Nervous system diseases

UK government rules out appointment of valproate tsar

Health minister Preet Kaur Gill confirmed in a parliamentary answer that the Department of Health and Social Care “does not at present intend to appoint a senior team or a tsar in relation to those affected by sodium valproate”.…

Health news round-up: immunotherapy for depression, PCOS to PMOS, and clopidogrel for East Asian patients

The Pharmaceutical Journal’s weekly summary of the important developments in pharmacy and health news you may have missed.…

Study authors suggest optimal dosing for different ADHD medications

Despite concerns about subtherapeutic prescribing, researchers said the dose–effect relationships of all ADHD medications and age groups had “not been comprehensively assessed” prior to their study.…

CCA calls for migraine to be added to Pharmacy First

A Company Chemists' Association and Pfizer UK report says that 1.25 million patients could be treated annually if the extra clinical pathway was added.…

Health news round-up: paternal health, clozapine guideline and news from the European Congress on Obesity

Our weekly summary of the important developments in pharmacy and health news you may have missed.…

No increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children of fathers using valproate

In a review of previous studies, researchers examined the paternal use of valproate with lamotrigine or levetiracetam and their effects on offspring.…

Psychiatric and sexual dysfunction warnings strengthened for finasteride and dutasteride

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said it had reviewed evidence for both drugs and recommended the further measures to minimise risks to patients.…

Health news round-up: tobacco and vapes bill, unlicensed emergency medicine and GLP-1s in pregnancy

Our weekly summary of the important developments in pharmacy and health news you may have missed.…

NICE recommends monoclonal antibody for generalised myasthenia gravis

Rozanolixizumab has been approved for patients with generalised myasthenia gravis who tested positive for acetylcholine receptor or muscle-specific kinase antibodies and who still have poorly controlled symptoms after standard treatments.…

Antidepressant recalled after pack found to contain wrong drug

A class two recall notice said that pharmacy teams should immediately stop supplying the affected batch of sertraline, quarantine all remaining stock and return it to the supplier.…