Medical Specialists® Pharmacy launch Mobile Website after huge Patient Demand

Medical Specialists® Pharmacy are delighted to announce they have now gone mobile! The new mobile website has been created due to the ever-changing requirements of their patients, with increasingly hectic lifestyles now meaning a lot of us are using our mobile phones or tablets to access the internet whilst on the go.

The streamlined mobile site will offer a much faster, efficient and overall better browsing experience for all new and existing patients, with optimal download speed and a site that has been designed specifically for the differing screen shapes and sizes of mobile devices.

Introducing the mobile version of the Medical Specialists® website will be fantastic news to those always on the move throughout the day, with little time to sit down at a computer, or even those that don’t own a computer. The pharmacy receives countless phone calls from patients each and every day looking to place a telephone order with them purely because they are struggling to order from their tablet or phone, so the Medical Specialists® IT department realised a mobile-friendly website was absolutely vital to cater for the needs of the massive patient base that come to them.

Those patients that are returning to Medical Specialists® will now be able to log-in to their user area within seconds of accessing the mobile site, with a more concise, rapid and mobile-friendly browsing experience when searching for treatments of conditions like erectile dysfunction, male pattern baldness, alcohol dependence and much more.

After all, nobody wants to spend time on their mobile phone or tablet attempting to frantically scroll through a condensed desktop website that is simply too difficult to read and too time consuming when trying to perform the most basic of tasks on it.

Most of us will have been there before…somebody sends us a link to a website either by text message or email, and clicking on the link merely brings up an unviewable, scrambled, chaotic mess. Annoyingly, the screen size will probably have to be resized upon each click of that website’s subpages – zooming in and out – with agonisingly slow loading times from all the text and images the mobile device will have to load from the desktop site.

Moreover, imagine as a business having a collection of your website links all squashed together just because the page isn’t configured for a mobile device, coupled with the fact we have to use our fingers which aren’t as accurate as the click of a computer mouse…potential customers may find themselves consistently pressing the wrong link and quickly ending up very frustrated!

If the user can’t easily browse and read the content on a specific website from their mobile device, they will leave frustrated, uninspired, and that particular business has just lost out on a potential sale and long-term customer.

Anyone already familiar with Medical Specialists® will perhaps not be surprised at the introduction of the new mobile site. For over 20 years they have been at the forefront of using the internet as an efficient way of reaching out to patients, mainly with the changing demands of today’s world. Back in 1994 Medical Specialists® was heavily involved in computerisation of their patients and medication, and then by 2001 became the first legal online clinic in the UK supplying a range of medication via online consultation, by their in-house Doctor.

Then from 2012, the pharmacy could dispense NHS prescriptions either by patients sending their paper prescriptions or if the patient’s GP sends the prescription to the pharmacy via the Electronic Prescription Service. As previously reported on the Chamber of Commerce, in 2014 Medical Specialists® also started to offer certain over-the-counter products on e-commerce giant Amazon, and has seen this side of the business boom in the subsequent months. Therefore, the need for a mobile site was imperative and may lead to even further growth for Medical Specialists® in the very near future!

Online Pharmacy give away 1,000s of condoms in the run up to World AIDS Day

Shocking figures released ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December reveal that roughly a fifth of those who have HIV in the UK, are unaware they are even carrying the virus.

Public Health England accumulated data from 2012 that shows 21,900 people out of 98,400 with HIV in the UK do not know they have it, with new cases reported in gay mean spiralling to an all-time record of 3,250 during last year.

Gay men account for the majority of people who have HIV, followed by black African men and women. Heterosexuals accounted for approximately 45% of new HIV cases in 2012; 2,880 in total.

Although it appears overall figures have decreased since 2011, the charity Terrence Higgins Trust have called for more action to be done to prevent the virus spreading, beginning with National HIV Testing Week, which runs from 22-29 November leading up to World AIDS Day.

World AIDS Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and has been supported numerous times by Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and this year is no different.

This year Medical Specialists are giving away literally thousands of Skins condoms to all patients who obtain any sexual health products between 22 November and 2 December. Whether this be a clamelle chlamydia test kit, the antibiotic azithromycin for chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatment, or viagra, you will receive plenty of condoms…for free!

“Reducing undiagnosed HIV is now the single most important step we can take to halt the spread of infection in this country,” said the Terrence Higgins Trust’s acting chief executive, Paul Ward.

Mr Ward added: “Some communities are already making headway in this. Among gay men, testing rates are up, diagnoses are up, and as a result undiagnosed infection is coming down. Because of community-wide initiatives like National HIV Testing Week, hundreds more people with HIV now know their status, helping them access life-saving treatments and drastically reducing the chance of them passing the virus on. We’ve come so far, but we have to keep going. We know testing works and treatment works; all we need is the individual commitment and public funding to make it happen. If we can get this, we can turn the tide of the epidemic.”

Many people see ‘HIV’ as an abbreviated disease that they hope they never contract, whilst not actually understanding a lot about what it is, who is at risk, or the dangers of letting the virus go untreated.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system; our body’s natural defence mechanism against infections and disease. Health Protection Agency statistics from 2010 showed 95% of UK diagnoses stemmed from sexual contact, typically not wearing a condom during sexual activity is the cause. Sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia are also risk factors for HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay.
Delaying vital critical treatment can be fatal and somebody diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to somebody who gets tested and diagnosed at an early stage.

If HIV is left untreated or insufficiently managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). At this stage the body is no longer able to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage inflicted to the immune system.

National HIV testing week is a hugely important week and Medical Specialists hope that people shed the stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS, and to get tested immediately if they think they might be at risk. There is never any shame in seeking help for anything, especially when it comes to your health, and it could just save your life.

Online Pharmacy to give away 1,000s of condoms for Sexual Health Week

 Sexual Health Week 2013 will take place this year from 16 to 22 September and is one of many national campaigns which Medical Specialists Pharmacy are proud supporters of.  Therefore we have teamed up with Skins Condoms to give out free condoms to any patient who obtains sexual health products during that particular week, such as Viagra, a Clamelle chlamydia test kit, Durex play vibration rings, etc. You are guaranteed to get more bang for your buck during Sexual Health Week with Medical Specialists Pharmacy.


The words ‘sexual health’ will always be synonymous with condoms, but choosing the right condom can be tricky. One massively popular type is the ‘long love condoms’, as nicknamed by the German scientists who devised them. They are an excellent method of ensuring sexual health AND prolonging yours and your partner’s sexual excitement – quite handy when bearing in mind that Medical Specialists Pharmacy research has found that 20% of women rate their most recent sexual partner has having a poor to very poor performance, and almost a third (32%) want their man to last longer in bed.

One particular ‘long love’ condom is the Durex Performa, which has a special non-spermicidal Benzocaine lubricant cream inside the teat end of the condom to help control climax for longer lasting lovemaking and better sex. This is of course a fantastic bonus on top of its other main functions of preventing an unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection! Of course, we do realise there are some people who are somewhat careless, and this is why Medical Specialists Pharmacy can supply the Levonelle 1500 morning after pill in addition to a range of treatments for sexually transmitted infections such as herpes and chlamydia.

However, with regards to condoms, an important factor to take into account is that there are often reports of counterfeit condoms in circulation around the country by their millions. A cheap and poorly-made counterfeit condom is unlikely to provide any of its main functions, let alone the added bonus you can get from condoms such as the Durex Performa.

Therefore, condoms and other contraception methods should only be obtained from a reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and during Sexual Health Week we will be offering a fantastic bargain on the previously mentioned Durex Performa condoms,  slashing the price of a pack of individually wrapped 72 Durex Performa condoms by half…yes half! For the unbelievably low price of just £30.00 this bundle can be yours.

For those unaware, Sexual Health Week has been pioneered by the Family Planning Association (FPA) in partnership with Brook, with the theme remaining as last year’s XES We can’t go backwards campaign.

The aims of the national campaign are to protect and promote sexual health and contraception services by fighting government budget cuts, policy changes, and more specifically; the lack of easy access to contraception due to closures of sexual health centres or alterations to their opening hours.
Both FPA and Brook have stated they receive a large number of calls from worried and unhappy members of the public, being denied basic access to the advice, products and services that they require.

However, calls they probably won’t receive are the types of calls Medical Specialists receive on a daily basis – distressed men who are having problems in the bedroom. Whether this is in the form of erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation, each problem can place a great deal of stress onto relationships and cause a huge loss of self-esteem for the male.

The fact we receive so many calls is a positive thing as it means that the majority of men are no longer suffering in silence, but some still are. Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are viewed as genuine medical conditions and as such, require treatment. This may come in the form of lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking or managing stress, but in most cases erectile dysfunction usually requires treatment through a type of medication known as a Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. On the other hand, premature ejaculation can be treated with a medication known as Priligy in addition to those wonderful long love condoms which can also help you last longer in the bedroom!

Fake Viagra amongst 30 million Yuan haul seized in China

Shanghai police officers working together with those from three other provinces – Hubei, Zhejiang, and Hebei – have shut down the illicit operations of six criminal rings throughout China following the confiscation of 2,600kg worth of the erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra.

According to a press release, Shanghai police initiated an investigation after a number of brand name sexual enhancement drugs were found contained in a dubious looking express delivery parcel.
Police then forwarded a sample of the contents to the local food and drug administration for analysis, who confirmed that the drugs had not adhered to any manufacturing regulations.

The parcel was tracked to an adult store on Fengzhuang Road North, which apparently had previously closed down, but not without the owners leaving a phone number plastered on the door before vacating the building. After ringing the number provided, an officer was then greeted by a male from the ironware shop next door!

The male in question, surnamed ‘Dong’, then casually displayed his collection of other phony erectile dysfunction pills for the officer. Of course, Dong was subsequently arrested and several boxes of brand name counterfeit drugs were discovered inside the ironware store.

Seven people were then arrested and on June 24 in excess of 10,000 pills were seized in a warehouse raid in the Hubei Province. Files contained in the building showed that just between the months of January to April, more than 2,600 counterfeit drugs worth over 30 million Yuan (£3.23 million) had been transported to various distributors around China. Those arrested admitted their manufacturing costs for the fake drugs were just a dozen Yuan, and sold on for several hundred Yuan.

The news comes just a month after it was reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized a haul of over $41 million (£26.9 million) worth of substandard or counterfeit medication and shut down 1,677 websites selling such poorly produced and dangerous products.

The issue of counterfeit medicine looks to be one that will be around for the long-term whilst it is profitable for the criminals involved. However, organisations such as Pfizer  and Medical Specialists Pharmacy will persevere in the fight to beat the production and sale of counterfeit medicine.
Your health and well-being are not taken into account at any time by criminals these low-cost fake drugs often contain little or no of the active ingredient, or highly toxic ingredients such as arsenic, brick dust, floor wax and cartridge ink!

However, you can undergo an online consultation today with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC-registered Doctors and we supply genuine prescription and non-prescription 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).

Drug mailing scam lands Surrey man with 44 months in prison

Yet another counterfeiter has deservedly been imprisoned after putting lives at risk from selling fraudulent, dangerous drugs. The guilty party is a Portuguese national who has received a prison sentence of almost four years (44 months in total) following him being caught operating an illegal internet drug mailing business.

Mahomed Bacai, aged 38, of Addlestone, Surrey, conceded that he was guilty of five offences including forgery, possession of false identity documents and conspiracy to supply class C drugs, prescription-only medicines and medicines not on the General Sales List.  Bacai received his sentence on 22 February at Guildford Crown Court.

His arrest came about after the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) began its own investigation in January 2011 upon learning of seizures of medicines by the UK Border Agency in Coventry.

The governmental agency has stated that Bacai’s illicit dealings saw him hiring mailboxes using false paperwork and fictitious names. By using all this, he would acquire parcels from overseas suppliers based in India and China. He re-packed the parcels at his home before shipping them off to his international customer base.

In June 2011 MHRA officers conducted a raid of his house in Addlestone and recovered approximately £1.6m ($2.4m) worth of unlicensed medicines that comprised of ‘vast amounts of counterfeit and unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines’ stored in what the MHRA described as ‘unsanitary conditions, including a garden shed’. In addition, officers also found powerful Class C drugs such as the opiate Tramadol, tranquiliser drug Diazepam and vials of testosterone.

More investigations into Bacai’s activities resulted in officers being able to intercept an incredible £125,000 worth of counterfeit medicines that were due to arrive at his home address and he was promptly arrested.

Nimo Ahmed, MHRA Acting Head of Enforcement said: “We are committed to pursuing those involved in the illicit supply of medicines and taking action to ensure that public health is protected. Prescription-only medicines and controlled substances such as Tramadol and Diazepam are potent substances. They can cause serious harm if not taken under the supervision of a doctor or other appropriate healthcare professional and obtained through a registered pharmacy. We urge people to only take prescription-only medicines after an appropriate consultation with their GP. They are best equipped to consider your medical history, the risk and benefits of drugs and any possible interactions with other medicines you’re taking.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy are fully aware that there are thousands of illegal websites plaguing the internet that offer ‘discounted’ and ‘genuine’ medicines. We speak to patients on a daily basis who are clearly very reluctant to obtain medicines online. With this in mind, here are some important factors to be alert of when browsing through different websites:

. Long delivery times, sometimes up to several weeks. This is due to the drug being imported from a foreign country before it gets to you.
. For erectile dysfunction medication, a phony website could state ‘generic Viagra’ or ‘generic sildenafil citrate’. There is no such thing as generic Viagra!
. The price of the medication is a lot cheaper than usual, sometimes by as much as 70%.
. The website does not list 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.

U.S. study shows condoms don’t affect the satisfaction of sex!

According to the findings of a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, it doesn’t matter if condoms and/or lubricant are used – sex is still enjoyable regardless!

Dr Debby Herbenick, from the School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, led the nationally representative ‘probability’ study of men and women in the U.S. Dr Herbenick comments: “This may be because men are more likely than women to purchase condoms and to apply condoms. However, it’s important for more women to become familiar with the condoms they use with their partner so that they can make choices that enhance the safety and pleasure of their sexual experiences.”

Therefore, this could hopefully banish one of the feeble reasons for a lack of condom use and subsequently resulting in a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or an unwanted pregnancy.

Some partners – often those in committed long-term relationships- refrain from using condoms. Maybe it could be that the male is relying on his partner to take her birth control pill, there may be some degree of embarrassment involved in actually purchasing them to begin with, or even an assumption on either partner that the use of a condom will detract from the enjoyment/arousal involved in the whole process of foreplay and sex.

However, it would appear that both condoms and lubricants used during ‘safe sex’ do not take anything away from sex and it seems that the majority of women are unsure whether or not a condom is lubricated and what type of material the condom is.

Data analysed in the study came from the 2009 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behaviour, which involved an online questionnaire aimed to deduce the habits of 18-59 year olds in regards to sex, condom and lubricant use. The researchers when looking at the data, specifically wanted to know characteristics of condom and lubricant use during the study participants’ most recent sexual event as well as any affiliation between their condom and lubricant use to their judgement of ‘sexual quality’.

It was found that over twice as many women were unable to tell if the condom was lubricated (26.6% vs. 11.4%) or from what material it was made from (23.6% vs. 8.9%). The American study also found that in general, men did not find it difficult to maintain their erections with both condom and lubricant usage.

Dr. Herbenick spoke on the seriousness of promoting sexual health, the danger of sexually transmitted infections such chlamydia and gonorrhoea, saying: “The U.S. continues to grapple with high rates of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and unintended pregnancies. We need to understand how people make choices about the products they use (or avoid using) and how these products contribute to the safety and pleasurable aspects of their sexual experiences. This is particularly important as the products themselves evolve and become more mainstream in American society. We also need to understand what men and women know, or don’t know, about the products they use so that we can better target public health education messages to individuals and groups.”

Of course the threat of STIs is rife throughout the world and is not an issue that is restricted to the United States. However through using condoms in the correct manner, the threat of contracting one can be minimised. At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we believe that more needs to be done by the government to educate people of all ages about how serious they are, in addition to debunking the myths about STIs.

Due to the recent news that millions of counterfeit/ineffective condoms have been found in the UK,  it must be stressed that male and female contraception should only be purchased from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Every medication or product dispatched to our patients is 100% genuine and their health and well-being is the primary core of our business practice. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop, including a recently added deal offering an incredible 72 Durex Performa condoms for just £60.00!

No need to hold your breath anymore for a cure: CB12 is here!

With Christmas almost upon us – 32 days away to be exact – friends, family and work colleagues will soon be gathering together in what is a jovial time across Britain as the festive spirit takes over. As Christmas trees and decorations will be gracing homes and work offices, one particular Christmas decoration – mistletoe – will sometimes rather humorously be deliberately situated in a location by somebody who has earmarked out their crush for a romantic Christmas kiss.

However, perhaps an underestimated threat to this happening and certainly no laughing matter, is persistent bad breath. The condition is also known as ‘Halitosis’ and it can be a deeply upsetting and bothersome thing to live with for somebody who suffers with it. Even a simple thing as a kiss has to be strategised, with any attempt possible made to mask the odour from the other person. These attempts though such as soft mints or chewing gum, are often a futile and very short-term solution for bad breath.

Although most of us will experience short periods of bad breath, it is believed that up to 50% of people are suffering from persistent bad breath, which can be the result of numerous reasons. These can include lifestyle choices such as heavy smoking and alcohol consumption, in addition to eating certain heavily flavoured foods such as garlic or onions can leave an undesirable odour. Persistent bad breath may be a sign of poor oral hygiene such as not brushing your teeth regularly or even gum disease, and occasionally bad breath may be symptom of infection or illness, or could be an unwanted side effect from taking a particular medication. Nitrates taken for angina and some chemotherapy medications can affect a person’s breath.

Without doubt though, the most common kind of bad breath stems from naturally-occurring bacteria present in our oral cavity and work at disintegrating bits of food inside the mouth. Food debris continually coming into contact with the bacteria, allows it to flourish and the anaerobic respiration of this bacteria will then generate repulsive ‘rotten egg’ smelling gasses, also known as volatile sulphur compounds (VCSs). The culprit VCSs include: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, Allyl methyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulphide.

This process of which will cause bad breath in all of us at some point, is referred to as ‘Endogenous bad breath’. Many people around the UK – including some doctors – believe that this bad breath is caused by digestive upsets or metabolic diseases like diabetes. However, scientists say that almost 90% of endogenous bad breath is actually caused by the bacterial build-up on the tongue.
In some cases, this type of bad breath may be treated through a simple process of cleansing the tongue thoroughly on a regular basis, known as ‘tongue scraping’; performed before or after you’ve finished brushing and flossing your teeth. Unfortunately, bacteria on the tongue can reproduce at a rapid pace and constantly produce VSCs.

Therefore, you might be wondering what can be done to fight these pesky VSCs that are causing undesirable breath. Well, the answer might lie with a revolutionary mouthwash that is currently flying off the shelves in countries all around the world. The mouthwash in question is named ‘CB12’, which may be familiar with those who have seen its adverts on television.

Most mouthwashes will simply mask the smell of bad breath for a very limited period of time and this is where CB12 is different. This unique long-lasting mouth rinse has been proven in clinical trials to be highly successful at preventing and neutralising bad breath for up to 12 hours. If that isn’t enough to get excited about, CB12 also contains fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.

After initially being launched in Sweden back in 2006, the wonders of CB12 have quickly spread around the globe and it has hit record sales. The brains behind CB12 is Dr Thomas Norlin, currently a leading implantologist at The Dental Spa in Shrewsbury, which is part of The Velvet Group, and Dr Norlin continues to act as a scientific advisor for CB12.

Dr Norlin first became interested in creating a product that would properly and efficiently fight bad breath way back in 2002, after becoming frustrated that existing products would only work to mask the odour through the use of various flavourings, and not actually get to the route of the problem.
This is what Dr Norlin explained in regards to VSC gases and what provided him with the motivation to develop the remarkable CB12 mouthwash: “The majority of VSCs are produced when protein remnants in the mouth break down into amino acids. The two amino acids that form the main substrate for the production of VSCs are cysteine and methionine. VSCs originate from food, such as a protein-rich diet, milk products and cheese. They also originate from blood, a dry mouth or anything that increases the number of germs, i.e. the amino acids. Certain bacteria have enzymes that break down these amino acids and the result is sulphurous gases, i.e. VSCs which consist of the gases hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulphide. Methyl mercaptan is the component of VSCs that causes the worst smell, even in very small quantities. We also know now that there is a correlation between VSCs and periodontitis. In other words, there are elevated levels of VSCs in deep gum pockets, so patients with gum pockets have higher levels of VSCs than other patients. Studies often measure only hydrogen sulphide and not methyl mercaptan to detect VSCs. In order to show the presence of methyl mercaptan a gas chromatography is required. The methyl mercaptan smells the worst and is more aggressive, also it is not neutralised as easily as hydrogen sulphide. With the development of CB12 there was one primary aim: to eliminate all gases and not just some of them. By using a gas chromatography as part of thorough research it has been proved and later published in several scientific journals that CB12 eliminates VSCs for a longer period and is more effective than any other product that exists on the market.”

He also states that recent studies recently carried out by the Microbiology Unit at West of England University, centred on a clinical comparison between CB12 and four other commercially available mouthwashes.  CB12 was found to be the best and most effective product.

If you are suffering from halitosis, why not try this miracle revolutionary product, and no longer will bad breath be a source of embarrassment or distress. CB12 is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy Chemist Shop priced at just £9.95 for a 250ml bottle of either two varieties. We fully empathise that the build-up to Christmas hinders everybody’s disposable income so that is why we are offering such a low price compared to the RRP of £14.59.

We have the CB12 Mint Menthol, for a strong and refreshing mint and menthol taste, or you can opt for CB12 Mild, which has a gentle mint flavour – ideal if you have a sensitive mouth or if you desire a softer mint taste.

Calls for a global treaty to clamp down on counterfeit drugs

Experts are calling for the introduction of a global treaty to fight the growing problem of trading in potentially fatal counterfeit medicines, of which some of the risks we have previously described back in February . The demands might have something to do with the fact that currently there are bizarrely more sanctions in place regarding the trading of illegal tobacco than counterfeit drugs. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) claim that in less developed nations, roughly over one in every 10 drug products are fake and around a third of malaria medicines (i.e. Malarone and Paludrine) are counterfeit, particularly a major issue in certain areas of Africa and Asia.

In more developed nations such as the UK and the U.S., patients can relax somewhat in that medicine safety is a lot better, however there is still a risk of adverse reactions or even deaths being caused as a result of substandard and falsified drugs. This was shown recently when a contaminated batch of methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections that were given to patients in the U.S. for back pain, resulted in an outbreak of fungal meningitisand subsequently the deaths of 24 people.

In a paper published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday, academics and health professionals demanded for the introduction of a new international law to prevent the flood of lethal drugs into the market.

Their article, argues strenuously that a fake drugs treaty is required, similar to those that already exist to combat money laundering and human trafficking. The publishing of the paper comes just week before 100 states are due to congregate in Beunos Aires, Argentina, and conduct the first meeting of its kind that aims to find effective ways on how the tackle the global problem.

However, the lead author of the report, Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa, was angered on Monday after being informed by WHO that he and other non-governmental representatives were forbidden from attending, after an objection by India, whose large drugs industry is responsible for manufacturing cheap generic versions of medications. India believe that Western governments backed by ‘Big Pharma’, are using the counterfeit drugs fight as a smokescreen for their real aim; restricting trade in unpatented medicines that are actually urgently required by the poor.

Attaran blasted it was a ‘scandal’ that only government officials were permitted to attend the meeting in Argentina to discuss strategy for fighting counterfeit drugs. He is confused that by under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, tobacco products must be tracked and criminalises illicit trade globally, “oddly making the law tougher on cigarette falsification than on medicine falsification” he says.

Attaran continued: “The protocol will now make it a requirement to track and trace tobacco products. Cigarette packets can carry serial numbers so it is possible to track them from beginning to end. If this is something you can do for a $5 cigarette packet I do not see why we can’t do it for a $3,000 packet of drugs that could save your life. In Canada we have seen a fake version of the heart drug Avastin come into the country that contains no active drug, just starch and nail polish remover. When you are dealing with a medicine like that if there was a serial number on it you would be able to easily see if it was fake.”

Medical Specialists agree that action needs to be taken to stem the tide of deadly drugs reaching unsuspecting patients. For this to happen though there clearly needs to be a lot less distrust amongst government, public health campaigners and pharmaceutical companies.

Patients around the globe never need to worry about dangerous fakes when dealing with Medical Specialists Pharmacy. 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).

Three Essex men receieve sentences after producing and selling fake drugs

Tuesday afternoon saw three men sentenced at Southend Crown Court for a total of 18 months for the possession and distribution of controlled drugs and prescription only medicines over the internet. One of the guilty trio’s sentences also included a charge of unauthorised use of a trademark and the manufacture of controlled drugs (anabolic steroids).

The three were confirmed as 27-year-old Nicholas Boys from Southend, who was slapped with an 18-month imprisonment, along with 50-year-old Eric Rudanec from South and 43 year-old-Mark Rosson from Westcliffe-on-Sea. Both Rudanec and Rosson received six month suspended sentences for 12 months and will be forced to undergo 150 hours of unpaid labour.

The convictions came about after  the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) decided to take a thorough look into the website www.staymassive.com and thousands of other similar ones, which you can read about here. Following this investigation, MHRA officers swooped onto two locations within Southend-on-Sea and seized over £220,000 worth of drugs including anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and various other prescription only medicines.
To trace the initial source of the illegal substances, the MHRA also took the criminals’ mobiles phones and laptops, managing to find that there had been numerous requests from the three regarding orders for huge quantities of anabolic steroids and raw materials including steroid powder.

In addition to the drugs and electronics that were seized, laboratory equipment and paraphernalia to be used for the home production of anabolic steroid medicines was also taken to be analysed.  The dangerous steroid products had been labelled up by the crooks as ‘Medipharma’. Lab tests later confirmed the presence of either small or unpredictable levels of their alleged ingredient.

MHRA Acting Head of Enforcement, Nimo Ahmed, spoke out on the sentences handed down to the three men, and he echoed a lot of comments that Medical Specialists Pharmacy has said previously regarding the issue. He said, “This case demonstrates the lengths some people will go to make money. These people had no regard for the health of others and the thought of home manufacture of anabolic steroids is frightening. Anabolic steroids are very potent medicines which should only be taken when prescribed by healthcare professionals following diagnosis of serious medical conditions.”

This is what we said less than a month ago when we reported about the new CD3 counterfeit drug scanners:  “Medical Specialists Pharmacy is one of the leading companies in the global fight against the huge problem of counterfeit drugs. It leaves us incredibly angry to know that there are still scheming crooks active all over the world that are looking to make a quick profit against the well-being and safety of innocent people. Unlike us, these types of criminals have absolutely no regards for the health of the unsuspecting public who are purchasing the cheaper knock-offs. Many counterfeit drugs contain little or none of the active ingredient, or may even contain dangerous chemicals that can quite easily result in death or permanent disability.”

Adding to Nimo Ahmed’s words was Dave Bagnall, from the Border Force at Coventry international postal hub. He said, “The case came to the attention of the MHRA after intelligence was received from Barclaycard regarding the registration of two websites and a detection by Border Force officers at Coventry international postal hub. Our officers are on constant alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep fake and unlicensed medicines, as well as other illegal goods, out of the UK. Border Force officers have a vital role to play in protecting British consumers and businesses from the trade in black market medicines and other goods. Smugglers are only out to make a profit. These goods are often dangerous and the proceeds can be used to fuel serious organised crime.”

18,000 websites selling ‘counterfeit’ drugs shut down

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), have reported that more than 18,000 websites selling illegal medicines, have been shut down during a global crackdown on illegal internet trade in pharmaceuticals. Domain names for the websites have been taken down or the payment facilities have been removed.

In the UK, 384 domain names have been suspended and a further 120 are being shut down. During the worldwide crackdown, conducted by Interpol across 100 countries, more than £6.5 million worth of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines were seized. The operation, which ran from September 25 to October 2, resulted in 79 people being arrested including two in the UK. More than £3.8 million of unlicensed medicines have been seized by the MHRA and the Border Force.

MHRA acting head of enforcement Nimo Ahmed said, “This week we have recovered a range of medicines being supplied without prescriptions and stored in unacceptable conditions, by people who are not qualified to dispense medicines. When you buy medicines from an unregulated source, you don’t know what you’re getting, where it came from or if it’s safe to take. The dose could be too high or too low, or the ingredients could break down incorrectly in the body which makes the medicine ineffective. Illegal suppliers do not adhere to quality control or standards that are required in the licensed trade. If people could see the filthy conditions some of these medicines are being made, stored and transported in, they certainly wouldn’t touch them.”

Neal Patel, spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said, “It is hugely worrying that prescription medicines are available from illicit websites. This is a serious patient safety issue. Not only is supplying prescription only medicines without a prescription illegal, it means that the user has no information about the ingredients, dosage instructions, or potential side effects, so patients would not be receiving proper healthcare advice.”

This is the fifth year of a coordinated action against websites selling illegal and sometimes fake medicines. Most of the haul is Viagra and assorted versions of it; one raid had turned up 13,000 packets, labelled as a Chinese herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction. It claims to have none of the side effects of synthetic western medicines.

But when they test it on the spot, they find it contains the same active ingredient as Viagra (sildenafil). If you have a heart condition that might be extremely dangerous, and you might have turned to a herbal remedy precisely because you have a heart condition, that means your GP wouldn’t prescribe Viagra.

To conclude Neal Patel said, “We would urge the public if they wish to buy medicines online, to always check that they are dealing with a genuine pharmacy.” This is a problem we at Medical Specialists have repeatedly reported on and campaigned against. Unfortunately these illegal online pharmacies, who have no regard for the public’s safety, have given online pharmacies somewhat of a bad name.

However here at Medical Specialists we are based in the UK, we only supply genuine branded medication such as (Pfizer) Viagra, we only dispense medication after a patient has undergone a consultation with one of our fully registered GP’s, who will make sure the medication is both right and safe for you. In addition to that we are fully registered with the National Pharmacy Association and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

ED drug Cialis gets European approval for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Struggling to think of a link between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and erectile dysfunction (ED)? You might not be the only one. However, patients who are suffering with both of these conditions may soon be able to be treated through the male impotence wonder drug Cialis, which it seems, is emerging as having multiple uses.

The European Union’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has put forth their recommendations for the approval of the 5 mg daily dose of Cialis to treat the condition BPH that can result in prostate enlargement, a common condition that usually effects older men and leads to problems including; difficulty passing urine, a regular need to urinate, or finding it difficult to completely empty the bladder.

All that waits now is a final ruling from the European Commission, who approves medicinal use for the EU. It usually takes the European Commission about one to two months to decide on CHMP recommendations. All this follows a precedent set back in October 2011 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave their seal of approval for Cialis 5 mg once daily use to be used to alleviate the signs and symptoms of BPH.

Cialis is currently used to help men suffering with ED in over 100 countries and has already been approved in many other countries around the globe for the additional purpose of helping BPH, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Israel, Panama, Russia and South Korea. Therefore, it will surely only be a matter of time before patients can obtain Cialis Daily from Medical Specialists Pharmacy for benign prostatic hyperplasia in addition to treat erectile dysfunction. The best thing we would advise is to keep checking our website for more developments on this subject.

Anthony Beardsworth, senior medical director at Lilly, spoke on the exciting news and said, “The CHMP positive opinion for Cialis marks an important regulatory milestone for Eli Lilly and Co and our commitment to bringing new treatment options to the millions of men who experience ED and BPH.”

If you are a male suffering with urinary problems, then you may be one the 2.4 million men in the UK suffering from BPH. It could be some time yet until Cialis Daily is officially given the green light to fight such issues. In the meantime, urinary problems can be treated through the use of effective medication such as Flomax Relief, which eases the symptoms associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of a BPH.

Flomax works by relaxing muscles in the prostate gland, relaxing the muscles in the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body).  This lets urine pass more freely through the urethra, making it easier to urinate. It is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy chemist shop, costing just £8.75 for 14 capsules, or £15.95 for 28.

Of course if you are a male suffering with erectile dysfunction and would like to know your options in regards to treatment, you may be wondering just what ‘Cialis Daily’ is. Firstly, it is a once-daily tablet supplied in two does; 2.5 mg and 5 mg, with 28 tablets to a pack. It is recommended to be taken at the same time each day for consistency and is suitable for men who are in sexually active long-term relationships. The major benefit is that the mild dose of Tadalafil (Cialis’ active ingredient) will be in your body each day, meaning you do not have to take a tablet each time you have sex. Cialis, Cialis Daily, Levitra, Levitra ODT and Viagra are all available today at great prices through Medical Specialists.

Obesity levels could skyrocket in the U.S. and UK by 2030

The United States of America is a nation that has long been associated as suffering with weight issues. ‘Obesity’ is a term used to describe somebody who has a body mass index (BMI) of over 30, and it seems many Americans are going above and beyond this number. Environmental, social and cultural factors have been cited by many as being the causes for the obesity epidemic. Typically American’s favourite foods tend to be high in fat and/or sugar and include unhealthy options such as hamburgers, hotdogs, doughnuts and French fries. Some argue that traditional family meal times have been lost in recent years as households become preoccupied with other activities and opt instead to snack on unhealthy treats throughout the day.

Of course these are just a few of the reasons for the obesity crisis in the U.S. that in 2008 resulted in some estimates pitting 32.2% of men and 35.5% for women as being obese. Even five years prior to this back in 2003, there were researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who claimed that the medical cost attributed to obesity-related conditions stood at a staggering $75 billion.
This was all way before the current day though. Fast forward to today and new predictions have been released that show the U.S. is fatter than ever, and will be getting much, much fatter. So much so that by 2030 half of adults could be classified as obese. This is according to a report released on Tuesday by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who warn that if Americans continue with their poor eating and exercise habits then their weight will continue to soar.

More recent data shows that 35.7% of adults and 16.9% of children aged 2 to 19 are obese in the U.S., as confirmed by the CDC earlier in the year. However the forecasts by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, paint a much bleaker outlook than the government’s first prediction of a 42% obesity level by 2030. The former decided to thoroughly analyse government figures for 39 of the 50 states and found that in every state, the obesity rate will hit 44% by 2030. In 13 states however, it would be at least 60%.

Even the ‘thinnest’ current U.S. state, Colorado, is not going to fare very well in the future. Currently about a fifth of the people in Colorado are obese, but this could surge to 45% if current trends continue. Two major states in New York and California currently have an obesity rate of just 25% and 24% respectively. In 18 years’ time though, these numbers could be bumped up to 51% and 47%.

All of these statistics may not mean much to people reading them, but if you do happen to have a BMI over 30 (from anywhere around the World, not just America), perhaps it is worth considering the detrimental impact that the extra weight is having to your health and will do so even worse in the future. In fact these latest predictions say that in the next two decades, there may be 7.9 million new cases of diabetes a year in comparison to the current 1.9 million and 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease compared to 1.3 million presently.

However it is not just the U.S. that needs to think about ways to stop this from happening in the future. Indeed the problem is one that is also escalating closer to home. Over the last thirty years, the UK rate of obesity has spiralled fourfold. In 1980 it was estimated that 6% of males were obese and 8% of females were. In 2009 this had jumped up to 22% for males and 24% for females.

One study conducted by the National Audit Service found that obesity is draining the NHS of roughly £500 million each year and the economy of £2 billion every year in lost productivity, and the problem looks to be getting worse. Experts say that in 10 to 15 years’ time, three-quarters of the UK population will feel the repercussions of ill-health from extra weight. Obesity is clearly a global problem that should be taken into account by everybody and acted upon today to prevent the dark predictions for the future. The following table shows the scale of the problem that has been growing in recent years:

Country	Adult obesity prevalence rate (%)	Year estimated
Tonga	56	2000
Kiribati	51	2006
Saudi Arabia	36	2000
United States	34	2006
United Arab Emirates	34	2000
Egypt	30	2006
Kuwait	29	2000
New Zealand	27	2007
Seychelles	25	2004
Fiji	24	2004
Mexico	24	2000
Canada	23	2004
Israel	23	2001
United Kingdom	23	2002
Greece	23	2003

Medical Specialists Pharmacy believe the UK coalition government need to take both the U.S. AND UK warnings on obesity very seriously and implement effective preventative measures and policies to promote numerous things such as healthier eating, increased exercise, and the major health benefits that can be had from the maintaining of a healthy weight. Encouraging all of these from an early age would be most ideal, with the responsibility of parents now to drum a healthy mentality into the minds of their children so this hopefully continues well into their adult years.

If you are overweight or obese though now, but wish to lose weight safely and reap the benefits of doing so, let Medical Specialists help. We can provide suitable patients ‘Xenical’, the only clinically proven and prescription-only slimming medication available today. It works in the digestive system, blocking roughly one-third of the fat in the food you eat from being digested and absorbed by your body.
We are pleased to inform patients that we are now able to drastically reduce the cost of the medication from £89.50 for one month’s supply, down to just £59.95 with free delivery for UK orders.

Men are warned: buying fake Viagra poses serious health risks

As we have reported in the past here at Medical Specialists, the problem of fake, or so called generic Viagra sold online, continues to pose serious health risks to men worldwide. In Australia analysis of pills from 22 different websites, claiming to sell drugs such as Viagra and Cialis, found 77 per cent of samples were fake and contained only 30 to 50 percent of the active ingredient advertised on the label, the Australian reported.

According to Dr Stephen Ruthven, president of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, many of the counterfeit drugs also contained undeclared substances such as gypsum, found in fertiliser, commercial paint and printer ink.
The study, by San Diego Sexual Medicine’s Dr Irwin Goldstein, suggested that the fakes could also contain other harmful ingredients including antihypertensive medications. Dr Ruthven said, “Self medication of this kind carried very real health risks. Many people simply assume they are buying the real product, when in fact many online purchases from international sites are illegal counterfeits.”

The study comes after Australia’s drug regulator last week, warned men not to buy or consume two products, claiming to contain 100 per cent herbal ingredients, Ultra Men for Men and Rock Hard for Men. An investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found the products contained two undeclared prescription substances, tadalafil and glibenclamide.

Tadalafil is the active ingredient in Cialis, a prescription-only erectile dysfunction product, and glibenclamide is used to control blood glucose levels. The TGA said the tablets, which a number of Australians have bought online, had not been assessed for quality, safety and efficacy. The place of manufacture was also not approved by the regulator. The commercial supply of the supplements in Australia is illegal. The TGA warned consumers to be extremely cautious when buying medicines from unknown international internet sites. The worldwide sales of fake drugs in 2010 were estimated to be about $73 million.

Dr Ruthven said, “Erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis targeted vulnerable men. Men often feel embarrassed about discussing the condition with doctors, but it is important to do so to properly diagnose the problem, and rule out other health risks, including metabolic problems and heart disease.”

The TGA advised consumers to be extremely cautious when buying medicines from unknown international internet sites. This is advice that here at Medical Specialists we strongly agree with, people looking to buy medication for erectile dysfunction should only obtain it from registered pharmacies that dispense genuine Pfizer Viagra or Lilly Cialis, display the necessary credentials such as the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council) green logo along with the registration number and that offer an online consultation with a doctor to ensure the medication is both right and safe for you.

Parents warned over liquitabs that look like sweets

As Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported back in May of this year, there is a growing problem with washing detergent pods or liquitabs as they are known. We reported how in America there had been a number of children who had been poisoned after mistaking the colourful liquitabs for sweets.

Now one of Britain’s biggest children’s hospitals is warning parents of the dangers of liquid tablets, used in dishwashers and washing machines after treating some children for near fatal injuries. Doctors at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow say, “A number of children have suffered serious injury after mistaking them for jelly sweets.” The hospital has admitted five children this year, all under two, who had either bitten into or squeezed the tabs.

Dr Lyndsay Fraser, from the hospital said, “Children are biting into the tablets, presumably because they think they are sweets. It really is only good fortune we haven’t seen a death. It is important parents realise that these liquid capsules are dangerous chemicals and they should be kept locked away.”

Shannon Hutchison told how her seven month old daughter Orla, spent 10 days in hospital after eating a detergent capsule. She said, “It was terrifying, I’m so lucky to still have my little girl. Now I make sure liquitabs are locked away and I tell everyone to do the same.”

Doctor Fraser said, “The number of enquiries to a poisons information service, about liquitab ingestion had doubled in the past five years. The liquitabs are a significant public health issue and manufacturers needed to take urgent action to improve packaging.”

“Some needed mechanical help to breathe and one needed surgery, after the corrosive chemicals caused extensive damage to their airway and throat” the doctors said. Elsewhere surgeons have had to carry out transplants of the oesophagus, or food pipe in the throat, after extensive damage caused by swallowing liquitabs.

In a letter to the journal, Archive of Diseases in Childhood, the doctors led by Lyndsay Fraser said, “Dishwasher and washing machine liquitabs are now a common finding in most homes but unfortunately seem very attractive to young children, due to their bright colouring and soft sweetie like texture.”

“To help prevent future potentially life threatening injuries, improved safety warnings and childproof packaging are urgently required.Most liquid detergent capsules do not come packaged in a childproof container and manufacturer compliance with packaging safety standards is currently voluntary.”

“We have written to the manufacturers to inform them of these cases and for prompt intervention. Parents also have a vital role to play in ensuring these products are stored safely at all times and public education is required, to highlight the danger of accidental ingestion.”

The National Poisoning Information Service received almost 4,000 online enquires about laundry liquitabs in 2009/10, an increase on the previous year’s total and a doubling for these products compared with five years ago, making them the most common household product to be accidentally swallowed. Previously doctors have warned of cases where children have suffered serious eye injuries, after squeezing the capsules until they burst.

Consultant anaesthetist Dr Isabeau Walker, at Great Ormond Street Hospital said, “The problem is these liquitabs do not taste bad so children do not spit them out, they swallow them and can suffer devastating injuries. Children explore the world with their hands and their mouths, so they will inevitably put these attractive capsules in their mouths. Childproof containers would be very sensible. They should also be stored out of reach and sight of children.”

Jennifer Henderson, home safety officer at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RSPA) in Scotland, concluded by saying, “The safe storage of all household chemicals is absolutely crucial and we encourage families to keep chemical items, like laundry detergents and other products in a lockable cupboard.”

New single dose Malaria drug in development

A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class, code named MMV390048 has shown potent activity against multiple points in the malaria parasite’s life cycle.

This means that it not only has the potential to become part of a single dose cure, but it might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person. On this basis it was selected by the MMV Expert Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC), for further development, making it the first compound researched on African soil to enter pre-clinical development in partnership with MMV.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year between 149 million and 274 million people contract malaria, and about 655,000 people die from it. Here at Medical Specialists News we only reported earlier this month, on how many Britain’s are contracting malaria whilst abroad, due to not taking or not completing an anti-malarial course of medication.

The fact MMV390048 could be part of a single dose cure could prove effective, as current anti-malarial drugs need to be taken before, during and after entering a malaria zone. Malarone for example, needs to be taken two days before entering a malaria zone, for the duration of the holiday and then for seven days after returning home.

However other anti-malarial drugs need to be taken up to three weeks before travel and up to four weeks on return. This is where some Britain’s have slipped up and ended up suffering from malaria, because they have failed to start the course early enough or they have failed to finish the course. Obviously this is where a single dose cure such as MMV390048 could prove invaluable.

The aminopyridine series was initially identified by Griffith University scientists in Australia, as part of MMV’s extensive malaria screening campaign of around 6 million compounds. A team of scientists from the University of Cape Town’s Drug Discovery and Development Centre in South Africa, led by Professor Kelly Chibale, then scrutinised and explored the antimalarial potential of the series further.

With parasitological and pharmacological support from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Monash University, respectively, Professor Kelly’s team selected the most promising compounds from the series to be optimized and re-tested. In just 18 months the team had identified and developed a candidate, suitable for preclinical development.

The causes of Erectile Dysfunction and how to beat it

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we have a constantly growing patient base spanning tens of thousands of people that are seeking our help from all across the globe.  Male and female hair loss, acne, hirsutism, and sexual health are just a few of the issues that we provide solutions for.

One very common problem that we provide help with is erectile dysfunction (ED). Also known as ‘male impotence’, it is the inability to achieve and maintain an erection that is sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse. More prominent that many would assume, it affects roughly four in ten men over the age of 40, and it is estimated that approximately 49% of men aged 70 are suffering with varying degrees of ED.

There are numerous causes that can all contribute in some way to a male slowly beginning to develop symptoms of ED. These include physical causes/diseases such as obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and hormonal problems such as an underactive thyroid. In addition there are psychological impacts that can lead to ED and these include relationship problems, depression, low self-esteem, stress, anxiety and even the fear of sex or ‘sexual failure’; particularly common in new relationships when the couple have yet to have sexual intercourse.

So what are the treatments and prevention methods for men with ED? If you have the condition, your GP can analyse your lifestyle choices and risk factors for erection-hindering health issues such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and refer you to a screening for these. Your doctor may also ask questions about your home and working life, relationships etc. to determine what psychological factors may be causing the ED, and could even offer sexual counselling for those who could find the therapy advantageous. Speaking to a psychologist or counsellor may help to reduce your stress and worries, fully getting to the root of your problems so you can tackle them head-on.

There are also simple lifestyle alterations that you can make which can all help to decrease the chance of you experiencing erectile dysfunction. For example, quitting smoking is a major beneficial thing to consider doing as soon as possible as smoking impairs the arteries, resulting in a restriction of blood supply to the penis. Starting a regular exercise regime could work wonders and this will promote better cardiovascular health and get blood pumping around the body more efficiently. Moderating your level of alcohol consumption is also a definite must in regards to better erections. Not only does drinking alcohol cause the short-term problem commonly referred to as ‘brewer’s droop’, it is believed that prolonged alcohol abuse can contribute to irreversible sexual dysfunction for men in the long-term too due to its destructive nature on the nervous system.

For a lot of men suffering with impotence, the most standard and effective form of treatment remains with the popular medications Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Since the ground-breaking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Pfizer-manufactured Viagra in 1998 for the treatment of ED, sales of the medication sky-rocketed to astronomical levels and in 2008 its annual sales peaked at an enormous US$1,934 million. Five years after Viagra’s FDA approval, tadalafil (sold as Eli Lilly’s Cialis) and vardenafil (sold as Bayer’s Levitra) were both given the green light for commercial sale and have since taken a substantial slice of Pfizer’s market share.

The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has released a new erectile dysfunction drug called Viagra Chewable or Viagra Jet. It comes out as an alternative to regular Viagra tablets for those men who find it difficult to swallow Viagra tablets with water. Unfortunately though, if you are looking to buy Viagra Chewable online, they are not available in the UK as yet, but hopefully Medical Specialists Pharmacy will be one of the first Online Pharmacies in the UK to know when it does, so watch this space!

Female oral contraceptive pills could alleviate menstrual cramps

Oral contraceptive pills such as Dianette are taken by women for everyday for 21 days of their menstrual cycle, followed by a 7 day break when no pills are taken at all (also known as ‘cyclic treatment’). During this one week time period, women are still protected against unwanted pregnancies. In the 7 day rest period, hormone levels in the blood begin to decrease and women will experience a withdrawal bleed that is just like a normal period. Regardless of bleeding, the next pack of 21 tablets is begun after the week is up.

However, some experts are now claiming that women could see health benefits from taking the oral contraceptive pills uninterrupted throughout the menstrual cycle instead of adhering to the usual 21 day block. Specifically, the scientists involved in the study into oral contraceptive pills, allege that this continuous usage can provide women with earlier relief from the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most gynaecologic complaints amongst younger women, with an estimated three quarters of them suffering from such problems and the term can basically be defined as ‘painful periods’. For roughly a fifth of women, the pains are so severe and unbearable that it can actually prevent them from going about their day to day activities. Dysmenorrhea happens during menstruation and is thought to occur because of three main reasons; unusual uterine contractions, more pressure on the pelvic region and a heightened sensitivity to pain.

Dr Richard Legro, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Penn State College of Medicine, says, “Between 50 and 90 percent of women suffer from this condition, and it can really limit work, school, or athletic performance. Previous studies have estimated that dysmenorrhea accounts for 600 million lost work hours and $2 billion annually.”

The women involved in Dr Legro’s study, were all experiencing inexplicable menstrual pain. This means that health experts could not pinpoint their pains to typical common problems such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, any past surgical procedures, or other pelvic or bowel diseases.

Dr Legro commented on the aims of his study and said, “Oral contraceptives are often prescribed to treat this condition (dysmenorrhea), since reducing menstruation is a relatively straightforward way to relieve this cramping. However, we wanted to determine whether there was a measurable difference between cyclic and continuous oral contraceptive treatment methods.”

To judge the effects of a cyclic course of treatment vs. a continuous method of taking the contraceptive pills, Dr Legro split the female subjects into two groups and each group spent half a year on that particular therapy. After the evaluation, it was discovered that both groups had actually seen a decline in menstrual pain over this time. Interestingly though, the group assigned the continuous treatment, overall stated they had experienced substantial pain relief earlier on compared to the others.

Despite the promising indications shown in this study, Medical Specialists Pharmacy do not advise women who are taking Dianette to make any alterations to the recommended course of treatment before consulting their own GP first. We believe further analysis is warranted to fully determine the risks and benefits involved with continuously taking oral contraceptive tablets.

Smokers see the light! Champix more effective than nicotine patches

We probably don’t need to give you any reminders of the dangers of smoking to your health.  We have covered countless stories in 2012 alone that highlight the negative effect tobacco smoke can have to your well-being. However, just in case you may have forgotten, allow Medical Specialists to remind you of the health hazards that have been shown to be connected to smoking during the calendar year so far:

. Smoking contributing to the bone disease osteoporosis.
. Smoking in films risks children picking up the habit too.
. Smoking is linked to conditions such as skin cancer and cognitive decline
. Children are at a great risk of developing lung conditions such as asthma when exposed to cigarette smoke

It is quite likely that even more research will be conducted during the remaining five months of the year that will further underline the dangers of smoking. With all these negative impacts to health and the huge financial drain that smoking-related conditions are having on the NHS, it came as no huge shock to see the government target smokers in their 2012 budget review back in March, when the Chancellor George Osborne delivered the news that duty on all tobacco products would be raised by 5% above inflation. This equates to a typical pack of 20 cigarettes now setting smokers back an extraordinary £7.50.

Taking into account the fact more and more people are now taking measures to look after themselves compared to years gone by, together with George Osborne’s controversial budget, higher numbers of people are now seriously making the effort to stub out for good.

One option for such people is a nicotine patch that is applied directly to the skin, usually to the upper arm or upper chest. Used once each day (roughly at the same time daily), they are supposed to provide a supply of nicotine that will hopefully lessen the withdrawal symptoms. The other option for smoking cessation is the rapid selling prescription medication Champix. Manufactured by Pfizer, the same people responsible for the popular erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, it is a non-nicotine medicine that is taken orally once or twice a day, can help you stop smoking. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, thus drastically reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms.

The big question now is – which one is better for quitting smoking? The answer would be Champix according to its creators, and they have conducted a study to prove it. The Pfizer-commissioned research was a meta-analysis comparing those taking Champix against people who were using a standard dose nicotine patch. The study shows that patients who were on the Champix therapy were more likely to stop the habit, and then continue in their smoking abstention.

There were meaningful statistical improvements witnessed in subjects at four, 12 and 52 weeks on the course of Champix medication, in comparison to those using a nicotine patch at a high dose. This trend was also apparent in combination NRT (nicotine patch plus one additional acute formulation of lozenge, gum, inhaler or nasal spray).

For all you smokers out there, who are requiring some help in finally stopping, let Medical Specialists Pharmacy help you today. Following an online consultation and the approval from one of our GMC registered in-house Doctors; you can obtain the effective smoking cessation medication Champix, which works out in cost at just £75.00 per pack. Your medication is dispensed by our in-house Pharmacy and dispatched to a designated destination of your choice, whether it is your home or workplace. Even better news, this whole process is all done within merely 24 hours!