Pain can be described as aching, throbbing, or burning due to nerve, tissue, or bone damage. Pain in any part of the body can affect a person's normal daily activities. Whether the pain is minor or major, it should be treated immediately.
Arthritis is one of the most common types of pain affecting men and women in their thirties worldwide. This pain is usually felt in different parts of the body including knees, spine, hips, feet, and hands. Arthritis pain can be constant or debilitating depending on the symptoms.
Pain can be classified as acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain usually lasts weeks to months, but chronic pain can last months to years, depending on the symptoms. Extreme levels of fear lead to more pain, and the cycle of pain threats can be difficult to break. The best treatment for joint pain is to use Percocet 10mg, which you can easily buy from Pharma Health online.
Anyone who has studied the finances of an independent pharmacy business knows that money is tight. In many cases, they are perilously close to failure.
It's easy to assume they are retail businesses, cashing in on the higher public profile the sector has enjoyed during the pandemic years. But those have been mere
words. Certainly, the pandemic represented a halcyon period for the profession.
We engendered a feeling of normality, dependable and accessible to society. We played a substantive role in keeping people out of hospitals and giving the vulnerable
the ability to live independently from their own homes for longer. We mobilised to smash flu vaccination records and deliver covid jabs.
But despite the warm words of a new service based future and the incessant expressions of gratitude contractors desperately need the headroom to prepare, plan and
invest. Platitudes, press releases and assurances of a bright clinical future are small comfort to what is needed and that's cash on the table. As the adage goes:
"Talk is cheap, money buys houses."
Cashflow crisis
Since 2016, we have witnessed almost 650 pharmacies fall by the wayside. Some may have merged; the majority, however, have perished due to the relentless need for an
increasing cashflow. It is cash, or rather the lack of it, which is killing independent pharmacies.
A University College London team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) programme that can identify minute brain anomalies that lead to
epileptic seizures.
The algorithm, used in the Multicentre Epilepsy Lesion Detection project (MELD) and which reports locations of abnormalities in cases of drug-resistant focal
cortical dysplasia (FCD) - a major cause of epilepsy - was developed by a multinational team who used more than 1,000 patient MRI scans from 22 international
epilepsy centres.
Brain regions known as FCDs have evolved improperly and frequently lead to drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgery is usually used to treat it, however, finding the
lesions on an MRI is a constant problem for doctors because MRI scans for FCDs can appear normal.
The scientists employed about 300,000 places throughout the brain to quantify cortical properties from the MRI scans, such as how thick or folded the cortex/brain
surface was.
The opinions of pharmacists on the ketogenic diet can vary greatly. Some believe that it is a potentially effective and safe way to lose weight, while others
are more skeptical about its ability to promote sustainable health benefits over the long term. Ultimately, the success of the ketogenic diet will depend on each
individual's unique circumstances and personal goals, so it is important to consult with a medical professional before making any major changes to your diet or
lifestyle.
1. KETO DIET IS CONSIDERED A GOOD WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT
Some people find that the ketogenic diet can boost their energy levels and help them lose weight quickly, while others feel that they are more easily able to stick
to this diet as it allows them to eat a wider variety of foods. Many people find that the ketogenic way of eating prevents cravings and helps them avoid unhealthy
food choices, which can be an important factor in weight loss success. So if you are starting your ketogenic diet journey, it is important to seek out the advice of
a medical professional who can help you create an individualized plan that will support your specific goals. It's also important to track your progress regularly
and monitor how you are feeling so that you can make any necessary adjustments along the way.
A pharmacy group operating in London and the surrounding areas has said it's cliched a financial deal worth £4.25 million with a major global bank to bolster
its mergers and acquisitions activity.
Osbon Pharmacy Group said on Monday (19 June) that it would use the multi-million-pound funding package from HSBC UK to also invest in bringing accessible and
comprehensive medical services closer to the doorstep of Londoners and people of South East England.
The family-run business said the new money will open new position which will include opportunities for pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians,
dispensers, accounts clerks and delivery drivers, taking the company's total headcount to 185.
The group, which currently has 26 pharmacies across London and South East England, was established in 2005.
The company offers a range of medicine and prescription services as well as offering customary help and advice. It switched to banking with HSBC UK last year as
part of a £6.9M refinance package, which saw the business acquire nine pharmacies and takes the total funding provided by HSBC UK to date to £11.1m.
The NHS has made major improvements across long waits, urgent and emergency services, and cancer care, latest performance figures published on Thursday (11)
have shown.
The number of patients waiting more than 18 months fell to 10,737 by April - down by more than 90 per cent from 124,911 in September 2021 and by more than four-fifths
since the start of January when there were 54,882.
Around half of NHS trusts in England have no patients on their elective care waiting lists apart from those who have chosen to wait longer. More than one in
five (21%) trusts had completely eliminated 18-month waits.
However, the overall waiting list has risen to over 7.3 million entries in England.
"I promised I would cut NHS waiting lists and we are delivering," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. "Reducing 18-month waits by over 90 per cent is huge progress,
and it is testament to the hard work of NHS staff who have achieved this despite one of the busiest winters on record.
"We still have work to do, but backed by record government investment and the ongoing efforts of the NHS, I am confident we will get patients the care they need
more quickly."
Ambulance response rates have improved to their fastest in two years, with average category two response times now at 28.5 minutes and category one at 8 mins.
The 62-day cancer backlog has fallen for the first time since before the pandemic, with those waiting two months or more down from 21,823 at the end of the last
financial year (March 2022) to 19,248 at the end of this March (2023). This is down almost 15,000 from a peak of 34,000 in July 2022.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union says it will be reaching out to LloydsPharmacy soon over a better deal on salary increase after the majority
of its members rejected a three per cent offer made by the company recently.
Paul Day, director, PDA Union told Pharmacy Business: "The PDA Union will communicate the response of employed pharmacists to the company and seek further discussion
to try and find an offer that will be acceptable to union members.
"Both management and union representatives have a vested interest in working to find such a solution and that is the outcome we hope to achieve."
After months of negotiation by the PDA Union, the company offered a three per cent increase in salaries from the 1.8 per cent in the earlier offer made by the
company.
"Through negotiation over last few months that was increased to 3.0 per cent, plus a long term incentive plan (LTIP). Though the LTIP potentially offers large
bonuses, it isn't guaranteed. Therefore what we put to members was the confirmed offer of three per cent increase in salaries," said Paul.
Erection problems are common conditions that can affect adult men of any age. General awareness about erection problems has grown in recent years, and men's
partners and society at-large generally view it as a common condition. Indeed, 75% of men and their partners agree that they are a normal part of life for a man.
But despite progress to normalise the condition, the research points to the fact that men still feel responsible for erection problems.
The survey's key findings underscore the multi-faceted social pressure men feel to perform socially, professionally, emotionally, and sexually. 90% of men feel
expected to provide financial support, 80%+ feel they should be in control of their feelings, and 92% think it is expected of them to perform in bed.
Despite erection problems being commonplace, expectations about sexual performance complicate the situation and make a major impact on the lives of those it affects.
When men are confronted with erection problems, 60% expressed feeling disappointed. This disappointment, combined with the difficulty that 1 in 3 men have spoken
about it, has a strong impact on well-being. 36% of men feel their mental health has been impacted by erection problems and leads to a feeling of guilt, and 74% of
men feel responsible for difficulties in achieving or maintaining an erection.
AstraZeneca said on Thursday (June 30) that a combination of its cancer drug, Imfinzi, and chemotherapy showed promise in a late-stage trial in patients with
an aggressive form of lung cancer, when given before surgery.
Data showed the combination was more effective in removing cancer cells in tissue samples taken during surgery when compared with just chemotherapy in patients with
non-small cell lung cancer, the drugmaker said.
The interim result is a boost to the company's oncology efforts - a major area of focus - following disappointing data for Imfinzi earlier in the year in another
area of therapy.
AstraZeneca added the trial would continue as planned to assess the additional main goal of event-free survival, and the interim data would be shared with health
authorities globally.
Imfinzi belongs to the immunotherapy class of treatments, which boost the body's defences to fight cancer by using antibodies that block or bind to foreign
substances in the body. The treatment generated $2.41 billion in 2021 sales.
In a long scripted overhaul of its business, GlaxoSmithKline spun off its consumer health business on Monday (July 18) in the biggest listing in Europe for
more than a decade.
The new company, Haleon, becomes the world's biggest standalone consumer health business, home to brands including Sensodyne toothpaste, pain relief drug Panadol
and cold treatment Theraflu.
Shares in Haleon started trading at 330 pence on Monday morning, giving the business a market valuation of around £30.5 billion - dashing high hopes for Haleon's
much higher market valuation after GSK in January said it had rebuffed a £50 billion offer from Unilever on the basis it was too low.
The major strategy shift by GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley to focus on the company's core pharmaceuticals business comes after she faced intense activist
shareholder pressure over its delays in producing Covid jabs and treatments.
The British scientists behind one of the major therapeutic Covid-19 trials have turned their focus to treatments for monkeypox, a viral disease that has been
labelled a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.
The team from Oxford University behind the so-called RECOVERY trial - which honed in on four effective Covid treatments - on Tuesday unveiled a new trial, dubbed
PLATINUM, to confirm whether Siga Technologies' tecovirimat is an effective treatment for monkeypox.
Although there are vaccines developed for the closely related smallpox that can reduce the risk of catching monkeypox, there are currently no treatments that have
been proven to help hasten recovery in those who develop the disease.
The UK has over 3,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox.
The virus is transmitted chiefly through close contact with an infected person. It typically causes mild symptoms including fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes and
pus-filled skin lesions. Severe cases can occur, though people tend to recover within two to four weeks.
Siga's drug, branded Tpoxx, has been cleared to treat diseases caused by the family of orthopoxvirus that includes smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox by the European
Union and United Kingdom, but due to limited trial data it is generally only used in severe cases in Britain.
IAM Healthcare and pharmacy labour activists have initiated a new worker empowerment project to help pharmacies unionise over unsafe staffing levels and
increasing workloads.
The campaign is coined "The Pharmacy Guild" to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients.
The union issued a mission statement on Wednesday (8 November) highlighting three major demands and goals.
They demanded that "staffing and workload standards should be set up to ensure safe patient care."
There should be "representation and collective bargaining for pharmacy professionals in workplaces across the country."
The National Health Service (NHS) has said that the roll-out of blood-thinning drugs has helped save thousands of lives.
In January 2022, the NHS launched a drive to rapidly expand the use of life-saving direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in people who are at increased risk of strokes.
Since then, more than 24 million prescriptions have been given to such patients and around 460,000 more people have started taking the drugs.
This prevented an estimated 17,000 strokes and 4,000 deaths in the last 18 months, as revealed by the new NHS data.
Amanda Pritchard, the NHS chief executive, hailed the "lifesaving NHS rollout" at the King's Fund annual conference.
It is part of a major NHS drive on "prevention" - to catch more killer conditions earlier and save more lives.
A report released by the Independent Commission has blamed Brexit supply issues for medicine shortages.
NHS is forced to pay extortionate prices to fulfil the demand for vital antibiotics, anti-depressants, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) drugs.
The report highlights the impact of affected medicine supply issues on community pharmacies and patients.
Janet Morrison, the chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, backed the report and said that the "medicine shortages and market instability appear to be
as bad as they have ever been".
She also explained how the Ukraine conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and broader economic instability also play a major factor in the situation.
Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the latest ministerial reshuffle.
As the new 'Minister for Health and Secondary Care', Stephenson would be looking after elective care recovery and screening, as well as the fight against
major diseases like cancer, diabetes and stroke, as reported by Burnley Express.
"Helping NHS services recover from the legacy of the pandemic, whilst dealing with winter pressures and the challenges of inflation will not be easy, but it is
a challenge I am looking forward to," Stephenson told Burnley Express.
"I am also keen to ensure that significant manifesto commitments, such as the pledge to deliver 50,000 nurses and 40 new hospitals remain on track. Especially as
one of those 40 new hospitals is Airedale, which is used by so many Colne and West Craven residents," he added.
The proposed increase in the national living wage (NLW) is expected to impose an implementation cost of £150 million to £195 million on the community
pharmacy sector, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has warned. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently announced a 9.8 per cent increase in the national living wage,
raising it from £10.42 to £11.44.
"The Autumn Statement overlooks the knock-on effects these measures will have on small businesses like community pharmacies," CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison
said in a statement. "The majority of pharmacies employ staff on or around the NLW, which has increased nearly 40 per cent since the start of the current contractual
framework."
"This is at a time when pharmacies have faced a 30 per cent real terms reduction in funding since 2015," Morrison added. "No viable business can absorb these cost
increases without significant support. This is just another cost pressure that pharmacies cannot control and must be addressed through a sustainable, long-term
funding arrangement."
The employees from large drugstore chains staged an additional walkout at stores this week from 1 Nov to 3 Nov.
Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid pharmacists launched a three-day walkout to push companies to hire more staff and improve working conditions.
The majority of pharmacy workers in Kansas City called in sick or walked off the job as they felt it was harder to work with "minimal" help.
Licenced pharmacist, Amanda Applegate, who is also a Director of practise development with the Kansas Pharmacists Association spoke on the plight of the pharmacists.
"This is a nationwide problem that pharmacists have been internally yelling about for years."
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is probing major concerns arising from Boots' communications to pharmacists regarding the company's recently
announced pension arrangements.
In November, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the parent company of Boots, transferred the Boots employees' pension scheme to the financial service provider Legal
and General (L&G) in a £4.8 billion deal.
Boots notified staff that terms allowing an unreduced pension from age 60 have ceased immediately, following its agreement with L&G.
The PDA highlighted member concerns regarding Boots management's announcement that an unreduced pension from the age of 60 is a discretionary benefit and not
guaranteed under the Boots Pension Scheme (BPS), contrary to some members' assumptions.
One in eight people who were hospitalised with Covid-19 between May 2020 and March 2021 were later diagnosed with myocarditis, according to major new research
into the clinical long-term effects of coronavirus.
The largest study of its kind to date was led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), and followed for one year, in real time, 159 patients after they were hospitalised with Covid-19.
The study also looked at why some patients suffer long-term ill health after hospitalisation with Covid-19. Until now it has been speculated that previous underlying
health conditions may be linked to the severity of post-Covid long-term effects.
However, this new study suggests that it is the severity of the infection itself which is most closely correlated to the severity of a patient's long-Covid symptoms, rather than pre-existing health problems.
Hospitalisation with Covid-19 was found to cause a number of long-term health problems.
Researchers found one in eight patients hospitalised with Covid-19 have heart inflammation, while inflammation across the body and damage to the other organs such as the kidneys was also common.
Usdaw, one of the major trade unions in the UK, has sought assurances for its members working in Boots, following reports that the parent company of the iconic health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain is considering putting the business on sale next year.
Walgreen Boots Alliance (WBA), the US health group that owns a stake in Boots UK since 2012, is reportedly lining up Goldman Sachs to explore the sale of business
with potential valuation of £10 billion.
Currently, the process is thought to be solely exploratory and may not necessarily convert into the sale of the 172-year-old firm.
Usdaw national officer, Daniel Adams, said: "We note that the company declined to comment on speculation, but acknowledged that the group's strategic direction 'includes a more pointed focus on North America and on healthcare'.
