Updated: 23/05/2005

Updated and new Prodigy guidance published

Updated guidance on the following topics has now been issued: allergic rhinitis; anal fissure; diverticular disease; dyspepsia – proven duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated ulcer; dyspepsia – proven gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; dyspepsia – symptoms; febrile convulsion; gout; haemorrhoids; headache; migraine; Parkinson’s disease; pruritus ani; and sprains and strains. New guidance has been issued on dyspepsia – proven non-ulcer. The guidance can be downloaded here.
 

Reported censure of drug company

AstraZeneca has been censured by the pharmaceutical industry watchdog for offering excessive hospitality to nurses during educational meetings, according to a report in the ‘British Medical Journal’ (30 April p984; see here).
 
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority is the industry body which administers the Code of Practice. According to the report, breaches also included not maintaining high standards and using methods of promotion that could bring discredit on, or reduce confidence in, the industry.
 
Earlier this year, an article in ‘The Times’ (27 February, see here) examined the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to target nurse prescribers. It quotes Dr Des Spence, GP and spokesman for No Free Lunch UK (a campaign group which highlights conflicts of interest between health staff and pharmaceutical groups) as saying that, “There is a reason why the industry is targeting nurses – they are responsible for much of the prescribing and management of chronic diseases”.

See here for other recent articles on this:

• Health Committee concerned about pharma interests
• Prescribers’ relationships with pharmaceutical companies
• Pharmaceutical influences – Nurse prescribers: eyes wide open
   

Conference announcement: Reducing medication errors

A two-day conference on reducing medication errors will be held on 3 and 4 October in London. Further information can be found here.
 

Conference announcement: Supplementary prescribing

A one-day conference described as a practical guide to supplementary prescribing will be held on 4 July in Manchester. Further information can be found here.
 

Cochrane review says nurses’ primary care as good as doctors

Appropriately trained nurses can provide primary care that is as high quality as that of doctors but cost of doctors’ workload may be unchanged, according to the conclusions of this Cochrane Review of 25 articles relating to 16 studies (see here for more information).
 
The studies related to different parts of the world and nurses had adopted different parts of previously medical roles. The replacement of doctors with nurses led to similar health outcomes and higher patient satisfaction levels. There was some evidence, however, that nurses tended to spend longer with the patients, give them more information and recall them more frequently. The overall cost of providing the care remains about the same, therefore, despite the costs of training and employing nurses being lower.
 

MeReC briefing on hypertension in primary care published

This MeReC briefing on the management of hypertension in primary care considers recent guidelines from NICE, and the British Hypertension Society and the targets in the new GMS contract. It can be downloaded here.


 

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