PJ, 27 September 2014, Vol 293, No 7829

Benzodiazepine use is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, study finds

Older adults who are prescribed benzodiazepines for longer than three months are up to 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, new research indicates.…

Student fitness to practise procedures should be more consistent, RPS conference told

Inconsistency in the way fitness to practise cases are dealt with between different universities may be cause for concern, Mark Pitt of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association told conference audience.…

Health coaching could empower cancer patients

Receiving health coaching from pharmacists could form part of the support available to cancer patients and encourage them to take responsibility for their own treatment.…

Chief medical officer’s annual report focuses on mental health

CMO Sally Davies has called for an end to healthcare providers’ focus on “wellbeing”, saying there is little evidence to support this approach for tackling mental ill-health.…

SSRI anti-depressants play a role in the brain’s connectivity, suggests study

Further research is needed to establish whether serotonin-induced connectivity changes hold promise to translate into meaningful predictors for antidepressant response…