Research and evaluation

Tirzepatide more effective in blood sugar control and weight loss than semaglutide, meta-analysis finds

Analysis of 22 studies revealed that tirzepatide was more effective in reducing body weight than semaglutide at all respective doses.…

Nine pharmacies in one city to offer contraception initiation service following successful pilot

The pharmacies will be offering tier 2 of the Community Pharmacy Contraception Service pilot scheme, allowing pharmacists to initiate the oral contraceptive pill without a patient needing to see a GP.…

E-cigarettes associated with greatest chance of smoking cessation, suggests Cochrane review

The review revealed that 10–19% of people were likely to quit smoking using an e-cigarette, 12–16% using varenicline and 10–18% using cytisine.…

Filling the gap in smoking cessation therapies: a race to a smoke-free 2030

Nicotine replacement therapy is currently the only pharmacological treatment available in the UK to help tobacco smokers quit, but this is set to change.…

NICE recommends tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes in final draft guidance

Following additional analyses and modelling of clinical and cost effectiveness, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes mellitus.…

NSAIDs used alongside hormonal contraception increase risk of blood clots, research suggests

Researchers concluded that the absolute risk of a venous thromboembolic event remains low in concomitant use of hormonal contraception and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.…

Projects awarded £5m funding for AI and drone technology to tackle UK drug deaths

The funding will be used to develop prototype technologies to detect drug overdoses and deliver antidotes.…

Clopidogrel may be less effective in British South Asian patients, study results suggest

The study authors concluded that non-CYP2C19-dependent antiplatelet agents would likely have a "disproportionate benefit" in the British South Asian population.…

Protecting our children’s future from global health threats

The pick of the latest academic papers from Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.…

Government launches ‘ambitious’ asymptomatic mpox transmission study

Results of the PRIME study will be used to inform the public health outbreak response to mpox, including future vaccination and testing strategies.…