News | Respiratory tract diseases

News

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In draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said the three treatments were not cost effective.…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

News

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

News

Community pharmacies incentivised to refer frequent users of reliever inhalers to general practice

The new referral incentive will be part of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme for 2022/2023.…

Published: 12 October 2022

Feature

‘Pharmacists come into primary care to make a difference and prescribing is an important part of that toolkit’

Andy Christopherson, lead for prescribing and clinical pharmacy, East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership…

Published: 6 October 2022

News

Concern over ‘inappropriate’ flu vaccine being given to people aged over 65 years

An NHS regional flu lead has warned that patients aged over 65 years who have been given the QIVe vaccine should be recalled and possibly revaccinated.…

Published: 5 October 2022

News

NHS Scotland announces plan to switch patients to greener inhalers

A strategy document, published by NHS Scotland, says that improvements in the way asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are managed could help reduce metered dose inhaler use.…

Published: 19 August 2022

Opinion

SARS-CoV2 antivirals are essential, but they are not silver bullets

The UK government's 'living with COVID-19' policy is relying too much on antiviral treatments, but now is not the time to relax.…

Published: 22 June 2022

News

More than a quarter of patients overusing rescue inhalers for asthma, study finds 

Researchers from Queen Mary University London warned that salbutamol inhalers can increase risk of anxiety and tachycardia.…

Published: 20 June 2022

News

Paxlovid more effective in older, vaccinated COVID-19 patients, research shows 

Researchers looked at data for more than 180,000 patients in Israel who had tested positive for COVID-19.…

Published: 8 June 2022

News

Metered-dose inhaler classed as ‘carbon neutral’ through offsetting

Lupin Healthcare, which manufactures the Luforbec inhaler, offsets the total emissions produced from production, use and disposal of the inhaler, making it carbon neutral.…

Published: 25 May 2022