Hippocrates Society for Poetry and Medicine launched

The Hippocrates Society forPoetry and Medicine provides an international forum for people from anywhere in the world interested in the interface between poetry and medicine. To find out more about the Hippocrates Society, email the organizers.

Activities

Activities of interest to members include an annual international symposium on poetry and medicine, workshops, readings, and reduced cost of publications by the Hippocrates Press. Members also have discounted registration for the awards for the annual Hippocrates Prize which has 3 categories: an international Open category, an international Young Poets award, and a UK NHS category.

Membership

The annual membership subscription of the Hippocrates Society for Poetry and Medicine includes

- one free copy of the current year's Hippocrates Prize Anthology

- 20% discount on Hippocrates Press publications

- 20% discount on registration for Hippocrates initiative events, including the annual International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine, Hippocrates Prize awards, workshops, readings and other events.

Pending events eligible for 20% discount on registration include 

- Hippocrates in Venice workshop 21st - 22nd September 2013

- 5th International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine: May 2014

- 2014 Hippocrates Prize awards: May 2014

Subscription: 1st July 2013 - 30th June 2014

Standard membership - £40

Student - undergraduate or PhD - £30

Retired - £30

Hippocrates in Venice: workshop on poetry and medicine

Hippocrates in Venice

Weekend of Saturday 21^st – Sunday 22^nd September

Venue: 15^th Century Palazzo Ca' Pesaro Papafava
For more information: email the organizers.

15^th Century Palazzo Ca' Pesaro Papafava

Aims of the workshop

This workshop is designed as a scoping and networking event to take forward the work of the Hippocrates Initiative for Poetry and Medicine.

The four annual International Symposia on Poetry and Medicine held since 2010 by the Hippocrates Initiative have shown that there is a substantial wish for an international umbrella association that would serve as a switchboard for the gathering, coordination and dissemination of information in the field, and to institute activities that further an understanding of relations between poetry and medicine.

The Venice workshop will principally be a two-day exchange of views aimed at establishing the priorities an umbrella association ought to have, identifying focal interests for potential research groups and working parties, and identifying interests for exploration in subsequent workshops.

There will be a small number of talks but the emphasis will be on discussion and consultation. Themes to be considered by speakers and during break-out sessions and round table discussions will include historical perspectives, epidemics of infection from the plague of Athens to syphilis, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS, and modern non-infectious epidemics, from obesity to heart disease, psychiatric disorders and cancer.

Other themes may be added arising from suggestions from workshops participants.

The Venice workshop offers a key opportunity to be part of the planning process and to help shape a significant new aid to workers and researchers in a growing field.

Palazzo Pesaro Papafava is a few minute’s walk from the Rialto Bridge and Ca’ d’Oro.

It is located on the Canale della Misericordia, opposite the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, with views towards the Grand Canal and the Lagoon.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) – does use by ‘healthy’ students matter?

In their report in the Telegraph, @Josiensor and Rosa Silverman discuss implications of a survey from Cambridge which notes that so-called 'smart' drugs continue to be used by students to try to improve their academic performance, with methylphenidate (Ritalin) a common choice.

Why should this be of public interest?

Methylphenidate has been in use since 1960 for treating ADHD, with effects mainly considered to be improvement in attention and concentration. It is used to treat a number of rare syndromes involving abnormalities in chemical transmission in the brain. The drug is also reported to be in widespread use by students in the UK, the US and elsewhere in the hope that it will improve studying, learning and exam performance.
 

1.    Does it work? Studies of possible effects on studying and learning are typically short-term and usually based on artificial tests – ie not usually test possible benefits of the drug what students may be trying to learn, or effects on the types of exams students may be sitting. Evidence compared to placebo of benefits or risks appears limited to studies lasting 4 weeks or less.

The evidence of benefits from methylphenidate in apparently healthy students is disappointing. For example, in a study in health young volunteers there was a reported benefit from the 1^st dose for a spatial (3D) task and for planning, but not for attention or fluency. However even these effects were not sustained: with a second dose, spatial task performance was less good; ie there was little evidence of sustained benefit on repeat use of the drug and possible evidence that performance might be worse. And one of the side effects is insomnia – fatigue could also therefore be an indirect reason why performance might be impaired by the drug. There are also reports by users that with the drug, too much focus on details may make it difficult both to complete an assessment and to consider a broad enough range of issues to give a complete answer.

2.    Is use of methylphenidate any different from using caffeine? Because of the lack of convincing evidence of benefit from methylphenidate and concerns about serious risks, methylphenidate is not approved for use in the absence of specified medical conditions – e.g. ADHD. As for other drugs, the balance between risk and benefit must be considered by prescriber and user. In the event of any benefit for studying from the drug, others not using it are put at a disadvantage. In contrast caffeine is widely available for those who chose to use it. Too much caffeine, or sensitivity to caffeine can cause troublesome symptoms, including anxiety, tremor, sleep disturbance and palpitations. 

3.    Risks of methylphenidate Potential risks may be serious and include serious cardiac and psychiatric disorders. This has lead to important restrictions by regulatory authorities such as the FDA on use of the drug, even when the drug is medically indicated. 

Withdrawal symptoms of methylphenidate can include psychosis, depression and irritability.

Risks of the drug may be greater if there are medical problems, in particular if the user has a medical history of cardiovascular or psychiatric problems. Use without clinical advice may mean that important underlying conditions are not identified, for example high blood pressure, disorders of heart rhythm, and psychiatric risk; and potential important interactions with other drugs (including other stimulants) may not be considered. For example: 

-      alcohol can delay clearance of the drug from the body, increasing risk of adverse effects; 

-      concurrent use of stimulants such as caffeine would be expected to increase risk from methylphenidate of serious disorders of heart rhythm.

4.    What about access to the drug from internet pharmacies? For the above reasons, licensed pharmacies would not supply methylphenidate in the absence of specified medical conditions. Unlicensed internet pharmacies should be avoided. The quality of medicines is not reliable, with serious risk of being supplied poorly active or counterfeit or contaminated medicines. And medical contra-indications need to be identified and discussed to minimize the risk of preventable serious adverse effects.

5.    Fairness and coercion There are also a number of ethical concerns including:

a)    the need to protect students and others from using so-called ‘smart drugs’ in response to pressure to compete, both in exams and in professional life; 

b)    being fair to other students who do not have access to the drug, or do not wish to use what may be a medically harmful pharmacological aid to improving performance in examinations or to meeting challenges at work.

See also
June 2009: Opposing opinions in the British Medical Journal from John Harris and Anjan Chatterjee

September 2011: Methylphenidate and delayed puberty
July 2012: Methylphenidate for Parkinson's disease
November 2012: Commentary in the Guardian by William Leith: Ritalin before an exam fails the test of common sense 
June 2013: Cautionary report in from Canada on methylphenidate use and learning in  ADHD

Poet and doctor Dannie Abse awarded Honorary Fellowship by Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine

Dannie Abse has been made an Honorary Fellow by the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine, announced at the FPM's 3rd Annual Summer Event on 24th June, 2013.

FPM President Donald Singer with new Hon. FPM Fellow Dannie Abse

His book of poetry, Running Late received the Roland Mathais Prize in 2007. The Presence was the winner of the prestigious Wales Book of the Year award for 2008. In 2009 Abse brought out a volume of collected poetry. In the same year, he received the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award. Abse was a judge for the inaugural 2010 Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine.

He was awarded a CBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to poetry and literature. 
See more 

Dannie Abse at the FPM for the 2010 Hippocrates Prize judging

Key dates for Hippocrates Initiative events: Venice, London and W Midlands

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Below are key dates for forthcoming Hippocrates Initiative events

See  links below or email hippocrates.poetry@gmail.com for further information.

West Midlands

Saturday 15^th June – 10-11am at the University of Warwick Arts Centre, CV4 7AL

HippocratesPoetry and Medicine Readings at the University of Warwick Book Festival

Readings by Wendy French, Jane Kirwan and Michael Henry

Ticket £5.50

London

Monday 24^th June – 6pm – 8.30pm

Rooms of the Medical Society of London
11, Chandos Street, London W1G 9DR - 5 minutes walk from Oxford Circus

3rd  FPM Summer Evening Event: the 2013 Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine

Reading by Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse at 2010 Hippocrates Judging ©Hippocrates Prize

Readings by winning and commended poets from the 2013 Hippocrates prize

Readings from Born in the NHS by Wendy French

Ticket £10 including coffee on arrival and closing wine reception

Venice

Weekend of Saturday 21^st – Sunday 22^nd September

Hippocrates Initiative for Symposium on Poetry and Medicine

Venue: 15^th Century Palazzo Ca' Pesaro Papafava

hippocrates.poetry@gmail.com

Dannie Abse to read at Hippocrates Prize FPM Annual Summer event

The  Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine has been a major supporter of the Hippocrates Prize since it was founded. The FPM's 3rd Annual Summer Evening on Monday 24th June will be devoted to the 2013 Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine. Highlights include a reading by poet and doctor Dannie Abse, member of the judging panel for the inaugural 2010 Hippocrates Prize.

Dannie Abse at 2010 Hippocrates Judging ©Hippocrates Prize

Venue
Rooms of the Medical Society of London
11, Chandos Street, London W1G 9DR - 5 minutes walk from Oxford Circus

The annual Hippocrates awards are in an Open category (1st Prize £5000), which anyone in the world may enter, and an NHS category (1st Prize £5000) which is open to UK National Health Service employees, health students and those working in professional organisations involved in education and training of NHS students and staff; and a Young Poets Award of £500.

The Hippocrates Initiative began in 2009 as the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine for an unpublished poem on a medical subject. The Hippocrates Initiative now also includes annual international symposia at which the Hippocrates awards are presented, an international research forum for poetry and medicine and The Hippocrates Press. Since its launch in 2009, the annual Hippocrates Prize has attracted thousands of entries from 55 countries, from the Americas to Fiji and from Finland to Australasia. With a purse of £15,000, the Hippocrates Prize is one of the most valuable poetry prizes in the world.

Registration costs £10, including coffee and a wine reception after the readings.

See link to register and for programme

Poetry and Medicine at the University of Warwick Book Festival

The Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine will feature at the University of Warwick Book
Festival at Warwick Arts Centre on the University Campus at 10am on Saturday 15th June 2013.

Download the programme

Nigel Thrift, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University said "The University of Warwick has a strong tradition in writing and literary events, and a number of Warwick’s excellent literary initiatives are represented at the Festival, including the Warwick Prize for Writing, the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine and The Warwick Review".

This session will be led by founders of the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine Michael Hulse and Donald Singer, and feature award-winning poets Wendy French, Jane Kirwan and Michael Henry presenting their work.

Support for the Hippocrates Initiative comes from the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine, the Cardiovascular Research Trust, The National Association of Writers in Education and the Institute of Advanceed Study at the University of Warwick.

Register

See more

New EU black triangle scheme for medicinal products

There are several key stages in use of medicines and vaccines in clinical practice when reporting on clinical experience of side effects and suspected adverse effects is particularly important.

In addition to a duty to report any serious adverse effect, times to be particularly vigilant include when a medicine has just been launched; when indications for use are changed – ie new patient groups are exposed to the medicine; special patient populations for whom experience of a medicine may be limited – e.g. children; new combinations with the treatment, with which unexpected drug interactions may occur. 

The European Medicines Agency [EMA] notes these additional categories: “ it contains a new active substance authorised in the EU after 1 January 2011; it is a biological medicine, such as a vaccine or a medicine derived from plasma (blood), for which there is limited post-marketing experience; it has been given a conditional approval (where the company that markets the medicine must provide more data about it) or approved under exceptional circumstances (where there are specific reasons why the company cannot provide a comprehensive set of data); the company that markets the medicine is required to carry out additional studies, for instance, to provide more data on long-term use of the medicine or on a rare side effect seen during clinical trials.”

A Black Triangle logo has been used in the UK for many years “to signify medicines that are subject to intensive monitoring" [MHRA]. This inverted Black Triangle logo will now be used in all EU Member States, with a list of 'Black Triangle' medicines and vaccines agreed Europe-wide, the first version released in April 2013. The Black Triangle will start appearing in the package leaflets of medicines concerned from autumn 2013.

See more on the EMA website on the new European Union wide black triangle scheme for medicinal products and vaccines,

 indicating that they should be subject to additional monitoring and reporting by health professionals and patients.

Painkillers: powerful drugs with important adverse effects

A new report in the Lancet from the Oxford Clinical Trials Unit provides an update on potential risks from newer and traditional painkillers of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug type. The report analysed results of a large number of clinical trials comparing these painkillers against placebo or against a comparator different painkiller. Studies were largely of high doses of the drugs, prescribed for relatively short duration - on average for under a year.

Below is a summary of my comments on the Lancet article provided to the Science Media Centre.

"In this pooled assessment (meta-analysis) of a large number of clinical trials against placebo or other pain-killer options, the Oxford Clinical Trials Service Unit confirm previous reports that the newer pain-killer drugs – coxibs - are associated with a clinically important increase in risk of coronary disease.

"Their major new finding is that among traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller drugs [tNSAIDs] – diclofenac, and possibly ibuprofen, but not naproxen appear associated with a similar increase fatal and non-fatal coronary heart events to the coxibs. However all naproxen, like all coxibs and tNSAIDs they studied, was associated with increased risk of heart failure and gastro-intestinal complications such as bleeding.

"The type of vascular risk with these painkillers appeared selective as none of these treatments were associated with an increase in stroke risk.

“Cautions include that we are not told about details of adjustments across treatment groups for degree of different cardiovascular risk factors e.g. from smoking as a source of bias. And the authors themselves acknowledge that their findings are largely for high dose tNSAIDs and for treatment on average for under a year. They note that they therefore cannot be sure whether the reported coronary and other risks would persist in patients on longer term treatment or on lower doses of these medicines.

“The paper underscores a key point for patients and prescribers: powerful drugs may have serious harmful effects. It is therefore important to be cautious when considering use of these medicines and to take into account cardiovascular risk, and risk of stomach or intestinal adverse effects, when tNSAIDs are prescribed or obtained over the counter, and when coxibs are considered.”

Many patients taking these tablets rely on them for relief of symptoms from arthritis and other long-term painful conditions. Patients who are concerned should consult their medical or pharmacist adviser.

See also articles by reporters on BBC Health, Reuters, Agence France Presse, CBS News ...

Winners of the Open, NHS and Young Poets 2013 Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine

The winners were announced by the judges at an International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine at the Wellcome Rooms in London on Saturday 18th May.

More on the 2013 Hippocrates Awards:

Harvard poet and physician Rafael Campo wins Hippocrates Open International Prize for Poetry and Medicine

Psychotherapist Mary V Williams wins Hippocrates NHS Prize for Poetry and Medicine

English poet Rosalind Jana awarded international Hippocrates Young Poets Prize for Poetry and Medicine 

Rafael Campo discusses poetry, medicine and his Hippocrates Open Award winning poem

Rosalind Jana talking about her Hippocrates Young Poets Award.

The judges also agreed 18 commendations in the NHS category - one each from Scotland and Wales, and 16 from England; and 20 in the Open International category – one each from Ireland, Scotland and Israel, seven from the USA and 10 from England, from the Isle of Wight to Yorkshire.

Open Awards

The £5000 open international Hippocrates first prize has been awarded to Harvard poet and physician

Rafael Campo

Rafael Campo. The second prize was shared by UK poet Matthew Barton, US Afghan war veteran Liam Corley from California and New Zealand poet Sue Wootton.

Rafael Campo said “I am delighted to receive this prestigious international prize. Through my poem – about a dying patient – I was able to address the power of empathy to combat the distance we almost reflexively adopt toward our patients and confront our own shortcomings”.


NHS Awards

The £5000 Hippocrates NHS first prize went to poet and novelist Mary V Williams from Shropshire,

Mary V Williams

who trained in psychotherapy.

The second prize went to former nurse Ann Elisabeth Gray who runs a care home Cornwall and the third prize was shared by family doctor Ann Lilian Jay from LLandysul in Wales, hospital chaplain Ian McDowell from London, and senior lecturer in midwifery Bella Madden from Milton Keynes.

Mary Williams said “My poem ‘Downs’ was inspired by my working in a pre-school nursery for special needs children, by their need for love and acceptance, and their ability to give back so much in return”.

The Hippocrates Prize is one of the most valuable poetry prizes in the world, with a yearly purse of £15000.


Young Poets Award

English poet Rosalind Jana has been awarded the inaugural international Hippocrates Young Poets

Rosalind Jana

£500 Prize. 17 year old Rosalind Jana is from Hereford Sixth Form College in England. The award was presented at the Hippocrates Awards ceremony at the Wellcome Trust in London on Saturday 18th May.

The international Hippocrates Prize for Young Poets is for an unpublished poem in English on a medical theme. Entries were invited from young poets anywhere in the world aged 14 to 18 years. The 2013 Prize attracted entries from young poets from the UK, USA and Australia.

The winning entry was decided by judge and award-winning poet Clare Pollard who also commended US poet Talin Tahajian from Belmont in Massachusetts.

Notes to editors

For more information about Hippocrates Prize winners and extracts of their winning poems, contact hippocrates.poetry@gmail.com

Hippocrates Prize website