Haematologic agents

Improving safety of warfarin prescribing and administration using clinical decision support

There are several benefits of electronic prescribing and medication administration (EPMA) systems, including the ability to support the reduction in medication omission errors​[1,2]​. Researchers suggest that medication administration errors account for ju…

Statin alternative may be as effective in cutting risk of heart attack and stroke, shows research

Researchers say it was not known until now that bempedoic acid offered cardiovascular benefit, as well as lowering LDL-C.…

Drug for inherited blood clotting does not cut risk of miscarriage, study reveals

The rate of live births for women with inherited thrombophilia and recurrent miscarriage was almost the same, whether they were assigned to receive heparin and standard care or standard care only.…

Fewer than one in ten patients carry anticoagulation safety card

The findings of the latest community pharmacy oral anticoagulant safety audit have prompted NHS England to propose the creation of a digital version of the yellow cards for smartphones.…

Hyponatraemia: clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment

Hyponatraemia is a common presentation in emergency, acute and critical care. Learn the signs, symptoms and tests needed to diagnose and treat it.…

Should all adults be considered for statin therapy?

A closer look at the arguments for and against the latest changes to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for statin therapy.…

Supporting patients on new direct oral anticoagulant medicines

With the advancement of direct oral anticoagulants, more patients are able to benefit from anticoagulation. This article explains the importance of regular monitoring and how pharmacists can provide long-term support for patients receiving these medicines.…

Statins ‘rarely’ cause muscle pain in patients, find researchers

Results of a study looking at whether statins cause muscle problems showed only a 3% increased relative risk of muscle problems in people taking statins compared with placebo.…

Some patients switched to edoxaban without being properly informed, pharmacists say

Exclusive: Primary care pharmacists have revealed that patients are being switched to edoxaban without being informed or when it is not clinically appropriate.…

Statins should not be stopped in older people owing to their benefits, say researchers

People with lower cardiovascular disease risk who stopped taking statins aged 80 years lost 73% of their potential benefit if they took them for the rest of their lives, a modelling study has suggested.…