The NHS England last week released a survey report on the involvement of pharmacy professionals in research, and proposed the implementation of a
clinical academic training pathway for pharmacy professionals by 2030.
Recommendations were made to support the embedding of research at all stages of a pharmacy professional's career.
The report presented the findings of two surveys that NHS England launched in May 2022, one for individual pharmacy professionals and one for organisations,
calling for evidence on clinical academic careers in pharmacy.
The survey found that only a minority of the pharmacy workforce take up clinical research training opportunities.
"Just under a quarter of individual respondents had applied for the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) or other research project grants, and
just under half of the organisational survey respondents had supported individuals to apply for such a grant," it said.
The concept of patient engagement has gained significant momentum in recent years, particularly in clinical research. Patient engagement refers to the active involvement of patients and their families in the research process, intending to improve the relevance and impact of clinical research. Raising awareness amongst the public and within patient communities is only the first
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has created a new NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) to support the successful delivery of health and
social care research in England.
The network, which will start operating from next year, will play a critical and active role in implementing government policies.
It will support in implementing the Life Sciences Vision, the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery vision, and policy for life sciences research and development.
The new network would be mainly working on growing the amount of commercial clinical research as its key strategic ambition.
Also, NIHR RDN will be responding to the findings of the Lord O'Shaughnessy review, which set out a clear blueprint for how the UK can return to its global
leadership role.
Cancer patients in the UK are being given a new immunotherapy treatment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as part of a global phase 1/2 clinical
trial, which aims to evaluate its safety and potential for treating 'solid tumour' cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer.
The experimental therapy, called mRNA-4359, has been designed to train patients' immune systems to recognise and fight cancer cells, according to researchers
at Imperial College London.
For the first time in the UK, cancer patients received the treatment at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Clinical Research
Facility at Hammersmith Hospital.
In this non-randomised trial, mRNA-4359 is administered to patients either alone or in combination with an existing cancer drug called pembrolizumab, a type of
immune checkpoint inhibitor.
The researchers are hopeful that this new therapeutic approach, if proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials, could lead to a new treatment option for
difficult-to-treat cancers.
Kanabo Group plc, a medical cannabis research and development company, has entered into a partnership with City Dock Pharmacy in London to introduce a walk-in
clinic for pain management.
The pain clinic will cater to patients who are eligible for alternative therapies (when traditional treatments have failed to deliver improvements), and will offer
specialised medicines, including medicinal cannabis.
When it opens, the new facility at City Dock Pharmacy in Wapping will become the UK's first walk-in clinic for pain management, but it will also deliver
appointment-related services, the companies said.
The partnership is part of the London-based company's wider ambition to extend its reach into physical pharmacies throughout the UK, and its plans to replicate
this model across other pharmacies.
Looking for a Best Electronic Data Capture Solutions For Clinical Trials? Visit clinvigilant and read our blog to know more about EDC In Clinical Trials
The Professional Records Standards Body (PRSB), which develops information standards for health and social care records, has appointed Professor Reecha
Sofat as the new Chair.
She will assume the role at the end of October 2024, succeeding Professor Maureen Baker CBE, who will step down after seven years as Chair of the PRSB.
A Clinical Pharmacologist, Professor Sofat has held many leadership roles across the NHS, academia and scientific societies.
Professor Sofat is Breckenridge Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool. She practices general internal medicine and is also an Associate
Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre (DSC) which is led by Health Data Research UK (HDRUK).
With a passion for data science and extensive clinical and research insights, Professor Sofat is focused on embedding research into routine health and social care.
She said: "I am passionate about using the rich health data that is already collected across NHS and social care to better understand the causes and consequences
of disease and improve health outcomes.
Clinical Genomics Market By Test Type (Diagnostic, Genetic, Newborn Screening, Prenatal, Carrier Screening), Software, Method (Molecular, Chromosomal, Biochemical Tests), End User (Hospitals and Clinics) - Global Forecast to 2023
Sixty-seven per cent of UK independent pharmacists say the pandemic has positively changed how patients view the clinical services offered by community pharmacy.
The research - carried out with an independent panel of more than 100 community pharmacists - revealed that 35 per cent of them had increased their clinical services to fulfil patient demand during the pandemic.
Seventeen per cent said they had expanded their private clinical services such as vaccinations and dermatology, with a further 17 per cent adding sexual health services such as emergency contraception and chlamydia screening in their services offer.
Thirty per cent introduced NHS health checks and emergency supply NHS services during the pandemic.
Researchers from the University of Oxford today (December 8) started recruiting for a clinical trial to test novel antiviral Covid-19 treatments for early use in the illness by people in the community and those who are at higher risk of complications.
Partnering with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), colleagues in several UK universities, and the NHS UK-wide, the Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of Covid-19 In the Community (PANORAMIC), is a national priority trial, and will be open to participants from across the UK.
The first treatment to be tested by the UK Antiviral Taskforce will be molnupiravir, a Covid antiviral pill already licensed by the MHRA.
Britain became the first country in the world to approve molnupiravir, which was jointly developed by U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in November.
The first big breakthrough in 30 years of Alzheimer's research is providing momentum for clinical trials of "cocktail" treatments targeting the two hallmark
proteins associated with the mind-robbing disease, according to interviews with researchers and pharmaceutical executives.
Drugmakers Eisai and Biogen reported in September that their therapy lecanemab could slow progress of the disease by 27% over 18 months compared with a placebo.
The finding validates the theory that clearing the amyloid protein that forms clumps in the brains of Alzheimer's patients could slow or halt the disease and has
strengthened the support from some scientists for simultaneously targeting another notorious protein linked to Alzheimer's: tau.
Eisai and Biogen are scheduled to present full data from their lecanemab study on Tuesday at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in San Francisco.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision by early January on the companies' application for accelerated approval.
If approved on an accelerated basis, the companies said they would immediately apply for full U.S. regulatory approval which could help secure Medicare coverage.
Ginger is an age-old herb that has had extensive usage in history for its numerous natural therapeutic effects, especially as an "anti-emetic." The best-known proof indicates that ginger is an effective and affordable remedy for nauseatic and vomiting ailments and is safe. The pleasing zesty "kick" from the root of Zingiber officinale, the ginger plant, is what produces ginger ale, ginger tea, sweets, loaves of bread, and many Asian dishes so delicious. Ginger adds an aromatic tang to both sweet and spicy foods. As ginger is frequently suggested for its stomach-settling impacts, you may wonder whether it's a proven way to treat nauseatic ailments naturally.
This article reevaluates the efficacy and safety of ginger for nausea and the most promising practices for using it.
How does Ginger Help with Nausea?
According to PubMed Central, the highly appreciated database from the National Institutes of Health, it's believed that ginger fetches its therapeutic qualities from gingerol, the main bioactive ingredient in fresh ginger, and complementary blends called shogaols, which provide the root its savory flavor. Shogaols are more robust in dried ginger, with 6-shogaol as the primary source of antioxidants. At the same time, gingerols are more plentiful in raw ginger. Some examination has revealed that ginger and its compounds may improve digestive function and speed up stomach emptying feel, relieving nausea. Its anti-inflammatory traits may improve digestive activity and sustain the discharge of blood-pressure-regulating hormones to relax your body and ease nausea.
Other Health Benefits of Ginger
Being an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive aid, it has been used as a natural treatment for helping to alleviate nausea and other symptoms. It can be used to treat:
Heartburn
Indigestion
Motion sickness
Reduce joint pain
Soothe sore throats
Minimize the duration of colds and flu viruses
Ease menstrual cramps
Prevent cancer cell growth
Improve choleste
How Clinical Research Management Can Help You? Many scientific analysis experts become promoted or advance to the higher level supervisory positions after
Politicians, researchers and pharmacy leaders called on the government to make community pharmacy a fundamental part of clinical services at an event at the
House of Commons on Wednesday (13).
At the launch of a research publication carried out by the University of Bath in conjunction with Sigma Pharmaceuticals, community pharmacy was described as
an "essential pillar of health care provision" in the UK.
The aim of this research was to provide evidence to support a strategy for the future developments of community pharmacy to ensure the sector continues to meet
the needs of the public in the NHS.
Researchers analysed 25 health and community pharmacy related policies published by the department of health, the NHS, the pharmacy profession, and spoke to
stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds, including patients, pharmacists, NHS commissioners and GPS.
Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Holdings plc, which specialises in developing cannabis-derived medicines with pain-relieving properties, has successfully
administered the first-in-human dose of its lead pharmaceutical drug compound, OCT461201, in its phase 1 clinical trial. The company holds a portfolio of four
drug candidates intended for use as licensed pain medications.
The drug is a selective cannabinoid receptor type 2 agonist with the potential to treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and irritable bowel syndrome.
The UK trial, conducted by Simbec Research Limited, part of Simbec-Orion Group Ltd., is progressing with healthy volunteers, OCTP said in a statement. Using a single
ascending dose protocol, the primary objective is to demonstrate OCT461201's safety and tolerability, while providing information on its pharmacokinetic profile, to
confirm its value as a potential drug.
Results from the trial, funded entirely by OCTP's existing resources, are expected in the third quarter of 2023, the statement added.
he Pharmacy Schools Council (PhSC) has elected Professor Katie Maddock as the organisation's new chair.
Prior to becoming head of school at Keele University, Professor Maddock had been MPharm course director and associate dean for education for the Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences, responsible for developing the clinical teaching at Keele.
Before joining Keele University, she taught clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice at Aston University. Her research interests lie in pharmacy education,
particularly the use of technology in teaching, clinical therapeutics, augmented reality simulation and interprofessional education. She was also awarded a
principal fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in November 2020.
Having worked in hospital pharmacy, Professor Maddock is acutely aware of the pressures that Covid-19 has placed on healthcare, as well as the importance of
retaining and building upon the positive changes to patient care and pharmacy practice that were developed in response to the pandemic.
An experimental Alzheimer's drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a late-stage trial, the company said on Wednesday, providing
what experts say is the strongest evidence yet that removing sticky amyloid plaques from the brain benefits patients with the fatal disease.
Lilly's drug, donanemab, met all goals of the trial, the company said. It slowed progression of Alzheimer's by 35% compared to a placebo in 1,182 people with
early-stage disease whose brains had deposits of two key Alzheimer's proteins, beta amyloid as well as intermediate levels of tau, a protein linked with disease
progression and brain cell death.
The study also evaluated the drug in 552 patients with high levels of tau and found that when both groups were combined, donanemab slowed progression by 29% based
on a commonly used scale of dementia progression known as the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR-SB).
Using that scale, experts said Lilly's findings were roughly on par with Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, which reduced
cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer's in a study published last year.
The results drove Lilly's shares to a record high, up more than 6% at $429.85.
Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mayo Clinic, said Lilly's trial is the third to show removing amyloid from the brain slows progression of the
disease, which could put to rest some lingering doubts about the benefits of drugs in the class and the amyloid-lowering theory.
"It's modest, but I think it's real," he said of the benefit, "and I think it's clinically meaningful."
Dr. Erik Musiek, a Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said the efficacy looks as good or better than lecanemab.
Are you looking to start a career in the medical field but don't know where to begin? There are many different paths to choose from when it comes to entering
the medical profession. It can be daunting trying to figure out which one is right for you. But with some research, planning, and dedication, you can find your way
into this rewarding and fulfilling industry. Here are 8 tips that will help get you started on your journey toward becoming a successful healthcare professional.
1. ONLINE PROGRAMS
If you have already decided on a career path and need to obtain additional qualifications or knowledge, there are many online programs available for medical
professionals. These courses provide students with the opportunity to learn from home and gain experience in their chosen field without sacrificing the quality of
education. You can find an online medical assistant programs, medical biller and coding programs, lab technician training, and more. It's important to research each
program and make sure it's accredited before enrolling. While online programs may not offer the same hands-on experience as a traditional school, they can be an
affordable and convenient way to get your foot in the door.
2. VOLUNTEERING OR WORKING IN A CLINICAL SETTING
Volunteering or working part-time in a clinical setting is an excellent way to gain experience and decide if the medicine is the right profession for you. Even
volunteer work can provide invaluable insight into how the medical field works, allowing you to network with professionals, observe procedures and treatment methods,
and develop skills from patient interaction. Additionally, any volunteer work or job experience related to healthcare that appears on your resume establishes you as
a serious candidate for a career in medicine. While you are likely to find many volunteer opportunities, be sure to do your research and only take positions in
reputable organizations.