News
SELFCheck customer helpline
Friday 21st June 2019
JR Biomedical Ltd.
Medical self test kits have been helping ordinary people to get a quick diagnosis or monitor their health for decades. Diagnostic technology is evolving, moving out from the hospital laboratory, to the hospital ward, into GP practices and the patient's own home. Self test kits are easily accessed through pharmacies, supermarkets and online stores but not all retailers and distributors have the necessary scientific and technical background to answer all the questions that your customers may have. So, with a background in developing and manufacturing medical diagnostics, as well as an independently audited ISO9001 Quality Management System demonstrating our commitment to customer service, we are pleased to provide you with the support you may require to help you give the best customer…
Pharmacy SELFCheck Starter Pack
Monday 17th June 2019
JR Biomedical Ltd
If you are an independent pharmacist or own an online pharmacy you may have considered offering self test kits and we would like to make things as easy as possible for you to get started. Product descriptionsHigh resolution images for your web siteRegulatory guidance You can now order the SELFCheck Starter Pack securely online from our B2B trade website and pay with credit card, debit card or Paypal. Order Now This website is strictly for trade orders only. Each starter pack contains 3 each of the 10 SELFCheck tests (30 packs in total). You will need to register on the site for a trade account to view pricing and place orders. For a full trade price list of the range please contact us.
New images for SELFCheck packaging
Friday 7th June 2019
SELFCheck
We are pleased to provide hi-res images of the SELFCheck self test packaging for our retailers to use online. Each product JPG file is 300dpi measuring approximately 2000x1860px and are available to download now from our Dropbox If you have any problems downloading the files or any questions please contact us.
Key information for UK retailers of self test kits
Saturday 1st June 2019
Self tests are a class of medical devices that are tightly regulated in the UK, having to comply with the EU In Vitro Diagnostics Directive/Regulations (IVDD/98/79/EC) just like medical diagnostics used in hospital laboratories. Self test diagnostics such as blood glucose meters and pregnancy tests have been available for decades, allowing individuals to take more control over their health. Similar technology is now finding its way into tests for different diseases such as coeliac disease, bowel cancer and STIs. Used correctly and with good advice before and after purchase, self test kits can provide an accessible, low cost and reliable way to help identify a specific health issue. Whether the outcome of a self test is a positive or negative result, individuals can…
New medical device regulations. Time is running out for distributors
Wednesday 29th May 2019
JR Biomedical Ltd.
The new European Regulation on IVD's (diagnostic tests) EU-MDR/2017/746 came into force 25th May 2017 with a 5 year transition period. This means that all laboratory and self test diagnostic tests sold in the UK will have to be compliant with these regulations by May 2022. These new obligations may impact current supply and distribution agreements. An important point related to the distribution chain for medical device manufacturers means that each economic operator (manufacturer, importer, and distributor) must verify that a previous economic operator has complied with the EU MDR requirements. Thus, importers and distributors must ensure independently that, prior to placing a medical device on the market, the manufacturer, importer and the device itself meet the stipulated EU MDR…
The importance of knowing your PSA levels
Tuesday 28th May 2019
Professor Christopher Eden, The Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford
Thirty-five years following the discovery of prostate specific antigen or PSA (a molecule in the blood) we now have scientific evidence of the highest quality (a randomized controlled trial) that screening men for prostate cancer using PSA saves lives. PSA has come in for a lot of criticism, as it is not completely sensitive or specific for detecting prostate cancer. It is elevated by a number of non-cancerous conditions (increased age, increased size of prostate, urinary infection, urinary obstruction, prostate trauma and ejaculation) as well as being normal in a fifth of men with prostate cancer. However, urologists know this and never diagnose prostate cancer on the basis of a raised PSA level alone. We use it to identify men in…
Bowel cancer
Tuesday 28th May 2019
Patrick Kirby, Medical Scientist
Bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer and the fourth most common cancer. Just under 16,000 (15,708) people die each year in the UK - that's a life every 32 minutes. Over 40,000 (40,695) people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year - that's one every 13 minutesOne in 14 men and one in 19 women have a lifetime risk of developing bowel cancerOver 93% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer at an early stage survive for at least five years compared to less than 7% of those diagnosed at a late stageFive-year survival rates for bowel cancer have doubled over the last 40 yearsMore than 8 in 10 cases of bowel cancer occur in people aged 60 or…
A case for home testing
Tuesday 28th May 2019
Patrick Kirby, Medical Scientist
I have recently read several articles about home testing and, in an ideal world home screening tests would not be necessary but early diagnosis and prompt medical intervention is always beneficial, and figures announced by Diabetes UK indicate that there may be one million undiagnosed Type II diabetics in the UK, which the current NHS systems are just not picking up. So, how do you identify early signs of an abnormality? You implement a screening programme aimed at "high risk groups". At least the Government has introduced national bowel cancer screening for people in England & Wales between 60 and 69 (to be extended to age 74). But in 2017 nearly 1,800 people under 60 died from bowel cancer…