Anna Sayburn

Freelance journalist

Statins should not be stopped in older people owing to their benefits, say researchers

People with lower cardiovascular disease risk who stopped taking statins aged 80 years lost 73% of their potential benefit if they took them for the rest of their lives, a modelling study has suggested.…

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs linked with heart failure in patients with diabetes

Researchers found that NSAID use in any period was linked with a 43% increased risk of subsequent hospitalisation for heart failure.…

Government funds research to assess value of widespread pre-emptive pharmacogenetic testing

Researchers will test participants for genetic differences in how they metabolise drugs to see if pharmacogenetics can be used to inform prescriptions.…

NHS Scotland announces plan to switch patients to greener inhalers

A strategy document, published by NHS Scotland, says that improvements in the way asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are managed could help reduce metered dose inhaler use.…

Antipsychotic use in people with dementia living in care homes rose during COVID-19 pandemic

Data show the rate of antipsychotic prescribing rose from 18% of people with dementia in care homes before the pandemic to 28% of people during the pandemic.…

Children in London to be offered polio vaccine booster after virus found in sewage

Poliovirus has been detected in the sewage of eight London boroughs.…

Specialist clinical skills training for 10,000 community pharmacists to be provided in England

Pharmacists, including locums and those who work part time, will be able to take one specialist training module per financial year.…

‘Smart’ IV pumps could save hundreds of lives each year, say pharmacy researchers

In a study of two large NHS trusts that used smart intravenous pumps, researchers found the devices may have averted 110 deaths in a year.…

NHS receives £10m to develop national drone medicine delivery service in Scotland

Drone landing stations have already been designed for NHS sites across Scotland, with a vision to connect hospitals, laboratories, GP surgeries and distribution centres.…

Chief pharmaceutical officer opens outreach health hub in Hindu temple

The 'Health Hub' at Neasden Temple has been set up to provide health advice, information and free screening to the local community.…