PJ, September 2023, Vol 311, No 7977

Pharmacy leaders warn that funding for independent prescribing pilot programme could leave community pharmacies ‘out of pocket’

Funding for the independent prescribing pathfinder programme has been described as “unviable” by sector leaders.…

Welsh government backs RPS Wales plan to transform hospital pharmacy

The Welsh government has accepted all 36 recommendations made by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Wales in a review of hospital pharmacy in the country.…

Rapid-acting antidepressants face a slow journey to wider use

Evidence is mounting for the effectiveness of rapid-acting antidepressants for treatment-resistant depression — but will their use ever take off in the NHS?…

Nine pharmacies in one city to offer contraception initiation service following successful pilot

The pharmacies will be offering tier 2 of the Community Pharmacy Contraception Service pilot scheme, allowing pharmacists to initiate the oral contraceptive pill without a patient needing to see a GP.…

Improving safety of warfarin prescribing and administration using clinical decision support

There are several benefits of electronic prescribing and medication administration (EPMA) systems, including the ability to support the reduction in medication omission errors​[1,2]​. Researchers suggest that medication administration errors account for ju…

Hydrocortisone manufacturers to be fined almost £130m after tribunal upholds ruling

The Competition and Markets Authority said NHS spending on hydrocortisone tablets rose from £0.5m per year to over £80m.…

Community pharmacy clinical services should be expanded and ‘consistent in all locations’, report concludes

‘A vision for community pharmacy’ sets out the services pharmacies could offer over the next ten years, including a broader range of clinical services, as well as barriers to the development of the sector.…

Case-based learning: safe withdrawal and tapering of antidepressants

How to use hyperbolic tapering to avoid withdrawal effects when stopping an antidepressant.…

GPhC facing biggest ever backlog of open fitness-to-practise cases at initial assessment stage

Council papers said there were more than 700 open initial assessment fitness-to-practise cases.…

Joan Elizabeth Carter (1930–2023)

On 25 July 2023, Joan Elizabeth Carter, aged 93 years, of Loughborough, Leicestershire. Tribute Joan Elizabeth Carter died on 25 July 2023 in Loughborough. Born on 30 May 1930 as Joan Elizabeth Troop in Southport, Lancashire, Joan left school aged 16 years and started work as an apprent…