Warning for hay fever sufferers with predicted record pollen levels

From this week up to 28 April it is Allergy Awareness Week and unfortunately it is today we must report that hay fever sufferers could be in for a tough time in the coming months after it has emerged that the pollen count could rise prior to June and reach its highest levels in half a century.

The fact that the UK has experienced a much longer winter has resulted in a later onset for the spring season, with an early summer expected. These factors could help to increase pollen levels to a 50-year high affecting an estimated 16 million people around the UK who suffer with allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

Hay fever symptoms are induced by the inhalation of pollen particles and by pollen managing to get into the eyes. You can get hay fever from anywhere between early spring to late summer, depending on which particular pollen(s) you have an allergy to. The common pollens that prove problematic in early spring for hay fever suffers are those that emanate from trees such as the ash, oak, silver birch, and London plane.

Health experts state that this weekend saw the pollen count spiral from a reading of zero to high and predict further huge increases until June following a bitterly cold March and early April. It is thought England will be much worse off, but Scotland is also likely to experience a pollen ‘burst’ due to a cold March delaying the pollen season by a month. Because tree pollen levels are now set to surge and this ‘phenomenon’ of tree pollen will expectedly collide with grass pollen from late May.

Professor Roy Kennedy, of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, and one of Britain’s leading hay fever experts said: “The cold spring meant a late start for pollen with a pollen burst now in a condensed period. It means peak pollen levels early in the season – not later, as normal. The last year to see similarly early-season pollen peaks is probably in the 1960s following a cold spring such as March 1962 – or even earlier. Scotland will also see a condensed tree pollen season. Hay fever sufferers could be badly affected and need to be aware of this.”

The NHS has urged those who could be affected to use wraparound sunglasses, to have a shower after being outdoors and then change into clean clothes. Anybody who suffers from hay fever and other allergies are also commonly advised to try and remain indoors as much as possible during the period of high pollen counts and to check the latest pollen forecast with the Met Office.

For those unaware, the pollen count season is usually from March to August, although it can begin as early January and sometimes end as late as November.

The pollen season is segregated into three main areas:

. Tree pollen - late March to mid-May.
. Grass pollen - mid-May to July.
. Weed pollen - end of June to September.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer a wide range of medicines  to treat allergies such as hay fever including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and finally there’s Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

Actress Anna Friel receives backlash for her extreme dieting

Keen readers of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy news area are always kept up to the date regarding the UK’s obesity crisis and how scientists learn new information about what factors can impact weight. However, slightly different news is on the agenda today after the actress Anna Friel has been heavily criticised for setting a bad example to impressionable kids, after she spoke about the extreme methods she undergoes for anti-aging and preserving her slender figure.

The 36-year-old Rochdale-born star found fame in the early 1990s after appearing in the Merseyside-based soap Brookside and has since featured in numerous films such as the Goal! Series and 2011’s Limitless which also starred Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

During an interview with Grazia magazine, Friel says she adhered to the detoxing ‘master cleanse’ diet for a two month period. The strict regime controversially involves banishing all food and instead restricting yourself to liquids, with Friel’s diet consisting of surviving on 12 cups per day of a cocktail of maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and water.

In addition to its purported weight loss benefits, Friel told Grazia magazine that she also uses the diet to improve the condition of her skin, saying: “I’ve been drinking it for two months and I feel so much better and my skin has really benefited. If you’re vain, as you get older you start thinking, ‘I’ve got to do everything I can to save my skin. I’ve tried everything.”

It is not specified from the interviewer or Friel herself if she has been adhering to the diet for a sustained period of two months, but one would assume this is unlikely bearing in mind that on the master cleanse diet you are confined to a mere 600 calories a day. This could be viewed as almost starvation though when considering that many health experts state that for an average woman to maintain her weight, she needs to consume 2000 calories a day – although this does depend on the woman’s age and how much physical activity she is engaging in.

However, Sioned Quirke, of the British Dietetic Association, has criticised the diet, branding it ‘extreme and unnecessary’. The dietician commented: “From a nutritional point of view, you are lacking in all the essential nutrients which your body requires on a daily basis to function. How could you possibly feel better if you are depriving yourself of everything that your body needs to survive? If you are lacking in these nutrients for a matter of days, let alone weeks, your body will suffer. It’s a myth that what you eat affects your skin. We have a liver and it’s very good at its job. So any detoxing that needs to be done is done by the liver.”

Quirke, 31, doubted Friel’s claims of sticking to the diet for two months, adding: “I can’t imagine anyone surviving on it for longer than a week, let alone two months, so you’ve got to take what she says with a pinch of salt.”

The ‘master cleanse’ has also been tried by numerous other celebrities for weight loss such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé and Naomi Campbell. However, this diet is one of only a few things that Friel is trying in her quest for eternal youth. The actress is also undergoing ‘vampire facials’, a technique also recently used by Kim Kardashian, whereby blood plasma is taken from the body and then injected into the face.

Friel says: “Vampire facials involve taking two vials of blood from your arm and reinjecting it back into your skin. It’s meant to help your skin heal itself and boosts collagen. It makes my skin really glowy and tight again. And I always have a Cryoderm treatment before a red carpet. “People say I look really good afterwards [following a Cryoderm treatment]. I also do the old-fashioned method at home, where I fill my sink with ice cubes and hold them on my face for a minute. I felt sick recently because I found one or two grey hairs and I read that curry leaves help to maintain your hair colour, so I mix them with hot water and drink it as a tea. I’m always searching for pure, natural skin products and Trilogy is great for that too, their Everything Balm is fantastic.”

Of course, expensive Cryoderm treatments are not the only way to try and achieve younger-looking skin and there are other anti-wrinkle treatments available out there! Luckily Medical Specialists Pharmacy has such treatments and some of which work to combat adult acne too. Visit the anti-wrinkle page for a detailed look at the different products we offer to decide which is most suitable for you.

Pharmacist caught selling fake Viagra and Cialis

It seems a week cannot pass by without somebody being arrested or sentenced due to their illegal activity dealing with counterfeit medication. However, the guilty party this time is perhaps a surprising one.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s office, a pharmacist operating in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., has been arrested and accused of illegally purchasing counterfeit Viagra and Cialis from China and subsequently dispensing the fake pills at his pharmacy to unsuspecting men.

Viagra and Cialis, together with Levitra, are three hugely popular medications to treat erectile dysfunction (also known as male impotence). Unfortunately for those who are duped into buying them, counterfeits such as the ones being offloaded by this particular pharmacist, have been previously known to contain either little or too much as the medication’s active ingredient which can prove lethal if somebody has any underlying health problems.

Moreover, Counterfeit drugs are often produced in disgusting, unsanitary warehouses too and some counterfeits have previously contained anything from blue paint (perhaps to mimic Pfizer Viagra’s blue colour), to brick dust, or even rat poison!

The pharmacist in question is 36-year-old Michael Markiewicz, owner of Chicago’s ‘Belmont Pharmacy’.  Despite the fact the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation suspended Markiewicz’ pharmacist license and withdrew Belmont Pharmacy’s license in November 2012, federal prosecutors have stated it is still operating as a nutrition and herb retailer.

Preceding the revoking of his pharmacist license, Markiewicz obtained three separate shipments of fake Viagra tablets from the most notorious country in the world for counterfeit drug activity; China, via the internet. One of these particular deliveries also included counterfeit Cialis. Investigators determined that he was offering the fake drugs in his pharmacy from December 2010 through to August 2012. Shipments contained a ‘gift pen’, according to the customs declaration, with the drugs concealed in unmarked clear plastic bags under the pen.

The federal indictment announced yesterday said that Markiewicz, of Norridge, Cook County, Illinois has been charged with eight counts of violating the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, four counts of trafficking in counterfeit drugs or goods using a counterfeit mark and three counts of smuggling in a 15-count indictment returned on Wednesday by a federal grand jury.

Although it is unclear at this time exactly how severe Markiewicz’ punishment will be, in the U.S. here are some punishments associated with counterfeit medicines: Trafficking counterfeit drugs carries maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $2 million (about £1.3 million) fine, trafficking counterfeit goods using a counterfeit mark can carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $2 million fine, smuggling carries a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 (about £163,000) fine and finally violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act carries a maximum of three years and a $250,000 fine.

We can assure you of peace and mind when obtaining medicines from Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Patient health and welfare has always been at the core of our business practice. Established in 1994 and becoming the UK’s first legal online clinic in 2001, we are fully registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and also a member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Our team of Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and our Pharmacists are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).

However, we also understand that the internet is plagued with illegal so-called ‘pharmacies’ that offer ‘discounted’ medication. They are cheap for a reason – they are not the genuine article! To help you distinguish the illegal websites from those genuine ones belonging to fully-registered pharmacies such as Medical Specialists, here are some key points to be aware of:

. Long delivery times of up to several weeks. This is due to the drug being imported from a foreign country before it arrives to you.
. The price of the medication is a lot cheaper than what you could expect, sometimes by as much as 70%.
. The website does not offer any contact details, e.g. a telephone and fax number, company address, pharmacists, doctors, etc.
. A registered Pharmacy such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy will have the GPhC green cross logo together with its Pharmacy number. This number can be checked to see if it does actually exist.
. The company registration and VAT number should both be clearly stated on the website. Both of these are a legal requirement.
. If the website does not require patients to submit a detailed medical history or answer a doctor’s consultation, this is suspicious.

Bird flu identified at a Suffolk Bernard Matthews poultry farm

All movements in or out of a Bernard Matthews poultry has been immediately halted following the discovery of a strain of bird flu, leaving thousands of chickens and turkeys at risk of being culled.

Government officials demanded the lockdown on the premises in Suffolk as a precautionary measure despite Environment agency Defra stating that the outbreak did not involve either the H5 or H7 strains – potentially deadly when contracted by humans.

A Defra spokesman said: “We are awaiting further laboratory test results from an ongoing investigation into suspect avian disease at a premises in the South East. The premises remains under restriction pending further results. Public Health England are aware and are ready to take the necessary action pending further test results.”

Bernard Matthews released a statement via a spokesman, saying: “Bernard Matthews can confirm that Defra have undertaken tests for avian influenza on one of its farms following notification by the company after some birds showed signs of ill health over the weekend. The tests have detected the presence of an avian influenza virus, but Defra have confirmed it is not the highly pathogenic types H5 or H7. As a precaution, the farm remains currently under movement restrictions but these are expected to be lifted in the next few days. Bernard Matthews’ other operations continue to run as normal.”

Employees at the Suffolk Bernard Matthews farm are already familiar with avian (bird) flu outbreaks after the infamous 2007 outbreak of the H5N1 strain which proved disastrous for the company. Around 160,000 turkeys had to be slaughtered to stop a crisis that threatened to spiral out of control with 320 workers given anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu to protect them from flu and 130 workers were made redundant following the company losing £20 million in lost sales and other costs.

At the time, experts claimed that they believed the outbreak started after contaminated meat was imported from Hungary to the company’s processing plant next to the farm. This time however, workers at the Suffolk farm are almost certain that the government restrictions will be lifted in the next few days as there is no evidence of the H5 or H7 strain being present.

The restrictions in Suffolk occur after the deadly outbreak of a new bird flu strain known as H7N9 in China. So far, 17 deaths have occurred from the 82 people known to have contracted a virus that is still causing confusion for health experts as it is unclear if some of those affected actually came into contact with poultry and as of yet, there is no current evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission but worryingly, Zeng Guang, chief scientist in charge of epidemiology at the China Disease Prevention and Control Centre (CDPCC), has claimed that around 40% of human victims seem to have no apparent history of poultry exposure.

Of the 17 deaths, 11 have occurred in China’s commercial capital; Shanghai. In addition, tens of thousands of chickens have had to be slaughtered. In total, the Chinese H7N9 bird flu outbreak has caused their poultry industry to record losses in excess of $1.6 billion (£1.05 billion).

Calls to screen men in their 40s for prostate cancer

Swedish researchers argue that men aged in their mid-to-late 40s should be offered a screening test for prostate cancer as this could detect almost half of potentially deadly cases of the disease, providing them with a chance to have necessary treatment before the cancer can develop.

However, the effectiveness of the screening process in question – prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing – has been widely open to debate for several years as the test cannot determine between slow-growing and fast-growing cancer, can cause needless worry and medical tests with a false positive result and has been known to occasionally miss the cancer and provide a false sense of reassurance.

The test can be done at your own GP surgery and involves measuring the level of the protein PSA in your blood. PSA is produced by the prostate gland. Some of the PSA manages to travel into the blood, with levels varying depending on prostate health and age. Currently there are no NHS routine screening programmes for prostate cancer in the UK but Men over the age of 50 are able to have a free PSA test on the NHS if they choose.

The results of which are published in the British Medical Journal, Professor Hans Lilia and colleagues from Lund University in Sweden, working together with researchers from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the U.S., found that if this screening was offered to men aged between 45 and 49, it could potentially spot prostate cancer in almost half of cases.

Their claim emanated from a thorough analysis of a study that was conducted between 1974 and 1984, comprising of 21,277 Swedish men aged between 27 and 52. At the beginning of the study period, every man had donated a blood sample and researchers went back to these samples to conduct PSA tests.

The PSA readings were compared against which men went on to develop prostate cancer, who survived and of what age each death occurred. It was calculated 1,369 of the men had prostate cancer; 241 being at an advanced stage and 162 men died.

With these figures being considered in great detail, they came to the conclusion screening under the age of 45 found very few cancers, screening after the age of 50 generally would be too late an age, whereas 44% of the deadlier cancers were detected through screening that was carried out between the ages of 45 and 49.

In their report, the researchers state: “At least half of all men can be identified as being at low risk and probably need no more than three PSA tests in a lifetime. This is likely to reduce the risk of over-diagnosis while still enabling early cancer detection among those most likely to gain from early diagnosis.”

Dr Anne Mackie, director of NHS screening programmes at Public Health England, says the organisation is considering the findings of the study, adding: “We are currently in the process of a scheduled review for a screening programme for prostate cancer and will make a recommendation towards the end of 2013.”

Woman sheds 17st in one year, stunning those who used to bully her

A young mother of two from Chatham, Kent, has without doubt left her high school bullies eating their words, after losing an incredible 17 stone in just one year.

Student Emma Burton, 22, at one time tipped the scales at a massive 27 stone and was a size 32 dress. Emma was even forced to wear custom-made uniform during her school years which further fuelled the cruel taunts from bullies.

She says: “I was verbally and physically bullied for years, all the way through secondary school,’ she added. ‘The whole school had a nickname for me. I was known as “The Burtonator” – because everyone said I was built like the Terminator. I was enormous. I had a specially made man’s blazer, as my mum couldn’t buy one big enough for me. It was a 50-inch chest, the same size as a bodybuilder. But since I’ve lost weight, I’ve seen some of the girls who made my life hell and they didn’t even recognise me. It was the best feeling in the world to go over and introduce myself. Their jaws hit the floor when they realised who I was.”

Despite the satisfaction of being able to flaunt her enviable new figure to her past tormentors, Miss Burton says the primary factor that inspired her weight loss was simply for her children; Liam, three, and Jennifer, 15 months. Seeing pictures of herself holding Liam following his birth also spurred her on as she was horrified at how she looked in the photos, saying she wanted to ‘rip them up’.

Emma could finally begin her mission to shed the pounds after Jennifer’s arrival and she subsequently adopted a strict weight loss plan that restricted her to consuming soups and shakes for a period of time, prior to the slow and measured integration of ‘real’ food back into her diet.

Now a music student at the University of Kent, Emma has completely revamped her previously unhealthy food choices such as pizzas and crisps, and instead enjoys chicken salads and grilled meat. In addition, a staggering eight cans of fizzy drink Vimto per-day has now been replaced by the often-recommended intake of eight glasses of water per-day.

When her daughter Jennifer had reached the age of one, Emma had slimmed down to a much healthier weight of 10st 9lb, and was delighted at now being able to fit into a size 10 dress.

She comments: “I’ve been hugely overweight my whole life and never in a million years did I think I’d be able to go clothes shopping in a normal shop, let alone buy a size 10. I lost weight so quickly, and once it started coming off it was easy to keep going. I used to be so embarrassed to be seen by other people, I’d avoid going out. I did all my shopping online. Now, I love going shopping – especially for new clothes. I love being able to take my baby out for long strolls in her pram and not be out of breath. My family and friends even struggle to recognise me in a crowd sometimes.”

Perhaps upon seeing how amazing Emma looked, it appeared her school bullies were remorseful and she found it in her heart to forgive them, adding: “They couldn’t apologise enough for how they treated me. But I lost the weight for me and my children, not for them.”

Smoking ban leads to annual 5% drop in asthma hospital emergencies

An annual 5% drop in hospital admissions for asthma patients in England requiring treatment could be attributed to the introduction of the 2007 smoking ban, which made it illegal to smoke in all enclosed public places such as restaurants, nightclubs, bars and shopping centres.

The 5% drop basically means that there are around 1900 fewer asthma-related admissions every year, say the authors of a new study who looked at the number of emergency asthma admissions for adults aged 16 and above in England between the duration of April 1997 and December 2010. Affecting roughly 5.9% of the population, the prevalence of asthma in England stands at one of the largest in the world.

For the study, published in the journal Thorax, Researchers based at the University of Bath discovered that there were a total of 502,000 ‘emergency’ hospital visits due to asthma in this time frame. Unsurprisingly, with cold weather being a trigger for symptoms to flare up, more admissions were evident throughout winter months compared to the summer; however numbers of admissions vastly differed depending on the area of the country.

Researchers took into account factors such as varying seasonal temperatures, differences in population size, and long-term patterns in regards to the prevalence of asthma. After considering all of the aforementioned factors, they discovered that emergency admissions for adults with asthma decreased by 4.9% during each of the first three years after the 2007 smoking ban, with a similar percentage decline in all geographical regions of England.

Dr Michelle Sims, author of the paper, said the benefits of the anti-smoking legislation were clear to see, commenting: “Secondhand smoke exposure has significant adverse health effects on the adult respiratory system with current evidence suggesting that it contributes to the onset and exacerbation of asthma. There is already evidence that smoke free legislation in England is associated with reductions in second hand smoke exposure among non-smoking adults and fewer emergency hospital admissions for heart attacks and childhood asthma. Our findings show that these health benefits extend to adult asthma.”

Emily Humphreys, head of policy and public affairs at the charity Asthma UK, said: “Eight out of 10 people with asthma tell us that other people’s smoke makes their asthma worse. That’s why we campaigned for the smoke-free laws and are delighted to see evidence of the benefits these are having on the millions of people with asthma in England. By taking action to reduce asthma triggers, we can prevent asthma attacks that can lead to hospitalisation and even death. However, more still needs to be done to prevent attacks, which kill three people each day in the UK.”

This new study is interesting and certainly highlights how cigarette smoke and asthma can be strongly connected. The findings follow that of a separate study which Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported back in January. Conducted by a team at Imperial College London, that particular study looked at admission rates spanning back to April 2002 and found an incredible 12% decline in childhood asthma hospital admissions during the first 12 months after the ban. This was calculated by taking into account a predicted 2.2% rise annually – and a decline continued in subsequent years with 3.4% fall per year for the next two years.

Asthma is a serious condition that is only worsened by exposure to cigarette smoke. Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise you to immediately quit smoking if you or a loved one also suffers from asthma, and we are able to help you achieve this with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix.

Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack – inexpensive compared to an estimated £2,555 you can save each year by quitting smoking!

Alternatively, visit the ‘Asthma and Allergies’ area of the Medical Specialists website for a full list of all the preventer and reliever inhalers we provide for suitable patients.

Skin cancer rates hit 200,000 – double previous estimates

Skin cancer could twice as prevalent as previous estimations, as new research shows that cases of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) – the most common kind of skin cancer –  have soared by an incredible 80% in the last decade. In addition, skin cancer rates are now almost on par with every other type of cancer combined.

Non-melanoma basal cell carcinomas are abnormal, uncontrolled growths that develop in the skin’s basal cells and often appear as painful looking open sores with red patches, pink growths, shiny bumps, or scars. BCCs mainly occur in fairer skinned people.

Although a family history of the cancer is sometimes evident, for two thirds of patients who develop BCC, overexposure to UV light either from the sun or excessive use of sunbeds is usually the main factor behind it. Just in the UK alone, the NHS previously estimated 100,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed every year, and things could be getting worse according to the new research and cases are actually around the 200,000 mark.

The study, conducted by Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Eastern Cancer Registration Centre in Cambridge, suggests  a massive financial burden being inflicted onto the NHS as it is believed each case costs about £1,000 for treatment – resulting in excess of £200 million being drained from an already tight NHS budget. On the positive side however, success rates for basal cell carcinoma is incredible high and stands at approximately 90%.

For cases of non-melanoma skin cancer such as BCC, surgery is the main treatment undertaken. A surgeon will remove the cancerous tumour and an area of the surrounding healthy tissue to make sure the cancer has been properly removed. Scarring is the main risk with surgery and often skin from a part of your body that is not always visible (i.e. the back) is removed and ‘grafted’ to the affected area. Other treatment options for non-melanoma skin cancer are: cryotherapy, creams, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a treatment known as photodynamic therapy (PDT) whereby cream is applied to the affected area and a strong light is shone onto it, killing the cancer in the process.

The team from East Anglia analysed data extracted from the eastern registry deduce patterns of skin cancer incidence over an 11-year time period and found that the number of patients requiring surgery for BCC rose by 81%. After extrapolating the findings to the UK population, the team came to the conclusion that around 200,000 patients had 247,000 cases of BCC treated surgically.

“Our study shows that the number of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) in the UK is approximately twice that indicated by government statistics,” said doctors from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Eastern Cancer Registration Centre, Cambridge. “The effects on population health and on costs to the health services of BCC in the UK should be recognised.

Resources to prevent, diagnose and manage the disease should be prioritised to help control BCC, which now appears to be the commonest malignant disease in the UK. Cancer registries acknowledge that data collection for BCC is imperfect, and consequently data on BCC are excluded from national statistics. Unfortunately, this means that the commonest cancer in the UK is often overlooked by politicians, the public and the media.”

Catherine Thomson, of Cancer Research UK, added: “Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and we need to find better ways of recording the number of people diagnosed with it. This means they are not routinely reported and the true workload and treatment burden on the NHS is not widely understood. The good news is that generally it’s one of the easiest forms of cancer to treat and it is rarely fatal.”

Hull man dies from asthma attack triggered by cold weather

A man from Hull has tragically lost his life following a severe asthma attack, thought to have been induced by severe cold weather.

Steven Metcalfe, 38, had been hospitalised on a number of occasions because of his asthma, and recent temperatures in the UK that plunged in minus figures, had only worsened his breathing difficulties.

His father Tony, 58, and also an asthma sufferer, spoke on Wednesday describing how he had immediately flown home from his job on a North Sea oil rig after receiving the devastating news that his son had died at home on April 5.

Mr Metcalfe said: “Asthma can strike you down – people need to take it a lot more seriously. It has knocked us for six. No one expected it.”

Steven was employed as a welder and shared a home with his girlfriend of two years Debbie Brennan, 39, on the Longhill estate, East Hull.

Steven’s father added: “Steven had been in and out of Castle Hill Hospital twice in the past few months. In particular, Steven had been having a lot of trouble with his circulation. The cold usually makes asthma worse. Over the past few weeks especially, he always seemed out of breath,” adding that his son had died in bed as a result of both heart failure and asthma.
“When you have asthma, your heart has to work that much harder,” said Mr Metcalfe, employed with rig company Wood Group along with his other son Lee, 31.

He continued: “Lee and I were on different rigs but a helicopter collected us and flew us back to Aberdeen. We were then flown to Humberside Airport. Unfortunately, Steven had already died.”
Mr Metcalfe says like himself and the majority of other asthma sufferers, Steven had to use two inhalers and always made sure to take his medication.

“The blue inhaler is used in case of an attack and the brown one each morning and night to prevent attacks,” he said.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at the charity Asthma UK, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Steven Metcalfe and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time. Asthma can be an extremely serious and potentially fatal condition with more than 1,100 people in the UK dying from asthma each year. We are working hard to develop ways of stopping people getting asthma and helping those who have it to stay fit and healthy. Our dedicated asthma nurses can offer expert advice and support through the Asthma UK Adviceline, on 08001 216244.”

Cold weather however is only one of many triggers and others include:

. Tobacco smoke.  This can irritate the lungs and it is imperative that you stop smoking immediately if you smoke and have asthma, or avoid coming into contact with secondhand smoke.
. Pollen from certain trees, grasses and flowers. Pollen is linked to problems for both asthma and hay fever sufferers. Many health experts believe the two are connected and that asthma suffers also benefit from taking an anti-histamine such as Loratadine on a regular basis, to act as a precaution to allergic and asthmatic reactions.
. Air pollutants such as car exhaust fumes and the already mentioned tobacco smoke can release gases and particles that affect the airways. Evidence actually suggests a higher risk of asthma developing in people living nearby to roads with heavy traffic.
. Many asthmatics are sensitive to the droppings of house dust mites; tiny creatures that inhabit carpets, beddings and soft furnishings.
. Changes in air temperature. For instance, leaving a warm room and going outside into colder air can sometimes trigger an attack.
. Some asthmatics find that exercise triggers an asthma attack and may need to use their reliever inhaler such as Ventolin Evohaler.

$3.6 million of counterfeit drugs seized in the U.S.

Earlier this year Medical Specialists Pharmacy gave you an insight into just some of the work that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have been undertaking in their bid to stamp-out the manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit drugs, or at least keep it to an absolute minimum if possible.

Pfizer are of course most notorious for the massively popular erectile dysfunction medication Viagra (sildenafil), and indeed erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments are the most counterfeited medicines in the world. Counterfeiters are becoming more adept at developing more realistic appearing medicines. However, for the patients who are unfortunately getting duped, the low-price comes with a life-threatening risk as the drugs are often processed in unsanitary conditions and usually contain toxic ingredients that can prove deadly.

There is some positive news though which shows that these illegal counterfeiters will eventually receive their comeuppance – Partnering with governments and law enforcement agencies around the globe, Pfizer’s Global Security has successfully managed to halt an incredible 160 million counterfeit tablets from reaching unsuspecting patients around the world in the last decade.

This brings us to the fantastic news this week that US enforcement agents joined forces with Pfizer, seized a haul of counterfeit medicines from a warehouse in South Carolina, U.S., in March. The fake drugs were estimated to be worth a staggering $3.6 million (£2.3 million).

Unsurprisingly, it was fake ED drugs that were uncovered during the raid and agents discovered counterfeited versions of Viagra in addition to Eli Lilly’s Cialis (tadalafil) – another popular male impotence medication that has rivalled Viagra in recent years. The agents also found Merck & Co’s Proscar (finasteride), a drug that eases the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.

It is believed the counterfeit drugs had been imported from India, arriving at reshipping warehouse located in Columbia, whilst other counterfeits came from a country rife in such illegal activities – China.

The huge operation that led to the South Carolina raid involved agents with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and South Carolina’s Secretary of State Office, using their expertise with work with Pfizer and Blazer Investigations staff.
In total, $4 million-worth (£2.6 million) of counterfeit goods was seized, and not only medicines. ICE has confirmed that fake versions of products from Coach, Prada, Ray Ban, Golf Pride and TaylorMade, were also found.

South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond said: “Counterfeit merchandise is a lose-lose situation, harming those retailers who play by the rules and cheating consumers out of the quality products they need or deserve. Fake medicine takes this harm to another level because it can literally kill you.”

Dieters beware of their ‘Fat O’clock’!

If you are trying to stick to a healthy diet to lose excess weight, be cautious of Sunday evenings! According to the findings of a new survey, the three hour time period between 7pm and 10pm is when we are most likely to give-in to our cravings, banish our diets and eat typically high-calorie ‘comfort food’ like biscuits and crisps.

The European food company Forza, quizzed hundreds of customers on their eating habits and found Sunday evenings were the worst times for us to eat food containing high fat and high sugar, with almost half (48%) admitting that they overate most often during that time.

Another dangerous time for healthy eaters appears to be just before many of us finish a typical working day, with 28% of those who completed the survey claiming that the two hours between 3pm and 5pm was when they most ate ‘bad’ foods.

The third most common time when our diets go out the window is later in the afternoon – between 5pm and 7pm – as 13% said that is the point when they will probably cave-in and eat high-calorie treats.

One discovery from the survey will perhaps surprise nobody, but many of us will choose the weekend as our time to comfort eat. In particularly, it is Sundays (selected by 16%) when diets are most often forsaken and junk food is consumed.

It was found that 12% of those surveyed would typically comfort eat on a Monday. This could be either for a sugar-boost after a hectic weekend or simply to get over those Monday blues from being back in work!

Judging from the survey’s answers, the majority of over-eating seemed to be during or after dinner time as respondents said they were more likely to consume more than two units of food extra after a meal. A unit was regarded as a packet of chips, a cookie, a piece of toast, or a chocolate snack.

Dinner time for over-eating was chosen by 6%, followed by supper (22%), lunch (16%) and breakfast (a mere 3%). Clearly not enough of us are taking into account the golden rule of breakfast being the most important meal of the day.

Around a third (34%) of comfort eaters scoff two units after feeling hungry.  Over a fifth (22%) said admitted to consuming three units when hungry and one unit by 17%.

Worryingly, 11% claimed that have between four and five units, and 8% even manage to consume more than five units of ‘bad’ food when they are feeling hungry.

Forza chief executive Lee Smith said: “Fat O’clock is a nightmare for all dieters. It’s that time when you are especially vulnerable and the only thing that is going to stop your cravings is padlock on the pantry. It is useful for everyone to know the exact times of those danger spots so that they can eat more sensibly on those days.”

Chemical contained red meat may cause heart damage

A study carried out by researchers from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, US, has found that the chemical L-carnitine can increase the risk of suffering from heart problems. Saturated fat and the manufacturing process involved with how meat is preserved are widely believed to be related to heart problems, but many health experts think there is more to it. 

Lead researcher of the new study, Dr Stanley Hazen, commented: “The cholesterol and saturated fat content of lean red meat is not that high, there’s something else contributing to increases in cardiovascular risk.”

L-carnitine is a nutrient which is contained in red meat, dairy products and some dietary supplements.  The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that the carnitine contained red meat was broken down by naturally occurring bacteria in the gut. 

However, this later resulted in higher levels of cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease as the resulting broken down product - trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), is known to speed up the build-up of plaque in arteries and cause them to harden (atherosclerosis) – a main cause of heart disease.

Part of the researchers’ investigations was conducted in humans, whilst other testing was carried out with mice. Studies involving animals can be sometimes difficult to interpret, and some degree of caution should be shown when generalising the findings to humans.

For the study, 77 healthy volunteers were administered a supplement of L-carnitine. Of this total, 26 were classified as vegans or vegetarians. Some of the meat-eaters in the group were told to eat an eight-ounce sirloin steak - this works out at around 180mg of L-carnitine.

Researchers then gave antibiotics to the participants for a one week period. These prevented bacteria in their gut from converting L-carnitine into TMAO. After this, the 77 people again were given L-carnitine. Tests were conducted on blood and urine at the beginning of the study and up to three weeks following L-carnitine being given. Some of the people also had their faeces analysed.

In addition, L-carnitine levels were checked in the blood of 2,595 other people, all of whom had attended a heart check-up. The researchers thought this would be an effective measure of assessing a potential link with L-carnitine levels and known cardiovascular disease, or risk of a cardiovascular event (i.e. a heart attack or stroke).

Finally, plaque levels were studied in the arteries of mice and this was done by comparing mice fed normally against a group of mice fed L-carnitine, for a 10 week period. Some of these mice were given antibiotics beforehand. 

The main findings were:

. Meat-eaters produced more TMAO compared to vegans or vegetarians following L-carnitine ingestion.

. A ‘significant’ link was found between L-carnitine concentrations and risk of cardiovascular event in those having heart check-ups. However this was only for those with a high TMAO concentration. Researchers state they believe this shows that TMAO, rather than L-carnitine, is the main factor of this link.

. A study of the faeces showed L-carnitine affected how much TMAO was in the blood.

. Mice given L-carnitine, were at a double risk of developing a plaque build-up in their arterial walls, - but only when they had their normal gut bacteria. When the animals were given antibiotics to clear the gut, L-carnitine did not cause the same arterial wall build-up.

Dr Hazen says that TMAO can be underestimated, and said: “It may be a waste product but it is significantly influencing cholesterol metabolism and the net effect leads to an accumulation of cholesterol. The findings support the idea that less red meat is better. I used to have red meat five days out of seven, now I have cut it way back to less than once every two weeks or so.”

Secondhand smoke could impair childhood kidney function

Whilst many teenagers may believe that smoking cigarettes will improve their popularity amongst friends and gain them misguided admiration in the playground, they should also be aware of the damage that cigarettes do to their adolescent bodies after a study has linked secondhand smoke exposure to effects on kidney function beginning in childhood.

The study, led by Esther Garcia-Esquinas, MD, of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and published April 8 in the journal Pediatrics, was conducted to see if secondhand smoke exposure could be attributed to chronic kidney disease in children.

A cross-sectional study was therefore carried out, comprising of an analysis of 7,516 adolescents aged between 12 and 17; all of whom were involved in the 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The teens all had blood tests to determine any creatinine and cotinine levels. Creatinine is a waste break-down product from muscle tissue in the body that is filtered through the kidneys. Doctors look at a person’s blood creatinine level as a test to determine kidney function and the kidneys’ ability to handle creatinine is known as the ‘creatinine clearance rate’.

‘Cotinine’, an anagram of nicotine, is an alkaloid chemical contained in tobacco and is also a product that is created by metabolising nicotine. By measuring the levels of cotinine in an individual’s bloodstream, it is possible to extract information on their recent use of tobacco in addition to assessing how much secondhand smoking the person has been exposed to.

The teens within the study who admitted that they smoked or those with serum cotinine levels found to be over 10 ng/mL, were regarded as ‘active smokers’. Those who lived with at least one person who smoked or had cotinine levels measuring at least 0.05 ng/mL, were classified as being exposed to secondhand smoke. In addition, any study participants with serum cotinine levels under 0.05 ng/mL, not living with a smoker and had not smoked in the previous month, were viewed as being unexposed to tobacco.

Researchers analysed the glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, level by looking at the creatinine levels. This helps to understand how much blood a person’s kidneys are filtering to get a better picture of kidney function.

It was discovered that the teens’ eGFR declined at the same rate that their cotinine concentration in the blood increased. This pattern was evident even after the participants’ weight was taken into account as well as and socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Jeffrey Fadrowski, MD, MHS, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in Pediatric Nephrology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, commented: “Small changes in the distribution of estimated glomerular filtration rate levels in the population could have a substantial impact in kidney-related illness, as it is well known for changes in blood pressure levels and hypertension-related disease. Evaluating potential secondhand smoke exposure and providing recommendations to minimize exposure should continue to be incorporated as part of children’s routine medical care.”

Other researchers in the study added: “Evidence from studies in adult populations suggest that smoking, particularly heavy smoking and cumulative smoking exposure, is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease in both genders, as shown in large, prospective observational studies.”

Scientists develop healthy fruit-based chocolate bars

If you are one of many parents around the world who are struggling to get their children to eat the daily recommended ‘five-a-day’ portions of and fruit and vegetables, scientists from Warwick University could have made your life a little easier after developing a variety of healthier chocolate bars that contain half the fat, less sugar, and even have fruit juices inside them!

Chocolate could be described as a healthy treat when consumed in moderation due its high levels of the antioxidant flavonoids; which help cholesterol levels and protect against the development of atherosclerosis. Despite this, chocolate’s reputation is not generally known for this, but for the high levels of fat and sugar comprised within it. However, Warwick University researchers claim that if manufacturers embraced new technology for producing ‘fruit-juice-infused chocolate’, we could soon be able to buy much healthier chocolate bars.

Stefan A. F. Bon, Ph.D., who led the research, says that the production techniques would allow chocolate to be produced containing a diverse selection of ingredients such as fruit juice like orange, apple, or cranberry, vitamin C and water, or diet cola  - and reducing the fat content by as much as 50% in the process.

The new technique can be replicated with all the main types of chocolate, (milk, dark and white), but the researchers do stress that the end product will have a slightly fruity taste to it.

It involves replacing the cocoa butter and milk fats within conventional chocolate bars with liquid in the form of ‘micro-bubbles’. This helps to keep intact the chocolate’s velvety ‘mouth-feel’ – texture that is firm and ‘snappy’ to the bite, whilst melting in the mouth.

Speaking about the technique at national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, Dr Stefan Bon said: ‘We have established the chemistry that’s a starting point for healthier chocolate confectionary. This approach maintains the things that make chocolate ‘chocolatey’, but with fruit juice instead of fat. Now we’re hoping the food industry will take the next steps and use the technology to make tasty, lower-fat chocolate bars and other candy.”


He further added: “Everyone loves chocolate – but unfortunately we all know that many chocolate bars are high in fat. However it’s the fat that gives chocolate all the indulgent sensations that people crave – the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth but still has a ‘snap’ to it when you break it with your hand.”

By using fruit juice this could decrease the high sugar content of chocolate. Dr Bon and his team used fruit juices and other food-approved ingredients to create a ‘pickering emulsion’, whereby the tiny droplets are prevented from merging together.

Dr Bon concluded: “Since the juice is spread out in the chocolate, it doesn’t overpower the taste of the chocolate. We believe that the technology adds an interesting twist to the range of chocolate confectionary products available. The opportunity to replace part of the fat matrix with water-based juice droplets allows for greater flexibility and tailoring of both the overall fat and sugar content.”

Being happily married could make you pile on the pounds

We probably all know people who have blamed weight gain on ‘being in love’ or because they are now in a happy relationship when previously single, but the findings of a new study could indeed show this theory has some weight behind it! In particularly, it seems happily married couples are the ones most at risk of expanding waistlines as they will have a much lesser desire or need to attract a new partner.

U.S. researchers recruited 169 newly-wed couples and documented their marital bliss (or lack of) over a period of four years.

The researchers, based at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, say the study findings question the long-standing view that quality relationships were a positive thing for health and weight.
Psychologist Andrea L Meltzer, who led the study, said: “On average, spouses who were more satisfied with their marriage were less likely to consider leaving their marriage, and they gained more weight over time. In contrast, couples who were less satisfied in their relationship tended to gain less weight over time.”

Meltzer states that previous psychological research had linked marriage and weight gain and that weight loss was commonly attributed to going through a divorce and the after-effects. She adds that exactly how marital satisfaction impacts our weight is still undetermined.

“For example, studies have found that satisfied couples are more likely to take medications on time and schedule annual physicals,” Ms Meltzer said. “Yet the role of marital satisfaction and actual health is less clear.”

For the four-year duration that the married couples were monitored, they were regularly asked to rate their marital satisfaction on a scale, while their weight and height was measured to determine their Body Mass Index (BMI).

Meltzer and her team discovered that for each unit increase in satisfaction, on average, men and women gained around one tenth of a BMI unit every six months. This equates to a weight gain of one pound each year for a woman who is 5ft 4 in height and with a weight of 8½ stone.

Those unhappy in their marriage were more likely to leave their partner, Meltzer says, and on average did not put on as much weight. She added: “So these findings suggest that people perhaps are thinking about their weight in terms of appearance rather than health”, and stressed that young couples should be educated to fully understand that weight is a key factor of maintaining their health.

She concluded: “We know that weight gain can be associated with a variety of negative health consequences, for example diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By focusing more on weight in terms of health implications as opposed to appearance implications, satisfied couples may be able to avoid potentially unhealthy weight gain over time in their marriages.”

Poultry slaughtered in Shanghai after deadly bird flu outbreak

Just days after Chinese authorities confirmed the presence of a new strain of avian influenza – H7N9 – it has now been reported there has been a total of 14 cases of the new flu, with six cases of these fatal after the deadly bird flu claimed the life of a 64-year-old farmer from Zhejiang province.

He is now the second victim from the Zhejiang province of a problem that threatens to spiral into a human pandemic, whilst the other four victims are believed to have died in the Chinese city of Shanghai.

Shanghai authorities have stated another person is currently receiving treatment for flu-like symptoms. The deadly strain, previously unknown in people, is known to only be present in wild birds and as of yet, no instances of human-to-human transmission have been reported. This is despite China’s disease control agency managing to track down hundreds of people who have come into contact with the 14 infected people.

Chinese authorities received fierce criticism in their delay in reporting the first two casualties.  The first two deaths occurred back in February and were not reported until late into March. The Health Ministry in Beijing tried to deflect criticism though, arguing it took a while to determine how the people died, adding it “will continue to openly and transparently maintain communication and information channels with the World Health Organisation and relevant countries and regions, and strengthen monitoring and preventive measures.”

Thorough analysis is still being conducted in China into the new bird flu, but Japan and Hong Kong are wasting no time in preventing a mass outbreak of the virus. The latter have raised a preliminary alert, activating the ‘Alert Response Level’; safeguarding against a potential influenza pandemic through the close monitoring of chicken farms, vaccination, culling drills, and a ceasing of live birds being imported from the mainland. Meanwhile, in Japan, there are now posters at airport entry points that stress passengers coming into the country from China must seek medical attention if they believe they could have bird flu.  In addition, Vietnam has now stopped all imports of Chinese poultry.

Shanghai has shut down its poultry markets because of the H7N9 bird flu outbreak after a spokesman for the city authorities stating it was necessary for public safety. A mass slaughter of at least 20,000 birds is already underway following the discovery that pigeons being sold at Huhuai market had the virus.

Different types of bird flu have been circulating in varying severity for several years, such as H5N1 virus. This is a subtype of the Influenza A virus and is more commonly referred to as ‘bird flu’ or ‘avian influenza’. Though it is primarily considered an avian virus, and transmitted from bird-to-human, there have been some instances of a human-to-human transmission of the virus.

“The gene sequences confirm that this is an avian virus, and that it is a low pathogenic form (meaning it is likely to cause mild disease in birds),” said Wendy Barclay, a flu virologist at Britain’s Imperial College London. She continued: “But what the sequences also reveal is that there are some mammalian adapting mutations in some of the genes.”

There is currently no definite cure for either of the two strains of flu mentioned above. However it is widely acknowledged that oseltamivir (marketed by Roche as Tamiflu), effectively helps to prevent the influenza virus from spreading inside the body. The medication has even been at the core of many governments and organisation’s efforts previously when anticipating a potential flu pandemic. It is available through Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £21.98 per pack after we dramatically lowered the price of Tamiflu to help all new and existing patients during this difficult recession.

Could male hair loss be connected to heart problems?

Men who are losing their hair may be more liable to suffer with heart problems in comparison to those with a fuller head of hair, new research suggests. It seems it is those men suffering with severe hair loss on the top of their heads (vertex baldness) who could be at a higher risk, and not those with hair loss at the front, i.e. a receding hairline.

Researchers in Japan conducted a thorough analysis of six previous studies from Europe and America that examined a possible connection between male baldness and coronary heart disease (CHD). The studies contained information on 36,990 men whose health was tracked for 11 years, and the researchers determined that five of the studies confirmed such a link.

It was discovered that men who had severe baldness on the top of their head were an incredible 48% more likely to develop CHD. Those who only suffered with moderate and mild vertex baldness were 36% and 18% at risk respectively. However, men suffering with both frontal and vertex hair loss were 69% more likely to develop CHD compared to those who had a full head of hair still intact.

Dr Kazuo Hara from the University of Tokyo said: “Cardiovascular risk factors should be reviewed carefully in men with vertex baldness, especially younger men. They should probably be encouraged to improve their cardiovascular risk profile. But interestingly, frontal baldness was not significantly associated with coronary heart disease.”

The explanation between the connection is still uncertain, but researchers believe increased sensitivity to male hormones, insulin resistance and inflammation in blood vessels could be key factors behind the hair loss and heart disease correlation, although further studies need to be carried out in the future to explore the link.

Another interesting aspect between the hair loss and CHD link is the fact Minoxidil (a popular hair loss treatment, contained in Regaine), was first produced to bring down high blood pressure – a severe risk factor of heart disease. Experts believe that Minoxidil works to dilate small blood vessels in the scalp, thus helping to boost blood flow and the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles.

Other authors involved in the study said that in their meta-analysis, “vertex baldness was significantly associated with an increased risk of CHD among younger men as well as among all participants, and the association was dependent on the severity of baldness. Vertex baldness is more closely associated with systemic atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than with frontal baldness.”

However, Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, commented on the study, saying: “Although these findings are interesting, men who’ve lost their hair should not be alarmed by this analysis. It’s more important to pay attention to your waistline than your hairline.”

Four Welsh drug counterfeiters are sentenced

The UK’s governmental drug body, The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), have confirmed that four people based in Wales (three men and one woman) have been handed prison sentences after illegally supplying prescription-only and counterfeit medicine over the internet.

Andrew Luxton was sentenced to 12 months in prison on five counts involving conspiracy to sell or supply prescription-only medicines, possession of counterfeit medicines in breach of trademarks, possession of a Class A controlled drug (Methadone) and supplying a Class C controlled drug (Diazepam).

Samantha Steed also received 12 months in prison suspended for 18 months, on four counts involving conspiracy to supply prescription-only medicines, possession of counterfeit medicines in breach of trademarks and supplying a Class C controlled drug (Diazepam). Ms Steed was also handed a community service order of 18 months.

Carl Willis was sentenced to 6 months in prison suspended for 18 months, on three counts involving conspiracy to supply prescription-only medicines and possession of a class C controlled drug (Diazepam). In addition, Mr Willis must also attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

Anthony Luxton was sentenced to a Supervision Order on three counts which involved conspiracy to supply prescription-only medicines and possession of two Class C controlled drugs (Diazepam and Nitrazepam).

The arrests were carried out following an undercover operation focused on the Ebbw Vale area of Gwent, whereby an MHRA undercover agent obtained medicines online – from a third party based in Pakistan. The guilty foursome were importing the prescription-online medicines from Pakistan and then re-selling them to UK consumers in smaller quantities.

Investigators found large amounts of counterfeit medication and generic prescription-only medicine following searches conducted at the homes of those involved, including: Viagra, Cialis, Diazepam and Methadone. A computer at one of the addresses also unearthed damning evidence in the form of email exchanges between Andrew Luxton, Samantha Steed, Carl Willis and other individuals which showed a history of illegal drug activity.

The four defendants acted as ‘drop shippers’; a term Medical Specialists explained back in January when we reported about Pfizer’s fight against counterfeit drugs.  Although they were receiving large bulks of prescription-only medicine from Pakistan, they aimed to reduce the number of importations to minimise the chance of packages being intercepted upon entering the UK.

Nimo Ahmed, MHRA Acting Head of Enforcement said : “The MHRA is committed to pursuing those involved in the illicit supply of medicines and taking action to ensure the public is protected. These individuals were involved in a concerted conspiracy to supply counterfeit medicine and showed a blatant disregard for public health. Buying medicines from unauthorised sources significantly increases the risks of getting substandard or fake medicines. People who buy medicines without the benefit of a consultation with an appropriate healthcare professional run the risk being supplied with medicines that are not safe or suitable for them to use. You should take prescription-only medicines after an appropriate consultation with your GP.”

However, you can also undergo an online consultation with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC-registered Doctors and we supply prescription-only medicines to treat a wide range of conditions such as: male impotence, male hair loss, female hair loss, acne, obesity, high cholesterol and many more. Once approved by the Doctor, they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacy team and subsequently dispensed and dispatched to you within a mere 24 hours! (Allow extra time for overseas deliveries).