UK healthcare

Community pharmacist independent prescribers increased by one-third from 2023 to 2024, workforce survey shows

Despite the increase in qualified pharmacist independent prescribers, NHS England's survey reported regional variation in the number of them using their prescribing qualification in practice.…

Smoking cessation pill Champix returns to market four years after withdrawal over carcinogen

Manufacturer Pfizer said it had “taken steps to address the presence of nitrosamines in Champix, including lowering the levels to meet regulatory requirements”.…

Three-quarters of pharmacists say patient safety is at risk from medicine delays

Responding to Community Pharmacy England’s pharmacy pressures survey, 87% of pharmacy staff also reported daily problems arising from supply issues, up from 67% in 2022.…

Pharmacists urged to report heat-related disruption as UK heatwave set to return

A report from the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change highlighted the number of overheating incidents in NHS sites nearly doubled from 2,980 in 2016/2017 to 5,554 in 2021/2022.…

UK trust in pharmacists among highest in Europe, survey results shows

The survey of more than 27,000 adults across Europe also looked at attitudes towards AI and health, revealing that 39% of people did not want to depend on technology for medical matters.…

Hospice UK calls for national standard in community pharmacy palliative care

The report has also identified opportunities to “strengthen education and training in palliative care and bereavement support for rural pharmacists”.…

Spending review 2025: providers urge government to invest in primary care

Pharmacy leaders argue the latest government spending review allocations represent a “missed opportunity to put pharmacies first”.…

Amandeep Doll appointed as RPS director for England

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said Amandeep Doll will begin the role of director for England in August 2025 following a “competitive and rigorous” recruitment process.…

NICE recommends ‘breakthrough’ therapy for blood cancer

Belantamab mafodotin combination therapy is a second-line treatment option for multiple myeloma that could benefit around 1,500 people.…

Recognising adverse events and using the Yellow Card system

An overview of how to identify, manage and report adverse events.…