Central nervous system agents

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.…

Weight loss drug semaglutide will ‘soon’ be available to eligible patients, says NICE

Trial results showed that participants taking semaglutide lost an average of 12% more of their body weight compared with placebo.…

Give prescribers access to non-drug alternatives to antidepressants and opioids, says NHS

In a new framework, NHS England recommends alternative treatment options, such as psychotherapy, health coaching and pain or sleep clinics, are commissioned locally.…

Buprenorphine initiation in community pharmacy ‘feasible’ for opioid withdrawal, concludes study

Community pharmacies can safely initiate patients on buprenorphine for opioid dependence and are likely to keep them engaged with treatment for longer, according to results of a small study.…

Should we be genetic testing before prescribing analgesics?

Managing pain is difficult because there are various factors that can influence how it is perceived, but pharmacogenomic testing may be able to help fine tune pharmaceutical interventions.…

Psilocybin: a psychedelic alternative to antidepressants?

Decades on from its widespread use as a recreational drug during the 1960s, research shows that psilocybin could be a credible treatment for symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders.…

Psilocybin may be effective for treatment-resistant depression

Participants in a phase II study, who received 25mg of psilocybin alongside psychological support, reported lower levels of depression than participants who received lower doses of the psychedelic drug.…

Appetite suppressant approved by NICE for patients with obesity

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that semaglutide should be considered in adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of at least 35.…

Patients in most deprived areas are 50% more likely to be prescribed dependency-forming drugs, finds NHS report 

In 2021/2022, 1.80 million patients were prescribed dependency-forming medicines, such as opioids and gabapentinoids, in England's most deprived areas, 1.66 times more than the 1.09 million in the least deprived areas.…

Management of postoperative pain

How to effectively manage pain following surgery to promote recovery, reduce the risk of side effects and dependency, and make best use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures.…