Public health

Pharmacy teams regularly choose not to supply OTC drugs

Community pharmacy teams regularly choose not to fulfil customers’ requests for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, offering health advice or signposting them to other services instead, a study by Pharmacy Voice has revealed.…

Pharmacy research gets £300,000 boost

Grants worth a total of £300,000 a year to fund research into the potential of pharmacy to help patients and boost public health has been announced by the charity Pharmacy Research UK (PRUK).  Pharmacists or pharmacy organisations have until 26 September 2016 to apply for a max…

Cancer overtakes heart disease as biggest killer in many European countries

Although cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer worldwide, cancer is now the main cause of death in many European countries.…

NHS England may commission PrEP for HIV if its appeal fails

NHS England has set out how it plans to commission pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV if it fails in its bid to overturn a High Court ruling that says commissioning the treatment does fall within its powers. …

Community pharmacy helps diagnose people with hepatitis C infection, study shows

Community pharmacists have the potential to identify people with undiagnosed hepatitis C infection, according to research published in Clinical Pharmacist.…

Canadian data suggest community pharmacies improve flu vaccine uptake

Influenza vaccination rates are modestly higher in provinces where the vaccinations can be provided by pharmacists, research conducted in Canada shows.…

Cases of Zika virus infection detected in Scotland

Five people in Scotland have been diagnosed with Zika virus infection, the Scottish government has confirmed.…

High Court says NHS England was wrong to say it could not fund PrEP

A High Court judge has ruled that NHS England was wrong to decide that it cannot fund a “game changing” drug that can prevent HIV infection.…

Pharmacy smoking cessation advisers feel underpaid and ill-prepared

Smoking cessation advisers report a lack of interpersonal skills to deal with smokers and say they are not paid enough by the NHS to provide the service.…

Andrew Evans appointed chief pharmaceutical officer for Wales

Andrew Evans has been appointed the new chief pharmaceutical officer for Wales, the Welsh Government has announced.…