News Pharmacy teams advised to produce ready-to-administer oxytocin infusions for maternity services Required oxytocin infusions will now need to be prepared at the time of the event, prompting concerns this will add pressure to already stretched maternity services.…Published: 26 September 2024
News MMR vaccination coverage in England has declined for fifth consecutive year NHS Digital data show that 83.9% of children in England had completed the two-dose course by their fifth birthday, down from 86.8% in 2019/2020.…Published: 23 September 2024
News Men taking valproate advised by MHRA to use effective contraception The regulator advises that males and their partners should use effective contraception during, and for at least three months after, valproate treatment.…Published: 9 September 2024
News More than 10,000 whooping cough cases reported in first six months of 2024 Case numbers of whooping cough in 2024 so far have already exceeded the total number of cases reported in 2012, the last major outbreak of the disease.…Published: 13 August 2024
News Pharmacists risk being criminalised in puberty blockers ban, warns RPS The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says the emergency prohibition order for gonadotrophin-releasing hormone may be leading to prescribers “unwittingly breaking the law”.…Published: 1 August 2024
News Joint guidance for asthma recommends replacing SABA with corticosteroid inhalers The draft guidance proposes the use of combined inhaled corticosteroid/formoterol inhalers over previously preferred short-acting beta agonists.…Published: 26 June 2024
News MHRA introduces new safety measures for use of topiramate in pregnancy Under the new measures, women of childbearing potential must use highly effective contraception, have a negative pregnancy test and be made aware of the risks of the medicine before beginning treatment with the anti-seizure medicine.…Published: 21 June 2024
News Government introduces ‘emergency ban’ on overseas prescriptions for puberty blockers The new arrangements, which apply to gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, follow the Cass Review recommendation that inappropriate overseas prescribing of hormone supplies should be prevented.…Published: 3 June 2024
News Declining use of sodium valproate linked to fall in birth defects among children, study results show Children exposed to levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine in the womb had the lowest prevalence of major congenital malformations.…Published: 21 March 2024
News Pharmacists must be able to refer young people with gender dysphoria for support, says regulator Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council, has warned that a lack of clear referral routes could lead people to seek alternative options, such as unregulated products or private clinics outside of the UK.…Published: 21 March 2024
