gloom regarding the financial markets/ credit crunch/ recession. It’s pretty hard to escape it. The high earning bankers are jobless and the face of our high street is changing with high profile collapses of organisations including Woolworths, the Officers Club, MFI and Barretts.
We have all heard the doom and gloom regarding the financial markets/ credit crunch/ recession. It’s pretty hard to escape it. The high earning bankers are jobless and the face of our high street is changing with high profile collapses of organisations including Woolworths, the Officers Club, MFI and Barretts. It’s official, we are in a recession and according to the Office of National Statistics, UK unemployment had risen to 1.92 million in the last quarter of 2008 - the highest le…

It is perhaps fitting, if not entirely coincidental, that the month that we chose to focus on the important areas of the central nervous system and pain, also coincides with Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.
It is perhaps fitting, if not entirely coincidental, that the month that we chose to focus on the important areas of the central nervous system and pain, also coincides with Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Backed by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, the MS awareness month invites both an awareness of the debilitating nature of the disease, alongside an effort to increase worldwide government and NGO funding for the study and treatment of the condition. For that reason, this article will focus primarily on the important new strides in that area. The central nervous sy…

20 minutes preparation can make all the difference! People don’t interview everyday! Lets face it, its not always easy. The purpose of this short article is to help you prepare fully for your interview.
“Lets make sure you have all the help you need, so you can claim what’s rightfully yours!” The most important thing to remember about an interview is that it is a two-way relationship. You want the job and the interviewer wants to fill the position. Remember, you are both individuals, even though the interviewer is backed by a large organisation – he/she is not there to embarrass you, but to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, skills and qualifications and ability to do the job. You’re both individuals – Stay relaxed! 1. What do you know about us? Normally one of the first quest…

Much has been written on how to produce a good CV so in this article, I will give you an insight as to how a recruiter uses a CV during the recruitment process.
Despite the many hours’ work involved in pulling together a good CV, you may be surprised to learn that most recruiters spend only a few minutes scanning each CV before making a decision regarding your application. The main purpose of your CV is to generate sufficient interest to gain an interview. It should make the reader keen to meet you. Your CV must, therefore, be accessible and relevant. It needs to be attractive, but not too elaborate, and designed to meet potential employers’ needs. Your CV must show what you have to offer – your skills – and how you have benefited other organisations in the past – your achievements. It is…

Job satisfaction is an attitude that employees have about their work and is based on numerous factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Job satisfaction is important from the perspective of maintaining and retaining the appropriate employees within the organization; it is about fitting the right person to the right job in the right culture and keeping them satisfied.1,2
Today's business environment is characterized by weak economies, rapidly changing technology, organizational re-engineering, shortened length of tenure, and outsourcing of peripheral business activities. The pharmaceutical industry is reflective of this environment. Under these circumstances, managers should concentrate on removing sources of dissatisfaction from the workplace in order to keep employees busy…

More than a billion people worldwide are affected by the consequences of high blood pressure and many more suffer without diagnosis, due to a lack of ubiquitous symptoms...
... Yet according to new research acquired from the Eastern Region Public Health Observatory and UK Quality Framework Prevalence statistics, the good news is that the overall levels of undiagnosed and untreated conditions in the UK are falling. For where the number of people diagnosed with high blood pressure in the UK rose by 2.7 per cent between 2004/2005 and 2007/2008, statistics from UK Quality Framework Prevalence also show that during the same period, GPs discovered and diagnosed an additional nearly 1 million people with high blood pressure. The result? A 9.5 per cent fall in the number of people with undiagnose…