Tackling prescription drug abuse There are signs that strategies to address prescription drug abuse are starting to work but will an increase in illegal drug use be the payoff?…
EMA recommends restrictions on codeine for children The European Medicines Agency is recommending that codeine-containing products used to treat coughs and colds should be banned for those aged under 12 years.…
Behind the scenes of medicines regulation Sir Michael Rawlins talks about how the MHRA intends to speed up approval of innovative medicines, involve pharmacists in reclassification and address drug shortages and trade in counterfeit medicines.…
NHS prescription charge system ‘profoundly unfair’, says RPS RPS criticises exemption criteria as survey finds healthcare professionals want reform.…
Older patients taking anticholinergic drugs are at risk of dementia People aged over 65 years who take some common over-the-counter or prescribed medicines for allergy, depression or an overactive bladder have an increased risk of developing dementia.…
Is it time to rethink the place of oral diclofenac? In light of the withdrawal of diclofenac from OTC sale in UK pharmacies over concerns about cardiovascular safety, it may be time to reconsider the role of the drug altogether.…
It shouldn’t be up to pharmacists to check prescription eligibility Expecting pharmacists to enforce the collection of prescription charges cannot be considered a professional duty.…
Risk of heart problems prompts removal of OTC diclofenac from UK pharmacy shelves Oral diclofenac tablets, used for short-term pain relief, will no longer be available as an over-the-counter pharmacy medicine in the UK.…
Anaesthetists campaign for pholcodine cough medicines to become prescription-only products Anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand are campaigning for pholcodine-containing cough medicines to become prescription-only products.…
2014: The Pharmaceutical Journal’s news in review Looking back at some of the biggest news stories from the past year. …
