News RPS publishes updated version of MEP guide for pharmacists Medicines, Ethics and Practice 39 includes guidance to reflect latest changes to legislation and standards.…Published: 16 July 2015
News Report highlights extent of inappropriate prescribing in adults with learning disabilities One in six adults with learning disabilities but no diagnosis of mental illness are being prescribed antipsychotic drugs by a GP, according to a new report.…Published: 15 July 2015
News Yellow Card app allows users to monitor adverse drug reaction reports A free smartphone app of the UK’s Yellow Card Scheme allows healthcare professionals, patients and others to report and monitor adverse drug reactions.…Published: 15 July 2015
News St John’s Wort has similar side effect profile to fluoxetine Research into toxicity associated with St John’s Wort shows that the profile of adverse drug reactions is similar to that of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.…Published: 14 July 2015
News Researchers suggest indefinite anticoagulation for patients with unprovoked pulmonary embolism Research into the benefits of warfarin for patients who have suffered a blockage in a lung artery suggest that the anticoagulant should be administered indefinitely.…Published: 14 July 2015
News European Medicines Agency launches safety review of HPV vaccines A safety review of human papillomavirus vaccines, which protect young women against cervical cancer, has been launched by the European Medicines Agency.…Published: 13 July 2015
News Illicit drug users are on the rise, finds UN report Worldwide an estimated 246 million people used an illicit drug in 2013, a rise of three million over the previous year, says a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.…Published: 10 July 2015
Opinion Giving pharmacists access to summary care records will improve patient care Pharmacists must seize the opportunity offered by read-only access to summary care records and prove that full access to GP patient notes is the logical next step.…Published: 9 July 2015
News Erectile dysfunction drugs associated with increased melanoma risk Researchers have discovered a link between use of erectile dysfunction drugs and malignant melanoma, although they question whether the association is causal.…Published: 8 July 2015
News Risks and benefits of pharmacists accessing patients’ summary care records The government has decided to allow community pharmacists in England the ability to access the summary care record, an electronic patient record derived from patients’ GP records.…Published: 8 July 2015