News | Respiratory tract diseases

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Pharmacist prescribing pilots to test new services for depression and minor illnesses

Pharmacies participating in pilots for the pharmacist independent prescribing service in north west England will be able to prescribe for minor infections, as well as offer additional services for other conditions.…

Published: 10 May 2023

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Medicines regulator approves UK’s first dual combination inhaler for mild asthma

AstraZeneca said the marketing authorisation meant its Symbicort Turbohaler 200/6 could be used by 2.7 million adults in the UK who live with mild asthma.…

Published: 28 March 2023

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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

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NICE alters guidance on COVID-19 treatments as manufacturer withdraws marketing authorisation application 

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence said the guidance has changed because Eli Lily is no longer seeking a marketing authorisation for baricitinib (Olumiant).…

Published: 21 February 2023

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MHRA to review evidence of harm linked to pseudoephedrine-containing medicines

Exclusive: A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has told The Pharmaceutical Journal that it is "reviewing available evidence" to decide whether marketing authorisations for pseudoephedrine-containing medicines need to change.…

Published: 21 February 2023

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More than 20,000 inhalers returned through postal inhaler recycling scheme

The scheme has saved an estimated 119.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere.…

Published: 25 January 2023

News

Sotrovimab no longer recommended as first-line treatment for COVID-19 patients

Only nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir is now recommended as the first-line treatment for non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19, while sotrovimab may be considered "by exception".…

Published: 1 December 2022

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National Institute for Health and Care Research to fund new phase of platform trial to assess treatments for severe flu

The 'Randomised, embedded, multi-factorial, adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia' was also designed to assess several treatments during a respiratory pandemic, such as COVID-19.…

Published: 29 November 2022

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NICE rejects molnupiravir, remdesivir and Evusheld as routine COVID-19 treatments 

In draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said the three treatments were not cost effective.…

Published: 16 November 2022

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Incentive schemes behind inhaler and edoxaban switching targets should be scrapped, say MPs

In a report on the future of general practice, MPs said it was clear the current target and incentive system "is not having the desired effect on outcomes".…

Published: 21 October 2022