Clinical news

Allergy,

‘National shortage’ left pharmacist unable to give correct EpiPen dose in fatal case

Pharmacy could not give patient's prescribed strength of EpiPen in fatal anaphylaxis case.

04 Sep 2024 , 2 Min Article

Older people's health,

Record number of dementia cases diagnosed

NHS data shows that 487,432 people in England were living with diagnosed dementia in June 2024 — the highest number on record.

08 Aug 2024 , 1 Min Article

Prescribing,

Polypharmacy rates lower in UK than rest of Europe

Rates of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing are lower in the UK than in many European countries, a new analysis has revealed.

29 Jul 2024 , 1 Min Article

Pain relief,

NSAIDs continue to be a source of avoidable harm

Problematic NSAID prescribing costs NHS England an estimated £31m over 10 years, says a new study.

26 Jul 2024 , 2 Min Article

Skin conditions,

New dermatology courses for community pharmacists

Each of the six courses includes case studies and skin examination advice.

23 Jul 2024 , 1 Min Article

Cardiovascular diseases,

Cardiovascular disease: decline has stalled

Rising rates of other cardiovascular diseases have offset much of a decline in coronary heart disease.

05 Jul 2024 , 1 Min Article

Medicines,

New pregnancy prevention measures introduced for topiramate

Migraine and antiseizure medication topiramate (Topamax) must no longer be prescribed to women and girls unless they fulfil the requirements of a Pregnancy Prevention Programme

24 Jun 2024 , 1 Min Article

Medicines,

Pharmacy point of care testing contributes to massive drop in antibiotics use

Study looks at the impact of introducing point-of-care testing in primary care

20 Jun 2024 , 1 Min Article

Skin conditions,

Passive vaping increases eczema risk in children

Researchers in the US are warning that parental vaping exacerbates atopic dermatitis in children.

10 Jun 2024 , 1 Min Article

Nutrition & weight management,

Semaglutide can lead to long-term weight loss

Semaglutide can produce weight loss and reduce waist size for at least four years, says new research.

06 Jun 2024 , 2 Min Article

Cancer & palliative care,

Non-melanoma skin cancer deaths rise

Deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer could soon overtake malignant melanoma mortality in England and Scotland.

06 Jun 2024 , 2 Min Article

Vaccinations,

New rabies vaccine for UK

Sanofi recently launched an inactivated rabies vaccine (Verorab) in the UK for all age groups.

20 May 2024 , 1 Min Article

Cardiovascular diseases,

Diltiazem causes serious bleeding interaction in AF

Concomitant diltiazem increases the risk of serious bleeds in AF patients on apixaban or rivaroxaban, researchers find.

20 May 2024 , 2 Min Article

Infections & antimicrobial stewardship,

Does the way TB is identified need a rethink?

Current practice is missing large numbers of tuberculosis patients, researchers say, as many do not have the persistent cough that is commonly regarded as the main diagnostic trigger.

03 May 2024 , 2 Min Article

Mental health,

Fear of recurrence among individuals with remitted depression

About three-quarters of people with depression live in fear of recurrence, Canadian researchers report.