The pharmacy three held for selling drugs illegally

Hyderabad:  A pharmacy owner, along with a sales agent and a security guard, were arrested by the South Zone Task Force police on charges of selling Fortwin injections illegally and seized 216 ampoules of Fortwin from the accused.

On Saturday, the police caught Abdul Majeed Khan alias Viqar (40), security guard from Chanchalguda, when he was selling Fortwin injection to innocent public. During questioning, he revealed that S Prakash (43), owner of Vishnu Medical Hall in Malkajgiri, and S Sailesh (34) of Sainikpuri were giving him the injections for illegal sale.

Task Force Additional DCP N Koti Reddy said during investigation, it was found that the accused Prakash who was in contact with one Surender, a pharmacy owner from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, was getting bulk stock of Fortwin through oral orders without any invoice for the transactions. 

Each box containing of 12 ampoules of Fortwin costs about Rs 600, but Prakash and Sailesh sold the same for Rs 1,000. Three months ago, Majeed came in contact with them and they offered him commission for selling the injections, said the police. 

The Fortwin injection is a pain killer generally used in major surgeries that too under the supervision of an anesthetist. But the accused persons misused the injections and sold them to addicted persons without any prescription or invoice for earning easy money.

The continuous usage of this drug leads to chronic problems like cardiac arrest, shortening of breath, neurological problems and sometimes endangers the life of consumer, according to the officer.  



http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Crime/2016-08-28/Three-held-for-selling-drugs-illegally-/250876

The study shows that pharmacies are playing in increasing TB resistance in the country

 For a while now, the medical community has been blaming pharmacies for indiscriminately giving antibiotics to patients with tuberculosis (TB), instead of referring them to a doctor. A Lancet paper has now corrected the popular misconception when a study found that none of the 622 pharmacies in Delhi, Mumbai and Patna handed out first-line anti-TB drugs to these patients. So, pharmacies are the unlikely source of irrational drug use that contributes to multidrug resistant tuberculosis.

Not playing a role

The study shows that pharmacies are not playing any role in increasing TB resistance in the country,” says Dr. Srinath Satyanarayana, from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, who is the lead author of the paper that was published on August 26, 2016. “TB drug resistance occurs primarily due to incorrect regimens, intake of drugs irregularly or intake of drugs for very short duration of time. From our study, it appears that pharmacies are not playing a role in deciding the anti-TB regimens and are also not dispensing anti-TB drugs over-the-counter, at least in the three cities that we studied. So the drug resistance in India could be due to either patient related-factors or provider-related factors or health system related factors (which has not created a system for all TB patients in [the] country to access quality assured diagnosis and treatment free of cost and seamlessly),” he says in an e-mail to The Hindu.

One reason why pharmacies did not dispense first-line, anti-TB drugs could be because they belong to a more stringent Schedule H1 category of drugs where details of the prescription and name of the doctors and patients have to be documented and the registry retained for two years.

Quinolone abuse a concern

However, the good news ends here. The researchers found that that a vast majority of these pharmacies did dispense antibiotics to TB patients even when they did not have a prescription. This links to an earlier study which showed the tendency of private practitioners to liberally use antibiotics in treating TB, leading to a delay in diagnosis and treatment and an increase in the chances of TB spreading within a community.

In the Lancet study, healthy individuals were trained to pose as TB patients and interacted with pharmacists — to understand how the pharmacies in these cities treated patients presenting themselves with TB symptoms. The objective was to determine whether the pharmacies were contributing to the inappropriate use of antibiotics. One patient presented with 2-3 weeks of cough and fever, was directly seeking drugs from a pharmacy while a second patient was presented with one month of cough and microbiological confirmation of TB from a sputum test. In the case of the first patient, only 96 of 599 pharmacies (16 per cent) referred the patient to health-care providers. But ideal case management was in only 13 per cent of the cases, as a few pharmacies handed out antibiotics to the patients even while referring them to a physician. Antibiotics (37 per cent), steroids (8 per cent) and fluoroquinolones (10 per cent) were given to patients with symptoms.

“That nearly 37 per cent of the pharmacies are handing out antibiotics to persons presenting with TB symptoms is really worrisome,” says Dr. Satyanarayana. But more worrying is the dispensation of fluoroquinolones. “Fluoroquinolones are an essential part of the MDR-TB [multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis] treatment regimen and emerging regimens, so quinolone abuse is a concern.”

Impact

In stark contrast, in the case of the second patient, who had a microbiological confirmation, 67 per cent (401 of 601) of pharmacies referred the patient to a health-care provider. Like in the earlier case, ideal case management was seen in only 62 per cent as the standardised patient did receive antibiotics (16 per cent) or steroids (3 per cent) even while being referred to a health-care provider. “In the case of TB patients with microbiological confirmation of TB disease, antibiotics (without anti-TB properties) will be ineffective and unnecessary, and can delay the initiation of proper therapy for patients. These patients will continue to spread the disease in the community and TB disease will continue to progress in the individual concerned. Steroids reduce body immunity, suppress symptoms temporarily and can worsen the TB disease,” he says.


http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/pharmacies-not-likely-cause-of-tb-drug-resistance/article9040757.ece

The market to grow over 8% till 2021 pharmacy in india

The pharmacy market in India is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8 percent from 2016 to 2021, a new report published by Pharmaion reveals.

Rising sales of prescription, generic as well as over-the-counter drugs, increasing life expectancy, growing incidence of chronic diseases, ageing population base, increasing disposable income, rising health consciousness, and growing adoption of wellness and personal care products by young population are the major factors propelling the country's pharmacy market.

According to the report, India also accounted for a share of around 20 percent in the global disease burden in 2014.

“The increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is driving India pharmacy market,” said Karan Chechi, Research Director, Pharmaion Consultants, a research based global management consulting firm focused on pharma and healthcare industry.

Chechi cited that India has the highest number of diabetic patients in the world, and more than 77 million patients suffer from pre-diabetic conditions in the country.

“Growing urbanization and expanding working population with sedentary lifestyles is anticipated to further drive the country's diabetic population in the coming years, thereby driving India pharmacy market through 2021,” he added.


http://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/indias-pharmacy-market-grow-over-8-till-2021-1714266922

The state government had decided to undertake supplementary exams

NASHIK: The fate of over 4,000 students who have cleared the supplementary examination of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary education (MHBHSE) for Higher Secondary Ceretificate (HSC) hangs in the balance as there are not enough seats in city colleges to accommodate them all.

For the first time, the state government had decided to undertake supplementary exams in July this year in a bid to give admission opportunities to such students along with the others and save their academic year.

However, the students might just have to wait another year to get admission in their desired college as the admission process in most colleges is now complete and there are no seats left to be filled.

Seats might be available in colleges situated in the rural or suburban areas. However, as no proper mechanism providing information about vacant seats is available, students who have passed the HSC supplementary exam will have to launch their individual search operation to seek admission in colleges.

From Nashik divisional board, which covers Nashik, Nandurbar, Dhule, and Ahmednagar districts, 27.18% students passed the supplementary examination.

Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj (MVP) is group of institutions having the highest number of senior colleges in the division. According to R D Darekar, principal of Nashik's prominent KTHM College governed by the MVP, admissions in most graduate colleges have already closed.


"This year, we conducted online admission process for all colleges coming under MVP. Being the most sought after college in Nashik, KTHM has no vacant seats in any stream. However, candidates passing the supplementary examination may search for other colleges around Nashik," said Darekar.


B S Jagdale, principal of LVH Arts, Science and Commerce College run by Mahatma Gandhi Vidya Mandir (MGV) too shared a similar story. "MGV has as many colleges in Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Pharmacy and Education in Malegaon, Manmad, Yeola, Nashik and Nampur. Most of the colleges have completed their admission process already," he said.


Kavita Bhaskar Naik, who secured 56 marks in English and passed the HSC supplementary examination with 54% marks, is now searching for an appropriate college to commence her graduation studies. "I'm sure I won't be able to get admission in any of the well-known colleges in Nashik. So instead of joining a college in the rural or suburban areas, I would prefer taking a drop and try for admission in the next academic session," she said.


There are more than 4,000 students like Kavita who have passed the HSC examination by clearing the supplementary exam, but most of them would find it difficult to get admission in good colleges, thereby nullifying the state government's efforts to save such candidates' academic year.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Few-college-seats-for-HSC-exam-repeaters/articleshow/53856513.cms

USC School of Pharmacy’s Global Health ompassion to the underserved in Romania

Carrying 850 pounds of medications and medical supplies, a team of USC PharmD students journeyed to Romania as part of the USC School of Pharmacy’s Global Health Initiative. Led by Naomi Florea, associate professor of clinical pharmacy, they collaborated with local physicians and pharmacists to deliver much-needed care over two weeks in July.

The countryside in Romania is beautiful, but life there can be harsh. Nearly half the population lives in rural areas, where unemployment is high and assets are sparse. The World Bank estimates that 70 percent of rural Romanians live below the poverty line, and the nation’s infrastructure remains ill-equipped to meet their health, educational and other needs. Still, the students were heartened by the openness, spirit and courage of the Romanians they met.

Tam Phan, a third-year pharmacy student, described one of his patients as a “warrior.” She has four children, including an infant, he said, “and her family has no access to basic resources — let alone medical care. She told me all the money her family makes goes to the children because she puts them as first priority.”

Phan added that the woman prays each day that her children will have better lives than she’s had. She welcomed the student caregivers into her home — one of a number of Romanians who did so.
Providing care and empathy

Assisted by three local physicians and Romanian medical students acting as translators, the USC team treated 600 patients with chronic diseases, including asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure and parasitic infections common in the agricultural region.

Third-year student Jessica Chandler called it a privilege to provide care for people in an area where a trip to the doctor might cost someone their food for a week.

The team met a woman who had suffered traumatic brain injury due to severe domestic abuse, and a girl who narrowly escaped attempts at human trafficking. They saw untreated wounds and fungal infections. They saw numerous patients in hypertensive crisis, and a 6-year-old boy who had been wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed antipsychotic medication after suffering night terrors.“We saw a lot of people who had never seen a physician for their conditions,” Florea said.

The trip was the latest in a series of clinical outreach travels that Florea has organized to enable students to gain invaluable professional — and personal — experience by aiding the medically underserved around the world.

“There are no words for how much of an inspiration Dr. Florea is to me and our team,” Chandler said.

Florea, in turn, was moved by the kindness and the capabilities of the students, who worked long hours in hot and stressful conditions.

“They were so kind, had so much empathy, had so much compassion for these patients,” she said. “They came in students; they walked out clinicians. They undoubtedly made the Trojan Family proud.”


https://news.usc.edu/105658/usc-pharmacy-students-show-kindness-and-compassion-to-the-underserved-in-romania/

The new pharmacy graduates end the long wait of new

IT is deeply saddening that a large number of newly graduated pharmacy students in Malaysia are being forced to wait a long time for their interview with the Public Services Commission (PSC) which would decide their placement for internship.

Firstly, the Health Ministry’s stand on the dispensing separation issue, where it claims that there are not enough pharmacists to make it viable, is deplorable. Doesn’t the Health Ministry know that there are about 14,500 pharmacists in the country and about 20 pharmacy schools producing 1,200 pharmacy graduates annually?

At the moment, there is a glut of new pharmacy graduates. As parents of a pharmacy graduate, we know the actual situation. Students who graduated last year (2015) are still waiting to be called for the PSC interview and be given their internship which would enable them to work for one year to qualify as a fully registered pharmacist and obtain their annual practising certificate. Only then would they be free to work either in the private or public sector.

These newly graduated pharmacists will remain jobless if they cannot get their Provisionally Regis­tered Pharmacist (PRP) intern­ship training. Furthermore, many retail premises in the industry do not have enough facilities to cater for the large number of students seeking to do their internship. Unable to find a job related to their qualification, a lot of new pharmacy graduates are working as salespersons in mobile phone and computer outlets, supermarkets and even photography shops just to survive.

Worse still, another group of 1,200 pharmacy students will graduate this year, adding to the already large number who are in the lurch now as they can’t get their placement to do their one-year compulsory PRP training.

Why does the Health Ministry allow universities to keep on churning out pharmacy graduates when they know there are not many placements left?

Doesn’t the Health Ministry know what’s going on? If the ministry can’t handle this (if money is the issue), then it should at least offer the new graduates other alternatives, like putting them on attachment immediately with minimal pay or allowance or just shortening the internship period to six months so that they can get their practising certificate and get on with their life.

Moreover, these pharmacy graduates have already sat for and passed their compulsory pharmacy qualifying examination (Pharmacy Law), which will become invalid two years after graduating. That’s another conundrum facing them if they do not get their placement for internship as soon as possible.

Can the Health Ministry clarify its stand and provide realistic choices so that pharmacy graduates will not get a raw deal?

Apparently, medical and dental graduates are also facing the same problem of having to wait for their placement.

As such, there seems to be a rise in the number of unemployed professionals now. This is a serious matter which is also affecting the students’ morale, and there will come a time when our graduates will leave the country to seek greener pastures elsewhere (brain drain).


http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2016/08/19/end-the-long-wait-of-new-pharmacy-graduates/

Phaneesh Murthy-backed online pharmacy Zigy has shut operations in four out of the five cities

 Phaneesh Murthy-backed online pharmacy Zigy has shut operations in four out of the five cities it operates in, citing inability to raise funds due to lack of clarity on regulations surrounding the online pharma sector in India.

Zigy has shut its operations in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai, choosing to operate only in Bengaluru where it had won favour from the court. The company says it is trying to conserve cash in the hope that it can survive until it finds an investor.

“It will be a smaller team focusing on only some cities so that we can conserve the case to stretch till the next round of funds come. We are still expecting to get into some serious discussions with investors, and hopeful if the funds come in we’ll be able to retain some of our employees,” said Hemant Bhardwaj, MD and CEO of PM Health and Life Care which owns Zigy.

Sales of prescription drugs online has kicked off a huge debate in the government, which set up a special panel last July to build a framework to regulate such players. While the framework is delayed, several state governments have given into pressure from offline pharmacies to even ban such players.

Several state governments are deeming online pharmacies illegal and forcing them to shut down by taking back licenses. They are doing this on the grounds that online pharmacies were selling people drugs without prescriptions, while Zigy argues that it ensure users upload a scanned copy of a prescription.

“My only issue is that regulators should judge players on their merits and taking action that paint all the players with the same brush is hurting the industry. The online industry can bring a lot of good things, so why are the regulators taking so much time to come up with a framework?” added Bhardwaj.

Last year, nearly 850,000 small chemist stores in India were shut for a single day as a sign of protest against online players such as Zigy and 1mg stealing their business. These offline players accused e-pharmacies of selling drugs without prescriptions and made it easier for children and abusers to get their hands on certain drugs.

Moreover, disallowing services such as Zigy from advertising itself to customers until the framework was ready, the government cut off a massive chunk of Ziggy’s business. Given the state of the online commerce industry, Zigy burnt through the $5 million it had raised from friends and families of the founders.

“We invested a certain amount and can spend only that much. Someday it will vanish, because nobody is coming in front to put in money. See, the ecommerce game, especially in the initial stages is a cash burn game,” said Bhardwaj


http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/zigy-scales-back-ops-in-4-cities-out-of-5-116081300795_1.html

The government sale of generic drugs including concessional OTC drugs in assam soon

GUWAHATI: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that the state government will begin the sale of generic drugs including cancer drugs at concessional rates over the counter at six of the state's medical colleges and hospitals very soon. Sarma said the generic drugs will be made available at Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacies that will be run by the HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector company under the health ministry, at prices 30-60% lower than market prices.

Sarma said an MoU was signed between the state government and the chairman of HLL Lifecare Limited on Thursday.

He also said the first AMRIT pharmacy will be opened at GMCH within 30 days. Subsequently, AMRIT pharmacies will be opened at six medical colleges and hospitals in the state in phases.

"These will be 24-hour pharmacies that will be backed by the state government. If the experiment is a success, all district hospitals in the 27 districts will have a AMRIT pharmacy within six months," said Sarma.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Concessional-OTC-drugs-in-Assam-soon/articleshow/53662674.cms

The prescription for success in a saturated market in community pharmacy

THE battle for market domination between pharmacy brands is intensifying as businesses adapt their models to meet new challenges which threaten to rock the sector.

Traditional independent community pharmacies are a dying breed, being replaced by big box discount chains, with franchise models becoming increasingly commonplace. Of the 4041 pharmacy businesses in Australia, IBISWorld estimates only 12 per cent are entirely independent.

Queensland is home to the headquarters of several industry juggernauts including Terry White Chemists, Good Price Pharmacy, Discount Drug Stores and Malouf Pharmacies and is also a key battleground in the fight for market share.

With so much competition between pharmacy chains the pressure to cut prices to compete with big box models and aggressive marketing campaigns have forced many businesses to consider diversifying their offering in an effort to carve out a niche.

IBISWorld researcher Anna Richardson said these factors, coupled with proposed changes to the Pharmacuetical Benefits Scheme (PBS) by the Federal Government, could impact on the industry’s future revenue stream and force pharmacies to adapt their business models to survive.

“The PBS is a government scheme that subsidises the cost of pharmaceuticals ... remuneration received by pharmacists for dispensing PBS pharmaceuticals is set via five-year agreements between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Government,” Ms Richardson said.

“Any changes to the terms of agreement regarding remuneration rates or volumes dispensed under the PBS can affect industry revenue.

“Changes can also have bottom-line implications for pharmacies.”

Regulatory changes due to come into effect on October 1 under a new price disclosure arrangement are expected to cause the price of generic drugs to fall, dragging the industry’s revenue growth down to 0.7 per cent in 2016-2017. That would value the industry at $15.8 billion, only marginally higher than 2011-2012, according to IBISWorld.

Good Price Pharmacy chief executive Anthony Yap said with PBS revenue expected to stall, retail will become an even more crucial battle ground.

“The market has changed more in the past five years than it has in a long time,’ Mr Yap said. “Competition is intense, pharmacies are evolving their model to become more of a healthcare destination and must evolve to have less dependence on prescription medicine.”


http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/pharmacy-wars-the-prescription-for-success-in-a-saturated-market/news-story/dbd0c5b1bdf7513ebbb088ba72c12a2e

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group medication pharmacies need to GP

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group say patients will no longer be able to reorder their medication through their pharmacy.

A spokesman said: “They will need in future to request these through their GP. This will ensure that patients only receive the medication they need.”

The spokesman said this would mean the medication can be reviewed and would hopefully reduce the amount of wasted medicines.

“On average £7.5 million of medicines are wasted each year across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough,” said the spokesman.

“Previously patients could sign up to a managed repeat prescription service with their pharmacy where the pharmacy would automatically request medication on the patient’s behalf.”

It is expected the new service will be rolled out to 50 practices a year.

“This will not impact on vulnerable patients where alternative arrangements are in place, “said the spokesman.

http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/health_chiefs_to_stop_cambridgeshire_patients_getting_repeat_prescriptions_from_pharmacies_in_future_you_will_need_to_see_gp_1_4653708

The government is keeping on medical stores in the city out pharmaceutical drug Chemist shops near schools and colleges

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in its annual report for 2015, pointed out that abuse of pharmaceutical drugs in India has assumed serious proportions in recent times and the problem seems to be more serious in the Northeast and Northwest region of the country. Common pharmaceutical products that are abused include buprenorphine, codeinebased cough syrups, alprazolam, diazepam and some other sedatives.

"It is extremely important to identify the drug problem in Delhi. There are lots of drug users in the Capital and we need to get hold of the root cause of the problem," Darswal said.

As per the department's directions, all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as Aspirin, Disprin, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac cannot be sold as over-the counter drugs by chemists. In last one year, the department has cancelled licenses of 15 chemists for violating rules.

"Some spots have been already identified and we have stopped issuing license in these areas. Various children have been interviewed to understand problem. Drug peddling has become a serious concern. Standard operating procedure is being followed," Darswal said.

Educationists have appreciated the move. "It is a great step taken by the government. It is extremely important to keep a watch on the youngsters these days," said Goldy Malhotra, Director, Academic Staff College and Administration, Manav Rachna International Schools.

CAPITAL OVERDOSE

"Many medicines do have substances which can lead to addictions. These chemists sometimes even sell the medicines without prescription. Also, this is not only about the drugs but even the basic medicines should not be sold to the kids without having any prescriptions."
A knowledge sharing workshop was recently conducted in which various officials from the Delhi Police and CBI participated and discussed ways to tackle this growing problem.

Recently, Delhi Department of Health has also issued orders to various departments to ensure that no banned drugs are available in the shops. "The practice of selling drugs without a prescription is a worrying issue. Today, pharma companies are spending huge amount of money on research of molecules.

There are many drugs in the market that have potential of having drug abuse. A stricter guideline is need of the hour," said Dharmil Seth, co-founder, PharmEasy, an online platform which connects offline pharmacy.

The NCB report also underlined the fact that though there was a perception that pharmaceutical drugs were less harmful than hard drugs like heroin, cocaine etc, this was a misconception, "Since these can be addictive and also have a debilitating effect on health".

Pharmaceutical preparations having narcotic or psychotropic substances are under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act and the NDPS Act in India. Law enforcement agencies have increasingly seizing sizeable quantities of Alprazolam, Zolpidem Tramadol, Stidonafil tablets.


http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ncb-says-pharmaceutical-drugs-abuse-on-rise-govt-to-closely-watch-chemists-near-schools-and-colleges/1/734640.html

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand congratulates Community Pharmacy of the Year 547

Guild congratulates Community Pharmacy of the Year, Pharmacy 547

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) congratulates Pharmacy 547 for winning the Community Pharmacy of the Year award at the 2016 Pharmacy Awards held on Saturday night (6 August).

This year’s awards ceremony was held at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland and saw approximately 370 pharmacy stakeholders from around the country attend the event.

Guild Chief Executive, Andrew Gaudin says “The Guild was extremely honoured to co-host the 2016 Pharmacy Awards for the second time, alongside Pharmacy Today. At the Guild we aspire to see the highest quality of care delivered to patients through community pharmacy in New Zealand and it is a privilege to be so closely involved with an event that celebrates this work.”

“The Guild was proud to again sponsor the Community Pharmacy of the Year award. This year the prestigious award went to Guild member pharmacy, Pharmacy 547, who is thoroughly deserving of this recognition and a prime example of what our patients’ value about community pharmacy.

“The runner up in this category was Guild member pharmacy, Sanders Pharmacy, whose team is also providing an outstanding service to their community. The judges visited finalist pharmacies to see them in action and Pharmacy 547 was judged as the winner. Christchurch pharmacies, Crisps Healthy Living Pharmacy and St Martins Pharmacy, were also judged as highly commended. We are extremely grateful to all pharmacies who took the time to enter this award category and share the excellent work they are doing for the benefit of their patients.

“Pharmacy 547 is located in Hamilton and is led by Ian McMichael. The pharmacy has a philosophy that it needs to be constantly re-inventing itself and adapting what they do in a constantly changing and challenging world.

“In the last year they settled into new premises and made the most of the purpose-built facilities.

Pharmacy 547 believes in three A’s: How can we make health care accessible, affordable and accurate for the people who access our pharmacy services?

“The judges said that all finalists in this category showed a clear understanding of their patients’ needs and that they were delivering services to meet these needs in their local communities. They commented that all had a commitment to patient focused services that were innovative and allowed the pharmacists to work at the top of their scope for the benefit of their community.

“The high calibre of entries was consistent across all award categories with the judges commenting that selecting winners was no easy task.

“The Guild endeavours to support community pharmacy by freeing up time for owners to concentrate on what they do best – providing fantastic services into their community. At the awards we acknowledged a range of outstanding services, and it is our desire to see these services being embedded throughout the pharmacy sector in everyday practice.”

Our congratulations go out to all 2016 finalists and winners who are:

Pharmacy Guild Community Pharmacy of the Year

Winner: Ian McMichael, Alice Madsen, Alexis Mirkin, Pharmacy 547

Runner-up: Gemma Waterhouse-Perry, Sanders Pharmacy

Blackmores Future Pharmacist of the Year

Winner: Sophie Oliff, University of Otago

Runner-up: Kate Farmer, University of Auckland

Douglas Young Pharmacist of the Year

Winner: Charles Walker, Merrilands Pharmacy

Runner-up: Nafessa Mussa, Leanna Peachey and Truc Nguyen, Middlemore Hospital Pharmacy

GlaxoSmithKline "Good Sort" Pharmacist of the Year

Winner: Mark Webster, Stay Well Pharmacy

Runner-up: Mike Riordan, Unichem Mainstreet Pharmacy

Innovation in Delivering Care and Advice

Winner: Mark Webster, Stay Well Pharmacy

Runner-up: Samit Patel, Unichem Greenhithe Pharmacy

Aspen Pharmacare + Pamol Self Care Award

Winner: Amy Chan, Kiri Aikman, Ziyen Lam, Natasha Pool, Ricky Wan, Sarah Wang, Joe Monkhouse,

Auckland DHB Inpatient Pharmacy

The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Professional Service of the Year

Winner: Eui-Jin Kim and Michael Hammond, Rotorua Area Primary Health Services

Runner-up: Cath Knapton, Midland Community Pharmacy Group

ProPharma Technician Superstar(s)

Winner: Dianne Gulliver, Sian Dawson, and Kim Brackley, Pharmacy Department Auckland DHB

Runner-up: Sandra Edmondson, Pharmacy Department Christchurch Hospital

Voltaren Retail Superstar(s)

Winner: Clair Connor and Glenys Perry, Life Pharmacy Botany

Runner-up: Lisa Erdman, Unichem Spitfire Square Pharmacy

Vitaco NutraLife Best Complementary Healthcare Campaign

Winner: Clair Connor, Life Pharmacy Botany

Runner-up: Mark Webster, Stay Well Pharmacy

PRISM Te Hapai Hauora Award

Winner: Leanne Te Karu, Nga Kāitiaki o Te Puna Rongoā o Aotearoa - The Māori Pharmacists' Association

Runner-up: Teei Kaiaruna, Pharmacy 547 and Samuel Martin, Huntly West Pharmacy

Onelink Hospital Pharmacy Performer of the Year

Winner: David Ryan, North Shore Hospital Inpatient Pharmacy

Runner-up: Hayley Velden, Michelle Murphy, Ryan Moxham-Smith, Hauora Tairawhiti Pharmacy

Department Gisborne Hospital

PSL Supplier Of The Year

Winner: Annette Smith, Pharmacy Wholesalers Russells and Noel Wright, ProPharma

Runner-up: Mike Siermans and Regan Cooper, Douglas Pharmaceuticals

RB Supreme Winner

Winner: Leanne Te Karu, Nga Kāitiaki o Te Puna Rongoā o Aotearoa - The Māori Pharmacists' Association

Runner-up: Ian McMichael, Alice Madsen, Alexis Mirkin, Pharmacy 547

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1608/S00230/guild-congratulates-community-pharmacy-of-the-year.htm

Access may send some seniors back to pharmacy hospital

THURSDAY, Aug. 4, 2016 -- Limited access to pharmacies may be one reason hospital readmission is more common among older patients in rural, remote or smaller communities, a new study suggests.

Hospital readmissions in the United States cost $17 billion a year and are a serious problem, according to researchers from Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University.

They analyzed data from patients aged 65 and older in Oregon and focused on 507 pharmacies and 58 hospitals.

The average rate of readmissions in rural areas was 15.3 percent, compared to 14.7 percent in cities, where pharmacies are more often open, the researchers found. However, the study only found an association between hospital readmissions and pharmacy availability.

"It's a huge burden both on a patient and our medical system when they have to be readmitted to a hospital," said senior author David Lee, assistant professor in the OSU/OHSU College of Pharmacy.

"The modern pharmaceutical profession is increasingly being recognized as an important partner in health care, and as its services continue to expand it will help even more. This research shows that pharmacy access can help people from going back to the hospital," he said in an Oregon State news release.

"The sooner a person gets out and stays out of a hospital, the better off they usually will be," Lee added.

He noted that in some rural parts of Oregon, the closest pharmacy may be 100 miles or more away. In one small Oregon community, the only pharmacy is open 54 hours a week. In comparison, people in some large cities can find numerous pharmacies that collectively are open more than 3,800 hours a week.

The study was published online Aug. 1 in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/08/04/Lack-of-pharmacy-access-may-send-some-seniors-back-to-hospital/4421470341940/

Terry White merge to form major pharmacy network

Two of the nation’s most well known pharmacy brands, Chemmart and Terry White Group, have inked a merger deal that will create one of Australia’s leading chemist groups.

The merger will form a group with $2 billion in annual sales and 500 outlets, just at a time that the federal government is considering the deregulation of the pharmacy sector.

It also comes as the aggressive Chemist Warehouse group continues to roll out its own store network, capturing an increasing market share of the pharmaceutical, healthcare and cosmetics industries as shoppers flood its stores, drawn in by discounting and promotions.

EBOS Group (EBO) today entered into an agreement to merge its Chemmart business with the Terry White Group businesses to create one of Australia’s largest retail pharmacy networks.

Under the deal, EBOS Group will sell Chemmart and subscribe for shares in Terry White Group, which will result in EBOS Group consolidating Terry White in its financial statements from completion. The expected earnings impact is not material to EBOS Group.

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including Terry White shareholder approval. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of those conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed in late October 2016.

EBOS Group CEO Patrick Davies said the merger would provide both immediate and long term benefits through building the strongest retail pharmacy network in Australia, underpinned by a substantial and sophisticated retail pharmacy model.

“Chemmart and Terry White Group have strong, vibrant brands that have established leadership positions within the market,” Mr Davies said. “The pharmacy industry is positioned for growth with Australia’s ageing population and positive community attitudes towards health and wellbeing. The combined businesses will take a leadership position on health services within community pharmacy, whilst also maintaining a value for money offering.

“This merger is about capitalising on those strengths and continuing to develop competitive and sustainable businesses for pharmacy owners while also significantly increasing our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

“This is another important step in our strategy to position EBOS Group for further growth in retail pharmacy in Australia.”

It comes as the federal government considers deregulation of the pharmacy sector with the expected release soon of a discussion paper reviewing pharmacy remuneration and regulations.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/chemmart-terry-white-merge-to-form-major-pharmacy-network/news-story/0cd371d0e19eef31ec4b540d43d55cba

The pharmacy burglary in Man facing additional charges for role

A Wayne County man already jailed for being an accomplice in a Northampton County ATV theft now is charged for participating in a pharmacy break-in that netted prescription drugs.

Franklin Vincent Davis, 30, whose most recent address was listed in Gouldsboro, allegedly helped Clifford M. Foss, 40, of Port Carbon, Schuylkill County, as well as one other accomplice in the July 2014 burglary of the Southmoore Pharmacy. The pharmacy is located at 2453 Plaza Court outside Bath.

Moore Township police responding to the pharmacy at 4:51 a.m. July 13 found pry marks on the back doors and pill bottles scattered on the floor. Video surveillance footage showed Foss -- with a bandanna on top of his head -- and Davis, with something covering a portion of his face, riding into the parking lot on ATVs. The pair then used a crow bar to pry open the back doors to gain access, according to police.

A third male accomplice stood lookout and when he saw a Moore Township patrol vehicle traveling along Route 512 to another call, the accomplice banged on the door and all three fled the scene on the ATVs, police said.Stolen ATVs

Lehigh Township police in October 2014 developed Foss as a suspect, court records say.

Foss on July 11, 2014, had stolen two new ATVs from Backwoods Outdoor Recreation on Route 248 in Lehigh Township and used the ATVs during the pharmacy burglary, police said.

Lehigh Township police were investigating the ATV theft case, which also included the attempted theft of a third new ATV. Investigators worked to find Foss based on the tread pattern on his shoe, which was left in the mud near ATV crates, records say.

Meanwhile, Moore Township investigators were probing the pharmacy burglary when a detective received an email Sept. 24, 2014, from police in Berks County about a pharmacy break-in there involving two suspects and an ATV.

Two tipsters responding to a Berks County Crime Stoppers alert, as well as Foss' mother in an interview with a detective, identified Foss as one of the suspects to Northern Berks Regional police, court records say.

Pennsylvania state constables picked Foss up in October 2014 on several outstanding traffic warrants from Schuylkill County, locating him at the Ford Motel on Route 61 in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, court records say.

Taken in the ATV thefts were two 2014 Polaris 550 Sportsman ATVs, one green and one gray, which together retail for about $18,000, the dealer said; a camouflage 570cc 2014 Polaris Sportsman was also taken from Backwoods Outdoor Recreation, but abandoned at a nearby wood line after a tire went flat, police said.

The ATVs were stored in crates outside the business, which has since moved to a new location in Lehigh Township, court records said.

Moore Township police recovered the green Polaris 550 by following ATV tire tracks from Southmoore Pharmacy into a wooded area. With it were the yellow crow bar, hand saw, bolt cutters, pry bar and utility knife, records say.Following cellphone records

During the arrest of Foss, police seized a cellphone, which led authorities to Davis.

Investigators found on Davis' Gouldsboro property a truck with one of the stolen ATVs in its bed, police said. Davis initially told officers in an interview at his home he helped Foss transport the Polaris ATV, but didn't know it was stolen, police said.

Police obtained a search warrant and downloaded text messages, GPS maps and images off Foss' phone. The data showed exchanges between Foss and Davis about the crimes, including photos of the stolen ATV in Davis' truck bed, police said.

Davis on June 10, 2015, was interviewed again by investigators at the Berks County Prison, where he was incarcerated, and he admitted knowing the ATV was stolen. Davis said he used the ATV on his property and knew it was stolen during the pharmacy burglary, records say.

Davis also allegedly admitted to being with Foss during the pharmacy burglary and driving the stolen ATV from the Backwoods Outdoor Center.

In the ATV theft crime, Davis was charged with theft by unlawful taking, conspiracy theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy receiving stolen property. In December 2015, he pleaded guilty in county court and was sentenced to a maximum of 18 months in prison.

In the pharmacy break-in, Davis is charged with four counts burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, possessing instrument of crime and criminal mischief. He was arraigned Tuesday before District  Judge Robert Hawke, who set bail at $100,000. In lieu of bail, Davis was taken to Northampton County Prison.

Foss was charged in the break-in with burglary, trespass, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime and criminal mischief. In August, Foss was ordered to serve a minimum of eight years and 11 months in prison for the crimes. Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli imposed a maximum sentence of 28 years in state prison.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2016/08/man_2.html

The preventative drug using private prescriptions or online pharmacies and preventative treatment for HIV

Men and women across the UK at risk of acquiring HIV were offered hope after a high court ruled that a preventative treatment for HIV – known as PrEP – can be legally funded by the NHS.

Until now, those at risk of HIV transmission have been left with no choice but to obtain the preventative drug using private prescriptions or online pharmacies where the quality of medicine cannot always be assured.

Michael, 39, who lives in Sussex, buys Tenvir-EM – a generic version of Truvada, the drug used for PrEP – from online pharmacies. His partner is HIV positive and he takes PrEP to further reduce the “infinitesimal chances” of infection.

“The NHS is digging its heels on reviewing the drug so I, and many in my position, turn to internet pharmacies. I’d much prefer it to be available on the NHS. I would happily pay the prescription charge several times over, if only for the reassurance that the medicines are genuine. For now, I rely on good faith,” says Michael.NHS England said earlier this year that it would not routinely fund the drug as it claimed the treatment was preventative and not its responsibility. Instead, local councils were put in charge, which responded by saying they did not have the funds.
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Dr Will Nutland, founder of Prepster – a PrEP awareness website – and a public health worker at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, began taking the drug this year in part to protect against HIV transmission, but also to test the quality of online purchases.

“I’ve been sexually active for 30 years and I’ve always had the risk that HIV could be transmitted; condoms can break. I bought my first box of PrEP over a year ago as I wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to get hold of. It cost £45 from India. I thought, if I was advocating for it, then I must be prepared to take them myself. I found that, broadly, it was a simple process although I once had to pay 25% import duties,” says Nutland.

About 4,000 people acquire HIV in the UK every year. The average cost of a lifetime of treating each patient at current prices is put at about £360,000. Nutland believes that this cost could be eliminated.

Michael James, 49, from London, buys three months’ supply at a time from an online pharmacy in India at a cost of £150. But he is worried about safety, and angry with the NHS for discriminating against those at risk of HIV transmission.

“Of course it is a risk not knowing the quality and effectiveness of the medication but this is the only option many of us have. It’s a disgrace to be discriminated against in such a way by the government, who continue to handball the responsibility from authority to authority at the risk and expense of the individual,” says James. Nutland isn’t personally concerned about the safety of PrEP bought over the internet, instead he believes the greatest problem is that those most at risk cannot afford to buy the drugs.

“There’s a Facebook group, where people swap information and batch numbers. There are about 100 of us in the UK, who test at sexual health clinics to measure the amount of the drug in our blood. There hasn’t been one person whose test hasn’t shown the drug, the only issue being when the tests have been taken too soon, too little of the drug shows up.

“The website IwantPrEPnow lists four reputable pharmacies. I don’t personally have any concerns with the drugs coming in. A major problem is affordability. I can afford the £45 a month, but the people who should use it might not be able to,” he says.

Although it is a positive that PrEP is easy to get, Nutland worries that may stop people from having advisable health checks before taking the drug, which is another reason that he is urging the NHS to fund the drug.

“It’s a concern that people using PrEP are doing so without HIV tests and kidney function tests,” he says. “If it was through an NHS commission, through a sex clinic, there would be a full barrage of tests. People are not safeguarding other things. Those who can protect themselves. Buying online is a stopgap until it’s properly available.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/02/users-of-hiv-prevention-prep-urge-nhs-to-fund-life-changing-medicine