Developing a competency framework for pharmacy technicians: Perspectives from the field.

Background: Within the last decade and given the context of ever-growing complexity in pharmaceutical care the new profession of Pharmacy Technicians (PT) was added to the pharmacy team. Until now, pharmaceutical organizations worldwide are searching for the best way to educate and employ future PTs.

Objective: This empirical study set out to gain insight into the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to perform as a PTs.

Prediction of antitumour necrosis factor clinical efficacy by real-time visualisation of apoptosis in patients with Crohn's disease.

Background: The human anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antibody infliximab binds to the membrane TNF and subsequently induces apoptosis of activated lamina propria T lymphocytes in patients with Crohn's disease in vitro.

Aim: To test whether the ability of rapid anti-TNF-induced apoptosis in the gut predicts the efficacy of anti-TNF treatment in inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: (99m)Technetium-annexin V single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) was performed in 2 models of murine experimental colitis and in 14 patients with active Crohn's disease as assessed by the Crohńs Disease Activity Index (CDAI) to study the effect of anti-TNF treatment on apoptosis in the intestine during active colitis.