Pharmacists were asked to document their opinions regarding the pharmacist’s role in medical emergencies and to respond to statements associated with two hypothetical medical emergency situations: an anaphylaxis and an asthma attack. Key findings  Forty-five pharmacists responded to the survey (29.8%). In response to a hypothetical situation involving an asthma attack, 41 pharmacists (91.1%) agreed that they would assist the asthmatic person to administer salbutamol through a spacer, click here with 28 pharmacists (62.2%) confident in treating an asthma attack in the pharmacy. In comparison, only 21 pharmacists (21/38; 55.3%) agreed to administer an adrenaline auto-injector (Epi-Pen) for a child experiencing an anaphylaxis,

with nine respondents (9/38; 23.7%) indicating BAY 73-4506 mouse that they would ask the mother for directions in

a situation where they were unsure how to administer it. There were comments questioning whether indemnity insurance covers pharmacists for medicine administration, and 12 pharmacists (12/38; 31.6%) indicated that if they were unsure about insurance cover they would ask the mother to administer the adrenaline. Conclusion  Pharmacists’ responses to administering medications in hypothetical medical emergencies were variable. The cause of this variation is multi-factorial and likely to include familiarity with the medication, its safety profile and uncertainty about the pharmacist’s role and responsibilities in these situations. Further clarification, training and guidelines are needed in order to address this. “
“Many products claiming to promote weight loss are Farnesyltransferase freely available to purchase

over the counter and are used by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries, who are often seeking rapid weight loss without long-term lifestyle changes. While there are multiple outlets for these products, surveys in England and Australia have found that at least 70% of community pharmacies stock these products and they are also available through internet pharmacies. Since the products are formulated as tablets and capsules, consumers may regard them as medicines, particularly when sold from a pharmacy. Manufacturers often make extravagant claims for their products, suggesting they suppress appetite, increase metabolism, block absorption of fat or carbohydrates and/or bring about diuresis, but there is little robust evidence of efficacy. Most products contain a variety of herbal ingredients and are not without adverse effects. Since very few of the hundreds of products sold in pharmacies are licensed medicines, they are not subject to the controls required for over-the-counter medicines, in terms of efficacy, safety, quality or provision of a standardised patient information leaflet. Pharmacists themselves perceive these products to be unsafe, but have little knowledge about them, other than that supplied by manufacturers.