Pharmaceutics

Community pharmacy staff take flexible approach to SOPs, study finds

Community pharmacy staff members are often flexible with their adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), interviews with community pharmacy employees has revealed. …

RPS publishes updated guidance for prescribers of pharmaceutical specials

The RPS has published updated professional guidance for the prescribers of pharmaceutical specials …

WHO guideline offers advice for when child-friendly medicines are unavailable

The first-ever global guideline governing the prescribing and supply of children’s medicines when no authorised product exists has been developed by the World Health Organization and the International Pharmaceutical Federation.…

Counterfeit medicines are a growing threat to global health, WHO meeting hears

Substandard and counterfeit medicines pose a growing threat to global health and greater global efforts are needed to counter the problem, experts have warned at an international forum.  …

Patients offered guidance on delivery of specific medicines through enteral tubes

A series of guides for patients and carers on giving specific medicines through enteral feeding tubes has been launched.…

NICE issues guidance to improve controlled drug safety

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a guideline on the management of controlled drugs.…

Advanced therapy medicinal products present challenges for pharmacists

Few pharmacists have experience handling advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) — medicines based on genes, cells or tissue engineering — but the field is likely to grow and presents special challenges for pharmacists.…

Compact machine produces drugs “on demand”

Researchers have developed a machine the size of a refrigerator that can synthesise multiple drugs from start to finish, reporting details of their work in Science.…

EMA launches Priority Medicines Scheme

A new initiative to support drug companies developing therapies with the potential to address unmet medical needs and bring them to market more quickly has been launched by the European Medicines Agency.…

FDA announces sweeping review of policies related to opioid drugs

The US Food and Drug Administration has launched a review into its policies involving opioid drugs, prompted by figures showing that overdose from an opioid drug is now the leading cause of death by injury in the United States.…