One Size FIts All

Among baggage reclaim carousels across the globe, passengers are reuniting themselves with exactly the same luggage in one country as they so trustingly parted from in another.

The Direct Approach

In a bid to raise awareness about the breadth, variety and indeed complexity of services offered throughout community pharmacies in Northern Ireland, pharmacy contractors Lee Dearn and James McKay joined David McCrea in Dundela Pharmacy to welcome the Health Minister.

The Right Formula

First the Albert Clock was treated to a reinvigorating cleanse, then the Merchant Hotel opened one of Belfast's premier jazz bars but the redevelopment of High Street doesnít stop there. Formula Healthís face-lift has turned heads of customers, commercial businesses and the Lord Mayor alike.

News in Brief

Cost Of A Pint

The 'shocking' cost of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland was highlighted by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey in June after estimates that its cost to society equates to £679.8million with a range of £500million to £884million. "This research shows that the cost to the Health Service alone may be as high as around £160million each year with a further cost of £82million to Social Services,î the Minister said. ìThese figures are particularly pertinent in the context of my Departmentís very challenging financial situation because this is money that could be spent providing key frontline services."

Heart In Hands

The British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland is appealing to fundraisers to help it reach its target of £80,000 by August. The campaign is to recruit more heart nurses to support patients throughout the province and to reduce secondary care admissions.

Haiti Fundraising

Staff at Holly Villa in the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital have raised over £320 for a group who are travelling to Haiti in October to build houses following the earthquake. The Tyrone Haiti Build is a project in conjunction with the Haven Partnership to support those affected by the disaster.

Secondary Care Supported

A new hospital in Omaghs fight for funding has been supported by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. Speaking at a meeting with the Omagh joint liaison group, the Minister said: "I am fully committed to the development of the new Omagh hospital and will continue to press for the essential funding needed to make this a reality."

Commissioning Together

Pharmacists and GPs must work together to define the gaps in commissioning data, review how they can be filled and to determine the correct level of care provision for a particular area, according to Stephen Foster, the head of the new Healthcare Professionals Commissioning Network. The network is open to any health or social care professional who would like to engage in commissioning. tinyurl.com/HCPnetwork

Economic Sense For Substance Support

Written by Laure James - Editor Pharmacy in Focus

Thursday, 24 February 2011 13:44

Economists have joined the fight to better support young people who experience drug misuse. Leading experts have insisted that the benefits of helping teenagers cope with drug and alcohol problems significantly outweigh the costs after putting a price on the value of substance misuse services for young people for the first time.

European consultancy Frontier Economics says every pound invested in such services saves the taxpayer between £5 and £8 over a lifetime, based on the most conservative assumptions. Even over a two year period, the immediate benefit gained from each £1 invested is estimated as worth about £2.

This return on investment comprises short-term savings in crime and health costs as well as long-term reductions in the costs associated with adult dependency, including the prospects of education and employment. The cost-benefit analysis of substance misuse services for under-18s was commissioned and published by the Department for Education in England. It was based on NTA figures which showed a record 24,000 young people received drug and alcohol interventions in 2008-9, the vast majority for problems with cannabis or alcohol.

The NTA oversees young people’s substance misuse services on behalf of the government, and recently allocated £25.4m of central funding for 2011-12, the same level of investment as now.