Liz Perkins

First funding provided to develop electronic prescription service in Wales

Two community pharmacy system suppliers in Wales have been awarded funding to alter systems to allow for digital prescriptions to be sent from GPs to pharmacies.…

Drug-related deaths among people treated for opioid dependence more than treble in ten years, study finds

Analysis of Scottish data found that there were fewer drug-related deaths among people with opioid dependence who were receiving treatment than those who were not receiving treatment.…

MPs launch inquiry into role of pharmacy in future NHS services

The inquiry will consider current challenges and look at what can be done to ensure pharmacy can take on “future opportunities”.…

GPs to prescribe weight loss injections under £40m pilot scheme

The GP-prescribing pilot is aimed to explore how drugs can be made available to more people by expanding specialist weight management services outside hospital settings.…

Regulator reports 50% increase in early closures of fitness-to-practise cases

General Pharmaceutical Council papers show that 69 cases were closed before the investigating committee stage in January to March 2023, compared with 46 cases in the previous quarter.…

Drug for inherited blood clotting does not cut risk of miscarriage, study reveals

The rate of live births for women with inherited thrombophilia and recurrent miscarriage was almost the same, whether they were assigned to receive heparin and standard care or standard care only.…

Pharmacists now able to refer patients to extended pharmacy pregnancy smoking cessation service

Exclusive: Any community pharmacist in the pilot area can now refer patients to the smoking cessation scheme.…

Risk assessment for rheumatoid arthritis drug could result in fewer blood tests for patients, research suggests

Researchers have developed a risk-stratified monitoring system for toxicity linked to methotrexate to determine a patient's risk of abnormal blood test results.…

Community pharmacy staff ‘essential’ in promoting antimicrobial stewardship, says NHS England

NHS England said its findings in a report highlighted the “essential clinical role” community pharmacy teams have in educating the public to ensure appropriate use of antibiotics.…

Medicated wafer to be approved for the treatment of frequent migraines on the NHS

Rimegepant will be available on the NHS for patients who have tried at least 3 other preventative therapies, and have at least 4 and fewer than 15 migraine attacks per month.…