Minor Ailments

The entire dynamic of pharmacy shifted last month when the Department announced its pre-orchestrated attempts to reform the Minor Ailments Scheme. Contractors, backed by the Ulster Chemists’ Association (UCA) and the Pharmaceutical Contractors’ Committee (PCC), withdrew from the service en masse much to the Department’s pr...

Feeling The Pressure

With high blood pressure thought to affect as many as one in five people in Northern Ireland, thousands of people throughout the country could be suffering from the condition without realising it. Gordons Chemists have made blood pressure testing a priority for their health promotion strategy, introducing free testing events at ...

News in Brief

Minister Backs Awards

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has pledged his support for 2008’s Integrated Health Award, an accolade run by the Foundation for Integrated Health, championing an integrated approach to health. “I welcome my Department’s continuing support and sponsorship of the Northern Ireland category of the Integrated Health Award,” he commented. Closing date for applications is 29 August.

Don’t Start, Kids

NICE has issued guidance for healthcare professionals focusing on the mass-media and point of sale measures to prevent uptake of smoking by children and young people under 18. Particularly recommended for pharmacists who can appropriately employ mass-media intervention, the guidance is designed to highlight the dangers of smoking and related illnesses.

GSK Opt For DTP

From 1 November 2008, GSK will supply prescription medicines via AAH Pharmaceuticals and Unichem. The NPA have vowed to “drill into the specifics” of the arrangements according to NPA chief executive John Turk.

‘Grave Concern’ for MAS

The NPA Board has spoken out against the DHSSPS’ plans to cap MAS. NPA chairman Paul Bennett said; “The PCC and UCA have called upon the NPA to support the resolution already carried by their members. The unanimous response of this Board is to recommend that all NPA members withdraw from the scheme in Northern Ireland with immediate effect.”

Alzheimer’s Breakthrough

A recent study has revealed that methylthionium chloride (Rember) can be key in reducing brain deterioration in Alzheimer’s patients. Trials have indicated an 81 per cent difference in the rate of mental decline compared to those without treatment.

Family Affairs

Written by Laure James - Editor Pharmacy in Focus
Monday, 04 August 2008 11:21
The similarities between siblings can sometimes be startling but one family’s passion for academia at Queen’s University was recognised as their fourth daughter graduated from the School of Pharmacy. Deirdre Galway followed in her sisters’ footsteps at the end of June as she celebrated securing her 2:1 MPharm in Pharmacy, while proud parents John and Ann, who also studied at Queen’s University, congratulated their youngest daughter. Eldest daughter Louise passed through the doors of Whitla Hall in 1993 when she graduated from the School of Medicine, while Christine gained a degree in Music in 1995 and more recently Joanne, who graduated in France in 1999. Their father John, a retired general practitioner, graduated in Medicine in 1975 while his wife Ann’s first degree in Social Anthropology was completed in 2000. She is now studying for a Masters in Nursing, which will bring the number of top qualifications under the Galway household to a staggering eight. Deirdre, an accomplished musician, will be spending her relaxing summer touring Holland and Norway with other members of the traditional Irish music group, Cuan. “I am very pleased to have achieved a 2:1 in my degree and cannot wait to be added to our family’s Queen’s graduation gallery,” Deirdre enthused. “My partner Conor Lamb also completed his Computer Science degree, so graduation day was a very special occasion for us all.”