News | Medicines safety

News

UK’s first regular street drug-checking service opens in Bristol

The service will run once per month, with the aim of reducing harm from drug taking and increasing understanding of local drug markets.…

Published: 12 February 2024

News

People harmed by valproate could receive £100,000 payout, patient safety commissioner says

In ‘The Hughes report’, the patient safety commissioner said people affected by valproate should get an interim payout, followed by further support based on their individual needs.…

Published: 7 February 2024

News

More than £30m of illegal medicines seized by MHRA in 2023

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says its support to online marketplaces led to the removal of more than half a million unregulated medicines and medical devices before they hit the UK market.…

Published: 1 February 2024

News

MHRA says fluoroquinolones should be administered only when no other antibiotics are appropriate

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued new restrictions on fluoroquinolone use, following reports of serious adverse reactions in patients.…

Published: 23 January 2024

News

Medicines regulator seeks expert advice on risk of developmental disorders in children fathered by men on valproate

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is to look again at evidence from a study evaluating the link between paternal valproate exposure and developmental disorders in children.…

Published: 16 January 2024

News

No progress on post-Brexit falsified medicines scheme in UK

Health minister Andrew Stephenson said the Department of Health and Social Care was still “considering the right approach for the future”.…

Published: 15 January 2024

Opinion

How our integrated care system is taking steps to minimise the risks of sodium valproate

North Central London Integrated Care System has piloted new guidelines and a local dashboard to ensure there is a safety net in place for females taking sodium valproate.…

Published: 15 January 2024

News

More than 300 people took overdose of propranolol in one year, report reveals

In the UK, 318 patients took an intentional overdose of propranolol in 2022/2023, of which 12 people died.…

Published: 10 January 2024

News

MPs call for more research into bacteriophages as alternative to antibiotics in response to AMR

A House of Commons committee has called for more research into bacteriophages to allow them to be used more widely in UK healthcare to tackle resistance to antibiotics.…

Published: 3 January 2024

News

EMA committee recommends suspension of almost 400 medicines owing to flawed studies

The European Medicines Agency said irregularities in study data and other inadequacies had “raised serious concerns about the validity and reliability of data” from studies conducted at Synapse Labs.…

Published: 20 December 2023