Latest opinion
- pause slideshow
We risk a cardiovascular health crisis if patients stop seeking help when they need it
Footfall in emergency departments across the world has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts worry that patients with symptoms are staying at home for fear of burdening their healthcare systems. But preventing serious cardiovascular events is still as important as ever, says cardiology consultant pharmacist Rani Khatib.
There is a vulnerable group we must not leave behind in our response to COVID-19: people who are dependent on illicit drugs
None of us are safe from COVID-19, but the health status, needs and behaviours of those who use illicit drugs leave them particularly vulnerable — pharmacists can reduce this risk, says drugs researcher Amira Guirguis.
Ways to safeguard UK drug supplies during COVID-19 and beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic is stretching the NHS, including its supplies of essential drugs, to the limits. We may need new systems in place to ensure patients never miss out on medicines they need.
What you are saying about fast-track medical training for pharmacistsSubscription
Your responses to our call for opinions on a course that could allow a pharmacist to become a doctor within five years’ training.
Leyla Hannbeck: ‘COVID-19 has many pharmacies struggling to keep their heads above water’
The chief executive officer of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies speaks about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected pharmacy and the risk of impending closures.
Nikki Kanani: 'Shortages of the right pharmacists in some areas has been an issue'Subscription
The director of primary care at NHS England speaks about growing up in a pharmacy, her hopes for the sector and how to protect pharmacists from burnout.
Taiwo Owatemi: 'Like every pharmacist in the country, I’ve been frustrated by medicines shortages'Subscription
How pharmacy led Taiwo Owatemi, Labour MP for Coventry North West, to her new role in politics.
Jamie Waterall: ‘Pharmacy is fundamental to achieving our ambitions’Subscription
As deputy chief nurse at Public Health England, Jamie Waterall is passionate about the opportunities for pharmacy in improving the nation’s health.
Pharmacy must change as a result of COVID-19, or be left behind
The pharmacy sector must not underestimate the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will transform the NHS.
Serology testing for COVID-19 is the way forward, but we could face a long wait
While news of imminent serology testing is incredibly encouraging, we must be pragmatic about how quickly it can be made available to the general public.
Why we should be wary of 'game-changing' claims about COVID-19 treatments
Dozens of drug candidates are being trialled for both prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19, but it is too early to recommend any of them for routine clinical use.
Pharmacy teams need protection to keep running during COVID-19
Personal protective equipment is vital in allowing pharmacists to continue their essential work during the pandemic, yet pharmacies have not received enough to continue operating safely.
The future is giving patients control over their own medication recordsSubscription
The patient is the only person present at every stage of their treatment as they move between different healthcare settings, meaning that patient-held information could plug holes in our records and contribute to medicines safety.
Antidepressant withdrawal can be a horrible experience — are tapering strips a potential solution?Subscription
New evidence suggests that patients and practitioners can devise a personal schedule for gradually reducing antidepressant medication to limit severe withdrawal symptoms.
We must not forget transgender patients’ physiology if we are to prescribe safelySubscription
Pharmacists should always be respectful of patients’ identity wishes, but biological differences between the sexes mean that conflating sex and gender could have serious implications for prescribing.
Why we must urgently rethink prescribing short-acting bronchodilators for asthmaSubscription
Guidelines from the Global Initiative for Asthma present a radical overhaul of the way we manage asthma; but our current approach isn’t working, and nothing will change if it is not challenged.
How I faced COVID-19 as a critical care pharmacist in one of the UK's worst hit regions
Specialist critical care pharmacist Greg Barton recounts how his unit adapted to new practices and unknowns as cases of coronavirus surged in north west England.
How I prepared healthcare professionals for battle at London’s COVID-19 Nightingale hospital
London’s pop-up COVID-19 hospital constantly adapted and set the standards for other emergency field hospitals, says pharmacy educator Yinka Kuye.
A message to preregistration trainees in the time of COVID-19: this setback can make you stronger
Stephen Sekimwanyi, a pharmacist who has had his fair share of career setbacks, offers advice to preregistration trainees in light of the General Pharmaceutical Council’s decision to delay the pharmacy registration exam.
COVID-19: I was punched by an angry patient in my frontline pharmacy on Good Friday
Pharmacist manager Krunal Vyas was left shocked, shaken and questioning his place in the profession after he was abused by an angry patient during the Easter weekend.
Infection prevention and enhancing antimicrobial stewardship in Zambia Subscription
Established in 2014, the Brighton–Lusaka Pharmacy Link (BLPL) connects Zambian pharmacists from the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) and the University of Zambia with British pharmacists from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH), the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex. Together, the group reviews common interests, identifies system gaps in both England or Zambia, and develops joint educational goals — most recently focusing on antimicrobial stewardship ..
Why is The Pharmaceutical Journal receiving so few letters?Subscription
I write as a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) since 1968. At that time, and for many years after, The Pharmaceutical Journal was a vibrant, interesting and informative publication, well suited to the needs of the membership, including community pharmacists. It has been said that the health of a professional publication can be measured by the letters to the editor, and debate that the content leads to. This Journal used to excel; but not now.
Community pharmacy has a big role in managing the conditions that double as risk factors for pandemic diseases
Open access article
Real respect for patients is having respect for their morals, despite your ownSubscription
I was very pleased to see the article ‘Refusing to supply emergency hormonal contraception undermines our profession — no pharmacist should do it’, by Cathy Cooke in the March 2020 issue of The Pharmaceutical ...
Fun but gimmicky show puts competing health theories to the testSubscription
Although it does not present any revolutionary ideas, The Twinstitute takes a fun look at health fads and alternatives to common medicines.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s health show is a quintessentially ‘LA’ mish-mash of self-indulgenceSubscription
‘The Goop Lab’ offers viewers an insight into controversial and costly alternative wellness therapies — be prepared to take it with a pinch of salt.
Peter Hylands (1946–2019) Subscription
As the first pharmaceutical scientist member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Peter Hylands’ respected and varied career specialised in natural products research.
Stewart Adams (1923–2019)Subscription
Having fallen into the pharmacy profession “purely by chance”, Stewart Adams OBE went on to discover ibuprofen, one of the world’s best selling anti-inflammatory painkillers.
‘Pioneer of pharmacy’: Graham Calder (1933–2018) Subscription
Described as a ‘pioneer of pharmacy’, former chief pharmacist of Scotland Graham Calder has been an inspiration for many pharmacy professionals during, and since, his varied career.
William Charles Evans (1924–2018) Subscription
Author of Trease and Evans’ Pharmacognosy, a seminal text on the chemistry and uses of medicinal plants, William Charles Evans was a prolific researcher and educator throughout his 60-year career.
