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older people urged to look
after their mental health
As we are in the winter months older people in Ireland are being
encouraged to look after their mental health and to seek help
and support if they are feeling depressed most of the day, most
days. Leading Old Age Psychiatrist, Professor Brian Lawlor, and
advocacy group Age Action urged older people to address the
issue of their mental health at the launch of the ‘Mind Yourself
— Depression in Later Life’ leaflet recently. The leaflet, produced
by Lundbeck (Ireland) Ltd, provides useful information to help
people recognise the symptoms of depression in later life and
how to access support services and resources.
The leaflet was developed following research amongst over
65 year olds, carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf
of Lundbeck which shows that almost 60% of those surveyed
believe that people in their age group would be reluctant to
discuss depression with others. One quarter of respondents
said they believed that depression is a state of mind and not
an illness which could indicate a lack of understanding of
depression, resulting in many older people with depression not
being diagnosed or receiving the help they need.
Some 91% of respondents believed that depression can have
a very negative impact on a person’s life, with 82% believing
that depression is not well understood by many people. Well
over two thirds (70%) of those with depression think that
there is a lot or some social stigma associated with depression.
Irish pharmaceutical contract sales organisations (CSO)
Pharmexx Ireland Ltd and Alchemy Healthcare (Ireland) Ltd have
now merged. The new company, Pharmexx Alchemy, will have a
15% market share in the Irish pharmaceutical CSO market, which
is estimated to be worth €20 million overall.
The company provides outsourcing of skilled pharmaceutical
and retail representatives to most of the leading pharmaceutical
companies based in Ireland. It also offers specialised nursebased
patient support programmes, as well as more traditional
contract sales. Pharmexx Alchemy has set forth an ambitious
model for growth, with an aim to become the number-one
player in the CSO market by 2015. Pharmexx Ireland and
Alchemy both started business in 2008. Pharmexx, part
of the international Pharmexx group (owned by German
company Celesio, which is also represented in Ireland by
Cahill May Roberts, Movianto and Unicare), offers integrated
commercialisation services by combining warehousing and
special logistics services with CSO solutions for a broad range
of pharmaceuticals. Alchemy Healthcare, led by founders
and managers Mick O’Leary and Pat Kerley, provides a highly
The research also revealed that those most likely to suffer
from depression in this age group are older women who are
widowed.
“With older people, while their physical ailments may
be detected and addressed their depression can often be
overlooked and undertreated,” according to Professor Lawlor,
“Factors such as social isolation, bereavement and retirement
can be extremely distressing for older people and can lead to
depression. I would urge people to look out for warning signs.
Low mood or sadness, social withdrawal, increased fatigue,
loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, loss of enjoyment, feelings
of hopelessness or life not worth living can all point to the
presence of depression and should not be ignored.”
Eamon Timmins, Age Action welcomed the research saying,
“This research gives us a valuable insight into the attitudes
towards depression among the over 65s. Our ethos is to
empower older people so that they can enjoy their later years.
We would urge them to take account of their mental health as
well as their physical health. Depression is not an inevitable part
of ageing and can be treated successfully.”
The new information leaflet, ‘Mind Yourself — Depression in
Later Life”, is being launched today by Lundbeck (Ireland) Ltd to
help older people who may have depression. It is available free
by calling 01-468 9800 and will be distributed via GP surgeries.
Pharmexx Ireland and Alchemy Healthcare
merge to create Pharmexx Alchemy
motivated management team with long standing experience
and established contacts in the Irish pharmaceutical industry.
Mick O’Leary, managing director of Pharmexx Alchemy,
is confident that the range of services will appeal to the
pharmaceutical market in Ireland; “Alchemy Healthcare built
its success in the pharmaceutical market, supplying the
best people and strategies to our clients, whilst Pharmexx
has excelled in the retail/OTC space. The marriage of these
two critical service areas will ensure a compelling business
proposition for our existing and future clients. We look forward
to providing the most integrated and complete range of
services to the pharma industry in Ireland.”
James Quinn, Commercial Director of Celesio Ireland,
commented: “The newly created Pharmexx-Alchemy will allow
Movianto to grow strongly in the CSO market. We have an
ambitious goal of becoming the number-one player in Ireland
by 2015. This merger is the first, important step in achieving this
vision.
The strengths of both these companies complement each
other perfectly and provide an excellent platform for success.”