PJ June 2026, Vol 316, No 8010

MHRA approves semaglutide oral tablets for weight loss

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency advises that patients must start at the lowest 1.5mg daily dose of oral semaglutide tablets, which can be further increased to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg doses.…

The Critical Medicines Act: can the UK manage supply problems with the EU’s ‘safety belt’?

Pharmacy leaders are hopeful that the Critical Medicines Act will help to alleviate medicines shortages in the UK, which have been rumbling on for several years.…

Community Pharmacy Scotland calls for inclusion of pharmacies in vaccine delivery

In response to rising vaccine uptake inequality, Community Pharmacy Scotland said community pharmacies are well placed to help deliver 'Scotland’s five-year vaccination and immunisation framework and delivery plan'.…

How community pharmacists are tackling a wave of abuse

Threats, racist behaviour and physical violence are a regular part of working life for pharmacy teams across the country. Here’s how some are protecting themselves, the trade-offs of increased security and why broader action is needed.…

First health security risk assessment highlights risk of respiratory pandemic and AMR

The UK Health Security Agency said that the risk of respiratory infections with pandemic potential was ranked the highest owing to “high impact and likelihood, and repeated historical precedence”.…

NICE approves atogepant for use during migraine attack

Atogepant has been approved for patients who have tried at least two triptans, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol for acute migraines, but they did not work well enough.…

Drugs used for airway clearance in critically ill patients found to cause harm

Researchers found that carbocisteine increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, while hypertonic saline was associated with an increased risk of nebulisation-related harms in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilators.…

Care home prescribing increases over four years, NHS data show

NHS Business Services Authority data reveal that 22% of care home residents aged over 65 years who received a prescription were taking ten or more medications in 2024/2025, compared with 19% of residents in 2020/2021.…

Kathie Cashell: ‘You can’t protect the public without an empowered profession’

As fitness-to-practise complaints to the General Pharmaceutical Council hit record highs, we spoke to new chief executive Kathie Cashell about her priorities for the organisation and the improvements she wants to deliver.…

Discussions on community pharmacy reform to begin before end of June

Exclusive: Community Pharmacy England chief executive Janet Morrison says she will meet with pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock before the end of June 2026.…