PJ, March 2023, Vol 310, No 7971

Call for nominations for RPS Fellowship

Why, as a profession, do pharmacists find it difficult to recognise and celebrate success? Celebrating success is such an important aspect of our professional lives but one we do not seem to do well. Awarding Fellowship  of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is one of the high…

Medicines regulator approves UK’s first dual combination inhaler for mild asthma

AstraZeneca said the marketing authorisation meant its Symbicort Turbohaler 200/6 could be used by 2.7 million adults in the UK who live with mild asthma.…

Epilepsy charities call on government to immediately halt two-clinician sign-off for patients taking valproate

A coalition of epilepsy charities has said the decision is "totally out of proportion to the risks to patient safety".…

Motion sickness: causes, prevention and management

Motion sickness is a common problem that occurs when there is a conflict between the vestibular, visual and proprioceptive systems. It can be highly debilitating, but prevention strategies and symptom management can reduce the impact it has on individuals.…

‘Show me your meds, please’: the impact of home-based medicines assessments

A South Somerset pilot project has demonstrated why asking to see a patient’s medicines during a home visit can have a considerable impact on their health, while saving NHS costs and resources.…

Pharmacists given discretion to dispense urgent items on mixed prescriptions in ‘confusing’ HRT prepayment certificate guidance  

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee says it is “totally unacceptable” to expect stretched community pharmacies to deal with the government's rules over mixed prescriptions and the new HRT prepayment certificate.…

Government plans to make nitrous oxide a controlled substance

Chris Philp, minister for crime, policing and fire, said the widespread availability of nitrous oxide, as well as a rise in reports of social and health harms from the substance, meant the government would control nitrous oxide under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.…

One in three patients taking lithium unaware of toxicity warning signs, finds pharmacy audit

Almost a third of patients taking lithium also did not know how to prevent toxicity.…

Hyponatraemia: clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment

Hyponatraemia is a common presentation in emergency, acute and critical care. Learn the signs, symptoms and tests needed to diagnose and treat it.…

Third of women taking anti-seizure medication unaware of pregnancy risks, survey reveals

Data from a survey by three epilepsy charities has shown that a third of women taking carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pregabalin or topiramate are unaware of the increased risk of birth defects if taken during pregnancy.…