The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - issues affecting you and your patients

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
– Volume 1, Issue 5 May 2009

EDITOR'S COMMENTS
	Defining our role

NEWS
	Pharmacist intervention decreases adverse events
	Aspirin plus clopidogrel increases infection in coronary artery bypass surgery patients
	‘Winning combinations’ to decrease vascular disease and death

NEWS FEATURE
	Pharmacy departments prepared for flu pandemic The current influenza alert has triggered reviews of national guidelines for dealing with a possible pandemic. Shona Kirk investigates how hospital pharmacy departments are ensuring they are prepared.

THERAPEUTICS
	Omalizumab: an overview of its place in asthma therapy Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody used in the management of severe allergic asthma. It has been on the market since October 2005, but its use in hospitals is increasing, as is the pharmacists role in its management. Nicola Harker provides an overview of omalizumab and its place in therapy.


DRUG APPRAISAL
	An evaluation of modafinil in myotonic dystrophy Following success in narcolepsy treatment, modafinil has been investigated for the treatment of hypersomnia caused by myotonic dystrophy. In this article, the North Central London Formulary and Medicines Management Group report on the effectiveness of modafinil for this indication. By Anthony Grosso and Pritesh Bodalia.

HEAD TO HEAD
	Is public health the right direction for pharmacy? Ronald Purkiss and Martin Stephens debate.

MEETING
	Optimising patient outcomes The impact of patient variability on harm caused by medicines was among the topics discussed at a recent international clinical pharmacy conference. Paul Grassby reports.

PRESCRIBER'S CORNER
	Use of anticoagulants in a patient planning pregnancy Prescriber’s Corner describes situations encountered by pharmacist prescribers and invites you to consider clinical decisions about the patient. In this case, you must provide advice to a young woman who is on lifelong warfarin therapy and wants to have a baby. By Andrew Husband and Jessica Clemerson.

OPINION
	A clinical future should not forsake basic science skills The pharmacy profession may be set for a clinical future, but we must not lose the pharmaceutical knowledge that is unique to our profession, says Alexander Florence. Wake up and smell the coffee Clinical pharmacists may be a minority numerically but, by voting together, they have the potential to influence the future of the profession. The apathetic attitude of many other pharmacists may provide such an opportunity, suggests Philip Brown.

PROFILE
	Mental health pharmacy - an important area for all Caroline Parker is a consultant pharmacist for adult mental health services. This article describes her role, her views on the current mental health pharmacy services and why all pharmacists should take an interest in this speciality. By Shona Kirk.

SHARING PRACTICE
	Managing dyspepsia in primary care clinics Evaluation of data collected during a pilot study of dyspepsia clinics in Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust shows that over half of patients required a change in treatment and suggests that the clinics can improve patients’ quality of life. Megan Blythe describes the latest findings.

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy is an editorially independent publication. Copyright of the The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. No reproduction in any format is allowed unless permission is granted by the publisher.