News

Protected development time pilot to take on 30 community pharmacists and technicians

Applications for the 30 places on the Health Education and Improvement Wales scheme are open to pharmacy staff who work a minimum of 375 hours per year.…

Psilocybin therapy appears as effective as escitalopram, small study finds

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights the potential of psilocybin for treating depression.…

NHS health checks catch patients who would benefit from statins but majority are not prescribed them

Of eligible patients who attended a health check, 26 in 1,000 were prescribed statins, compared with 8 in 1,000 of those who did not attend, study results show.…

Sex differences in chronic pain linked to genetics

Looking at genetic variants associated with chronic pain in nearly 400,000 men and women, researchers said their findings suggest the existence of potential sex differences in chronic pain at multiple levels.…

Government promises £14m in 2021/2022 for frontline services to tackle high drug death rate

In a debate with Scottish ministers, drugs policy minister Angela Constance reiterated the importance of getting people immediate treatment and support that will prevent fatal overdose.…

Polyvalent COVID-19 vaccines expected in five years, says chief medical officer

However, until polyvalent vaccines are in circulation, Chris Whitty also said new variants may lead to revaccination and/or booster programmes over the next two or three years.…

Community pharmacy COVID-19 test distribution service extended

Exclusive: The Pharmacy Collect service has been extended until the end of July 2021.…

Monoclonal antibody treatment may be administered to vulnerable patients at home

Exclusive: A draft NHS England document, seen by The Pharmaceutical Journal, has set out possible patient pathways for the use of neutralising monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.…

Half a million consultations carried out under NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service in first three months of 2021

Data from Public Health Scotland show that the total payment for claims through the Pharmacy First service was more than £6m between January 2021 and March 2021.…

More than 650 sign-ups to RPS Inclusion and Wellbeing Pledge in its first week

Since its launch on 9 June 2021, more than 650 organisations and individuals have signed the pledge, including pharmacy multiple Boots.…