Medicines management

MPs call for more patient input to address UK’s medicines shortages problem

A report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy has called for the creation of a national patient advisory panel on medicines shortages.…

Hospice UK calls for national standard in community pharmacy palliative care

The report has also identified opportunities to “strengthen education and training in palliative care and bereavement support for rural pharmacists”.…

Invitations, leaflets and animations could improve engagement with structured medication reviews

Half of primary care network teams surveyed by the Health Information Network said that patient-facing resources helped patients prepare for structured medication reviews.…

Pharmacists cut medication errors and costs on diabetes and endocrinology wards, study results show

The number of reported medication incidents decreased by 100% during the eight-week study period.…

Continuity of care and reducing risk during transitions of care

This article considers the evidence of interventions to reduce risk during transitions of care and explains best practice for pharmacy teams.…

NICE recommends cladribine for treating active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis

Cladribine (Mavenclad; Merck) is recommended for treating active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in adults when high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies would be offered.…

Stimulant and non-stimulant agents for ADHD

This medication guide details the different types of treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for both adults and children.…

Genetic testing could prevent three-quarters of avoidable side effects of some medicines, study suggests

Researchers found that patients experiencing adverse drug reactions to treatments for psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular problems could benefit the most from personalised prescribing with pharmacogenomics.…

BMI should be recorded annually for people with long-term conditions, says NICE

The draft quality standard on overweight and obesity management also advises healthcare professionals to seek permission in a sensitive, non-judgemental way before discussing weight.…

NHS launches ‘game-changing’ guide to tackle problematic polypharmacy

‘The mechanics of tackling overprescribing and problematic polypharmacy’ is aimed to provide “practical, evidence-based strategies” to cut overprescribing.…