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We pharmacists are risk-averse but it is logical that we should all independently prescribe on registrationSubscription
In light of the shifts in healthcare practice that have been expedited during the COVID-19 pandemic, one important change that is long overdue is ensuring pharmacists have a much bigger role in prescribing, says Anthony Cox.
We can manage patients’ moves off the bipolar treatment Priadel successfullySubscription
The imminent withdrawal of the most popular UK brand of lithium is causing confusion and distress, but this can be managed successfully if pharmacists take a strategic approach.
Evidence shows the antibiotics market is failing, but here is how it can be revivedSubscription
A core group of pharmaceutical companies are making progress in tackling the spread of antimicrobial resistance, but change is not happening at the scale needed to radically impact the threat from drug resistance.
For community pharmacists to be treated as equals after the COVID-19 pandemic, they must become paid employees of the NHSSubscription
COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities of having separate health and social care systems, but pharmacy can only help fill this gap if it is more embedded within the NHS.
Warwick Smith: ‘The pandemic has removed factors that allowed us to be resilient for Brexit’Subscription
The director general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association speaks about how manufacturers are planning to juggle Brexit with COVID-19, and what the government can do to help.
Roger M. Perlmutter: 'The free flow of scientific talent in and out of the UK is incredibly important'Subscription
Roger M. Perlmutter is the executive vice president of Merck Sharp & Dohme, and president of MSD Research Laboratories. On a visit to London, he caught up with Gino Martini, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, for a chat about the future of pharmaceutical research and his experiences of the industry.
Elsy Gomez Campos: 'There are too many excuses justifying the unjustifiable'Subscription
The president of the UK Black Pharmacists Association speaks about the discrimination her members face every day and how pharmacy can tackle it.
Harry McQuillan: 'Pharmacy First is the art of pharmacy' Subscription
Scottish community pharmacy is about to enter a new phase as the Pharmacy First service aims to position it as the first port of call for common clinical conditions.
Every pharmacist should have the time to develop their skillsSubscription
In a profession that supports the health and wellbeing of the public, pharmacists must have regular protected learning time to enable them to carry out their crucial roles.
Warm words are not enough for community pharmacySubscription
Community pharmacies have worked tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic; it is time they were given additional funding to help them prepare for the next wave.
Replacing the preregistration year could prove transformativeSubscription
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the pharmacy profession in many ways, but perhaps the longest-lasting could be the planned changes to the preregistration year.
NOW EXTENDED: A brave new world? Share your ideas on post-pandemic pharmacy in our writing competitionSubscription
Flex your creative skills and enter our annual writing competition this year.
Patients are at risk of falling through gaps in anticoagulation care — but pharmacy can helpSubscription
The pandemic has brought with it big changes for patients who require anticoagulation, but pharmacists’ involvement means no patient should be overlooked, says anticoagulation pharmacist Frances Akor.
Why ‘epidrugs’ will be the next major focus for precision medicineSubscription
It is not just our genes that dictate how our bodies cope with disease and respond to drugs — by identifying the modifications to our DNA strands, and the histone proteins that regulate gene expression, we can uncover a whole new direction for diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic biomarkers and drug targets.
Down, but not out: hydroxychloroquine could still have a role against COVID-19
Ongoing research may yet prove that the 4-aminoquinolones are an effective prophylactic medication in those at risk of developing COVID-19.
Access to contraception in primary care leaves much to be desired — community pharmacy should prescribe, as well as supply, pills and patchesSubscription
Pharmacists can do more than just dispensing contraceptives; by prescribing and monitoring them in the pharmacy, they can free GPs to provide women with a wider range of contraceptive choices.
When I hit a wall in my pharmacy career, clinical research was a lifeline
When hospital pharmacist Adam Sutherland felt his career had reached a dead end, research offered him exciting new opportunities.
I’ve seen first-hand that ECT is a dignified treatment, so why is there still stigma?
Pre-registration pharmacist Kaley Dickerson jumped at the chance to observe electroconvulsive therapy, and she was surprised at what she found.
We designed a new way of tapering antidepressants, but why won't the health authorities recognise its value?
When Peter Groot, a researcher in mental health experience, suffered uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms from his antidepressants, he set about developing tapering strips — clever tools to help patients gradually reduce their dose. But, despite their effectiveness, they are yet to take the medical community by storm.
The medicines delivery service was a lifeline for our most vulnerable patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Concerned that the national pandemic delivery service ended too soon for some shielding patients, Shirley Jamieson — a pharmacy delivery driver working in Bristol — shows how her role can be a vital resource for the NHS.
Bravo to the pharmacist whose yellow card is making inhalers saferSubscription
Reporting a risk to the Yellow Card scheme: do you think it’s worth it?
Sponsoring pharmacy students in sub-Saharan AfricaSubscription
While the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in public health policies and healthcare services, it has also demonstrated how pharmacists can have an increased role in delivering healthcare. This is true for both developed and developing countries, but for the latter, a shortage of healthcare personnel is limiting this role.
New pharmacist-led network is sharing best practice in medicines for neurodiverse patientsSubscription
As pharmacy professionals, we work across a wide range of sectors in various locations, within different clinical specialities and teams to deliver best practice in medicines optimisation.
Mixed feelings about prescribing studies for pharmacy undergraduatesSubscription
In July 2020, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) proposed major reforms to the initial education and training for pharmacists, which included replacing the pre-registration year with foundation training and subsequent plans to
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.
