PJ, September 2023, Vol 311, No 7977

Waste management company launches nationwide inhaler recycling service

The “first UK-wide” inhaler recycling service has been launched after a successful trial.…

Roadmap to provide PrEP via community pharmacies will be ready by ‘end of the year’, government says

Health minister Neil O’Brien said the government’s HIV action plan implementation steering group was currently “working to develop a PrEP roadmap”.…

The contrast in reactions to growing roles for pharmacy technicians and physician associates

The Pharmaceutical Journal’s health policy columnist considers why pharmacists and doctors have reacted differently to the expanding roles of their colleagues.…

Factors influencing effective communication when prescribing

Understanding the factors that impact communication is critical for the delivery of person-centred prescribing. This article explores how to identify these factors and develop an optimised communication strategy for each patient.…

Black and ethnic minority females underrepresented in senior pharmacist roles in England

NHS data also show that a higher percentage of black, Asian and minority ethnic pharmacy team members reported harassment, bullying or abuse from fellow NHS staff.…

Demystifying medical cannabis: five years on from legalisation

Although medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in 2018, a lack of evidence for unlicensed products has meant NHS prescribing is still extremely limited while the private market continues to grow.…

Independent prescribing in community pharmacy – the pathfinder programme

As chair of Community Pharmacy London, which represents 1,500 community pharmacy contractors in London, I write to express our concerns regarding the commissioning of the community pharmacy independent prescriber pathfinder service, a programme aimed at expanding primary care pharmacy services. …

It is better to publish small than let ideas perish

The pick of the month’s academic papers from Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.…

UK’s first safe drug consumption room approved to open in Glasgow

The facility will allow people to use drugs in a sterile environment under medical supervision, and access other related services.…

PSA writes to health secretary to ‘raise concerns’ over GPhC’s fitness-to-practise timeliness

Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said it was “an absolute priority” for it to resolve fitness-to-practise cases “in a timely way”.…