Substance-related disorders

Legislation enabling pharmacy professionals to supply take-home naloxone comes into force

The decision to expand the list of healthcare professionals authorised to supply take-home naloxone aims to address the problem of opioid-related deaths making up the largest proportion of drug-related deaths in the UK.…

Smoking cessation drug to be provided on NHS three years after its withdrawal over carcinogen concerns

NHS England says generic varenicline could help more than 85,000 people stop smoking each year.…

Government-funded trial will test psilocybin as treatment for opioid use disorder

The project is one of four funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research aimed at cutting harm from illegal drugs.…

Introducing a new quality-focused supervised consumption service in community pharmacy

The charity Change, Grow, Live has trialled a community pharmacy service for all service users receiving medication-assisted treatment, aiming to provide them with more holistic care for the first time.…

Nitazenes linked to 179 deaths in 12 months, government data show

According to data analysis by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, protonitazene was linked to the most reported deaths — 73 out of 179.…

Pharmacist-led trial to assess impact of outreach on homeless people secures government funding

Under the programme, pharmacists and third sector homelessness workers offer outreach to address health and social care needs in people experiencing homelessness.…

UK’s first safe drug consumption room expected to open in October 2024

The safe drug consumption facility will allow people to use illegal drugs in a sterile environment at Hunter Street Health and Social Care Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.…

Deaths related to drug misuse in Scotland rose by almost 12% in 2023

The National Records of Scotland data show that opioids were implicated in 80% of the misuse-related deaths in 2023.…

Largest ever trial of ketamine to treat alcohol abuse to launch across eight NHS sites

The phase III clinical trial will explore the use of low-dose ketamine combined with psychological support as a therapy for people with alcohol use disorder.…

One in ten people with chronic pain could experience opioid dependence, suggest study results

The pooled prevalence of dependence and opioid use disorder was 9.3% across 148 studies, but the researchers say high heterogeneity means the results should be “interpreted with caution”.…