Safety warnings

MHRA seeking views on the safety of sodium valproate prescribing

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's findings will inform discussions of the Commission on Human Medicines.…

Pharmacy regulator investigated eight complaints about sodium valproate dispensing

The complaints were raised by a charity that supports women who have taken sodium valproate while pregnant.…

Government advisory body on controlled drugs reviewing safety of liquid morphine

Exclusive: Following the receipt of two regulation 28 notices, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' technical committee is reviewing information on serious patient safety incidents involving morphine oral solutions.…

Patients must be warned not to swallow betamethasone soluble tablets

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. The use of betamethasone 500 microgram soluble tablets as a mouthwash is referenced in national guidance sources as a treatment for ora…

Some antiepileptic drugs are safer than others for use during pregnancy, MHRA review concludes

Two antiepileptic drugs, lamotrigine and levetiracetam, are safer to take in pregnancy than others, a safety review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has found.…

Valproate for treatment of bipolar disorder to be ‘reconsidered’ by MHRA

The use of valproate in the treatment of bipolar disorder in women who can have children is to be “reconsidered” by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.…

Understanding dispensing errors and risk

As prescription numbers continue to increase, it is necessary to understand the dispensing errors that can occur and how they may happen. …

Unsafe methotrexate prescribing remains common in England, study finds

Unsafe methotrexate prescribing has gradually reduced but is still common, with substantial variation between general practices in England, a study in the British Journal of General Practice has found.…

People taking medication warned not to use CBD products

People taking any medication, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, should not consume cannabidiol products which are sold as food supplements, safety guidance published by the Food Standards Agency has said.…

EMA committee recommends caution in use of tofacitinib owing to increased risk of blood clots

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has endorsed recommendations that tofacitinib could increase the risk of blood clots in the lungs and should be used with caution in all patients already at high risk.…