Ethics and bioethics

Standards for pharmacy professionals modernised

The General Pharmaceutical Council has rewritten its standards for pharmacy professionals, with the aim of providing the regulatory framework required for the evolving roles and working practices of the profession.…

New ‘sunshine rules’ for NHS staff and service providers

NHS staff will have to disclose all gifts and hospitality received from companies that deliver, or could deliver, services to the NHS under measures announced by NHS England to boost public confidence and protect taxpayers’ funds.…

Doctors who take drug company payments prescribe more branded drugs

Doctors who accept payments from pharmaceutical companies write more prescriptions for branded drugs than those who don’t, according to a report.…

Cardiovascular safety of naltrexone-bupropion combination remains uncertain after termination of trial

Researchers have highlighted the importance of data confidentiality during clinical trials after they were forced to abandon their study when interim findings were made public.…

Shining a light on drug company payments to healthcare professionals

From 2016 the UK public will be able to find out whether their doctor receives payments from drug companies – but is disclosure a good thing?…

Understanding pharmacy practice in the UK and beyond

‘Pharmacy practice 2nd edition’, by Geoffrey Harding and Kevin Taylor.…

Drug company’s advisory board meeting ‘breached industry code’

A UK pharmaceutical company’s “unacceptable” advisory board meeting, highlighted in a series of Daily Telegraph articles in July 2015, breached the industry’s code of practice, the regulator has ruled.…

Clinical trial disclosures for new drugs are below legal and ethical standards, find researchers

Clinical trial disclosures for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration fail to meet both the legal and ethical standards expected, according to research published in BMJ Open on 16 November 2015. …

RPS to review membership following Pharmacy2U investigation

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will review the membership of any RPS members found guilty of wrongdoing or who have been the subject of a complaint.…

Pharmacy2U fined £130,000 for selling patient data

The online pharmacy company Pharmacy2U has been fined £130,000 for selling details of more than 20,000 of its customers to marketing companies without their knowledge or consent.…