One in ten patients modify their medication to overcome swallowing difficulties In a survey of customers at five community pharmacies in Australia, 10.6% of respondents admitted to modifying their medication.…
Meta-analysis casts doubt over first-line paracetamol use for back pain and osteoarthritis A meta-analysis published in The BMJ has cast doubt on the use of paracetamol as the first-line analgesic for spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.…
Indian government stands up to EMA over licence suspensionsThe Indian government has come to the defence of GVK Biosciences, the company at the centre of allegations of flawed data used to support the licensing of generic drugs.…
Prescription items dispensed in the community in England top 1 billionThe number of prescription medicines dispensed in the community in England reached 1.1 billion in 2014 and costs rose to £8.9bn, an increase of 3% compared with 2013.…
Call for European infrastructure to improve patient safety Hospital pharmacists should play a central role in increasing the governance of medicines and in reporting and learning from incidents, according to David Cousins, an expert in medication safety.…
Using a mummy as a medicine Different types of mummy could be used to make tincture, treacle, elixir or balsam, which could, in turn, be used for treating different types of affliction.…
Review of data casts doubt on use of paracetamol for back pain and osteoarthritis A meta-analysis published in The BMJ casts doubt on the use of paracetamol in spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.…
Jury still out on risk of heart failure from glucose lowering drugs Clinicians have questioned trial data which indicate that glucose lowering drugs might increase the risk of heart failure.…
Untapped cost-efficiencies are a barrier to drugs access ‘in Europe and beyond’, says WHO A lack of collaboration and pharmacoeconomic analysis is hampering processes aimed at ensuring sustainable access to new drugs in Europe, says the World Health Organization.…
Linaclotide, lubiprostone and prucalopride interactions How to avoid potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions with the latest medicines for managing constipation.…