A pharmacy care program for elderly patients increases medication adherence according to a study appearing in JAMA. Read more…

Health boards across Scotland are looking into introducing registers for all medical staff to allow them to declare if they have any links with drug companies. The news comes following fears that some of the world's pharmaceutical giants have too much influence over what drugs some doctors prescribe. NHS Greater Glasgow has told the Herald that following a consultation it hopes to have a register, which would be publicly available, in place by June. Read more…

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has found that Napp Pharmaceuticals broke its advertising rules. A complaint was lodged about the firm's advert for the painkiller BuTrans (buprenorphine matrix patch) in the British Medical Journal in November 2005. Read more…

Dr Sami Timimi gives a lucid account of the socio-cultural context behind the rising rates of prescription of psycho-stimulants for children. Read more…

Gordon Brown’s recent speech on the limits of market mechanisms did not go quite far enough, argues Margaret CookWhen great men make great speeches it has been remarked that the content is often not as impressive in the reading as in the hearing. Read more…

Proposals to deregulate the market for community pharmacy may end up cutting services patients need, says Richard LewisTo the casual observer, the Office of Fair Trading seems to have it in for community pharmacists. Read more…

Most health research is driven by commercial interests, leading to significant gaps in healthcare understanding, a report from the King’s Fund thinktank concludes. Read more…

Thousands of gene patents have been issued – yet in most cases they are not inventions, and patenting harms the public interest, warns Sue MayerFor some years a fierce argument has been raging over whether genes should be patentable. Read more…

Many deaths in developing countries could be avoided if essential drug prices were lowered. Ken Bluestone explains how pharmaceutical companies are being urged to take their social responsibilities seriouslyWhy not lower drugs prices systematically for developing countries? Read more…

Too many people who visit their GP with mental health problems are being offered drugs as the only option, according to the mental health charity Mind which has launched a campaign for more choice. Read more…

Dear healthmatters — Further to your report ‘Global pressure leads to falling drug prices’ (issue 44) the pharmaceutical industry is indeed fighting hard – and dirty. Read more…

Consultant psychiatrists joined forces with mental health service user groups in July to demonstrate against the ‘hijacking’ of mental health care by the pharmaceutical industry. Read more…

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Although pharmaceutical companies have lowered the price of many drugs for developing countries, generic equivalents remain cheaper – but may be impossible to import, explains Kevin WatkinsTwo-year old Mfane Ncane is lucky to be alive. Read more…

The recent barrage of public criticism of the pharmaceutical industry, following the collapse of the recent court case brought by 39 drugs companies against South Africa, has forced the industry into lowering drugs prices for developing nations. Read more…

New figures show that the UK boom in medicines research could be under threat, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Read more…

Dear healthmatters – The multi-national pharmaceutical companies are trying to prevent developing countries such as South Africa, Brazil and India from producing their own, cheaper, anti-HIV drugs. Read more…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for global cooperation, political commitment and creative solutions to counter what it describes as the silent epidemic of counterfeit medicines. At an international conference in Rome the body is aiming to put together a global task force to focus on legislation, law enforcement and innovative technology solutions. Dr Howard Zucker, WHO assistant director general for health technology and pharmaceuticals, said: "People don't die from carrying a fake handbag or wearing a fake t-shirt. They can die from taking a counterfeit medicine. Read more…

The German chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA had its profits rise for the final quarter of last year by 34 per cent to 109.5 million euros. The growth was said to be down to increased demand for liquid crystals for computer displays. Read more…

John Abraham reports on how the ‘Europeanisation’ of regulation and licensing for marketing new medicines is profit-driven, unaccountable and a threat to public healthBefore new medicines reach the prescription pad, they must first be approved by the appropriate regulatory authorities,... Read more…