PJ, August 2022, Vol 309, No 7964

Pharmacies to receive ‘fairer access’ to medicine margin under reimbursement reforms, say negotiators 

The new discount deduction scale will use separate discount rates for branded drugs, generics and appliances.…

Some patients switched to edoxaban without being properly informed, pharmacists say

Exclusive: Primary care pharmacists have revealed that patients are being switched to edoxaban without being informed or when it is not clinically appropriate.…

The serotonin theory of depression: how the media got it all wrong

A new evidence review into the causes of depression may not have been revolutionary, but, having generated so much attention in the newspapers, there are concerns it may cause significant numbers of patients to stop taking their treatment.…

Government consults on extending temporary pension rules to allow retired NHS staff to return to work

Owing to backlogs from COVID-19 and "what could be a challenging winter", the government has proposed extending temporary measures that allow recently retired NHS staff to return to work without losing their pension benefits until 31 March 2023.…

Murtaza Pirmohamed (1961–2022)

On 27 July 2022, Murtaza Pirmohamed, aged 60 years, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Mr Pirmohamed registered with the Society in 1984.…

Call for ‘urgent talks’ over soaring energy costs for pharmacies

Exclusive: Industry leaders say the government needs to support and protect pharmacies through spiralling fuel costs and workforce shortages.…

UK medicines regulator will consider new data on COVID-19 antiviral ‘rebound’ with Paxlovid

Exclusive: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will look at new trial data requested by the US Food and Drug Administration, owing to reports of people testing positive for COVID-19 after treatment with Paxlovid.…

Pharmacists have improved antibiotic prescribing, finds study in 6,000 UK general practices

Employing pharmacists in general practices has led to "good prescribing behaviour" but patient satisfaction has decreased in practices that hired more healthcare professionals to support GPs.…

Electrolyte disturbances: causes and management

This article details the clinical presentations of the most common electrolyte disturbances and how to treat them.…

Statins should not be stopped in older people owing to their benefits, say researchers

People with lower cardiovascular disease risk who stopped taking statins aged 80 years lost 73% of their potential benefit if they took them for the rest of their lives, a modelling study has suggested.…