Health news round-up: prescribing, deprescribing and medication considerations

Pharmacists working in all settings need adequate funding and time to undertake their work, build relationships locally and lead in strategic clinical areas.

When they do, pharmacists make an invaluable contribution as medicines experts — as demonstrated by the nearly 500 advanced pharmacist practitioners now working in general practice in England.

Read on for our round-up of this week’s health news to help your medicines expertise.

Prescribing, deprescribing and shared care

A 7.2mg dose of Wegovy (semaglutide; Novo Nordisk) has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA); however, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association has warned that this could lead to increased expectations or misuse and stressed the importance of clinical judgement.

The Financial Times has reported increasing numbers of people with ADHD are losing access to NHS treatment, with GP surgeries pulling out of shared-care agreements and patients having to pay privately for medicines while they wait for NHS services.

Also, findings of a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology revealed that trust in healthcare providers was a leading factor in older adults’ statin deprescribing decisions (63.9%), followed by medicine concerns (40.7%), while patient-specific factors and beliefs about continuation were less common.

And, according to the results of a Danish observational study, patients with more abnormal routine blood test results should be prioritised for medication reviews, as they are more at risk of hospital re-admission, with the highest hazard ratios observed in patients with lower medication use.

Medication considerations for antidepressants and contraceptives

Packaging and patient information leaflets for gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines and z-drugs are to be updated with stronger warnings about the risk of dependency and addiction, following a review by the MHRA.

Researchers in South Korea have suggested that close monitoring of serum sodium levels is essential for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) users, especially those aged 60 years and above. The results of their analysis, a multi-institutional cohort study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, found that the risk of hyponatraemia increased within 180 days after SSRI initiation, compared with other types of antidepressants.

The risk of venous thromboembolism with hormonal contraceptives varied by formulation but was highest for combined hormonal contraceptive pills, especially those containing desogestrel, drospirenone or gestodene, the results of a Danish cohort study has revealed.

Shortages of IV fluid bags, diamorphine and co-codamol

A patient safety alert has been issued this week around shortages of IV fluid bags, after changing regulations prompted manufacturer Fresenius Kabi to transition their Steriflex range of licensed and unlicensed IV fluid bags to be Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)-free. DEHP is a chemical used to make plastics flexible. Limited supplies of Steriflex bags are available — as are a range of alternative IV fluid bags from other suppliers — although these will require review of protocols and prescriptions on electronic prescribing systems and some may require additions to pre-made bags.

Patient safety alerts have advised that clinicians should permanently switch patients from diamorphine to morphine where clinically appropriate, given ongoing unpredictable supplies of diamorphine, while the Guild of Health Pharmacists has recommended ring-fencing stock.

Meanwhile, a medicine supply notification in England has confirmed that co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets will be in short supply between February 2026 and early June 2026.