Pharmacy legislation:public protector or professional hindrance?

Pharmacy originates from a background of medication compounding and supply. More recently, this role has developed away from an absolute focus on the supply of pharmaceuticals with, for example, the advent of pharmacist prescribing. Nevertheless, for a majority of the profession, medication supply remains a core activity. Regulation of the pharmacy profession is now the responsibility of the General Pharmaceutical Council, although up until 27 September 2010, this role fell to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB). Before this change, in one of the most high-profile legal cases involving a pharmacist in a professional capacity, R. v Lee, a pharmacist was prosecuted firstly for gross negligence manslaughter, later revised to offences under the Medicines Act 1968, for a single error relating to medication supply, and was given a suspended custodial sentence. Offences against sections 64 or 85 of the Medicines Act are absolute offences and there is no due diligence defence. Prosecution of a pharmacist for the supply of incorrect medication may seem a measured course of action to protect the public from the wrongful supply of potent pharmacotherapeutic agents; however, further analysis of Lee indicates that this approach may be counterproductive. An appeal of the original conviction in the Lee case has resulted in a clarification of the interpretation of section 85(5); however currently, prosecutions under section 64 are still a possibility. Owing to the seriousness of a criminal conviction under section 64, this continuation will potentially stifle the profession's ability to learn from dispensing errors. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.

Medication reconciliation by a pharmacy technician in a mental health assessment unit

Background: Medication discrepancies are common when patients cross organisational boundaries. However, little is known about the frequency of discrepancies within mental health and the efficacy of interventions to reduce discrepancies. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a pharmacy-led reconciliation service on medication discrepancies on admissions to a secondary care mental health trust. Setting: In-patient mental health services. Methods: Prospective evaluation of pharmacy technician led medication reconciliation for admissions to a UK Mental Health NHS Trust. From March to June 2012 information on any unintentional discrepancies (dose, frequency and name of medication); patient demographics; and type and cause of the discrepancy was collected. The potential for harm was assessed based on two scenarios; the discrepancy was continued into primary care, and the discrepancy was corrected during admission. Logistic regression identified factors associated with discrepancies. Main outcome measure: Mean number of discrepancies per admission corrected by the pharmacy technician. Results Unintentional medication discrepancies occurred in 212 of 377 admissions (56.2 %). Discrepancies involving 569 medicines (mean 1.5 medicines per admission) were corrected. The most common discrepancy was omission (n = 464). Severity was assessed for 114 discrepancies. If the discrepancy was corrected within 16 days the potential harm was minor in 71 (62.3 %) cases and moderate in 43 (37.7 %) cases whereas if the discrepancy was not corrected the potential harm was minor in 27 (23.7 %) cases and moderate in 87 (76.3 %) cases. Discrepancies were associated with both age and number of medications; the stronger association was age. Conclusions: Medication discrepancies are common within mental health services with potentially significant consequences for patients. Trained pharmacy technicians are able to reduce the frequency of discrepancies, improving safety. © 2013 Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie.

Antagonistic triblock polymer gels powered by pH oscillations

A study was conducted to create a pH-responsive layer, in which a small change in the individual polyacid or polybase gel length was transferred into a larger motion that curls up the gel. It was observed that the transfer of motion from a linear displacement into a curved displacement through the geometric design effectively increases the displacement rate. A robust, reversible, and chemically driven mechanical actuator was was produced that demonstrated its response over many pH oscillations. The affine nature of the triblock copolymers, demonstrated for for the polyacid and polybase indicated that the effect will also function at some smaller length scales, which is appropriate for a working biomimetic and soft nanotechnology device. The study also demonstrated the potential applicability of these polymeric gels and suggested the fabrication of related molecular machines and devices based on the principles of soft nanotechnology.

Choosing to study pharmacy: measuring influences and motivations

This paper reports part of a national study of career motivations and expectations of United Kingdom MPharm students. The aim was to describe the students’ influences and motivations in making their choice to study pharmacy. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to year one and year four students in thirteen pharmacy schools during 2005. The reasons considered most important were objective ones that related to self-interest, both in terms of the nature of the degree course and the advantages conferred by the degree. However, there was evidence that for female students, future patterns of working that are not central to career progression were considered more important than for males. At a time of expanding demand by students for pharmacy education and a parallel demand for qualified pharmacists, this study adds to earlier knowledge on the motivations and influences on students when making their early career choices.

Mechanical actuation by responsive polyelectrolyte brushes and triblock gels

Progress in the development of actuating molecular devices based on responsive polymers is reviewed. The synthesis and characterization of "grafted from brushes and triblock copolymers is reported. The responsive nature of polyelectrolyte brushes, grown by surface initiated atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), has been characterized by scanning force microscopy, neutron reflectometry, and single molecule force measurements. The molecular response is measured directly for the brushes in terms of both the brush height and composition and the force generated by a single molecule. Triblock copolymers, based on hydrophobic end blocks and polyacid midblock, have been used to produce polymer gels where the deformation of the molecules can be followed directly by small angle Xray scattering (SAXS), and a correlation between molecular shape change and macroscopic deformation has been established. A Landolt pHoscillator, based on bromate/sulfite/ferrocyanide, with a room temperature period of 20 min and a range of 3.1

Responsive brushes and gels as components of soft nanotechnology

Progress in the development of generic molecular devices based on responsive polymers is discussed. Characterisation of specially synthesised polyelectrolyte gels, "grafted from" brushes and triblock copolymers is reported. A Landolt pH-oscillator, based on bromate/ sulfite/ferrocyanide, with a room temperature period of 20 min and a range of 3.1 gels where the deformation of the molecules can be followed directly by SAXS and a correlation between molecular shape change and macroscopic deformation has been established. The three systems studied allow both the macroscopic and a molecular response to be investigated independently for the crosslinked gels and the brushes. The triblock copolymers demonstrate that the individual response of the polyelectrolyte molecules scale-up to give the macroscopic response of the system in an oscillating chemical reaction.

Pharmacy undergraduate students:career choices and expectations across a career choices and expectations across a four-year degree programme

Report commissioned by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust

Postgraduate training offered to primary care pharmacists by schools of pharmacy - changes over the last five years

Poster session - A review of the postgraduate training courses offered by the 15 schools of pharmacy within Britain was undertaken - The training currently on offer was compared with that offered by the same schools of pharmacy five years ago - It was found that although the numbers of training courses offered by the 15 schools had significantly increased, the orientation of the courses remained more or less as it was five years ago - The increases in the number of courses had not reflected the increased roles that pharmacists currently have and are hoping to undertake in the future - Any new training offered will need to reflect a wider “modernising and managing NHS organisations” agenda