Furthermore, consumers’ preference and understanding

for harm and benefit information has also been explored. The findings of this arm of the research has been used and will continue to be used to inform the content of CMI as well as the verbal information that healthcare professionals should provide to their consumers / patients, to educate their consumers and ensure informed treatment decisions. Developing and evaluating effective alternative CMI formats: This arm of the research is continually striving to improve currently available CMI leaflets to ensure that they are comprehensible and that consumers can act on the information within a CMI. Effective alternative CMI formats will also be more likely to be used by healthcare professionals as part of their consultations. “
“Objectives  AG-014699 in vivo The introduction of non-medical prescribing in the UK has provided opportunities and challenges for pharmacists to help ensure prudent Vorinostat use of antimicrobials. The objective of this research was to explore pharmacists’ perceptions of the feasibility and value of pharmacist prescribing of antimicrobials in secondary care in Scotland. Methods  Pharmacists’ perceptions were explored

using focus groups in five Scottish regions representing (a) urban and rural areas and (b) district general hospitals and large teaching centres. Senior hospital pharmacists, both prescribers and non-prescribers, working in specialities where antimicrobials are crucial to patient management, were invited to participate. A topic guide was developed to lead the discussions, which were audio-recorded and transcribed. The framework approach to data analysis was used. Key findings  Six focus groups took place and some emerging themes and issues are presented. Pharmacists believed that the feasibility of antimicrobial prescribing is dependent upon the patient’s clinical condition and the area of clinical care. They identified potential roles

and opportunities for pharmacist prescribing of antimicrobials. Interleukin-2 receptor Perceived benefits included giving patients quicker access to medicines, reducing risk of resistance and better application of evidence-based medicine. Conclusions  Pharmacists feel they have a good knowledge base to prescribe and manage antimicrobial treatment, identifying possible opportunities for intervention. Roles within a multidisciplinary antimicrobial team need to be clearly defined. “
“Medicine packages can cause problems in daily practice, especially among older people. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of problems experienced by older people when opening medicine packaging and to investigate how patients manage these problems. A convenience sample of 30 community pharmacies participated in this study.