NAWP - Latest News from the NAWP

Student Competition

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

NAWP student competition 2012

Introduction

NAWP is piloting a new competition whereby pharmacy students are given the opportunity to share, with a wider audience, pharmaceutical investigations or developments that they have been involved with. Because it is a pilot, the competition is restricted to fourth year pharmacy students (male and female) at Manchester University.

Format

The competition requires students to submit a 400-word abstract of information that could be reported in a 10 minute presentation. Depending on the number of entries, some students will be invited to present the work at the 8^th European Meeting of Women Pharmacists in Manchester on Saturday 21^st April 2012 (see Events section of website). The winning entry will receive a prize of £100.

Scope and requirements

The topic can relate to any discipline covered by pharmacy, but it must be clear how the work relates to improved patient care.
The work covered can be research- (qualitative, quantitative, literature or population) based, analytical or a report.
The work should throw new light on some issue e.g. feature new data, a new perspective, a new application or confirmation.
The abstract must be the student’s own, and if the content was collected or assembled when working within a team, this must be declared.
Work undertaken for a university project is acceptable for inclusion, but this must be declared.
Students are expected to conform to normal academic and professional standards regarding plagiarism.

Examples of potential topics

Factors relevant to choice of OTCs for pregnant women
Formulation selection for the frail elderly
Some real-world problems of interaction between herbal and traditional medicines
A development in genetic testing for the selection of appropriate cancer therapy
New trends in UK internet pharmacy

Note these are purely for illustration, and are not intended to suggest any restriction in themes

Judging

This will be undertaken by pharmacists from outside the University of Manchester.

Particular attention will be paid to the extent that entrants:

Show knowledge and understanding of key aspects of their selected topic.
Summarise and synthesise information appropriately.
Make sound judgments.
Refer appropriately to relevant academic and professional materials
Communicate information and conclusions appropriately to pharmacists.

Submission

Entries should be submitted electronically by 9th April, as email attachments to: enquiries@nawp.org.uk Students invited to present their work on Saturday 21st April can attend the whole day, and will not be required to pay conference fees.

Any queries should be directed to enquires@nawp.org.uk

Blue pill, Pink pill? Does gender matter? Blue pill, Pink pill? Does gender matter? Blue pill, Pink pill? Does Gender matter?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

This conference, held jointly by the Medical Women’s Federation (MWF) and the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP) on Thursday 10 November 2011 in conjunction with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) was a landmark event that attracted a wide range of delegates As a result NAWP and MWF together with a working party are keen to see the following action points implemented:

1. Clinical Trials

We ask for Phase I trials and in particular cancer trials, to investigate and establish a separate Maximum Tolerated Dose for males and females. We want to ensure that clinical trial sponsors routinely analyse data for efficacy and safety endpoints by sex. Sex/gender analyses should be incorporated into clinical trial design and included in the statistical analysis plan.

The 2005 ICH[1] Gender Considerations in the Conduct of Clinical Trials (EMEA/CHMP/3916/2005) concluded that there was no need for an ICH guideline on women as a separate population in clinical trials. It also added that this issue might be revisited if future experience suggested a change from current practice. We feel this recommendation needs to be reviewed.

2. Reporting of Data by Gender/Sex in the public domain

We are delighted that the Lancet has taken up our challenge to ask for research papers to analyse and present data by sex/gender and for this to be incorporated into the peer review system. [See January 2012 Newsletter: The Lancet, 26 November, 378, 2011 front cover reprinted with permission from Elsevier]

We encourage all other journals to follow suit. We also ask for the Royal Colleges to endorse this work.

3. Education

The prevalence of ischemic stroke is higher in women, occurs at a slightly older age, is associated with a higher mortality rate and leads to more disability than in men.

Pregnancies in women with diabetes are associated with more still births, neonatal deaths and congenital malformations than non-diabetic women. Diabetes is increasing in women of childbearing age (16 - 44 yrs) but many young women are less compliant with treatment and exhibit poor blood glucose control. It is important that this patient group receive specific counselling on the importance of having good blood glucose control before pregnancy.

Although women and men may experience stroke or dementia, some risk factors and consequences are more significant for women. The National Association of Women Pharmacists and Medical Women’s Federation are committed to raising awareness and ensure women are properly advised on how to reduce risk. We plan to target women’s network groups and magazines, the diabetes testing and monitoring service offered by many pharmacies and encourage counselling of young women in the pharmacy (e.g. at point of sale for fertility testing kits) and family planning clinics.

4. Pharmacovigilance

There are limited data available on the safe and effective use of drugs in pregnant and lactating women. However, post-marketing safety data are collected by the MHRA and other European Competent Authorities. We call on MHRA to ensure the new pharmacovigilance legislation and guidance currently under discussion address these issues.

[1] International Conference on Harmonisation

Nawp on Facebook

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Nawp now has a Facebook page. It is named Nawp Quick.

Hopefully pharmacists who are not sure they want to join us, will be happy to make contact and share information.

(Nawp Quick is not a group at present, but an individual)

Help for Returners

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

NAWP has been committed to helping returners for many years. Currently we do so via several methods of low-level support, but we can now also introduce returners to sympathetic employers and a helpful employment agency operating across the UK who can offer flexible work opportunities.