Smokers are encouraged to join the Stoptober challenge

For the second consecutive year, the anti-smoking campaign ‘Stoptober’ will be running and aimed at encouraging smokers to quit smoking for 28 days in October.

Public Health England (PHE) is behind the campaign which begins on October 1^st and promotion for it has already begun across England and Wales. PHE state that 2012’s challenge was an overwhelming success, with over 275,000 people registering for last year’s Stoptober, of which 160,000 managed to finish the 28 day challenge.

The 28 day time length for the challenge is not simply an arbitrary number; health experts say that a smoker who quits for 28 days, and abstains from cigarettes, could add a week onto their lifespan, every 28 days, for the rest of their life.

The benefits to stopping smoking


Those who quit usually experience physical improvements such as a better sense of taste and smell, more energy, a delayed onset of facial aging and wrinkles, whiter teeth, fresher breath and better sex due to improved blood flow and stronger erections for men.
In the longer term, those who quit smoking can significantly reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease and a wide range of cancers such as lung cancer, on top of preserving the health of those around you as there will now be no secondhand smoke.

England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: “One in two long-term smokers die as a result of smoking, this is the single biggest cause of premature death taking more than 100,000 lives in the UK and costing the NHS up to £2.7 billion each year. Life is precious and Stoptober is all about supporting and encouraging each other to quit – potentially adding years to your life. Taking part in the challenge is a first step to a longer and healthier life, so have a go by stopping with Stoptober.”

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at Public Health England, added: “Campaigns such as Stoptober, along with the support provided by local stop smoking services, play a huge role in helping people to stop. Whilst smoking prevalence across the country as a whole is falling steadily, it remains high in some parts. We want every smoker to consider making a quit attempt this October and join the thousands of people who are feeling the benefits from stopping smoking last year.”

However, there are also major monetary benefits to be felt from giving up cigarettes – particularly important when considering how difficult it is for many families in the current financial climate. By quitting smoker, the average smoker can expect to save more than £150 a month and nearly £2,000 a year – if we take £7.77 for the cost price of a packet of cigarettes and an average daily consumption of 13 cigarettes per smoker. Incredibly, it was estimated that during last year’s Stoptober campaign £25 million was saved by 160,000 people from not buying cigarettes.

Those who want to sign up for Stoptober will receive a free stop-smoking pack, a 28-day mobile phone app and text support via daily updates and advice on quitting.

If you are a smoker who is aged 18 or above and wants to quit, you do not need to wait for Stoptober to begin. Quit today with the help of Medical Specialists Pharmacy. You can obtain the smoking cessation medication Champix following an online consultation with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC registered doctors. Champix works out from as little as just £75.00 per pack and 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.

Los Angeles crackdown on counterfeit Viagra and Cialis

Just miles from the popular Los Angeles International Airport – the airport more commonly known as ‘LAX’ and used by countless celebrities – lays a warehouse and a federal officer sat beside an X-ray machine.

No, the machine is not scanning any passengers’ luggage, but is actually scouring mail for contraband forbidden from entering the United States.  Moving on a belt operating at least three times quicker than your typical airport security scanner, three or four packages at a time are whizzed along and made visible on a monitor to the federal officer.

The packages may include a whole variety of things such as counterfeit clothing, fresh produce, unlawful steroids, children’s toys and Cuban cigars. All have been sent there via the U.S. Postal Service, and, according to federal law, the officer has the power to open anything deemed to be of a suspicious nature.

At airports across the United States such as LAX, ports and border crossings, federal officials are efficient and quick to prevent any drugs from making their way onto the streets. Usually emanating from Central or South America, cocaine and marijuana are common problems for officials – but surprisingly not the biggest problem.

In fact, it is pharmaceutical products which are their biggest issue currently, with counterfeit drugs coming in by their thousands from Asia (usually China). Some of the most copied medications are erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis, but counterfeiters will produce fakes of anything from cholesterol to cancer drugs. Often the packaging will be so expertly made that it is difficult to separate from the genuine product.

Customs operates within an incredible 38,000 square feet facility in the Los Angeles-area and is one of seven such sites nationwide that is responsible for the scanning of international mail. The site is open for 17 hours a day, seven days a week, and an estimated 1 million to 1½ million pieces of mail are processed each month.

Authorities say that roughly 5% of the mail they scan is ‘problematic’. Most of these dubious packages are containing counterfeit drugs, which are usually dangerous in three ways: either they have too much of the active ingredient, have too little of it or some will have none at all.

Matthew Bassiur, vice president of global security for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant behind erectile Viagra, Champix, and other popular medications, says: “What patients don’t realize is that if they go online and they purchase from a rogue website — one that’s not legitimate — then they may be playing Russian roulette with their lives. It’s really that simple. The counterfeiters are getting really good at making these look just about identical to the real products. We have to bring it back to our laboratories to test it and find out whether it’s authentic product.”

Large multinational drug corporations like Eli Lilly and Pfizer have spent millions of dollars in the fight against counterfeit drugs and finding those behind such scams that they have teams especially devoted to anti-counterfeiting measures. Joining forces with federal agents and government prosecutors, these teams help to build solid cases against those involved with the production and sale of counterfeit drugs.  Usually, the penalty is severe. In August, a South Korean man who tried to smuggle 40,000 counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills into LAX was sentenced by a federal judge in Los Angeles to 2½ years in prison. The fake pills, including copies of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, were discovered in a golf bag and other luggage after he had returned to the United States from a trip to China.

If you are a male suffering with erectile dysfunction, safety and peace of mind is assured by obtaining genuine erectile dysfunction medication from a reputable and trusted source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. We are fully registered online Pharmacy with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), in addition to being 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).

Viagra and other medications for male impotence such as Cialis or Levitra are obtainable with or without a prescription. If you do not have a prescription, you can undergo a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a prescription. This is passed to our in-house Pharmacists, and dispensed and dispatched to you at your home, your place of work, or where ever you choose, discreetly within 24 hours.

Computer game controllers are ‘five times dirtier than a toilet seat’

If somebody was to ask you what you would think is the dirtiest place or item in your house, a place that harbours the most bacteria, you’d be forgiven for assuming it is the toilet area in your bathroom.

In fact, day-to-day chores such as sorting the dirty laundry, taking out the bins and scrubbing the bathroom can leave us grubby and reaching for the hand wash.

Surprisingly though, there are some unlikely things in the home that can spread large amounts of bacteria, according to new research.

The study, conducted by Domestos and Unicef, found that although almost third of people believe it is the toilet seat that is the grubbiest place in the home, high contaminated things are actually more likely to be things such as computer games controllers, toys and even the arms of your sofas.

The researchers involved in the study decided to swab different areas of a typical average house to test for bacteria including E. coli, APC and Enterobacteriaceae.

On average, it was determined that the average toilet seat has around 1,600 germs per 100 cm2, but there were a significantly higher number of germs found on children’s play equipment.

The most bacteria-laden object in most homes is actually the garden trampoline, researchers discovered. With bacteria levels of around 640,000 per 100cm2, they are the worst offenders for germs. Also in the garden area, bikes and balls both had around 14,000 per 100cm2.

In what is shockingly nearly fives that of an average toilet seat, it was found that a typical games controller remarkably has about 7,863 germs per 100cm2. This is almost the same as an average fridge handle, which clocks up roughly 7,474 germs per 100cm2.

Results from the study also show that three out of five people are under the assumption that children pick up germs primarily at nursery or school. The study authors however say that we should be more cautious of germs on our sofas, with a staggering 12 times more germs on the arms of a sofa than on the average toilet seat.

Environmental health expert Dr Lisa Ackerley said: “Hand washing is probably the most cost-effective and simple way to reduce disease, whether in the UK or in the rest of the world. Literally, our safety, and that of others, is in our hands. By making sure we have clean hands, we prevent passing our germs on to others and we also make sure we don’t get sick from infections left behind by other people.”

Clemence Brunet from Domestos, added: “It’s alarming to see that despite the care we give our favourite toys and household items, they’re still grubbier than the average toilet seat.”

The common causes of hair loss explained

Hair loss can be a deeply distressing experience for many people and the cause of a huge loss of self-esteem, even resulting in depression and severely impacting a person’s social life.
Although primarily attributed to men, hair loss can happen to both men and women. Many do not realise, but there are actually around 8 million women in the UK alone who are suffering with some degree as hair loss.

Even celebrities are prone to suffering with hair loss, with Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney forking out thousands of pounds on multiple hair transplants in the last two years in a rather costly and apparently futile bid to fight his thinning hair.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy have previously looked at some of the best foods for healthy hair, but what a large number of our patients want to know is why they have lost hair in the first place.
Obviously there is a familial aspect when considering causes of hair loss as baldness tends to be hereditary. Looking at parents, grandparents, etc. can usually give you a good idea regarding your chances of keeping hold of a strong and healthy head of hair. You only have to look at Prince William, his father Prince Charles, and Prince William’s grandfather Prince Philip to see how genetics plays its part in hair loss.

In many cases, there are numerous ways to treat male hair loss and female hair loss such as Propecia (for men), Dianette (for women) and Regaine (for men and women), just to name a few.
However, here Medical Specialists list some of the common causes of hair loss:

. Male pattern baldness (MPB)

So common that many would barely bat an eyelid upon seeing a male who is experiencing MPB.  By the age of 60, two thirds of men will have experienced hair loss which is typified by the hair receding at the temples and leaving behind an ‘M’-shaped hairline. Fortunately, topical treatments such as Minoxidil (Regaine) and oral medications such as Finasteride (Propecia) can halt the process and even regrow hair in some cases.

. Physical stress

Physical trauma such as surgery, a car accident or severe illness can cause temporary hair loss. This type of hair loss is known as telogen effluvium and usually involves widespread thinning of the hair on the scalp rather than bald patches. The hair may feel thinner than before but then begin to grow back properly within around six months.

. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a common condition affecting millions of women in the UK and alters the way in which a woman’s ovaries function. The three main features are having high levels of ‘androgens’ (male hormones), ovaries that do not regularly ovulate (release eggs), and cysts that develop within the ovaries.  Just two of these lead to a diagnosis of PCOS. Whilst PCOS can cause facial hair growth, it may also result in thinning hair and hair loss. Many cases of PCOS are treated through birth control pills such as Yasmin, which blocks testosterone via its potent anti-androgen. Should you be unable to take birth control pills, you may be prescribed Spironolactone by your doctor.

. Pregnancy

Hair loss related to pregnancy normally occurs after delivery of the baby, instead of during pregnancy. Whilst a woman is pregnant, many hairs enter into a resting phase – part of the normal hair cycle.  The average head can lose around 100 hairs a day, but not all at once, so it is not noticeable. Pregnancy results in your hormones preventing those hairs from falling out, resulting in thicker and fuller hair. However, when the hormones return to normal, the extra hairs will start shedding.  You are not balding – your hair is just beginning the process of getting back to how it was in your pre-pregnancy state. Hair loss during pregnancy is much less common and should be discussed with your doctor as it could be the result of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

. Lack of protein

Although there is little scientific evidence to definitely state a particular diet has a direct impact on hair growth, it is generally believed that if you are not getting enough protein in your diet, this can be bad for hair growth as hair itself is mostly made of protein. Therefore, a protein deficiency could cause dry or brittle hair, or hair loss in certain cases. Some foods rich in protein which are great for healthy hair include: eggs, nuts, salmon, chicken, whole grains and beans.

. Lack of iron

If you are losing hair, there is a chance you may have an iron deficiency.  Iron helps to create red blood cells and these work at transporting oxygen around the body. If there is not enough oxygen, the hair bulb may be unable to generate new hair cells, resulting in much slower hair growth. Some foods rich in iron which could help against hair loss include: dried fruit, beans, red meat, liver, egg yolks, molluscs, spinach, nuts, dark chocolate, tofu and whole grains.  If you suspect you may be suffering from anaemia and this is causing your hair loss, you should be first diagnosed by your own doctor, who can carry out a simple blood test. It is not advised to start taking iron supplements on your own accord and risk overloading on iron, which can be very dangerous.

. Lupus

The autoimmune disease Lupus causes the body’s own immune system to attack healthy tissue. The hair loss could be mild and happen whilst shampooing or brushing your hair. If the hair loss is more severe, it may fall out in patches and there is usually a rash that appears on the scalp.

Graphic warnings on cigarette packets ignored by teens

Government and anti-smoking campaigners’ efforts to deter youngsters from beginning to smoke or carrying on the habit if they already do, have been dealt a major blow this week after a new study suggests that the picture and text warnings on the back of cigarette packets have little impact on teenage smokers.

Research published online in the journal Tobacco Control says that despite images such as those showing diseased lungs and tumours being quite effective at deterring young people from smoking in comparison to text warnings, they are usually printed on the back of cigarette packets. This therefore lessens their visibility and effectiveness.

The research in Tobacco Control  was led by Dr Crawford Moodie from Stirling’s Centre for Tobacco Control Research at the University of Stirling and is based on two surveys – the first comprising of over 1,000 11 to 16-year-olds in the UK in 2008 and a second survey which quizzed a further 1,000 in 2011.

Questions included in the survey were designed to look at how effective the visibility and impact of the warnings on packs were, in addition whether or not they were easy to understand, believable, and exactly how persuasive they were.

The majority of the teenagers questioned in both surveys (68% to 75%) claimed they had never smoked a cigarette, 17% to 22% had ‘experimented’ with cigarettes, whilst approximately one in 10 of the teenagers were alarmingly already regular smokers. This was defined as smoking at least one cigarette every week.

Half of the teenagers in both of the surveys had either ‘often’ or ‘very often’ spotted the warnings on cigarette packs, and roughly one in five had read them very often or had studied them closely.
The number of teenagers who said the warnings had deterred them from smoking had risen between the two surveys, but not amongst those who regularly smoked.

For regular smokers, where the warnings on cigarette packets had put them off having a cigarette, there was drop in the proportion of teens from 32% to 23%.

The ability to recollect pictures on the packets showing diseased lungs, rotten teeth and neck cancer, stood at a pitiful 10% and three text warnings on the back of packs that did not include any supporting images were only remembered by under 1% in both surveys.

The study authors comment: “As warnings need to be salient to be effective, positioning pictorial warnings only on the less visible reverse panel limits their impact.”

Back in 2008, the UK became the third European Union country to print pictorial health warnings to on the backs of cigarette packets, in an attempt to urge more people to stop smoking. However, in the subsequent five years, it appears the same images are not having the same effect. In fact, five years of the same images may have led to a ‘wear out’ factor, particularly amongst those who smoke often.

“Positioning pictorial warnings only on the back of packs may have had a deterrent effect on never and experimental smokers, but for most measures no significant differences were observed. The impact on regular smokers was negligible,” the authors added.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “The evidence is clear: warnings on cigarette packs help deter young people from taking up smoking, and the larger and more graphic they are the better. However, to be really effective, picture warnings need to be on the front of the packs. Currently the EU doesn’t allow this but next week the European Parliament is due to vote on a directive which will require larger picture warnings on the front of all cigarette packs. The tobacco industry is lobbying hard against this. ASH urges MEPs not to let the tobacco industry succeed in its multimillion- pound campaign to delay the vote and derail the directive.”

Israeli soldiers are to be provided with Viagra

Israeli armed forces are used to highly demanding orders and expectations from the Israel defence ministry. However, the soldiers’ performance in other areas will soon be boosted after the defence ministry ordered supplies of the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra for its troops.

According to Haaretz newspaper in Israel, “1,200 tablets of 100 mg sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra,” has been requested and will be provided as a treatment for soldiers with sexual performance problems. The sildenafil tablets have been asked for specifically for soldiers, and not for any other personnel such as defence ministry employees.

However, this request for sildenafil citrate may surprise many as the Israeli Army have not always been so generous to active duty soldiers who are seeking help in that department. Haaretz mentions that in 2005 the Israeli Army forbid those in its Air Force from taking Viagra prior to any flights in case any blurred vision was experienced.

The sildenafil tablets are amongst a long list of 105 items being sought by defence chiefs who are usually more occupied with procuring the most up-to-date military hardware. Other items which feature on the list include tyres, devices to warm the wounded and sweet chilli sauce.

The defence ministry decided not to provide a comment on the tender, citing privacy concerns. There should be no embarrassment though, Viagra’s popularity as a treatment for erectile dysfunction has skyrocketed around the globe since its launch 15 years ago and indeed, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) have spent a huge amount of money on helping soldiers overcome the same problem.

An investigation by Texas newspaper The Austin American-Statesmen, actually found the DOD spent over $380 million on erectile-dysfunction drugs during 2002 to 2012.

Previously, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are also believed to have sought another erectile dysfunction drug – ‘the weekend pill’ Cialis – for helping to keep pilots more alert and awake when during flights at high altitudes.

This followed a study of 51 Israeli mountaineers who attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, said that they had reduced altitude sickness when they took Cialis. Interestingly, the majority of those who were taking Cialis also managed to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

It is not just Cialis that has demonstrated other uses though, and the potential of Viagra seems to know no limits as the ‘little blue pill’ shows proficiency in many other areas than male impotence.  For example, studies have suggested Viagra could help to boost baby growth in the womb, fight obesity and even help plants to grow.

Two thirds of nurses consider quitting due to stress

Nearly two thirds of nurses have mulled over the idea of quitting their job in the previous year because of stress, a new survey has discovered.

A poll of 10,000 staff conducted by The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that 62% have considered leaving their job in the last 12 months.

The Tory-led coalition have thus far abolished 5,000 nursing posts in just three years as government attempt to reduce NHS costs by a £20billion by 2015. The job losses were shown in figures released last week from the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

This has caused current staff to become overburdened as the extra workload is piled on them, and difficulty in delivering the quality care that they desire. In fact, over 80% of respondents stated their workload had risen in the last 12 months, and 61% said they had been too busy to give the care they had wanted.

The situation has clearly deteriorated since the last survey was conducted in 2011. Back then, it was found that 54% of nurses had thought about quitting in the 12 months following David Cameron’s election as Prime Minister in 2010, with 68% reporting an increase in workload and 55% said they were too busy to give the care they wanted.

Interestingly – and damning for the coalition government – the previous survey before the 2011 one showed that just 24% of nurses had contemplated quitting in the last 12 months. This of course was when Labour were in power.

However, it is not just longer hours and heavy workload that is causing the stress as between 2010 and 2012 nurses were hit with a pay freeze, only to receive the news of the 1% cap on rises from April this year until 2016. Therefore, it is no wonder stress levels have gone up in the NHS and the results from the RCN survey should come as little surprise.

Rachael McIlroy, from the RCN said: “Salaries have remained static while household bills are rising, and people are finding it really hard. Extra unpaid hours is an issue because there are too few staff, and job security is an acute concern. The pay freeze, staff shortages and negativity following the Francis inquiry means nurses feel hard done by.”

The Francis inquiry showed countless examples of disgraceful poor care and neglect by certain nurses at Stafford Hospital, which led to a government commissioning a review into suspiciously high mortality rates at 14 hospitals.

Then following this, a damning report spearheaded by NHS medical chief Sir Bruce Keogh stressed it was the “inadequate numbers of nursing staff” primarily to blame for the problems.