The story of the new cardiothoracic surgery unit at University College Hospital Galway is as much about the innovation that consultants can drive, if given the proper support, as it is about resistance to change within hospitals. Dr Mark De Costa, the Director of the unit, told Irish Medical Times that once a unit is [...]
Medical professionals have come into contact on a number of occasions in recent years with the Competition Authority. At present, pharmacists are being investigated by the Authority to see if their withdrawal from the methadone scheme constituted a breach of labour law. While the pharmacists have re-entered the scheme, the investigation is proceeding. In the [...]
The advent of two new cervical cancer vaccines means screening may not be necessary in 10-years’ time. If young girls (and boys) are vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the cancer-causing agent, the next generation of women could be cervical cancer-free – a progressive step given that it kills approximately 70 Irish women annually. [...]
A keen interest in dermatology by Tralee GP Dr David Buckley, has resulted in a special clinic being established above his general practice in the Kerry town. Dr Buckley, who explained that he has been a member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology for 15 years and is now also a member of [...]
Before the existence of the PIAB, solicitors made a lot of money by bringing personal injury claims to the courts. Now, doctors are the ones getting a fee for assessing injuries and performing independent examinations. The PIAB, which is self-funded, has dramatically reduced the length of time it takes an injured person to receive compensation [...]
Taking up the post of Fine Gael spokesperson on health was a natural progression from his role in representing the interests of doctors and patients, according to Dr James Reilly. Referring to his activity in the Irish Medical Organisation, and his subsequent progression on to Fine Gael membership, election to the Dáil and his current [...]
Stigma against people with HIV or AIDS is a problem in both Ireland and South Africa but when James O’Connor spent two-and-a-half months in the latter country he heard some dramatic stories. Mr O’Connor, who is living with HIV, said the stigma he saw in the African state was worse than he expected. One man, [...]
“If I had asked for one per cent of the royalties from sales of Tamiflu, I would now have one per cent of $1.7 billion,” said Prof Graeme Laver, the Australian scientist who was pivotal in the development of antiviral drugs in the 1950s and 1960s. “How much is that?” he asked. Since I’m not [...]
Good health promotion programmes can help save lives, reduce hospital visits and create a society whose citizens are both physically and mentally healthy. One of the problems with health promotion, however, is that it is not always easy to quantify its benefits. This is one of the challenges facing Ms Catherine Murphy, Assistant National Director, [...]
John Kiernan, managing director of Quintiles and Innovex Ireland, has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for over 25 years. He recalls that when he first came into the industry, one of the things that was generally accepted was that for all the good that pharmaceuticals could bring there was always a risk associated because [...]
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