Drinking alcohol increases cancer riskSubscription
Drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer, yet only 13% of adults are aware of the link.
Editorial
The evidence for community pharmacy
Drug researchers continue to investigate the efficacy of medicines long after they hit the market, so why should NHS services delivered in community pharmacy be any different?
Full pharmacist access to records is the key to better patient careSubscription
Every four seconds a health or care professional in England accesses an NHS patient’s summary care record
Comment
Reforming regulation: General Pharmaceutical Council responds to consultationSubscription
On 23 January 2018, the Department of Health closed its consultation on reforming the way that health professionals across the UK are regulated
Smoking cessation: shifting the research focus to community pharmacySubscription
Evidence suggests that smoking cessation interventions can be effective in UK pharmacies but there are few trials with validated endpoints.
Q&A
17 years of fighting for pharmacySubscription
After 17 years at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, chief executive Sue Sharpe will be leaving her position at the end of May 2018.
Learning article
Treatment options for menopausal symptomsSubscription
Pharmacists and healthcare professionals can provide a patient-centred approach to advising women about the menopause, and provide robust information about the risks and benefits of menopause hormone treatment that will allow patients to make an informed choice about how to relieve their symptoms.
Careers
Developing the role of the critical care pharmacistSubscription
The evolution of the critical care pharmacist — from lone practitioner to integral multidisciplinary team member.
Achieving my career potential through the FIP Young Pharmacists Group Mentorship ProgramSubscription
Oscar Ekpenyong participated in the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s Young Pharmacists Group Mentorship Program in 2016 and describes the benefits of being mentored as “tremendous” and “unquantifiable”. Here he explains how participation has shaped his career potential and why others should consider enrolling for the newly relaunched programme.
Making a difference to patient care as an acute hospital inspector for the Care Quality Commission Subscription
It is our duty to ensure that patients are treated with dignity and respect at all times, says Priya Patel, Care Quality Commission inspector for acute hospitals in South London
Correspondence
Pharma can lead the way toward cures for common variable immunodeficiencySubscription
Target to eradicate cholera by 2030 is ambitiousSubscription
Many interesting opportunities after a career in pharmacySubscription
RPS highlights gender equality conferenceSubscription
‘Preparing to Prescribe’, an online implementation toolkit for non-medical prescribersSubscription
News
Team of community pharmacists to start vaccinating housebound patients
Community pharmacists in South Tyneside will administer COVID-19 vaccinations to housebound patients over four weekends from 23 January 2021.
Pharmacogenetic testing in community pharmacy could improve drug selection and cut adverse reactions, study findsSubscription
Pharmacogenetic testing could improve drug or dose selection for a fifth of patients prescribed one of 56 common medicines, research has found.
More than 700 pharmacy staff apply to join NHS COVID-19 vaccination team
Some 715 pharmacy staff members have applied to vaccinate patients as part of the NHS’s COVID-19 vaccine team.
Further 65 community pharmacy sites to start vaccinating patients against COVID-19
An additional 65 community pharmacy-led vaccination sites will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines over the coming week.
Pharmacy contractors asked to audit patient consultations for ‘improper referrals’ from GPs and NHS 111Subscription
Pharmacy negotiators have asked contractors to audit their patient contacts over concerns about “improper referrals” from general practice and NHS 111.
Late-night pharmacy offers to vaccinate until 22:30 as it joins COVID-19 programme
A pharmacy in Greenwich, London, is to start offering the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and could provide vaccinations until 22:30 if needed.
Drug shortage means prescribers asked to switch treatment for acute respiratory problems in COVID-19 patients
Government should use community pharmacies to deliver 24/7 COVID-19 vaccination service, says Labour leader
Six pharmacies become first in the sector to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations
Government backs UK-wide pharmacy codeword for domestic abuse safe spaces
Community pharmacies ‘in all parts’ of Wales to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, says first minister
Almost a third of hospitals report ‘complete outages’ of medicines during COVID-19 pandemic Subscription
Some antiepileptic drugs are safer than others for use during pregnancy, MHRA review concludesSubscription
Critically ill COVID-19 patients unlikely to benefit from convalescent plasma, early results from UK trial show
Trade bodies in talks with government to expand pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination programme
March assessment for provisionally registered pharmacists to go ahead as planned, regulator saysSubscription
Further 2,500 jobs cut from Boots workforce, company saysSubscription
Nearly 200 naloxone kits provided through ‘click-and-deliver’ service during pandemicSubscription
Regulators approve Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in the UK
Clinicians encouraged to consider tocilizumab or sarilumab in treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients
News in brief
Urgent care services pilot use of electronic prescription service
NHS Digital has launched the electronic prescription service in a number of urgent care services in London
Launch of new medicines in UK face two-year delay post-Brexit, MPs told
The launch of new medicines in the UK may be delayed by two years post-Brexit as it is “relegated” in the global medicines market, the House of Commons Health Select Committee was told
