Pharmaceutical preparations

Delayed market entry for generic buprenorphine patches could have cost NHS £500,000, study concludes

Patent protection strategies that delayed the entry of multiple generic buprenorphine patches into the market in 2016 potentially resulted in £500,000 worth of savings being lost to the NHS.…

DHSC to reform Category M reimbursement prices by April 2020

The government has proposed adjusting Category M drug reimbursement prices to ensure that pharmacy contractors are receiving equitable access to the medicines margin.…

Majority of patients not asked for consent before being switched to a biosimilar, survey finds

Less than half of patients (47%) were asked for their consent before being switched to an adalimumab biosimilar, according to the preliminary results of a patient survey carried out by the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society.…

Alzheimer’s drug reduces illicit opioid use in methadone recipients

People who take methadone use fewer illicit opioids when galantamine is added to their therapy, research shows.…

NHS pays twice the price for generic medicines that manufacturers charge, finds report

The NHS is paying double the initial cost to wholesalers for Category M generic drugs, according to a report commissioned by the British Generic Manufacturers Association, the trade body representing generics manufacturers.…

Esketamine nasal spray effective for rapid improvement of depressive symptoms

The ketamine-related nasal spray esketamine is effective at relieving the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, a phase III study has shown.…

Dulaglutide injection reduces risk of cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus by 12%

A weekly dulaglutide injection in addition to existing medication reduces the risk of cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, compared with placebo, a study published in The Lancet has found.…

Reducing the impact of asthma treatment on climate change

In April 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a patient decision aid for inhaler choice in asthma treatment, including comparisons of the devices’ environmental impact as well as usual clinical considerations[1] . The aid suggests taking inhalers’ carbon f…

NHS savings from adalimumab biologic switching hit earlier than expected

The NHS will make financial savings from switching to biosimilar versions of adalimumab earlier than originally anticipated, according to NHS England’s regional pharmacist for the south of England.…

Breath of fresh air: why it is time for a national drive to recycle used inhalers

Every single one of us should be making changes to our living habits to ensure we reduce our carbon footprint, and the way we use and dispose of inhalers is no exception.…