PJ, June 2023, Vol 310, No 7974

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: managing the risk of adverse events

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a method by which IV antimicrobials are administered to patients in the community. Without an OPAT service, these patients would otherwise remain in hospital when deemed medically fit to be treated in the community setting. OPAT has the potential…

Metformin may reduce the risk of developing long COVID, research suggests

The diabetes drug reduced the incidence of long COVID compared with placebo, but experts have urged caution over the findings.…

Government scraps plans to raise qualifying age for free prescriptions to 66 years in England

The Department of Health and Social Care cited "cost of living pressures" as a reason for abolishing the proposals.…

End-of-life drugs at home: closing the care gap

Evidence shows complex medicines systems are resulting in delays to patients receiving vital end-of-life care. This episode of The PJ Pod explores potential solutions to this problem.…

Pharmacies ‘may not be able to cope’ with demand following closure of all Sainsbury’s LloydsPharmacy branches

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said the situation following the closure of 237 LloydsPharmacy branches was “deeply worrying”.…

Women taking combined contraceptive pill more likely to develop depression in first two years of use, research shows

The study authors said they plan to examine different formulations and methods of contraception in further research.…

First funding provided to develop electronic prescription service in Wales

Two community pharmacy system suppliers in Wales have been awarded funding to alter systems to allow for digital prescriptions to be sent from GPs to pharmacies.…

Alexander (Sandy) Joseph Patterson Shearlaw (1936–2023)

On 30 May 2023, Alexander (Sandy) Joseph Patterson Shearlaw, aged 87 years, of Balfron, Stirling. Mr Shearlaw registered with the Society in 1958. Tribute I first met Sandy Shearlaw at a job interview in Dundee in the summer of 1978; he was the external assessor and I one of the candidates…

Anxiety disorders in children

How childhood anxiety disorders are diagnosed and managed.…

Drug-related deaths among people treated for opioid dependence more than treble in ten years, study finds

Analysis of Scottish data found that there were fewer drug-related deaths among people with opioid dependence who were receiving treatment than those who were not receiving treatment.…