Pregabalin prescribing increases by almost 25% since restrictions imposed Exclusive: Almost 670,000 patients in England were prescribed pregabalin when it was first reclassified in 2018/2019, compared with more than 820,000 patients in 2023/2024.…
Everything you need to know about xylazine Powerful veterinary tranquiliser xylazine has been implicated in a growing number of drug-related deaths in the United States. Researchers are now warning that it has entered the illicit drug market in the UK, with urgent action needed to protect people who use drugs from its harms.…
Roz Gittins: ‘The longer fitness-to-practise processes take, the longer registrants are left in purgatory’ As the new chief pharmacy officer for the General Pharmaceutical Council, Roz Gittins tells The Pharmaceutical Journal that she is bringing a fresh pair of eyes to the regulator’s fitness-to-practise process.…
Fourteen nitazenes made Class A controlled drugs The Home Office has made 15 new synthetic opioids Class A drugs “to prevent drug related deaths in the UK”.…
Drug-related deaths in Scotland rose by 10% in 2023 Experts say the increase can be linked to the emergence of new synthetic opioids and the change in the benzodiazepine market from etizolam to bromazolam.…
Everything you need to know about nitazenes Experts are warning that nitazenes — a type of synthetic opioid — could lead to an increase in drug-related deaths as they flood the UK market.…
Pharmacy technicians could supply naloxone without prescription under government proposals The government has expanded on a previous consultation proposing to enable pharmacists to supply naloxone without a prescription.…
More than 300 people took overdose of propranolol in one year, report reveals In the UK, 318 patients took an intentional overdose of propranolol in 2022/2023, of which 12 people died.…
Can drug consumption rooms reduce drug-related harm? Even after the approval of a long-awaited pilot service allowing people to inject drugs under medical supervision, experts are still divided over the impact it will have on both drug users and communities.…
Scottish government to seek licences for street drug-checking facilities Exclusive: Elena Whitham, Scottish drugs and alcohol policy minister, said the government is working towards launching a pilot drug-checking scheme to support those affected by substance misuse.…
