PJ March 2026, Vol 317, No 8007

Pharmacy funding for future health crises a ‘necessity’, says COVID-19 inquiry report

The inquiry report also pointed out that an additional 225 pharmacists per 12-hour shift would have been required during COVID-19 to deal with increased intensive care capacity.…

UKHSA says 20,000 meningitis vaccines for private purchase will be available to pharmacies ‘within 48 hours’

The extra doses are being released “to support continuity of private provision, enabling up to 2,000 pharmacies to receive vaccines in the next 48 hours”, the UK Health Security Agency has said.  …

Community pharmacies urged to plan ahead for Easter bank holidays with methadone safety resources

The Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group resources have been developed to offer support for community pharmacy teams before, during and after bank holidays, when opening hours may differ and other commissioned services may close.…

Everything you need to know about oral nicotine pouches

Use of oral nicotine pouches is on the rise, especially among younger people. But what are they, how do they work and what are their potential health impacts?…

Wholesalers ‘working through’ increased demand for meningitis vaccination

According to the results of a snap survey conducted by the National Pharmacy Association, 87% of pharmacies reported “considerable rises in requests” for meningitis vaccinations, which exceeds available supply from wholesalers.…

Scottish Parliament votes against assisted dying bill amid concerns over pharmacist protections

The bill was rejected by 69 votes to 57, after several MSPs cited concerns about the lack of safeguards for healthcare professionals who do not wish to participate in assisted dying.…

RPS publishes pharmacogenomics prescribing resource for all prescribers  

As pharmacogenomics is further embedded in the NHS, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said its latest resource is aimed to “strengthen current practice while also informing future workforce development”.…

Global regulators set out principles for safe AI across the medicines lifecycle

From discovery to manufacturing and post-marketing surveillance, new joint principles from the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration are aimed to ensure that AI in medicines development is human-centred, risk-based and transparent.…

Medical cannabis not effective as a mental health treatment, finds meta analysis

Despite reducing tic severity in tic or Tourette syndrome, researchers discovered that medical cannabis had no significant effect on anxiety, anorexia nervosa, psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder.…

Drug–food interactions: pharmacological principles and management strategies

A summary of the underlying pharmacological principles for common drug–food interactions, outlining practical management strategies that can be used with patients in clinical practice.…