Prescription-only medicines

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.…

Co-op to trial ‘Amazon Locker-style’ prescriptions service

The Co-operative Group is to trial what it says is the first click-and-collect ‘Amazon-style’ locker service for medicine prescriptions in the UK.…

Three NHS prescriptions for medical cannabis dispensed in the community

The NHS has confirmed that three prescriptions for medical cannabis were dispensed for use in primary care in January and February 2019.…

NHS patients owe £246m in unpaid penalties for prescription charge exemption errors

NHS patients have accrued a total debt of £246m in unpaid penalty fees for incorrectly claiming free NHS prescriptions, the National Audit Office has said.…

Cost of prescriptions dispensed in community falls for third year running

The cost of prescriptions dispensed in the community in England has decreased by nearly 4%, which represents the largest fall in three years, according to figures published by NHS Digital.…