Learning light articles have been developed as a simple, practical approach to continuing education, ideal for undertaking in small groups.
Plan your learning using the “Objectives”, use the “Discussion points” to reflect on what you have read and “Test yourself” with the multiple-choice questions.
What is disseminated intravascular coagulation and how is it treated?
April 2012
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a complex syndrome in which patients exhibit clinical features of both widespread coagulation and bleeding. The underlying cause must be identified and managed
Radiopharmaceuticals: an overview of the basic principles
January 2012
Radiopharmaceuticals are medicinal products which, when ready for use, contain one or more radioactive isotopes. When used for diagnosis, radiopharmaceuticals typically elicit no physiological response from the patient
Treatments for people with ADHD
November 2011
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects about 3–5% of school-aged children and medicines to treat the condition are being prescribed in increasing quantities. Do you know enough about these drugs?
An update on epidural anaesthesia
September 2011
The use of central neuraxial blockade can provide targeted pain relief. Here we discuss the benefits of epidural anaesthesia, the drugs that are used and some common adverse events that can occur
Parenteral nutrition for adults — an overview of the basic principles
June 2011
Parenteral nutrition (PN) is arguably the most complex pharmaceutical product used in clinical practice. Mistakes associated with PN can have fatal consequences
Stepped care for persistent pain
February 2011
Chronic non-malignant pain is common, affecting one in seven people in the UK. Management should address the underlying cause of the pain and can involve the use of a range of analgesics
Use of inotropes in critical care
December 2010
Inotropes increase the contractility of the heart. It is important for pharmacists to understand the pharmacology of different inotropes to ensure that therapy is appropriate and adequately monitored
Treatment of childhood bronchiolitis
July/August 2010
Bronchiolitis is a condition of the lower respiratory tract that is common in infants and young children. This article outlines the treatment and prophylaxis of severe bronchiolitis in these patients
Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction
May 2010
Although lifestyle changes and laxative treatment can offer limited benefit for patients with constipation caused by opioid medicines, opioid-receptor antagonists target the cause of constipation in such patients
Treatment of open-angle glaucoma
March 2010
In 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued guidance on chronic open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Use this article to help you brush up on the available treatments
Medicines for Alzheimer’s disease
January 2010
Although pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are available, NICE says that they are only cost-effective for certain patients. Are you and your colleagues aware of which patients these are?
Reacting to additives in medicines
November 2009
Preservatives, diluents, binding agents and other pharmaceutical excipients are rarely considered as a potential source of adverse drug reactions. Should they be taken into account more often? Discuss…
Managing hyperkalaemic patients
October 2009
Hyperkalaemia is a potentially life-threatening condition in which drug therapy is often implicated. Patients suffering from the condition will need their medicines reviewed as part of their treatment
Managing statin-induced myopathy
July/August 2009
This article — geared towards group learning — looks at the management of myopathy associated with use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase inhibitors, also known as statins
