GlaxoSmithKline revises colour and labelling of Relvar Ellipta inhaler GlaxoSmithKline is changing the colour of its Relvar Ellipta inhaler from blue to yellow after respiratory health professionals warned that patients could be confused.…
Malaria deaths fall by 47% globally between 2000 and 2013, WHO says Malaria mortality rates decreased by 47% worldwide between 2000 and 2013, and case incidence fell by 30%, a World Health Organization report says.…
Pregnant women warned not to stop taking prescribed drugs without medical advice Two-thirds of maternal deaths are due to an unrelated medical or mental health condition which has not been well-controlled rather than from a complication of pregnancy, says a new report.…
Survey suggests US doctors are changing their prescribing habits for opioid drugsMany primary care physicians are less likely to prescribe opioids now than a year ago, according to a survey of US doctors.…
Electronic sharing of hospital discharge information moves closer in Wales Some community pharmacies in Wales will be able to receive electronic discharge information from hospitals from March 2015.…
EMA says flu vaccine is safe after deaths in ItalyThere is no evidence that Novartis’s Fluad is unsafe, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) says, after 13 deaths in Italy were reported as being associated with the influenza vaccine.…
DNA test kit offers consumers the chance to predict response to drugs A personal DNA screening test kit that claims to identify genetic risk for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease — and which was banned in the United States — is now available in the UK.…
GPs should conduct C-reactive protein tests before prescribing antibiotics to treat pneumonia The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that GPs should conduct a C-reactive protein test if it is unclear whether a patient has pneumonia to ensure antibiotics are only prescribed when necessary.…
Pharmacy flu vaccinations increase in Wales Nearly 8,000 people were vaccinated against influenza at Welsh pharmacies in 2013–2014, according to data published by the Welsh Government.…
Time to fast-track the fight against HIVThere are considerable challenges to address if global HIV/AIDS aspirations are to be accelerated.…