Corrinne Burns

Royal Pharmaceutical Society Correspondent

Corrinne Burns is Royal Pharmaceutical Society Correspondent at The Pharmaceutical Journal.

Medicines derived from UK blood plasma distributed to NHS hospitals for ‘first time in a generation’

More than 250,000 litres of plasma from UK donors have been sent to human protein product manufacturer Octapharma to produce NHS medicines for the first time since a 1998 ban.…

Pharmacists included in latest cohort of NIHR senior investigators

The National Institute for Health and Care Research's senior investigators will receive discretionary funding of £20,000 per year of appointment to support research activities, “while they take on a senior leadership role within NIHR”.…

Pharmacists asked to assist in switching patients from Promixin by end of April 2025

A national patient safety alert advises that Colicym 1-million-unit power for nebuliser solution unit dose vials should be considered as an alternative treatment.…

UK medicines market ‘broken’ as levy on sales of branded medicines doubles, says ABPI

The Department of Health and Social Care‘s proposals for the review of the statutory scheme for branded medicines would see a sharp increase in payments for the rest of the current year.…

Gail Caldwell receives RPS Charter Award

The director of pharmacy at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was given the award for being a “driving force” behind improvements to pharmacy service and workforce development in Scotland.…

NICE recommends first combination pill for long-term treatment of endometriosis

Relugolix combination therapy is a second-line treatment option for endometriosis that is faster acting than injectable treatments and can be taken at home.…

UK chief pharmaceutical officers back RPS royal college proposals

The four officers have “strongly encouraged” Society members to vote in favour of a Royal College of Pharmacy, as the ballot on the decision opens.…

PDA to recommend a ‘no’ vote to RPS royal college proposals unless current ballot is cancelled

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has said the vote should be delayed to allow proposals “to be reconsidered and amended where necessary”.…

Alzheimer’s treatments donanemab and lecanemab still not recommended under latest NICE draft guidance

NICE says that the cost of implementing donanemab and lecanemab across the NHS is “significantly higher” than considered acceptable for taxpayers’ money and NHS resources.…

Fewer people reporting problems obtaining prescriptions in England, show ONS data

Survey results have revealed that 88.1% of patients said they experienced no issues accessing medicines from their pharmacy in January 2025, compared with 79.9% in August 2024.…