Shops told to withdraw promotions on analgesics: The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency upheld two complaints against promotional offers, such as “two for the price of one” and “buy one get one free,” in Tesco and Superdrug stores, it said. The offers could lead to stockpiling of medicines and undermined the government's restrictions on pack sizes of analgesics that aim to reduce misuse.
Dutch man with emphysema sues tobacco company: In the first case of its kind in the Netherlands, lawyers have issued a summons against British American Tobacco in a bid to establish responsibility for the health damage experienced by their client from smoking the company's cigarettes. The 67 year old man, who smoked from 1957 to1983, has emphysema. The case, being heard in Amsterdam, is likely to last more than a year.
Measures against fraud in the NHS strengthened: The NHS Counter Fraud Service and the General Medical Council have agreed to share information relating to suspected fake and fraudulent doctors, as part of a more comprehensive memorandum of understanding.
Countries urged to share intelligence on bird flu: The World Health Organization is urging countries affected by avian influenza to share more information, research, and samples as the outbreaks in China and Vietnam seem to be developing in different ways. The outbreak is less pathogenic to humans in Vietnam and more virulent in birds in northwestern China.
Antibiotic eye drops available over the counter: The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has reclassified chloramphenicol eye drops, used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis, from a prescription only medicine. The moves makes the eye drops the first antibiotic eye treatment in the United Kingdom that is available through pharmacies.