Cystic fibrosis combination therapy cuts chronic medication use Researchers reported that patients who were given Kaftrio (elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor; Vertex) reduced their use of 4 respiratory therapies after 54 months.…
Health news round-up: new biosimilars, vaccine effectiveness and supporting patients ageing with HIV A weekly summary of important developments in health news that you may have missed.…
NHS prescription charges frozen for second year in a row The cost of three-month and annual prescription prepayment certificates will also be frozen for the 2026/2027 financial year.…
Will new hub-and-spoke legislation change anything for pharmacies on the ground? As the government trials a new model for hub-and-spoke dispensing, experts have voiced concerns that it will only be the larger community pharmacy players that will benefit in practice.…
Behavioural self-assessment tool can encourage medicines adherence The ‘Social, Psychological, Usage and Rational’ tool measures the medicines non-adherence risk of patients by analysing social, psychological, usage and rational drivers.…
PJ view: The government’s approach to illegal street drugs should focus on treatment and prevention While the first drug-checking service has now been approved in Scotland, where the only safe drug consumption room is located, the government has reiterated that there are no plans to expand these across the UK.…
How will a single national formulary change medicines provision? The NHS ten-year plan, published in July 2025, includes the intention to create a single national formulary within two years. But what would a national formulary do and what difference would it make to patients?…
HRT prescribing increases by 370% in past decade Data from the NHS Business Services Authority also show that in 2024/2025, the number of patients who were prescribed hormone replacement therapy almost tripled compared to 2015/2016.…
What will changes to the new medicine service mean for pharmacists and patients? With recent changes to its scope to include antidepressants, new payment structures and the use of subcontractors, The Pharmaceutical Journal examines how successful the new medicine service has been and how it should evolve to meet future demand.…
First street drug-checking service approved in Scotland Users of the service — to open at the site where ‘The Thistle’ drug consumption room is located — will be able to submit drugs for testing and receive harm-reduction advice alongside the results.…
