NEWS
BOOTS COMPLETES DRONE DELIVERY OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES IN UK FIRST
Boots has become the first community pharmacy in the UK to transport prescription-only medicines by uncrewed aerial vehicles ( UAVs ) – commonly known as drones .
The leading health and beauty retailers test flight departed from the British Army ’ s Baker Barracks on Thorney Island near Portsmouth and arrived at St . Mary ’ s Hospital on the Isle of Wight . The medicines were collected by Boots and transported to its pharmacies across the island , where they will be dispensed to patients with prescriptions for them .
Rich Corbridge , Chief Information Officer at Boots , said : “ Drones have huge potential in the delivery of medicines and it is incredibly exciting to be the first community pharmacy in the UK to transport them in this way . An island location like the Isle of Wight seemed like a sensible place to start a trial of drones and their value to the delivery of medicines to more remote locations is very clear .”
Boots worked with medical drone startup Apian to facilitate the test flight and is now assessing the future potential for drones in medicines delivery .
Max Coppin , Chief Operating Officer at Apian , added : " Not only can drones deliver medicine to hospitals but we are particularly excited about our partnership with Boots as it demonstrates drones can also help bring care closer to communities . While being faster and more reliable than ground transportation , they bring with them additional environmental benefits and offer a more sustainable solution for delivery ."
WEARABLE DEVICE PROVEN TO MANAGE POTS
Parasym ’ s neuromodulation technology was revealed to significantly decrease Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome ( POTS ) at a clinical trial presentation at the Heart Rhythm Society 2023 . The groundbreaking study shows the potential for a safe and effective treatment to support the estimated 16 million people living with the condition .
POTS is a condition characterised by an abnormal increase in heart rate upon standing .
The condition has debilitating symptoms including anxiety , insomnia , chronic fatigue , weakness , headaches and brain fog . Reports also suggest that 14 % of long covid sufferers may develop POTS . It is the most prevalent form of dysautonomia in young people and is associated with significant morbidity and poor quality of life .
The presented randomised-controlled trial , led by principal investigator Dr Stavros Stavrakis at the University of Oklahoma ’ s Health Sciences Centre , used the Parasym neuromodulation system to test the clinical efficacy of targeted non-invasive vagal neuromodulation in POTS .
By sending targeted electrical signals , the Parasym system has been proven to restore autonomic balance and reduce systemic inflammation within patients . The device works by non-invasively modulating the vagus nerve via a wearable worn on the ear and has been demonstrated in multiple mechanistic and clinical studies to favourably alter the autonomic and immune systems .
Dr Elisabetta Burchi MD , MBA , Head of Translation Research at Parasym , said : " This study , along with our other research , shows
once more , the potential of noninvasive neuromodulation , both as a mechanistic tool to better elucidate the pathophysiology underpinning complex diseases and as a new , safe treatment approach . The capability of non-invasively modulating the autonomic nervous system allows us to produce multi-systemic effects that can be leveraged for the treatment of a range of different clinical conditions and populations ."
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