News | Medicines safety

News

Government warned repeatedly to better regulate supply of drugs online after series of deaths

Exclusive: Analysis of coroner’s reports has revealed a decade-long pattern of deaths caused by overdoses from drugs supplied online, accompanied by warnings to the government that more may die without tighter restrictions.…

Published: 30 March 2023

Feature

‘Pandemic of tragedy’: the deaths caused by gaps in online drug supply regulations

In the past ten years, multiple people have died after taking drugs they purchased online, with coroners warning that people will continue to do so without tighter regulations in place.…

Published: 30 March 2023

News

Epilepsy charities call on government to immediately halt two-clinician sign-off for patients taking valproate

A coalition of epilepsy charities has said the decision is "totally out of proportion to the risks to patient safety".…

Published: 28 March 2023

Opinion

‘Show me your meds, please’: the impact of home-based medicines assessments

A South Somerset pilot project has demonstrated why asking to see a patient’s medicines during a home visit can have a considerable impact on their health, while saving NHS costs and resources.…

Published: 27 March 2023

News

One in three patients taking lithium unaware of toxicity warning signs, finds pharmacy audit

Almost a third of patients taking lithium also did not know how to prevent toxicity.…

Published: 24 March 2023

News

Third of women taking anti-seizure medication unaware of pregnancy risks, survey reveals

Data from a survey by three epilepsy charities has shown that a third of women taking carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pregabalin or topiramate are unaware of the increased risk of birth defects if taken during pregnancy.…

Published: 24 March 2023

News

Sharp increase in prescribing of generic Parkinson’s disease medicines since 2017, analysis finds

Exclusive: Analysis by The Pharmaceutical Journal has revealed significant increases in prescribing of generic medicines for Parkinson's disease between 2017 and 2021, while prescribing of branded medicines decreased.…

Published: 21 March 2023

Opinion

‘Pandemic of tragedy’: how the availability of drugs online led to the death of a 24-year-old

A father recounts how the death of his son Jason Houghton could have been prevented with tighter controls around the availability of drugs online.…

Published: 20 March 2023

News

Whole-pack dispensing of sodium valproate made mandatory following consultation

The legislation will help address concerns around women taking sodium valproate, who may be unaware of the risks posed to their unborn child if they fall pregnant.…

Published: 20 March 2023

News

Cough medicine with anaphylaxis risk to be removed from UK market, MHRA announces

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said it was withdrawing pholcodine-containing medicines from the UK market as a "precautionary measure", owing to the risk of anaphylaxis during general anaesthesia.…

Published: 14 March 2023