Souvenaid: A new approach in early Alzheimer's

I have blogged about Dementia before and it is a topic I feel strongly about. We have a number of patients with Alzheimer's Disease in who, along with their families and carers we look after on a daily basis. We probably have many more patients living in our community either undiagnosed or with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The extent of this problem will be revealed over the next decade.

I was therefore quite excited about the launch of a new product hailed to help early Alzheimer's disease. It has, however, taken me a long time to get my head around this. There has been very little fanfare - an article in the Daily Mail - and indeed there has been some opposition for patient groups. I notice that there is some debate on the dementia forums online, though

Souvenaid came out at the beginning of 2013 and is only available after consultation with a

pharmacist, specialist nurse or GP. I have done a training course and Barnton Pharmacy is now"accredited" to sell Souvenaid.

It is a drink (strawberry and vanilla) which is recommended to be taken daily and contains a unique combination of nutrients which required to make new brain connections, called synapses. The loss of synapses is one of the key features of Alzheimer's disease .

Brilliant! There is something available which can slow the loss of synapses!  Surely we should be jumping up and down with glee and recommending it to everyone in or neighbourhood? NO? Why not?

Firstly, the cost. At £3.50 one milkshake aday will end up costing £1200 a year and constinued use is recommended for most benefit. That's fine if you can afford it but perhaps there are other things we should be recommending our older folk spend there money on.

Secondly, Souvenaid has been launched as a "food for special medical purposes". It is not a drug. This means it has not undergone the same trial required by drugs before they come to market. This does not mean there is no truth in the claims and health benefits, it just needs to be put into perspective.

So now you see my dilemma. I think there is real potential in Souvenaid and I think there is probably a market. So far, three months in, I have not yet been asked about it by anyone in Barnton.

I would be delighted to discuss the product with you if you want to know more about it fr yourself or a friend or family member.

Drug shortages - who is to blame?

Isn't it annoying when your pharmacy doesn't have enough of your medicine to complete your prescriptions? In most cases this can simply be because their isn't enough stock on the shelves. Perhaps a certain GP has had a run on one particular antibiotic that day or the wholesaler did not receive their delivery.

There are other reasons, though which say more about our current economic climate that poor stock keeping on our behalf.

The pound has been weaker than the euro meaning that it is now profitable to export drugs to mainland Europe. This is a reverse of what has happened for many years where we have imported lots of drugs back from Europe in order to reduce costs. Remember the Greek writing on your tablet boxes? Exporting (which is completely legal) has lead to shortages of some branded drugs for the UK market. As a consequence, the manufacturers impose quotas on pharmacies as to how many of each drug they can order in a month supposedly to curb supply for the export market.

Other drug shortages are less common. At present there is a shortage of isosrbide mononitrate tablets (used to treat angina) across the country. This is because the factory supplying a third of the world's isosorbide mononitrate was forced to shut temporarily to clear away a potentially explosive byproduct! In this case the Scottish Government took the unusual step of offering advice to GP's and pharmacists as to what action to take.

The end result for me and many of my pharmacy colleagues is hours a week spent on the phone trying to source drugs for real patients with genuine prescriptions. At Barnton Pharmacy, we will go that little bit further to try to get your medication. I am sure there are some others that just don't bother.

Drug shortages are at best frustrating for pharmacy and inconvenient for patients but at worst can have serious consequences through switches to other drugs, cost to the NHS and increased hospital visits. 

I would love to hear your experiences of drug shortages and what you would do to improve the situation.

Chronic Pain: Help with self management.

This month's topic for our public health campaign is chronic pain. the campaign started this week in association with Pain Concern , Pain Association Scotland, Health Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Chronic pain affects about 20% of the population with 7% of those affected having pain which is severely disabling. This sort of pain affects every aspect of life and can be very complex to manage. The main aim of this campaign to to shift the emphasis from curing chronic pain to learning how to manage your pain so that you can live life to the full.

Drugs are only part of the solution.

At Barnton Pharmacy we are delighted to talk to you about your pain medication, to make sure you are getting the most out of it and not having any adverse effects.
In particular we can help with:

• The best times to take your medicines to fit in with your lifestyle.
• How to manage any side effects
• Offering sign posting to some of the other support services available.

We are also highlighting some brilliant web resources:

• The Managed Knowledge Network website on chronic pain contains masses of information on pain and also links to different pain support groups.
• Pain Concern provides information and support through leaflets, a magazine and an online forum. you can also download a series of podcasts bringing together people living with pain and top pain specialists to talk about resources which can help.
• Pain Association Scotland provide a network of professionally led self management training groups throughout Scotland. The groups follow a programme of self management topics that helps to build skills and understanding.

Getting ready for Christmas - don't forget the medicines cabinet

In case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is coming!!! Are you ready yet?

Most of us will have the luxury of some time off with friends and family. Maybe you have a houseful of relatives (soem more welcome than others?!) or perhaps you are heading off to spend time with others. Either way, I am sure you will be making lists and buying extra provisions. Have you remembered to check your medicine cabinet as well?

A well stocked medicine cabinet will help you care for yourself and your family in the early stages of illness. Even if you have to phone NHS24 for advice when your GP surgery is closed over the festive period, they will quite often advise you to use medicines you should have at home.
Most families in the UK lack basic medicine cabinet supplies and knowledge needed to treat minor illnesses that can be easily dealt with at home, reveals a new survey of GPs, accoring to the Self Care Forum

So what should be in your medicine cabinet?

Barnton Pharmacy can help you
restock your medicine cabinet



• First-aid kit including guidebook, plasters, bandages, thermometer, eyewash solution, medical tape, tweezers, sterile dressing, antiseptic lotion/cream
• Painkillers – ibuprofen, paracetamol, aspirin
• Cold and flu remedies
• Anti-diarrhoea medicine
• Antihistamines
• Oral rehydration salts
• Indigestion remedies
• Children's medicines including paracetamol suspension and an antihistamine.
• Sunscreen (maybe not needed right now, but will you remember to buy it nearer the spring?)

It is also recommended that every household should ahve a healthcare guide. NHS inform offers loads of great advice about minor illnesses and how to treat them, and would be a great place to start.

Barnton Pharmacy will be closed on 25th and 26th December and again on 1st and 2nd January. Come and see us when we are open and we can advise you as to what you may need to get your medicine cabinet ready for the festive period.

Shingles - the facts

Shingles or herpes zoster (to give it its Sunday name!) is a condition caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

You cannot catch shingles from someone with chickenpox.
Once you have had chickenpox (and 90% of adults in the UK will have had), the virus stays dormant in the body until it is reactivated, when it causes shingles. If you have definitely never had chicken pox, then you will not get shingles.
  What is shingles?
Symptoms of shingles normally affect one side of the body. It usually starts with a headache, fever or tiredness. Most people feel unwell with shingles. This is commonly followed by a burning pain. A few days later a rash may develop which will turn into fluid filled blisters which will eventually crust over and heal.

Most people recover fully but some people are left with nerve pain (neuralgia) for many months or even years after. This burning or shooting pain can be extremely distressing and disabling.

Treatment
Treatment in the form of antivirals are available to treat the symptoms of shingles if they are taken as soon as possible during an episode.

Care is needed if shingles affects the eye or eyelid as this has been known to affect vision and even cause permanent blindness.

Although shingles can develop at any age, it is much more likely to affect people over 50 years of age and the risk increases with increasing age.

The shinglesaware website offers some really good advice for anyone wanting more information about shingles.

Prevention
The good news is that there is a vaccine available which can prevent shingles at all.
The NHS has agreed that a shingles vaccination should be offered to people aged 70 to 79 years and this is likely to start from 2014, but you can protect yourself before then if you want to.
As you know, we at Barnton Pharmacy like to jab people, so we are delighted to be able to offer the shingles vaccine as part of our comprehensive vaccination programme.

It is not cheap at £150, but if you know of people who have had or are suffering from the pain left behind after shingles, they may say it is money well spent.

Launching our new travel clinic in Edinburgh

We all know we ought to ensure our travel vaccinations are up to date, but fitting that in to an already busy schedule before going on holiday can be difficult.

Then there is the added difficulty of trying to get an appointment at your doctors and then get a prescription and go back and get your jabs, right?

WRONG!

Our new travel clinic at Barnton Pharmacy in North West Edinburgh takes all the hassle out of getting ready for your holidays.

We offer a one-stop shop for all your travel related needs.

We can provide

• Travel Health Advice before your trip,
• Travel Vaccinations without a prescription
• Anti Malarial Medication without a prescription
• Travel Health Products

Our travel health qualified Pharmacists Leanne and Sally are able to advise you on all aspects of travel health, provide vaccinations and anti malarial medication, without you needing to visit your doctor or get a prescription.

Weekday and Saturday morning appointments available.

A consultation fee of £15.00 will be charged but can be redeemed against any vaccines, antimalarials or travel related products.

For more information on our prices, click here.

For an appointment or more information, please call 0131 339 3449 or email barntonpharmacy@btinternet.com

Once you have made your appointment, please complete the Travel Assessment Form to bring along with you

Why antibiotics aren't always the answer.

This week is European Antibiotic Awareness Week! I have some interesting dates in my diary, don't I?

It is all about using antibiotics wisely so that they will still be effective against bugs now and for future generations.

If you are still reading this, then please carry on reading the handy questions from the Scottish Antibicrobial Prescribing Group (I told you, I have an interesting life!!!) to find out what you can do to play your part in responsible antibiotic use.

How should I treat my cold?
The best way to treat most colds, coughs or sore throats is to drink plenty of fluids and to rest. Colds can last about two weeks and may end with a cough and bringing up phlegm. There are many over the counter remedies to ease the symptoms – paracetamol, for example. Ask your pharmacist for advice. If the cold lasts more than three weeks, or you become breathless or have chest pains, or already have a chest complaint, see your doctor.
What about my children, they’re always getting coughs and colds?

Why should antibiotics not be used to treat coughs and colds?
All colds and most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses. Antibiotics do not work against infections, such as colds, caused by viruses. Viral infections are much more common than bacterial infections.
What are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are important medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic. They become ‘antibiotic resistant’ so that the antibiotic no longer works. The more often we use an antibiotic, the more likely it is that bacteria will become resistant to it. Some bacteria that cause infections in hospitals, such as MRSA, are resistant to several antibiotics.
Why can’t different antibiotics be used instead?
They can, but they may not be as effective, and they may have more side-effects. And eventually the bacteria will become resistant to them too. We cannot be sure we will always be able to find new antibiotics to replace the old ones. In recent years fewer new antibiotics have been discovered.
How can antibiotic resistance be avoided?
By using antibiotics less often we can slow down the development of resistance. It’s not possible to stop it completely, but slowing it down stops resistance spreading and buys some time to develop new types of antibiotics.
What can I do about antibiotic resistance?
By only using antibiotics when it’s appropriate to do so. We now know that most coughs and colds get better just as quickly without antibiotics. When they are prescribed, the complete course should be taken in order to get rid of the bacteria completely. If the course isn’t completed, some bacteria may be left to develop resistance.
So when will I be prescribed antibiotics?
Your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics when you need them, for example for a kidney infection or pneumonia. Antibiotics may be life-saving for infections such as meningitis. By not using them unnecessarily, they are more likely to work when we need them.