Urgent and emergency care

Hospitals should review pharmacy support in emergency departments, says health safety investigation body

In a report, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body recommends that hospitals evaluate their processes so that patients in need of time-critical medicines are identified as soon as possible upon admission.…

Becoming an emergency preparedness pharmacist

‘Emergency preparedness, resilience and response' (EPRR) is a programme of work that focuses on planning for and responding to a wide range of incidents and emergencies that could affect health or patient care. It is a new, novel and exciting prospect in pharmacy and, although it may be atypical f…

Mpox: how is the UK preparing for the latest variant?

With the first cases of a new mpox strain emerging in Europe and Asia in August 2024, the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” for the second time in two years. So what is the ‘clade I’ mpox virus and what risk does it po…

NICE recommends emergency kits for people with adrenal insufficiency to cut hospital admissions

The new guidance says healthcare providers should consider providing eligible patients with two or three emergency adrenal insufficiency kits.…

Diabetic ketoacidosis in adults: identification, diagnosis and management

All healthcare professionals who support people with diabetes should be aware of this complex medical emergency so that they can recognise red flag symptoms.…

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to be able to supply naloxone without a prescription

The expanded access to take-home naloxone follows two government consultations carried out in 2021 and 2024, respectively.…

Case-based learning: chronic breathlessness in adults

The causes and management of breathlessness in adults, with a focus on chronic breathlessness.…

Around 45% of hospital emergency departments have a clinical pharmacy service, MPs told

Giving evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee pharmacy inquiry, David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, said the figure was a "significant step" towards all hospital emergency departments having a dedicated pharmacist.…

How to identify red-flag symptoms and refer patients appropriately

Pharmacy teams must understand how to help patients who are experiencing red-flag symptoms through providing appropriate advice and escalation.…

How the London Ambulance Service is working to transform medicines management

A pharmacist-led medicines modernisation programme has transformed the way drugs are stored, tracked and accessed by clinicians at London Ambulance Service.…