Irish Pharmacist speaks with pharmacist Eamonn Brady about working in care homes during the height of Covid-19 Eamonn Brady owns two pharmacies in Mullingar, having…
Clinical pharmacists ‘crucial’ to clinical trial process
The head of Cancer Trials Ireland spoke recently with Irish Pharmacist about the importance of clinical pharmacists in ensuring patient safety in trials An agreement…
Assisted suicide & euthanasia — a pharmacist’s perspective
Little attention in the current euthanasia debate has been paid to the role of Irish pharmacists and legislators and policy-makers need to be aware that…
Covid learnings ‘contribute to PSI future plans’
Pharmacy regulator launches new Corporate Strategy 2021-2023 The PSI has launched its latest Corporate Strategy, setting out the regulator’s key objectives until 2023. Developed against…
Becoming part of the therapy
Séamus Ruane MPSI looks at the evidence-based benefits of human contact and empathy among ‘social animals’ like ourselves and the impact of Covid-19 on these…
Study uncovers relationship between travel and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants
Anna Wedderburn reports on a recent Irish study that demonstrated the link between the second wave of Covid-19 and international travel A study led by…
Almost 877,000 people now waiting to see a specialist or receive care
Recent figures show a dramatic increase in hospital waiting list numbers and patients waiting with chronic pain for long periods before receiving hospital treatment The…
Play to your strengths
Sometimes the apparently obvious candidate for a job in the pharmacy may not be the best choice after all, writes Séamus Ruane MPSI Have you…
Covid stress causes one-in-five Irish people to spend less time on teeth & oral health
A new study has highlighted the effects on patients’ oral health due to the psychological impact of the pandemic Covid-19 has impacted Irish people’s oral…
Too busy to breathe?
Far from being a fad, mindfulness is more relevant than ever, writes Séamus Ruane, community pharmacist and certified positive psychology practitioner “If one more person…
Resistance and persistence
Pathogenic bacteria in humans are developing resistance to antibiotics much faster than expected, new research shows Computational research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has…
Escape to victory: New research shows how SARS-CoV-2 mutates to evade antibody binding
In a recurring pattern of evolution, the Covid-19 virus escapes immune responses by selectively deleting small parts of its genetic sequence, according to new research…
The case for increasing buprenorphine use as OST during Covid-19
Consultant in Addiction Psychiatry Dr Ciaran Somers analyses the potential advantages of an accelerated move to buprenorphine from methadone in pharmacies and GP clinics during…
A shot in the arm for Covid treatment
TILDA scientists have revealed vital evidence to inform HSE Covid-19 vaccine roll-out and boost uptake and efficacy of the vaccine in older adults As vaccination…
Controlling your ‘negativity bias’
Séamus Ruane, community pharmacist and certified positive psychology practitioner, looks at how our brains are sometimes ‘Velcro for the bad’ I have often thought that…
Hair today, gone tomorrow
As discussions and preparations continue for the return to normal school and crèche routines, the perennial problem of head lice will inevitably surface to worry…
New advice on Vitamin D supplements for people aged 65 years and older
The Department of Health has advised that adults aged 65 and older take a vitamin D supplement The Department of Health has issued guidance advising…
Life and learning at Lloyds Pharmacy
Geraldine McInerney MPSI discusses the advantages of being with LloydsPharmacy as either a graduate or experienced pharmacist With over 90 pharmacies across Ireland, LloydsPharmacy has…
The LAIV nasal vaccine for children — an update
Dr Tom Barrett, MB Dch MRCOG and Senior Medical Officer, HSE National Immunisation Office, provides clinical advice and an overview of the importance of flu…
Majority of people living with HIV in Ireland comfortable sharing their status
New campaign aims to erode stigma associated with HIV Research launched recently ahead of World AIDS Day in December revealed that 56 per cent of…
Small steps consistently applied
Séamus Ruane, community pharmacist and certified positive psychology practitioner, looks at the importance of what may seem like small choices A defining moment that shaped…
Just under half of Irish migraine patients say it impacts their overall health & wellbeing
A new Irish survey has provided further insights into the negative impact that migraine causes for a significant proportion of sufferers A new Irish survey…
Under pressure
‘Significant concerns’ have been raised about the impact of Covid-19 on health practitioners’ mental health The Practitioner Health Matters Programme (PHMP), which provides confidential treatment…
Keeping cool in the pharmacy
Maintaining vaccines in an optimum environment is crucial to their efficacy and vital to avoiding costly pharmaceutical waste. Mike Butt looks at how temperature impacts…
That ‘wellbeing lark’
Séamus Ruane, community pharmacist and certified positive psychology practitioner, looks at the importance of wellbeing and how the concept has been undervalued and misunderstood I…
Putting sleep issues to bed
Research is accumulating to show that melatonin is effective in safely promoting improved quality of sleep in a range of age groups While it is…
The ups & downs of pharmacy-based vaccination
The most recent worldwide survey on the emerging role of vaccination in pharmacies sheds light on increasing public trust in the profession but also highlights…
The risk-based approach
The Health Products Regulatory Authority has published its 2019 annual report, which shows that there were 1,018,678 dosage units of fake and other illegal medicines…
Acute awareness of risk
HIQA recently published an overview report on its monitoring of activity in public acute hospitals in Ireland between 2015 and 2019. The Authority’s Head of…
A malignant mix
Recent research by the RCSI’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences has shown that mixing alcohol and medication may be harming more than a quarter…