England

E-cigarette use increases as cigarette smoking falls, report reveals

The proportion of cigarette smokers in England fell from 14.9% in 2017 to 14.4% in 2018, according to annual figures published by NHS Digital.…

Opioids in England: crisis averted?

Despite a 20% increase in opioid prescriptions per 1,000 population over the past decade, there are signs that a US-style opioid epidemic may have been averted.…

Dame Sally Davies to be first UK special envoy on AMR

England’s outgoing chief medical officer has been appointed as the UK’s first special envoy on antimicrobial resistance.…

Around 20 million GP appointments could be transferred to community pharmacy, says NHS England primary care boss

More than 20 million GP appointments could be transferred to community pharmacy through the GP Digital Minor Illness Referral Service (DMIRS) each year, NHS England’s director of primary care strategy has said.…

Claire Anderson elected as chair of English Pharmacy Board

Claire Anderson, professor of social pharmacy at the University of Nottingham, has been elected to chair the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board.…

Reunion for the University of Manchester pharmacy class of 1979

A group of graduates of the University of Manchester pharmacy class of 1979 are planning a reunion weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our graduation and share memories of Manchester; stories of our lives, families, and careers; and plans for retirement. The reunion will take place on…

Prescribers struggle with opening discussions on lowering opioid use, survey finds

Many prescribers are concerned about starting discussions with patients on lowering their use of opioids, a medicines optimisation research team from the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia has found.…

NHS England fails to fill 240 pharmacy posts in care homes by March 2019 deadline

NHS England has recruited just over 200 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to work in care homes, despite suggesting that 240 roles would be filled by March 2019.…

Pharmacists to identify AF patients at risk of stroke in £9m NHS England programme

Specialist pharmacists across 23 areas in England will help to identify patients with atrial fibrillation who are at risk of stroke and could benefit from medication, under a £9m programme announced by NHS England.…

Depression under-recognised in older adults during acute hospital stays

Diagnosis of depression is infrequently recorded on older adults’ patient notes, a survey of 27 acute hospitals across England has shown.…