Immune system diseases

Patients paying up to £6 more for hay fever prescriptions rather than buying OTC

Patients in England paid for more than 180,000 prescriptions for hay fever remedies in 2016 and 2017, despite them being available much more cheaply over-the-counter, according to data obtained by MoneySavingExpert.…

Can omega-3-rich fish oil supplements reduce allergy risk in infants?

Results from a meta-analysis show that a mother’s fish oil supplementation during pregnancy may reduce allergy in her children, but the exact benefits of this supplement – and many others – are yet to be determined.…

Fish oil and probiotic supplements during pregnancy may reduce infant risk of allergic disease

A systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal diets has shown that probiotic and fish oil supplements reduce infant risk of eczema and egg allergy.…

Huge variation in gluten-free prescribing across England, new research finds

Prescribing of gluten-free products varies substantially across primary care in England, according to a new study published in BMJ Open.…

OTC antihistamines could be linked to infertility in men

Over-the-counter antihistamines could be linked to impaired fertility in men, a study using animal research suggests.…

Gluten-free prescribing limited to bread and flour mixes

Patients who are allergic to gluten will now only be able to be prescribed gluten-free bread and flour mixes…

Combined oral immunotherapy shows lasting effect against peanut allergy four years later

In a report of the long-term outcomes of probiotics plus peanut oral immunotherapy, more than half of study participants were able to continue eating peanuts up to four years later.…

All schools can now purchase emergency adrenaline auto-injectors without prescription

Following a change in the law, all schools in the UK can now purchase adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) devices from their local pharmacy without a prescription for emergency use on children at risk of anaphylaxis who do not have access to a working device.…

FDA allows claim that peanut for very young children could prevent allergy

US food manufacturers will, for the first time, be allowed make the health claim that their product could help to prevent peanut allergies in babies and young children.…

Nasonex to be made available without prescription

Nasonex, a mometasone furoate nasal spray, is to be made available over the counter in pharmacies without prescription, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced.…