Drugs used for airway clearance in critically ill patients found to cause harm Researchers found that carbocisteine increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, while hypertonic saline was associated with an increased risk of nebulisation-related harms in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilators.…
Kathie Cashell: ‘You can’t protect the public without an empowered profession’ As fitness-to-practise complaints to the General Pharmaceutical Council hit record highs, we spoke to new chief executive Kathie Cashell about her priorities for the organisation and the improvements she wants to deliver.…
Rough sleepers and people using homeless hostels to be added to flu vaccination programme Community pharmacies will also continue to be commissioned to deliver a pilot service for vaccinations for children aged two and three years in the 2026/2027 flu vaccination programme.…
Cost of prescription items dispensed in community increases by 4% in a year National Pharmacy Association chief executive says government must “step in to stabilise” workload pressure caused by rise in medication prices and prescriptions.…
Flu vaccine can prevent up to 14 cases per 100 children, study suggests For every 100 children who have received the flu vaccine, 9–14 of them avoid catching flu, study shows.…
MS drug found to benefit patients with more advanced disease Researchers reported that ocrelizumab significantly reduced the risk of disability worsening in wheelchair-dependent patients.…
Blood pressure medication recalled after blister pack error A class two recall notice has advised healthcare professionals to immediately stop supplying the affected batch of ramipril 2.5mg capsules and quarantine all remaining stock.…
UK government rules out appointment of valproate tsar Health minister Preet Kaur Gill confirmed in a parliamentary answer that the Department of Health and Social Care “does not at present intend to appoint a senior team or a tsar in relation to those affected by sodium valproate”.…
University of Nottingham awarded £1m to tackle pharmaceutical pollution in waterways The PhRESHWater project will take place in Scotland, where antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and antidepressants have been previously detected in waterways.…
HIV report highlights ‘stark contrast’ in access to PrEP among different ethnicities The UK Health Security Agency has reported that PrEP uptake remains lowest in black African heterosexual women and men, at 34.6% and 36.4%, respectively.…
