Dosage forms

NICE publishes decision aid to help patients choose greener asthma inhalers

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a new patient decision aid to help patients choose the best asthma inhaler for both them and the environment.…

How pharmacists can make sure people with asthma get the most from their inhalers

Recent research has shown that almost half of people with asthma are not using their inhaler properly[1] . Not only does this mean that they could be susceptible to side effects, such as oral thrush, but, more importantly, the medicine will not get into the lungs where it is needed to preve…

Switching between monitored dosage systems and patient pack dispensing

Many will be supportive of Boots’s decision to change its method of dispensing for care home residents from monitored dosage system (MDS) to patient pack dispensing (PPD). However, this U-turn prompted me to reflect on my original recommendation to care homes in Derbyshire, during the 1980s, f…

Patients are being underdosed: we need new guidance on small-volume drug infusions

Too many patients are not receiving their full prescribed dose with small-volume drug infusions, but hospital pharmacists can act to ensure patient safety.…

Role of dual and triple fixed-dose combination inhalers in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A review of the current evidence, including the safety and efficacy of dual and triple-combination inhalers for the treatment of stable COPD, and their place in therapy.…

‘Problem’ excipients: be cautious when making clinical decisions on formulation

We are writing in response to the article ‘How to identify and manage ‘problem’ excipients in medicines for children’, written by Sara Arthur and Anna Burgess and published in The Pharmaceutical Journal (2017;299(7903):42­–45). The article helpfully raises aw…

Standardising the use of oral liquid medicines to treat tuberculosis in the UK

We are writing to highlight recent work carried out to improve the provision of anti-tuberculosis oral liquid medicines in the UK. Almost two-thirds of hospital pharmacy departments in the UK have reported problems accessing anti-tuberculosis treatments[1] . The fragility of th…

Accuhaler recall after faulty batches discovered

Patients are being urged to check their Ventolin Accuhalers after a small number were found to not deliver a full dose of the drug.…

Dealing with medicines misuse in execution by lethal injection

New standards of industry best practice have been established for implementing distribution controls on drugs that could be used for execution…

Steroid inhalers linked to increased risk of mycobacterial infection

Use of steroid inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increases the risk of mycobacterial infections, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal.…