Drug legal status

Pharmacists can help put an end to illicit drug deaths by being at the centre of a new non-medical use market

Providing currently prohibited drugs through pharmacists in state-run pharmacies sounds like a radical idea, but it could be a way of improving prospects for users.…

Medical cannabis has yet to live up to the hype

Two years since legalisation, prescribers need convincing that medical cannabis is an effective therapy option.…

One in ten hospital trusts have been asked to approve unlicensed cannabis-based medicinal prescriptions

Around 10% of hospital trusts have received requests for prescriptions of unlicensed cannabis-based medical products.…

Medication in contemporary music: what precisely are our patients listening to?

Contrary to popular belief, modern music often references legitimate medications, as well as illegal substances — understanding societal beliefs around drugs can help us help our patients.…

Restrictions on OTC prescribing have saved less than a third of the money that NHS England forecast

NHS England has saved an estimated £32m since restrictions on prescribing items that are available over the counter were introduced in March 2018, it has emerged.…

Community pharmacy included in Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce £4m funding package

The Scottish government money will go to Scotland’s Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and ten research projects.…

Emergency contraception sales fall by more than 50% as pandemic causes ‘disruption’ to sexual health services

Sales of the morning after pill dropped by more than 50% between March 2020 and April 2020, according to retail data provider IRI.…

Community pharmacies to use volunteers for patient medication deliveries

Community pharmacies will be asked to make use of NHS England’s ‘volunteer army’ to deliver medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England has said.…

Government allows bulk import and storage of medical cannabis

The government has announced that licensed medicines wholesalers will be able to hold reserve stocks of medical cannabis, effective immediately.…

Codeine should not be available over the counter, says chair of opioid expert working group

Low-dose codeine should no longer be available to buy over the counter, the chair of the UK’s Commission on Human Medicines opioid expert working group has said.…