NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF


SERVICES AT A DISTANCE GUIDANCE


The GPhC has published new guidance which sets out the key areas that need to be considered by registered pharmacies that provide services at a distance. All pharmacies that provide services such as the electronic prescription service, a collection and delivery service or an internet pharmacy service will be expected to follow the guidance.


Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet sets out what pharmacy owners and superintendents of a body corporate must consider in areas including risk assessments, regular audits and managing websites. Other key issues covered include providing patients with the information they need so they can make an informed decision about their medicines and the pharmacy services they use, and ensuring that patient information is held securely and in line with data protection legislation.


The guidance will help ensure that pharmacy services and the sale or supply of medicines are safe in those instances where patients may not have face to face interaction with a pharmacy professional.


Commenting on the publication of the guidance, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC, said, “Different ways of providing pharmacy services are becoming increasingly common and this new guidance will help pharmacies wanting to introduce new ways of providing services to their patients.


“We expect that this guidance will apply to almost every pharmacy and I would urge all pharmacy owners, superintendents and staff to engage with it. This will help them to make sure that they have identified and managed all risks, and that they supply medicines and services safely to patients.”


24 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST


Scottish researchers warn on prolonged paracetamol use


According to researchers from the University of Edinburgh, prolonged paracetamol use (also known as acetaminophen, or under the brand name Tylenol) by pregnant women may reduce testosterone production in unborn baby boys.


The researchers say their findings could help to explain reported links between paracetamol use in pregnancy and reproductive health problems in young boys.


Paracetamol is the primary medicine used for managing pain and fever during pregnancy.


The authors recommend that expectant mothers should follow existing guidelines that the painkiller be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.


Testosterone, produced in the testicles, is crucial for life-long male health. Reduced exposure to the hormone in the womb has been linked to an increased risk of infertility, testicular cancer and undescended testicles.


The University of Edinburgh study tested the effect of paracetamol on testosterone production in mice that carried grafts of human testicular tissue. These grafts have been shown to mimic how the developing testes grow and function during pregnancy.


Scientists gave the mice a typical daily dose of paracetamol -- over a period of either 24 hours or seven days. They measured the amount of testosterone


Fife launch new prescribed sharps initiative


A new service launched in NHS Fife will enable safe and easy access to special plastic sharps containers for patients to store used sharps in their home before taking them to a pharmacy for safe disposal. It is important for sharps to be disposed of safely, as inappropriate disposal creates a risk of accidental needle- stick injuries to pharmacy staff, waste management staff and to patients and members of the public.


The new service aims to:


Left to right: Andrea Smith, Lead Pharmacist (NHS Fife), Kevin Murphy, Head of Operations (Wellbeing Pharmacies Ltd) and Margaret Vass, Pharmacy Team Leader (NHS Fife) promote the new service.


Provide patients with a safe and convenient route for the disposal of sharps.


Reduce the amount of sharps stored in patients’ homes, by providing a convenient route for disposal, thus reducing the risk of accidental needle-stick injuries.


Reduce the environmental damage caused by inappropriate disposal methods for sharps.


Posters and information leaflets for staff and patients detailing the service have been distributed across clinics, hospitals, GP Surgeries and to all 85 pharmacies in NHS Fife.


produced by the human tissue an hour after the final dose of paracetamol.


They found there was no effect on testosterone production following 24 hours of paracetamol treatment. After seven days of exposure, however, the amount of testosterone was reduced by 45%.


The team - from the University’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health - say further research is required to establish the mechanism by which paracetamol might have this effect.


The study is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. It is funded by the Wellcome Trust, the British Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes and the Medical Research Council.


Dr Rod Mitchell, a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said, “This study adds to existing evidence that prolonged use of paracetamol in pregnancy may increase the risk of reproductive disorders in male babies.


“We would advise that pregnant women should follow current guidance that the painkiller be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.”


Commenting on the research, RPS spokesperson on children’s medicines Steve Tomlin said, “This research acts as a reminder that we need to be careful with all medicines during pregnancy and the first few years of


life and it is essential that we carry on doing studies into the effects of medicines in pregnancy.


“Growth of all organs, including the reproductive organs and the brain is happening at a rapid rate during pregnancy and few drugs have definitive data about how they may effect foetal development, so new research data is helpful.


“However we must be realistic about what this individual study tells us in isolation. This study is not performed in humans and whilst we can use animal studies as a guide to potential benefits and problems, we are well aware that not all results are directly translated when medicines are used in humans.


“Paracetamol is generally thought of as a very safe medicine as long as dosing guidelines are followed carefully, only a relatively small numbers of doses over recommended levels used over a few days can be harmful to adults and children.


“This research doesn’t change the current guidelines that pregnant women can take paracetamol with the caveat that it is used for as short a time as possible at the lowest effective dose.


“Anyone who is concerned about their use of medicines in pregnancy should speak to their pharmacist or doctor.”


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