Terry Maguire tries to establish where the blame lies for America’s devastating opioid epidemic With focus on Covid-19, the US opioid pandemic has largely been…
‘Not Happy!’
Terry Maguire recalls a text message-based explosion of frustration from an exhausted pharmacy sector. But was it merited? On the evening of the first Friday…
50 Years of Drug Prohibition in the UK
Terry Maguire reviews the contents of the UK’s Misuse of Drugs act on the 50th anniversary of its introduction As a service, we had failed…
The understanding of risk
Terry Maguire shares his experiences of administering the Covid vaccine in his pharmacies Wednesday and Saturday for the past eight weeks have been vaccination days…
‘Action Needed Immediately’
A code-word scheme to help victims of domestic violence in the pharmacy has its positives and negatives, writes Terry Maguire Domestic violence, in all its…
Ireland shot itself in the foot, not in the arm
When politics interferes with the vaccine surveillance process, we move to emotion informing beliefs and decisions, writes Terry Maguire In the 1960s, US President Johnson…
We need to neutralise any would be anti-vaxxer-in-chief
VACCINE HESITANCY WILL INCREASE AS WE EXTEND BEYOND THE HIGH-RISK GROUPS, WRITES TERRY MAGUIRE Medical scientists are more positive than they have been for months.…
Is Covid-19 orthodoxy abusing science and killing free speech?
There is a worrying trend towards ignoring facts and free speech in favour of self-righteousness over Covid-19, writes Terry Maguire Listening to a local morning…
Continuing to educate pharmacists
Terry Maguire ponders what may become a permanent fixture — virtual CPD meetings for pharmacists News that RoI’s medicines regulator has granted an OTC licence…
A Workforce in Crisis
Terry Maguire reflects on the scant reasons to be cheerful arising from the statistics in the recently-published pharmacy workforce review 2019 Never aspiring to be…
Vested interest means Boris Johnson has a fat chance of getting us thin
Terry Maguire chews the fat on the powers behind the obesity epidemic UK PM Boris Johnson contracted Covid-19 back in March and suffered significant symptoms,…
Statins are they really good?
Terry Maguire looks more closely at the evidence for statin use, including the potential side-effects I came to statin treatment in a bizarre way. I…
Opium of the People
A certain drug stands out in a recent report on the medicines used and abused in Northern Ireland, writes Terry Maguire Publication of the Statistics…
Looking good for the pandemic… let’s mask up
Terry Maguire looks at the evidence for the usefulness of mask-wearing and the type of face-coverings that are most efficient My daughter, who studied fashion…
The Fat Emperor and the evidence for lockdown?
When it comes to when and how we should reopen the economy, there are very few dispassionate voices but the data is emerging, writes Terry…
Never waste a crisis
There’s a certain type of person who takes advantage of the Covid-19 crisis, writes Terry Maguire “The good lack all conviction and the worst are…
Medical myths in a time of plague
A little misinformation is a dangerous thing, writes Terry Maguire One aspect of the Covid-19 pandemic is the steep rise in associated myths. This is…
Plague panic
Plague panic – Terry Maguire on how the media’s behaviour can exacerbate the panic associated with Covid-19
Missing link
Terry Maguire wonders if we are missing the role of cyclizine in the increasing number of opioid-related deaths He waited until I had assembled and…
Looking back with 2020 vision
Terry Maguire outlines his vision for pharmacy in 2020, drafted in 1995, and reflects on what has come to pass George Orwell and Stanley…
Looking back with 2020 vision
George Orwell and Stanley Kubrick were never exposed to this risk of humiliation. When 1984 arrived, the author was long dead and when 2001 dawned…
Let’s talk about dying
The subject of death and dying should not be taboo and there needs to be more honesty around the topic from healthcare professionals, writes Terry…
The Rise & Rise of CBD
Terry Maguire considers the onslaught of information and claims about the supposed benefits of CBD products Over the 35 years of my career, it has…
Flower Power
Terry Maguire recalls a bizarre encounter in his pharmacy involving a drug user, a large pot plant, an irate shop-owner and a deeply suspicious character…
De-prescribing the future for community pharmacy?
Terry Maguire reflects on the pursuit of polypharmacy, a distinctly modern and increasing trend, and argues that we may not be using medicines in the…
Behave & Change
Terry Maguire assesses the pros and cons of a ‘sin tax’, the post-Brexit landscape in terms of public health, and how pharmacists can make a…
Professional Pain Management
Terry Maguire tries to balance the need for effective pain relief against the ever-growing opioid epidemic Tim Brown’s self-effacing claim that he’s just a simple…
Walking the Walk
Terry Maguire discovers the joys of walking for mental and physical health and describes how he took the ad-hoc formation of a group of like-minded…
Addiction… It’s All in the Brain
Terry Maguire argues that addiction is not a ‘disease’, but rather an extreme manifestation of a standard brain repertoir Addiction NI, the local charity that…