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A recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition reveals promising results regarding the use of daily prebiotic fiber supplements in patients with pre-diabetes, suggesting significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and other vital health markers. "Pre-diabetes affects over 7 million individuals in the UK," says Dr. Thomas Gurry, CEO at myota. "Our findings have shown that prebiotic fiber represents a promising and efficacious fast-acting treatment to manage pre-diabetes." Conducted over 24 weeks with 66 prediabetic participants, the study, led by scientists from myota and CRO Lindus Health, utilised a diverse prebiotic blend. "The results of our study suggest that this natural diverse prebiotic fiber supplement could be taken to reverse pre-diabetes and to prevent or slow the onset of type 2 diabetes," says Dr. Caitlin Hall, Head of Research at myota.

The Health Education England (HEE) has secured funding to further support growth of the pharmacy technician workforce in 2022/23. This support is through expansion of pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician (PTPT) training capacity in community pharmacy or as part of a cross-sector integrated apprenticeship programme. HEE will be holding two 90-minute webinars on Monday 27 2022. There will be a morning webinar (10-11.30am) and an evening webinar (7-8.30pm) for attendees to choose from. Topics like- available funding; eligibility for funding; PTPT training programme requirements for employers; how to apply for this funding; and the support available from HEE for successful funding of applicants to develop their PTPT training programmes, will be covered during the webinars. HEE is also hosting another webinar to provide an update on the Independent Prescribing (IP) for pharmacists training offer that they are developing for Autumn 2022.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the marketing authorisation of Adtralza, a dermatological solution developed by Danish specialist LEO Pharma. This injectable solution contains 300 mg of tralokinumab in a 2 mL pre-filled pen and will be available for tralokinumab patients in the UK from early 2024. Tralokinumab is indicated for treating moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adult and adolescent patients aged 12 and older who require systemic therapy, Leo Pharma said in a statement. It is a fully human monoclonal antibody developed to specifically bind to and inhibit the IL-13 cytokine. Previously, it was available in a 150 mg in 1 mL pre-filled syringe. According to Leo Pharma, the 300 mg tralokinumab in a 2 mL pre-filled pen offers a streamlined administration for both patients and prescribers. It begins with an initial 600 mg dose in two injections, followed by a single 300 mg maintenance dose administered every other week. "We're pleased that this simplified administration method for tralokinumab will soon benefit eligible atopic dermatitis patients in the UK. It aligns with our commitment to elevate the standard of care and support for individuals with skin conditions," said Leanne Walsh, Vice President and General Manager of UK and Ireland at LEO Pharma.

Following concerns raised about cracked cartridges and insulin leaks, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a national patient safety alert for the NovoRapid PumpCart prefilled insulin cartridge and the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin pump system. The regulator have asked patients to check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for cracks before use. It advised against using the cartridge if it has been dropped even if no cracks are visible and urged to closely follow the updated handling instructions in the pump user manual when changing pre-filled glass insulin cartridges. In some of the reported leakage incidents, the cartridges were found to be cracked and provided an inadequate supply of insulin to patients. Leakages also occurred in cases where no cracks in the cartridge were visible, the regulator said. In some patients there were consequences of not receiving enough insulin from their pump system, including reports of severely high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes when the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. Healthcare professionals are being advised to contact patients over the next six months using said device to discuss their individual needs and source an alternative pump where appropriate. "Because of the rare risk of insulin leakage from the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin Pump, patients should check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for any cracks prior to usage," Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said.

The term "pre diabetes diet" is basically a fancy way to say "healthy eating". We refer to it when we mean to say a diet that is built with the purpose of preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in a person. In most situations doctors are going to recommend this in the event that high

Ahead of World AIDS Day this Wednesday, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has urged the government to widen access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by making it available through community pharmacies. It argues that such a move could drive down rates of HIV infection across Great Britain. Currently, the medicine - which offers almost total protection from HIV when taken as recommended prior to sex or injecting drugs - is available free of charge only through sexual health clinics. Calling on the government to engage with community pharmacies to improve public health, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "There is a clear opportunity to drive down rates of HIV infection by expanding provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to community pharmacies and GP practices as part of the government's HIV Action Plan.

Hospitals and healthcare providers across the UK have been notified about the shortage of an anti-inflammatory medicine caused by a manufacturing failure. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Friday (3 May) issued a National Patient Safety Alert stating that Erelzi 50mg solution for injection in pre-filled pen will be out of stock from early May until mid-July 2024. "The supply issues have been caused by a manufacturing failure resulting in delays in production and the implementation of global allocations," it said. However, it noted that homecare providers (Alcura, Healthnet and Sciensus) have sufficient stock to supply existing patients until mid/late May 2024. Although Erelzi 50mg pre-filled syringes (PFS) are still available, they cannot support a full increase in demand, the DHSC warned.

Lumbo Support Uni Belt Lumbo Support Uni is designed for flexibility and convenience to the patient. It supports and immobilizes the lumbo sacral region and correct the postural deformity to allay low back pain syndrome. It has flexi contoured splints to enhance comfort on one hand and correctness of the posture on the other. Flexible sizing. Smart and sleek. Tapered back panel. Pre-shaped semi rigid splints. Lumbo Support Uni Belt Features Elastic webbing made from heat resistant rubber with high modulus of elasticity. Long functional life, better compression Anatomically tapered shape Perfect fitting, better immobilization, more comfort. Pre shaped semi rigid stays Relieves muscular stress due to wrong posture, effective immobilization. Lean construction sleek design Extra convenient, more comfort, everyday use as a general purpose back support, excellent for use during traveling, a prophylactic belt. Broad hook-loop panel Ensures easy application and quick removal, universal sizing. Lumbo Support Uni Belt Measurements Measure circumference around the waist below the navel.

he idea of buying used or pre-owned medical equipment is becoming more and more popular in the medical industry. In fact, many medical businesses prefer to buy used instead of new medical equipment, and most will say that this trend is only expected to grow in the future.

Novo Nordisk has launched PenCycle, a recycling initiative for pre-filled injection pens, designed to address the challenge of recycling injection pen devices. A first-of-its-kind scheme in the UK, covering FlexPen® and FlexTouch® used to dispense insulin and other medications, will have community pharmacies playing a key role. Users can return their devices to local participating community pharmacies or through pre-paid Royal Mail boxes or use an 'at home' collection pilot service for growth hormone pens. The pens will then be returned to Denmark where the plastic will be recycled into a range of items, such as chairs and lamps, the Danish multinational pharmaceutical company said.

British drugmaker GSK said on Tuesday (December 7) its antibody-based Covid-19 therapy with US partner Vir Biotechnology is effective against all mutations of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, citing new data from early-stage studies. The data, yet to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, shows that the companies' treatment, sotrovimab, is effective against all 37 identified mutations to date in the spike protein, GSK said in a statement. Last week, another pre-clinical data showed that the drug had worked against key mutations of the Omicron variant. Sotrovimab is designed to latch on to the spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus, but Omicron has been found to have an unusually high number of mutations on that protein. "These pre-clinical data demonstrate the potential for our monoclonal antibody to be effective against the latest variant, Omicron, plus all other variants of concern defined to date by the WHO," GSK chief scientific officer Hal Barron said.

Well Pharmacy has introduced a digital e-voucher platform for its corporate flu vaccination scheme. This platform simplifies the process of distributing flu vouchers to colleagues via email, employing individual flu voucher codes for each recipient, the company said in a statement. "Flu can disrupt business operations, especially during the bustling pre-Christmas period," said George Sandhu, Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist at Well Pharmacy. "Opting for staff flu jabs is a cost-effective means of safeguarding your business, employees, and their families. Our goal is to ensure a seamless setup, effortless administration, and convenient access to flu jabs for your colleagues, fitting into their schedules smoothly." According to the statement, Well Pharmacy's digital e-voucher platform offers effortless accessibility and various benefits, including swift email sharing, transparent upfront pricing and invoicing, and convenient tracking of voucher usage. Businesses can also track the utilisation and remaining availability of vouchers. "Just determine the desired number of vouchers and complete the order form," Sandhu added. "We'll provide a pre-filled agreement for your signature and return, along with an invoice. After setup, you'll receive a voucher code to distribute among your staff, along with promotional posters. They can access our website to obtain the necessary code for scheduling their vaccinations."

The NHS England has introduced a training programme for 1000 staff to broaden their community pharmacy roles, thereby improving patient access to services. Among them, 500 pharmacy staff will be trained to supervise pharmacists during prescription training, while the remaining 500 will provide support for various training, including pre and post-registration programmes for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. According to the NHSE, pharmacist and pharmacy technician roles are rapidly evolving due to healthcare changes and increased demand for clinical services in community pharmacy. "There are 3,000 independent prescribing training spots available for 2023/24. Educational supervision is a crucial part of this to enable the ongoing transformation and skills development of the growing pharmacy workforce." The NHSE-funded training, scheduled to begin next month, will ensure that those involved in educational supervision, including Designated Supervisors (DSs), Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician education supervisors and Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs), can effectively support learners.

The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) has urged the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to collate the data on actively enrolled on an approved course or qualification for Pharmacy Technicians of commencement of training. In a letter from Nicola Stockmann, Vice President APTUK to the GPhC to encourage the collection of data for Pre-Registration Training Pharmacy Technicians, Stockmann said: "We value the GPHC data for Pharmacy Technician registrants to track the growth and diversity of the Pharmacy Technician profession. With ongoing inclusive pharmacy practice priorities, APTUK has an organisational pledge to continue this work of all themes through actions. The demographics of the Pharmacy Technician workforce continue to have a majority of white British registrants and identifying as female; the high-level data collated which is currently available on the GPHC website does not capture those who are actively enrolled on an approved course or qualification for Pharmacy Technicians."

The new Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) has witnessed more than 37,000 purchases both via online website and in-person in pharmacies since its launch on Saturday (1 April). As of 12pm today (4 April), 37,240 HRT PPCs have been bought online and 501 in-pharmacy, totalling 37,741 certificates. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) estimated women have saved over £1.13 million in prescription charges for the year, with the average person saving £30 for a year's supply. The new prescription pre-payment certificate is also predicted to enable around 400,000 women to have cheaper access to menopause support. On the launch of the scheme on Saturday, the huge demand for the much-anticipated certificate meant some patients were unable to access the website on the morning of 1 April. "The NHS Business Service Authority has ensured that the site has been working, allowing thousands of women to continue to successfully purchase a prescription for a year's worth of hormone replacement therapy products which help treat the menopause," said DHSC. Minister for Women's Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield said: "Over 37,700 women have come forward to claim cheaper HRT this weekend alone, showing what happens when we listen to what women want.

Pre and post pregnancy spa treatments at Lanu Medi Spa Drogheda have been designed to ease stress during pregnancy. These specially crafted Pregnancy Spa Treatments relax your body and release tensions and muscle fatigue. Visit us today to get complete information.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is seeking views from all community pharmacy owners about the pressures faced this autumn season. A survey has been launched as the "November Pre-Committee Opinion Poll" until 6 November to seek views from independents and non-Company Chemists' Association (CCA) members. The results of the poll will be sent to the head offices of CCA multiples next week for discussion at the November Committee Meeting. CPE confirmed: "The results of these polls and the outcomes of the meeting will be reported back to the sector afterwards. They said that the survey "will be used to feed into our ongoing work to press for an uplift to core funding by enhancing our evidence base of what pharmacy owners are experiencing."

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which was introduced in England in 2016, is helping hundreds of thousands of people to lead healthier lives. People with pre-diabetes are being identified and offered a nine-month behaviour change programme that supports healthier diet and exercise choices to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. A study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has found a significant reduction in diabetes risk among patients who had been referred to the NHS programme. Three years after their referral, the participants were 20 per cent less likely to have type 2 diabetes than a similar person who was not included in the programme, the evaluation revealed.

Women can gain excess body weight owing to many reasons. However, pregnancy is a physical condition that can make any woman gain weight naturally. While some women succeed in discarding excess flab gained during months of pregnancy, others fare worse. They struggle to get rid of those ugly layers of fat that accumulate in body parts like waist and hip. However, you can surely shed the pregnancy weight after your baby is born by resorting to right measures. You need not switch to typical diets and plans followed by celebrity moms like Uma Thurman or Gwyneth Paltrow! With the right blend of exercise, lifestyle and dietary changes you can soon regain the pre pregnancy figure and svelte form. Below listed are a few tips that will help you shed pregnancy weight effectively: 1. Get moving A lot of mothers feel weary when they think about working out after delivery as it is. While you need not do hardcore exercise, becoming a couch potato is not going to help! You can resort to walking and light jogging everyday. You may use the neighborhood or an adjacent park for this.