Prescription-only medicines

Prescription charge frozen for the first time in more than a decade

Edward Argar, the health minister, said the prescription charge in England will not increase on 1 April 2022.…

Government proposes raising qualifying age for free NHS prescriptions to 66 years

The government has proposed raising the upper age exemption for prescriptions in England to generate additional revenue for the NHS.…

Medication in contemporary music: what precisely are our patients listening to?

Contrary to popular belief, modern music often references legitimate medications, as well as illegal substances — understanding societal beliefs around drugs can help us help our patients.…

Revised prescription forms with Universal Credit tick box to be introduced

Pharmacists can expect to see new FP10 prescription forms from the end of January 2020.…

Melatonin should not be available through NHS for treatment of jet lag, experts say

Melatonin for the treatment of jet lag should be added to the list of drugs that should not be paid for by the NHS, an expert drug review published in Drug and Therapeutic Bulletin has concluded.…

Labour government would axe prescription charges, says shadow health secretary

A Labour government “will abolish all prescription charges” if the party wins power at the next general election, the shadow health secretary has said.…

NHS BSA overturns more than 20,000 prescription penalty notices after patients are found to have already paid

The number of penalty notices issued for fraudulently claiming free prescriptions that have been overturned increased to more than 20,000 in 2018/2019 because these patients had paid for their prescriptions.…

Drug manufacturer offers to pay NHS £8m to resolve CMA allegations of anti-competitive behaviour

A drug manufacturer has offered to pay the NHS £8m to resolve concerns around allegations of anti-competitive behaviour over the supply of a prescription drug.…

Is a complete ban on OTC opioids the solution?

Misuse of over-the-counter opioids often slips under the radar. Some experts say the UK should follow other countries and ban them altogether, but others argue that there is more that pharmacists can do to help tackle this problem.…

How pharmacists can reduce deaths from opioid misuse

The Pharmacist’s Guide to Opioid Use Disorders, edited by Merrill Norton.…