Addiction

Long-lasting buprenorphine implant recommended by EMA committee

A long-lasting implant has been recommended for marketing authorisation as a substitution treatment for opioid dependence by the European Medicines Agency’s human medicines committee.…

All opioid medicines to contain clear warnings about addiction, health secretary announces

All opioid medicines will need to carry prominent warnings about the risk of addiction, health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, has announced.…

A day in the life of a school drugs educator

Pharmacist Asha Fowells describes a typical day in her role as a drugs educator for a charity.…

Naltrexone not associated with serious adverse events, review finds

The opioid antagonist naltrexone does not appear to increase the risk of serious adverse events over placebo, researchers from the University of Manchester have found.…

Have legislative changes curbed use of ‘legal highs’?

While the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 appears to have controlled circulation of novel psychoactive substances, formerly known as ‘legal highs’, on the high street, a Home Office review has proved what many experts predicted — that the legislation would drive sales onto the str…

Legal medical cannabis could be misused, pain consultants warn

Medical cannabis could appear on the illegal market and lead to a crisis similar to the misuse of opioid prescriptions, a group of pain medicine consultants have warned.…

FDA launches ‘biggest ever enforcement effort’ against e-cigarette use by young people

The US drug safety watchdog is targeting the sale of e-cigarettes to children, which it says is reaching “epidemic proportions”, in its biggest ever enforcement campaign.…

Advice in community pharmacy not effective in tackling harmful alcohol consumption, says PHE review

Brief interventions delivered by community pharmacists were no more effective than a leaflet alone in reducing hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption, a review from Public Health England has highlighted.…

Risk factors for mortality, hospitalisation and imprisonment in substance misuse patients

Pharmacists should be aware of the mortality rates and adverse outcomes, including hospitalisation and imprisonment, that are rife in illicit drug users and patients on opioid substitution therapy, in order to optimise patient safety and reduce adverse outcomes.…

We are concerned about the shortage of buprenorphine tablets

Buprenorphine is one of the two medicines licensed for opioid misuse that is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, and the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) ‘Orange Book’. The cost of generic buprenorphine sublingual tablets has risen shar…