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Objective: To explore the experiences of people with a "terminal illness", focusing on the patients' perspective of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Method: A qualitative study using narrative interviews was conducted throughout the UK. The views of the 18 people who discussed euthanasia and assisted suicide were explored. These were drawn from a maximum variation sample, who said that they had a "terminal" illness, malignant or non-malignant. Results: That UK law should be changed to allow assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia was felt strongly by most people. Those who had seen others die were particularly convinced that this should be a right. Some had multiple reasons, including pain and anticipated pain, fear of indignity, loss of control and cognitive impairment. Those who did not want to be a burden also had other reasons for wanting euthanasia. Suicide was contemplated by a few, who would have preferred a change in the law to allow them to end their fives with medical help and in the company of family or friends. The few who opposed a change in UK law, or who felt ambivalent, focused on involuntary euthanasia, cited religious reasons or worried that new legislation might be open to abuse. Conclusion: Qualitative research conducted on people who know they are nearing death is an important addition to the international debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Those who had seen others die were particularly convinced that the law should be changed to allow assisted death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: Cochrane reviews have previously been shown to be of higher quality and less biased on average than other systematic reviews, but improvement is always possible. The Cochrane Collaboration has taken steps to improve editorial processes and the quality of its reviews. Meanwhile, the Cochrane Library remains a key source of evidence about the effects of healthcare interventions. Its users should interpret reviews cautiously, particularly those with conclusions favouring experimental interventions and those with many typographical errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents correspondence concerning medical related issues in Great Britain. Introduction of new drugs for respiratory disorders; Discussion on parathyroid hypertension; Description of the calcium antagonist withdrawal syndrome.

Evaluates the minimum information needed by patients regarding prescribed medicine in Great Britain. Contents of package inserts; Importance of a guide in taking and storing drugs; Recommendations for the format of information sets.

Presents several opinions concerning medicine. Comment on the definition of deaths; Alternative explanation for the weight gain; Exercise testing in peripheral vascular disease.

Presents several correspondence related to medicine. Production of binary nerve gas weapons; Association of oral contraceptives with hepatocellular carcinoma; Effects of indomethacin and sulindac on blood pressure of hypertensive patients.

Presents several letters published in the medical journal in Great Britain. Correlation between high density lipoprotein cholesterol and ischemic heart disease among males; Characteristics of hairy cell leukemia; Examination of the benign paroxysmal cranial neuralgia or the cephalgia fugax.

Comments on several medical issues in Great Britain. Effect of hyperbaric oxygen in multiple sclerosis; Factor for the profound hypophosphatemia in patients collapsing after a 'fun run'; Details on progressive renal failure in a remnant kidney.

Presents several correspondence on medical sciences. Safeness of blood from donors with a history of jaundice; Problem of drug-resistant malaria; Association between chronic heavy toluene abuse and persistent cerebral impairment.

Features correspondence related to public health in Europe. Criticism to psychiatric hospitals on patient accommodation; Disadvantage of oral live poliovirus vaccine; Reports on lithium treatment and thyrotoxicosis; Topics on abortion; Sterilisation in women.

Reports issues related to medicine. Assessment on the disappointment and distress experienced by parents in stillbirth; Analysis on the allergic reactions to soya flour; Evaluation on the responsibilities of medical consultants on health service.

A check list is described which helps the systematic assessment of reports of therapeutic trials, particularly the aspects that need to be considered in assessing their validity. The check list was used to examine 141 reports of therapeutic trials published in four British non-specialist journals in the first six months of 1966 and of 1969. Of these reports 51% were found to be acceptable and a further 16% probably acceptable; 33% were considered unacceptable because they lacked one or more of the features required in a valid report. The check list has been found useful in assessing claims made for drugs and other therapeutic measures on the basis of published reports. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

That different groups of stakeholders in an activity should work together constructively is widely regarded as an ideal. This has brought pharmaceutical companies and patients' organisations together and led them to explore areas of shared interest. Patients' organisations want adequate care for the people they speak for, usually with specific diseases or health problems--though often they do not represent them. Two prominent international federations, IAPO (International Alliance of Patients' Organisations) and GAMIAN Europe (Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy), are linked to the pharmaceutical industry and highly visible.

Abstract: Objectives To explore the attitudes of men with confirmed or suspected prostate cancer to testing for prostate specific antigen. Design: Qualitative interview study with a purposive sample. Setting: Great Britain. Participants: 52 men with suspected or confirmed prostate cancer, recruited through general practitioners, urologists, patient support groups, and charities. Results: Almost all men remembered their prostate specific antigen test but recalled being given little information beforehand. Arguments in favour of increased access to testing included the belief that early diagnosis would reduce mortality, improve quality of life, and save the NHS money. Men also thought that a national screening programme should be available because symptoms can be ambiguous, screening for cancer is responsible health behaviour, and screening would encourage men to be tested. Four men who opposed a screening programme had gathered information alerting them to uncertainty about the benefits of treatment, and two regretted that they had been tested. Others thought that access to testing is restricted in the United Kingdom because of a lack of government backing, concerns about the accuracy of the test, and a lack of resources. Conclusions: The few men in this study who subscribed to the argument that evidence of the benefits of treatment is a prerequisite for a screening programme did not want to see screening introduced. Men who proposed an alternative set of principles for testing gave reasons that did not all relate to overoptimism about the benefits of early diagnosis. People who plan services and people who respond to requests for testing need to understand men's perspectives and concerns. INSETS: Box 1;Box 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the development of packages for disease management in Great Britain through the partnership between commercial companies and the National Health Service. Definition of commercial packages for disease management; Implication of the partnership; Quality standards used by public sector organizations when considering packages for disease management from commercial companies.

Although many conferences stimulate a great deal of discussion and practical interest at the time, not so many are followed up to try and estimate what, if any, practical results followed the meeting. This the authors of this study have done. (In Britain the 'medical groups' are voluntary groupings of students at medical schools who meet to discuss ethical problems related to their profession). Sixty-five participants (not all of them students) in the conference on iatrogenic disease replied to the questionnaire, and from the answers it was clear that not only the attitudes of those responding had in some cases been changed but in some positive action had resulted, for example, in the matter of prescribing. This analysis may provide an answer to those who criticize conferences as being a waste of time and money, because much more than could be evaluated from the responses to this survey must have affected all the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the pharmacy committees in hospitals in England. Role of pharmacy committees; Function of hospital pharmacists; Administrative aspects and structure of the pharmacy committees.

In 13 patients with allergic asthma disodium cromoglycate protected fully only two from an allergen-induced asthmatic attack. Inhalation of disodium cromoglycate did not improve lung function in five patients with long-standing chronic asthma. Previous clinical trials do not show convincing evidence that this drug improves bronchial asthma in a high percentage of cases, but it seems to help a small minority of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article discusses the nutritional supplement melatonin, and its debated effectiveness as a sleep aid. Pharmaceutical melatonin acts as a substitute for the body's natural production of the chemical, which regulates the body's circadian phases. It was discovered that in small trials of patients with sleeping disorders, melatonin had no significant effect on helping these patients fall asleep more quickly, or remain asleep throughout the night. Trails were also conducted on patients with sleep restriction from jet-lag and shiftwork changes. No substantial evidence for the effectiveness in melatonin could be found in these trials as well. Melatonin has been discovered to be safe for short-term use, however there are possible negative effects on children with severe epilepsy.

Presents an editorial on the arguments for free public access to all clinically relevant data on a company's drug. Industry's argument against free access; How research ethics committees and drug regulatory agencies could help bring the reporting, interpretation and dissemination of clinical trials into the 21st century; Outlook for changes in UK law regarding information disclosure.

Editorial. Provides information regarding the role of melatonin in preventing jet lag. Symptoms of the jet lag syndrome; Reasons for the jet lag; Advice to minimise travel fatigue; Benefits of using melatonin; Effect of taking melatonin on the travelers.

Discusses the relationship between arrhythmias and sudden death in patients taking antipsychotic drugs. Data that suggests that drugs play a part in cardiac deaths in patients who are treated for schizophrenia with drugs; Types of drugs, including haloperidol, thioridazine, riperidone, and clozapine; Dose-response relation for thioridazine; Recommendations for drug treatments.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Assessment and management of alcohol use disorders" by E. Day in the February 19, 2015 issue.

Studies the ethical reasons behind clinical trials. Systematic reviews, publications, and registration of clinical trials; Implications.

Evaluates the adequate and concise provision of information needed by drug prescribers in Great Britain. Proposals for the arrangement of drug information; Reference to a World Health Organization report; Sources of information content of the proposals.

Describes the methods used by doctors in drug prescription. Concern of specialists in pharmacotherapeutics in teaching doctors the proper use drugs; Violation of the principle in the participation of learners in the educational process; Dependence of doctors on drug companies for information about drugs.

Reports the National Health Services drug budget in Great Britain. Modifications the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme; Recommendations by the House of Commons committee on the scheme's operations; Need for drugs to pass the hurdles of efficacy, safety and quality.

Focuses on issues related to the publication of clinical research results in Great Britain. Elaboration on secrecy; Recommendation made by the World Health Organization to pharmaceutical companies on making all information available for access; Consideration of under-reporting as a form of scientific misconduct.

The article reports on the "for action" alert sent by Great Britain's Department of Health's chief medical and pharmaceutical officers Sally Davies and Keith Ridge to National Health Service (NHS) England, general practitioners and community pharmacies endorsing the use of antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir for prophylaxis and treatment of flu.