Research and evaluation

Polypill with aspirin cuts heart attacks and strokes by almost a third, study suggests

A polypill combining three blood pressure medicines and a statin, taken with aspirin, reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events occurring in at-risk groups by more than 30%, research has suggested.…

Inhaled corticosteroid added to COVID-19 PRINCIPLE trial

Budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid, is the latest drug to be investigated as a treatment for COVID-19 patients who are not in hospital.…

IV antibiotics no more effective than oral for eradicating infection in cystic fibrosis patients, study suggests

Intravenous antibiotics are not superior to oral antibiotics for eradicating Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients, according to a randomised controlled trial in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.…

Guidance on off-label use of tocilizumab for UK COVID-19 patients published

A UK-wide position statement to support off-label prescribing and access to tocilizumab, administered intravenously, for eligible COVID-19 patients in intensive care has been published.…

Pharmacies must be at the forefront of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign

It will not be easy to deliver the huge COVID-19 vaccination programme, but there is no doubt that the profession can step up to the challenge, with community pharmacy playing a vital role.…

Early trial results suggest tocilizumab significantly improves outcomes for critically ill COVID-19 patients

The rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab significantly improves outcomes for critically ill patients with severe COVID-19, early findings from the Randomised, Embedded, Multi-factorial, Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia have suggested.…

Provision of progestogen-only pill with emergency contraception in community pharmacy improves ongoing contraception use

Community pharmacy provision of the progestogen-only pill, and the offer of rapid access to a sexual and reproductive health clinic along with emergency contraception, was associated with a 20% increase in use of effective contraception.…

All pharmacists should consider a research fellowship

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author’s. If you would like to submit a letter to The Pharmaceutical Journal, please click here. We like to think that the way healthcare is delivered in the UK, including the services we provide as pharmacists, is based on …

Patients’ perspectives on polypharmacy are highly personal, systematic review concludes

Healthcare professionals should actively seek to understand individual patients’ perspectives on polypharmacy and its challenges, research in BMJ Open has concluded.…

Fremanezumab safe and effective for preventing migraine over longer term, study suggests

Patients with migraine continue to benefit from preventive treatment with fremanezumab over the longer term, with sustained reductions in monthly migraine and headache days, a study in Neurology has suggested.…