Therapeutic intervention

Drugs used for airway clearance in critically ill patients found to cause harm

Researchers found that carbocisteine increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, while hypertonic saline was associated with an increased risk of nebulisation-related harms in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilators.…

Care home prescribing increases over four years, NHS data show

NHS Business Services Authority data reveal that 22% of care home residents aged over 65 years who received a prescription were taking ten or more medications in 2024/2025, compared with 19% of residents in 2020/2021.…

Health news round up: diabetes, vaping and biologics

The Pharmaceutical Journal’s weekly summary of the important developments in pharmacy and health news you may have missed.…

Treatment for chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer approved for NHS use

Women with certain gynaecological cancers that have stopped responding to standard chemotherapy can be offered a targeted therapy on the NHS under new NICE guidance.…

Flu vaccine can prevent up to 14 cases per 100 children, study suggests

For every 100 children who have received the flu vaccine, 9–14 of them avoid catching flu, study shows.…

MS drug found to benefit patients with more advanced disease

Researchers reported that ocrelizumab significantly reduced the risk of disability worsening in wheelchair-dependent patients.…

Advanced therapy medicinal products: a tsunami in clinical medicine 

Advanced therapy medicinal products offer life-changing benefits for patients with little to no alternative treatments, but realising their full potential requires action across the entire healthcare system.…

Virtual clinics could help improve access to adverse drug reaction services for children

Three-quarters of adverse drug reactions assessed by a virtual clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic were related to antibiotics, study authors reported.…

Health news round-up: anaphylaxis, pain management in women’s health and Tourette’s treatment

The Pharmaceutical Journal’s weekly summary of the important developments in pharmacy and health news you may have missed.…

Electronic medical records can identify prescribing patterns for antibiotic allergies, study results show

Following analysis of 342 children's electronic medical records, researchers identified 67 children with a possible or probable antibiotic allergy.…