Healthcare informatics

Valproate in pregnancy reaches lowest level yet, data suggest

Sodium valproate prescriptions for women and girls aged 12 to 54 years have almost halved since measures were introduced to reduce prescribing in April 2018.…

Polypharmacy programme could have saved NHS more than £1m, report finds

The Health Innovation Network’s polypharmacy programme provided training and support to healthcare professionals to tackle overprescribing, as well as developing resources to improve communication with patients.…

NHS online pharmacy applications increase by more than 3,300% in month before market closure

Exclusive: The increase in distance-selling applications observed by NHS England is based on data from June 2025 compared with May 2025.…

RCGP and BMA urge government to put GP Connect rollout ‘on hold’

In a position statement, the two bodies' Joint GP IT Committee outlined three “necessary steps” that should be taken to ensure GP Connect is ready for use with Pharmacy First.…

More than 30,000 consultations have taken place in prescribing pathfinder pilots, says NHS England 

The group director of primary care at NHS England said early results from the ‘Independent prescribing pathfinder programme’ show that 97% of consultations have not required onward referral.…

Non-NHS provision of medicines: what are the issues?

As the government asks for evidence on private prescribing, concerns are being raised over the impact of the changing landscape and its impact on NHS medicines supply.…

Electronic prescription service fully rolled out to prisons

NHS England’s electronic prescription service will now allow digital prescriptions to be given to prisoners on their release.…

Assessing the suitability of antidepressant use during perimenopause

Perimenopause typically occurs during the decade leading up to menopause (with the average age of menopause in the UK being 51 years) and is associated with a range of physical and mental health symptoms. These symptoms are primarily caused by fluctuating hormone levels but are frequently misdiagnos…

Coroner issues warning after fatal penicillin treatment

The coroner’s report said hospital admission records showed no known drug allergies, despite the patient’s GP record stating an allergy to penicillin.…

Latest MEP reflects ‘growing complexity of pharmacy practice’

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s newest Medicines, Ethics and Practice is the professional guide for pharmacists’ 48th edition.…