Pharmaceutical industry

Weight-loss drugs among £45m of illegally traded medicines seized in 2025

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency figures show that more than 5,000 glucagon-like peptide-1 products were seized in 2025.…

Everything you need to know about PrEP provision in community pharmacy

Provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis is increasing across the UK and it has been shown to be highly effective. But why has there been so little progress on the long called-for expansion to provide the drugs via community pharmacy?…

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.…

Concerns raised that pharmacists in Scotland may not be able to opt out of assisted dying process

Scottish shadow health secretary Sandesh Gulhane has expressed concerns that protections for Scottish pharmacists could be weakened without an opt-out model for the Assisted Dying (Terminally Ill Adults) Bill.…

Aspirin added to list of medicines that cannot be exported from UK or hoarded

The list contains medicines that have evidence or risk of critical shortages, which could adversely impact UK patients.…

Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists recommends ‘ring-fencing’ diamorphine stock amid supply issues

Medicine supply alerts sent in December 2025 and January 2026 have requested that prescribers switch to morphine sulphate 10mg/1mL injections, where possible.…

Higher-dose Wegovy could increase patient expectation, warns PDA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved a 7.2mg dose of Wegovy after the higher dose showed success in clinical trial patients.…

Clinical trial applications increased by almost 10% in 2025, MHRA data show

Between January and November 2025, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency reported a 16% increase in trials involving healthy volunteers compared with the previous year.…

Pharmacy2U recorded 64% increase in prescriptions dispensed over one year, filings show

Online pharmacy Pharmacy2U saw its revenue increase by 68% to £334m during 2024/2025, but it made a £5.7m pre-tax loss during the financial year.…

Addiction warnings on opioid and z-drug packaging to be strengthened

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that patient information leaflets for gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines and z-drugs will include clearer definitions of dependence and addiction.…