News

New pharmacy minister confirmed

Newly appointed pharmacy minister Diana Johnson has replaced Stephen Kinnock, as he moves to secretary of state for Wales.…

Published: 10 August 2026

News

MHRA approves orforglipron weight-loss pill

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said its approval of orforglipron makes the UK the first country in Europe to authorise the medication.…

Published: 10 August 2026

News

Pharmacist prescribers can support other professions in antimicrobial stewardship, review suggests

Authors of the scoping review recommended that prescribing capability for pharmacist prescribers and prescribing nurses could be strengthened via professional development, structured mentorship and interprofessional learning.…

Published: 10 August 2026

News

UK patients being recruited for ribupatide trials

Researchers will assess the efficacy of up to 10mg doses of weight-loss drug ribupatide in patients with or without diabetes over around an 18-month period.…

Published: 7 August 2026

News

Government ‘examining’ medication pack barcode requirements

Exclusive: The Department of Health and Social Care has told The Pharmaceutical Journal that since “patient safety is paramount”, it will investigate which barcodes are required on medicines packaging.…

Published: 7 August 2026

News

Common ailments service rated as ‘excellent’ by almost all users, study finds

When asked about their experience with the Welsh common ailments service, the majority of survey respondents said that they were able to have their ailment managed at the pharmacy.…

Published: 6 August 2026

News

Pharma companies reported fewer medicine supply issues in 2026

In the first six months of 2026, manufacturers reported fewer medicines supply issues to the government compared with the same periods in 2025 and 2024.…

Published: 6 August 2026

News

Government did not conduct impact assessment for community pharmacy prescribing

Exclusive: The Department of Health and Social Care told The Pharmaceutical Journal that changes under the ‘Community pharmacy contractual framework’ for 2026/2027 and other years since 2023 did not reach the threshold for an impact assessment.…

Published: 5 August 2026

News

Barcode issues disrupting pharmacy work at more than half of NHS trusts

A survey has also revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that they received medicines without barcodes in the previous month.…

Published: 5 August 2026

News

Antihistamine prescribing increased by 18% in five years

NHS Business Services Authority data also show that fexofenadine has been the most commonly prescribed and dispensed antihistamine in the community in England since 2021/2022.…

Published: 5 August 2026