OFT to investigate changes in distribution of medicines

Consumer watchdog to investigate changes in distribution of medicines - Guardian

Extract:

"Pharmacists and drug wholesalers yesterday welcomed the decision by the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the distribution of medicines in the UK. The OFT's move followed the implementation of a new supply arrangement between Pfizer and UniChem, the wholesale business of Alliance Boots, which had caused widespread concern in the industry.

In early March, Pfizer, the US drug group, made UniChem the sole supplier of its medicines. The pharmaceutical group sells its drugs directly to pharmacists and pays UniChem a set fee to deliver them.

AstraZeneca, the British-based group, and its Swiss rival Novartis have invited wholesalers to tender for a similar direct-to-pharmacy model. The US firm Eli Lilly is also looking at its supply chain in Britain.

Until recently, all drugs were distributed through a network of wholesalers to pharmacists, dispensing doctors and hospitals, which now argue that the Pfizer deal is anti-competitive. The OFT received more than 500 complaints.

Pharmacists warn that the deal could raise costs for the NHS and affect patients. They formally complained to the OFT in November after the deal was announced. Eight of the top wholesalers tried to get a high court injunction at the beginning of March before the arrangement came into effect but the legal attempt failed."


Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

More young men are reported to be using anabolic steroids, some of which are bought on the black market.

More young men 'using steroids' - BBC report

Extract:

"More young men are using steroids as a quick cosmetic fix, a drugs worker has claimed.
Helen Pickens, manager of a needle exchange centre in Bridgend, south Wales, reported seeing as many steroid users as hard drug addicts.

But health experts say taking steroids, many of which are bought on the black market, could be a health risk."

In my considered opinion, prescribed steroids damage far more people, and far more severely, than the steroids bought on the black market. - I write as a steroid victim - the victim of steroids prescribed to me by NHS doctors - inappropriately - without necessary prior tests, in a dangerously high dose over a period of many years, and with wholly inadequate monitoring. - But pre-eminently the damage occurs because most doctors are unfamiliar with the most common side-effect - sodium retention - and do not bother to warn their patients that while on the medication they should not eat any salt or any food containing added salt. - There are scores of thousands of obese steroid victims in this country - the UK - because of this negligent prescribing.

Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

Mental Health Bill will do nothing for public safety, says Institute of Psychiatry

Mental Health Bill will do nothing for public safety, research shows - article in The Independent.

Extract:

"The biggest reform of mental health legislation in 50 years will be thrown into disarray today by research showing a key aspect of the proposals is unlikely to work.

Government measures to force patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals to continue taking their drugs, do not improve the safety of patients or the public, according to an international review of research.

The controversial measures, supervised community treatment orders (CTOs), have been tried in six countries to deal with "revolving door" patients - those who do well in hospital but stop taking their drugs on discharge, relapse and have to be readmitted.

The review of 72 studies by the Institute of Psychiatry, commissioned by the Department of Health, says: "There is no robust evidence about the effects of CTOs on key outcomes, such as hospital readmission, length of stay, medication compliance, or the patients' quality of life.""

Well if there's no evidence that they work it is to be hoped that they will not be used. - These drugs are rarely free of side-effects, many of which are serious, and the cost of the drugs and the supervision would be considerable.


Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

'Use Afghan opium for NHS drugs'

'Use Afghan opium for NHS drugs'

Extract:

"Afghanistan's opium poppies should be used to alleviate a shortage of painkillers in the NHS, the British Medical Association has said."

If you are in pain and lack effective painkillers, or if, like me, you have a philosophical or a rational objection to taking painkillers because you have found them useless or suffered from their many adverse side-effects, or would prefer to try to address the cause of the pain, then you may like to try cutting down on your salt/sodium intake. - This is not a frivolous suggestion; eating less salt reduces a lot of - possibly most - pain. - See http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/conditions.html