First ever injection pen recycling pilot rolled out nationally across pharmacies Following the success of its pilot, in which more than 15,000 pre-filled injection pens were recycled, Novo Nordisk is rolling out the PenCycle scheme nationwide.…
‘Worrying’ rise in number of patients with a high anticholinergic burden Exclusive: Experts say the rise could be owing to the lack of contact between prescribers and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.…
HRT prescribing increased by 35% in one year, show NHS data The number of hormone replacement therapy items prescribed in England increased by more than a third in a year, from 5.8 million items in 2020/2021 to 7.8 million items in 2021/2022.…
Drug shortages linked with medication errors, study results suggest Data from the French Pharmacovigilance Database show that medication errors were identified in 11% of the 462 cases mentioning a drug shortage.…
More than 400 pregnant women prescribed topiramate in the past year NHS data have revealed 430 women were prescribed topiramate and 42 women were prescribed sodium valproate during their pregnancies between April 2021 and March 2022.…
Pharmacy regulator has failed to meet fitness-to-practise standards for the fourth year in a row The General Pharmaceutical Council has failed to meet three standards relating to the transparency, fairness and timeliness of the fitness-to-practise process and the support available for the people involved.…
Concern over ‘inappropriate’ flu vaccine being given to people aged over 65 years An NHS regional flu lead has warned that patients aged over 65 years who have been given the QIVe vaccine should be recalled and possibly revaccinated.…
Oxybutynin is not suitable as over-the-counter medicine, say pharmacy bodies Pharmacy bodies say there is "mounting evidence" linking oxybutynin to cognitive decline and the progression of dementia.…
UK government is preparing guidance to help with type 2 diabetes medication supply issues Exclusive: Experts are "very concerned" about the shortages of semaglutide and dulaglutide and have warned it would be a lot of work to transfer patients to other medication options.…
Government shelves plan for ‘Pharmacy First’ service in England The delayed agreement for the remaining two years of the 'Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework' confirms an excess margin write-off, meaning pharmacies will keep £100m they would otherwise have had to repay.…
