Julia Robinson

Clinical and Science Editor

Julia Robinson is our Senior Data Journalist

Draft NICE guidance says statins can now be considered for people at lower risk of cardiovascular disease

The draft guidance advises prescribers to discuss how to manage all other modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors before offering statin treatment.…

Nearly three-quarters of pharmacy staff considered leaving profession in the past year, finds RPS survey

The proportion of pharmacy staff who have thought about leaving their role or the profession has significantly increased over the past year, from 32% in 2021 to 73% in 2022.…

Everything you need to know about the COVID-19 therapy trials

There are thousands of clinical trials investigating treatments and preventative measures for COVID-19.…

Only 21 community pharmacies have provided hepatitis C testing since service launch

Exclusive: Out of more than 650 community pharmacies signed up to provide the hepatitis C antibody testing service, only 21 have carried out testing.…

Quarter of hospitalised patients taking clozapine admitted with infection, study finds

Researchers found 25% of patients hospitalised while taking clozapine had an infection, and highlighted that safety protocols around the drug tend to focus on other side effects.…

Private menopause clinics prescribing oestrogen at ‘twice the recommended dose’

Exclusive: Experts have raised concerns over "unorthodox" prescribing of HRT that may put women at a greater risk of cancer.…

Psilocybin: a psychedelic alternative to antidepressants?

Decades on from its widespread use as a recreational drug during the 1960s, research shows that psilocybin could be a credible treatment for symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders.…

Sir Munir Pirmohamed: ‘Now is the time to implement pharmacogenomic testing into the NHS’

UK lead of the PREPARE study and NHS chair of pharmacogenetics at the University of Liverpool Sir Munir Pirmohamed discusses how to safely utilise pharmacogenomics in routine patient care.…

Healthcare professionals to be ‘better monitored’ on new valproate safety measures

The Commission on Human Medicines has advised that two specialists must independently consider and document that sodium valproate is the appropriate treatment for anyone prescribed the drug aged under 55 years.…

Sotrovimab no longer recommended as first-line treatment for COVID-19 patients

Only nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir is now recommended as the first-line treatment for non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19, while sotrovimab may be considered "by exception".…