PJ, October 2021, Vol 307, No 7954

COVID-19 vaccinations should not be mandatory for health and care staff, RPS tells government

In response to a government consultation, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has maintained that COVID-19 vaccines should be optional for health and care staff, after a survey of members revealed “no significant majority for or against” mandatory vaccination.…

Inflammatory bowel disease: treatment and management

The second in a two-part series on inflammatory bowel disease, this article covers the pharmacological management of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.…

Clearing the COVID-19 patient treatment backlog through advancing efficient and safe delivery of care

Views from fellow pharmacists and nurses about cancer care and treatment.…

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Widely prescribed antidepressant not beneficial in treating agitation in dementia patients, study finds

A study has demonstrated that mirtazapine does not reduce agitation in patients with dementia, when compared with a placebo.…

Union warns of potential industrial action as Boots pharmacists reject pay rise offer

The Pharmacists' Defence Association said the likelihood of industrial action had increased after a survey of its Boots members found that 83% of respondents had rejected the multiple's 2% pay increase offer.…

Number of pharmacy-led vaccination sites offering COVID-19 booster jabs set to rise to 1,300

The most recent NHS England figures list 1,160 community pharmacy-led COVID-19 vaccination sites in total, with the number offering booster vaccinations set to hit 1,300 in the coming weeks.…

NHS England to pilot referrals from urgent care to community pharmacies

Exclusive: A presentation by Ed Waller, director of personalised care at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said the urgent care referral pilot will focus on sending patient data through electronic messaging.…

Prescribers should warn patients about dependence before starting them on high-risk drugs, says NICE

In its first guideline on medicines that can cause dependence or withdrawal symptoms, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended that prescribers warn patients about these risks and offer alternative treatment options before prescribing.…

Expansion of pharmacist independent prescribing service to start in November 2021

Exclusive: Digital Health and Care Wales has completed an assurance that will allow all health boards to commission additional sites to provide the 'Choose Pharmacy' independent prescribing service from 1 November 2021.…

Antivirals for COVID-19: five questions that must be answered

The UK government has secured 730,000 doses of two new oral antivirals that it hopes will help to stop COVID-19 in its tracks and keep vulnerable people out of hospital this winter.…