Ethics and bioethics

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.…

Smart drugs mean society loses out

Having read the article by Justin Thomas on the emerging use of ‘smart drugs’ ( The Pharmaceutical Journal 2015;295:244) I was somewhat concerned by his final statement: “And, if the long-term effects are beneficial, then there is no reason to stop people using the…

Healthcare professionals support openness around industry payments

Most healthcare professionals believe payments made to them from the pharmaceutical industry should be transparent, according to the results of a survey.…

Genetically engineering humans: a step too far?

Among scientists and health professionals there are differing opinions on how far we should take genetic engineering. Robert Sparrow and Glenn Cohen discuss the merits and dangers of using this technology beyond disease treatment and prevention.…

The genius is out of the bottle: smart drugs are here to stay

More research is needed into the long-term effects of modafinil and, if proven safe, it deserves the same level of acceptance as caffeine.…

NHS staff will have contractual obligation to declare perks, says Hunt

All NHS staff will have to declare any gift or hospitality from the pharmaceutical industry as part of their employment contract from 2016, in a clampdown on accepting perks announced by health secretary Jeremy Hunt.…

NHS England launches investigation into drug company payments

NHS England has launched an investigation into “extremely serious allegations” made in a Daily Telegraph report that highlights the practice of health officials being paid to advise pharmaceutical companies on the NHS use of their products.…

High Court rules against Health Research Authority in clinical trial transparency case

A judicial review against the Health Research Authority, challenging the steps it took to monitor the registration of clinical trials, has been upheld by a High Court judge.…

Black patients with Alzheimer’s disease more likely to have mixed pathology

Alzheimer’s disease is not well-studied in black patients and researchers say that specific treatment strategies may be needed.…

RPS publishes updated version of MEP guide for pharmacists

Medicines, Ethics and Practice 39 includes guidance to reflect latest changes to legislation and standards.…