UK healthcare

Government advises chief pharmacists to coordinate aid between trusts amid radioisotope shortage

According to a national patient safety alert issued on 25 October 2024, the radioisotope shortage stems from a combination of technical issues and essential maintenance work.…

NICE overturns decision on blood cancer treatment elranatamab

Elranatamab is now recommended as a fourth-line treatment for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, according to updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.…

Why are increasing numbers of students dropping out of pharmacy education?

Data show more and more students are dropping out of the MPharm programme, which is being attributed to students’ mental health, financial difficulties, a changing education programme and a return to normalcy post-COVID.…

PJ view: Community pharmacy is set up to fail when it comes to industrial action

As community pharmacists consider whether to engage in advisory industrial action, it is inevitable that patient safety will be affected one way or another, which the government needs to address.…

‘Rapid-dispersal’ naloxone wafers to be developed in £12m government scheme

Developed by King's College London, the wafers will disintegrate within seconds and can easily fit into a wallet.…

Emeka Onwudiwe: ‘The prescribing qualification is a landmark for pharmacy students’

The president of the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association discusses the opportunities and challenges of preparing to become an independent prescriber from registration.…

NICE lifts restrictions on myeloma treatment teclistamab in final draft guidance

The updated guidance recommends the monoclonal antibody for anyone with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who has received three or more lines of treatment and whose myeloma has progressed.…

RPS to survey members before responding to government consultation on NHS ten-year plan

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said it wants the government to place supporting patient access to community pharmacies at the heart of any increase in neighbourhood health services.…

Manufacturer confirms discontinuation of type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment Victoza

Victoza (liraglutide) 6mg/mL pre-filled injection pens have been out of stock in the UK since August 2023.…

Number of dispensed HRT prescription items increased by a fifth in 2023/2024

NHS Business Services Authority data also show an increase in the number of patients prescribed HRT in England, from 2.3 million in 2022/2023 to 2.6 million in 2023/2024.…