News articles over the weekend (7-8 May 2016) revealed that women in the UK are paying an astonishing five times more for the morning after pill than those in other European countries.
Experts have also expressed outrage at the hoops that must be jumped through to get the drug, calling on the government to make it available off the shelf, as well as reduce the price. Unlike in France, Scandinavia, and the United States, the pill is not available without a consultation; women are required to undergo a consultation and discuss their sex lives with a pharmacist or doctor in order to access the time-sensitive emergency contraception.
High costs and a difficult process to obtain the morning after pill have resulted in what Anne Furedi of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service calls a framework that is “insulting, expensive and does not meet women’s needs”, according to The Independent. Read in full
Antibiotic resistance is one of our biggest threats
It is already happening and is just as great an issue as climate change and world hunger. To slow resistance we need to cut overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Read in full
If you ever have the need to contact Dr Fox administrators you will have dealt with one of our dedicated customer service team:
Suzanne
I am the Governance and Administrator Officer for Index Medical Ltd, the parent company of Dr Fox. I have worked in Health, Housing and Social Care for over 25 years, many of these at Manager or Director level.
I started working with Tony and Dan (the Directors) nearly 5 years ago. I am often the person at the end of the phone responding to patient enquiries.
In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, exploring nature with my daughter and our sprocker, travelling to exotic locations, and reading historic novels. Read in full
The Department of Health has released the new Eatwell Guide that shows the different types of food we should eat – and in what proportions – to have a healthy, balanced diet.
The guide says a healthy diet should now include more fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates.
Sugary soft drinks have been removed entirely from the new guide and foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have been moved off the plate to a corner of the image, reflecting advice that they are not an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.
Perhaps you’ve lost some confidence and sex drive due to erectile dysfunction – sometimes just buying Viagra isn’t enough! You have to be sexually aroused for Viagra, sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors to work, and that means having a good libido and being able to get in the mood.
There’s little hard evidence to prove that certain foods increase your libido, but many do provide much-needed vitamins and nutrients. Plus, the placebo effect never hurt anyone – and you may even have fun consuming them with your partner! Read in full
Despite a recent study linking acid indigestion tablets to increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, patients should continue to take prescribed proton pump inhibitor drugs (PPIs), such as omeprazole and pantoprazole.
Medications like omeprazole and pantoprazole work by suppressing the amount of stomach acid, treating heartburn and stomach ulcers, and are widely used throughout the UK. However a recent Daily Mail article cites research by the German Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients, linking the taking of PPIs with a 44% higher chance of developing dementia. Read in full
Cost is a big factor in buying cigarettes, but it can also be a factor when it comes to stopping smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is expensive, and many who are desperate to move past those strong nicotine cravings wonder why that is.
Nicotine replacement therapy comes in different forms, including:
Patches
Gum
Nasal or mouth spray
Lozenges
Tablets
E-cigarettes/ vaping devices
They work by releasing nicotine into the body to decrease cravings for the nicotine normally consumed by smoking. By providing the system with a low dose of nicotine, these nicotine replacement treatments reduce the need to smoke and allow would-be quitters to avoid the carcinogenic tar, carbon monoxide and chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
Aside from being addictive, nicotine is not considered dangerous when taken for a short period of time. It is the other chemicals found in cigarette smoke that cause heart and lung diseases.
Nevertheless, when made available in these preparations, the price of nicotine seems to skyrocket. Prohibitive prices can make it feel harder to stop smoking, so why are NRT products so expensive?Read in full
When the original patent (the exclusive right granted by governments to an inventor to manufacture and sell their invention) of a medicine runs out it becomes legal for ‘copies’ of the original active ingredient to be produced and marketed. These copies, which are medically identical to original medicines, are called generics or generic medicines. Generic medicines contain the same active ingredient and are medically identical to the original, but usually cost less. According to the BGMA generic medicine saves the NHS more than £10bn annually. Read in full
If you ever have the need to contact Dr Fox administrators you will have dealt with one of our dedicated customer service team:
Cost is a big factor in buying cigarettes, but it can also be a factor when it comes to stopping smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is expensive, and many who are desperate to move past those strong nicotine cravings wonder why that is.