NHS prepayment certificates may have saved patients nearly £500m in prescription costs The NHS Business Services Authority's experimental analysis of data from 2024/2025 also revealed that prescriptions could have cost patients more than £800m in charges if they did not use a prepayment certificate.…
NHS England recommends extension of drug to treat non-metastatic prostate cancer A new NHS clinical commissioning policy has given permission for abiraterone acetate to be prescribed off-label to men with high-risk, hormone sensitive, non-metastatic cancer.…
NICE recommends treatment that could help 30,000 people with COPD Guidance says dupilumab can be offered as an add-on maintenance treatment for adults with uncontrolled COPD.…
Community pharmacies face ‘economic peril’, CPE warns government In an “uncompromising” letter, Community Pharmacy England said negotiations for the next pharmacy contract must close the funding gap for the sector.…
Health news round-up: vaccinations off-site, child health and medicines shortages A weekly summary of important developments in health news that you may have missed.…
From dispensing to research: a new service opportunity for community pharmacy Community pharmacy practice in the UK is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. With the successful rollout of minor ailment services in all UK nations, the expansion of independent prescribing and the delivery of advanced clinical services — key pillars of the N…
NICE approves twice-yearly infusion that ‘significantly outperforms’ usual treatments for severe lupus Guidance says obinutuzumab, taken with daily immunosuppressant tablet mycophenolate mofetil, could benefit around 12,000 people in England.…
MPs push for more details on VPAG and NICE threshold changes The House of Commons Science Innovation and Technology Committee has asked the government for further clarification on what investment it plans to make into the ‘Voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth’.…
Almost 90% of pharmacies report abuse from ineligible COVID-19 vaccination patients, survey reveals The National Pharmacy Association survey of 450 pharmacies in England found that “at least half” of the average pharmacy's COVID-19 vaccination appointments were made by ineligible people.…
NHS urges sector to take advantage of AI scribes NHS England says ambient voice technologies could save clinicians two to three minutes for each patient by generating a transcript and clinical summary of consultations.…
