News | Mental health

News

Ban on puberty blockers in the UK made indefinite, government says

Independent expert advice provided by the Commission on Human Medicines has urged that the ban continue while progress is made towards safeguarding children and young people.…

Published: 16 December 2024

Feature

Microsampling: a patient-centred approach to therapeutic drug monitoring

While adopting microsampling techniques could mean faster, less stressful blood tests for vulnerable patients, introducing this method into existing NHS infrastructure has proved both costly and challenging.…

Published: 29 November 2024

News

Around 360,000 patients at risk of being ‘trapped’ on antipsychotics, researchers warn

The British Journal of General Practice's cross-sectional study highlights that between 360,000 and 390,000 patients in the UK could be being prescribed long-term antipsychotics "without regular psychiatric review”.…

Published: 28 November 2024

News

Government-funded trial will test psilocybin as treatment for opioid use disorder

The project is one of four funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research aimed at cutting harm from illegal drugs.…

Published: 23 October 2024

Feature

Prescribing nature to boost mental health

This episode of The PJ Pod looks at the evidence for green social prescribing and how pharmacists can help their patients to connect with nature.…

Published: 17 October 2024

Opinion

Introducing a new quality-focused supervised consumption service in community pharmacy

The charity Change, Grow, Live has trialled a community pharmacy service for all service users receiving medication-assisted treatment, aiming to provide them with more holistic care for the first time.…

Published: 14 October 2024

News

MHRA finds no link between GLP-1 receptor agonists and suicidal behaviour

The regulator says it will continue to monitor the risk of severe psychiatric reactions and assess new data as they become available.…

Published: 6 September 2024

News

Psilocybin may be as effective as escitalopram in treating depression, study suggests

A meta-analysis has found similar effectiveness of psilocybin compared with escitalopram in the treatment of depression, but the study does have limitations.…

Published: 23 August 2024

Feature

Special report: the stressors burning out pharmacists

The proportion of pharmacists experiencing high stress levels is twice what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, with demand, workforce, medicines shortages and funding topping the list of contributing factors.…

Published: 22 August 2024

News

Largest ever trial of ketamine to treat alcohol abuse to launch across eight NHS sites

The phase III clinical trial will explore the use of low-dose ketamine combined with psychological support as a therapy for people with alcohol use disorder.…

Published: 19 August 2024