News : Drugs, health

India rejects claims it exported fake medicine to Africa

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:42:12 GMT

Delhi denial follows claims a third of anti-malarial drugs in Uganda and Tanzania could be counterfeit or substandard India has denied claims that it has exported large quantities of counterfeit medication to Africa, after the Guardian published a front page exposé on the phenomenon. "No fake medicines have been sent from India to the continent of Africa," a spokesman for the ministry of external affairs in Delhi said. The article cited experts and NGO reports as saying that up to a third of anti-malarial drugs in Uganda and Tanzania might be fake or substandard, and the majority of them...(read more)

What healthcare professionals should know about hepatitis C

Healthcare Network | guardian.co.uk — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:54:21 GMT

Partnership between Addaction and the Hepatitis C Trust aims to ensure 2,000 at risk of contracting the virus are screened With the start of London 2012 this weekend, it would be easy to miss another global event. Saturday is World Hepatitis Day. Not that the Olympics can be blamed for stealing its thunder. The day typically slips by without much fanfare, fitting for a disease which is rarely, if ever, spoken about. That, in itself, is a real problem. The annual Health Protection Agency (HPA) report on hepatitis C , released this week, highlights how the hepatitis C burden continues to grow. Hepatitis...(read more)

Care commissioning must meet people's needs

Healthcare Network | guardian.co.uk — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:15:18 GMT

The forthcoming social care white paper should give communities a say in their services, says Victor Adebowale Top of my wishlist for the white paper on social care would be effective commissioning. That should be the government's priority on social care. As the head of a health and social care organisation, I come into contact every day with people on the margins of society who rely on the NHS for care and support. I'm talking about people with addictions, mental health challenges and learning disabilities. Too often their needs have been neglected or ignored simply because NHS services...(read more)

Third of clubbers who take mephedrone may be addicted, survey finds

Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:51:26 GMT

Contrary to the belief that mephedrone is less harmful than drugs like cocaine, many users showed signs of dependence Three in 10 clubbers who take the drug mephedrone exhibit symptoms associated with addiction, a study has found. Many users of the banned substance, sometimes called "meow meow", had several signs of dependence, including withdrawal effects, failed attempts to give up, and taking larger and larger doses. UK Home Office figures published in July found mephedrone ranks joint second with cocaine behind cannabis in popularity among 16- to 24-year-olds, with 4.4% having taken...(read more)