Opioid analgesics

How pharmacists can help prevent an ‘opioid crisis’ developing in the UK

Pharmacy must demonstrate that it has the knowledge and skills to support people to use opiods safely and effectively.…

Ministers need to act more quickly over medicines shortages

If you want an example of the perverse twists and turns of the UK’s medicines supply market, just look at buprenorphine.…

Drug rehab services face ‘serious pressure’ after 500% increase in buprenorphine price

Opioid dependence services are likely to face “serious financial pressures” in the long term after the price of one of the most common treatments they use soared for the second time in a year, public health chiefs have warned.…

FDA announces review of opioid approval process

The US Food and Drug Administration has said it will review its approach to approvals of new opioid analgesics in light of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States.…

Health board reviews NHS prescribing of 15 medicines

A Scottish health board has confirmed that it will stop providing co-proxamol for NHS patients under any circumstances from October 2018 and it is reviewing its prescribing of 14 other medicinal products.…

Chief pharmaceutical officer expresses ‘regret’ for painful community pharmacy cuts

Exclusive: NHS England’s chief pharmaceutical officer has expressed his regret for the difficulty cuts to the community pharmacy budget have caused the profession, but insisted they should be regarded as a “watershed” moment for pharmacy.…

Regulator to review Gosport findings following inappropriate opioid painkiller doses

The pharmacy regulator will consider whether any action will be taken following the report into Gosport War Memorial Hospital.…

MHRA will continue to monitor safety of opioid patches after baby’s death

The risks associated with fentanyl patches have been reiterated by the UK’s drugs safety watchdog after a baby died when a patch worn by her mother became attached to her skin.…

New prescribing approach could reduce intravenous opioid exposure

A new standard of inpatient opioid prescribing preferring oral and subcutaneous administration may be associated with significant reductions in intravenous opioid exposure, results from a US study show.…

No evidence pharmacists challenged use of high-dose opioids, concludes review of 450 deaths

Pharmacists have been criticised for not questioning prescribing at Gosport War Memorial Hospital after an independent review found that at least 456 patients died after being given inappropriate doses of opioid painkillers.…