NICE consults on its first guideline on the safe use of controlled drugs The first national guideline for the safe use and management of controlled drugs has been published in draft form by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and is now out for consultation.…
Study supports safety of medical cannabis for chronic pain Patients with chronic pain who medicate with cannabis were at no higher risk of serious adverse events than patients who did not take cannabis.…
Full health record access for pharmacists ‘would reduce palliative care delays’ RPS Scotland says lack of records access for community pharmacists delays care and risks patient safety.…
FDA approves opioid Oxycontin for adolescents The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the opioid OxyContin (oxycodone) for children aged 11–16 years whose pain is severe enough to require daily around-the-clock long-term treatment for which alternative options are inadequate.…
RPS publishes updated version of MEP guide for pharmacists Medicines, Ethics and Practice 39 includes guidance to reflect latest changes to legislation and standards.…
Illicit drug users are on the rise, finds UN report Worldwide an estimated 246 million people used an illicit drug in 2013, a rise of three million over the previous year, says a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.…
Painkiller use is more closely linked to homicide than antipsychotics or antidepressants There is a closer association between use of painkillers and homicide than there is between the use of antipsychotics or antidepressants and killing someone, research shows.…
UK government plans to ban psychoactive drugs The UK government is introducing a bill that would bring a blanket ban on the production and supply of any drug that has a psychoactive effect. …
Medical marijuana study fails to show benefit on behavioural symptoms of dementia Researchers recommend further study of oral tetrahydrocannabinol as a therapy for neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia patients.…
Illicit drug overdose: managing emergency care With up to 253,000 deaths related to drug misuse globally, understanding how to identify and treat drug overdoses can save lives.…
