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Found 1,115 results
  1. News Article
    Private menopause clinics are prescribing HRT at "twice the recommended dose", an investigation has revealed. The investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal has revealed that patients attending private menopause clinics are subject to “unorthodox prescribing” by providers. Many are receiving oestrogen at up to double the recommended dose placing them at higher risk of cancer and vaginal bleeding. Nuttan Tanna, a pharmacist consultant in women’s health at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, said she had seen referrals for “bleeding investigations” and then found the patient was on "very large doses [of oestrogen] prescribed previously by private providers”. Brendon Jiang, a senior clinical pharmacist for North Oxfordshire Rural Alliance Primary Care Network, said that his team were increasingly getting letters from private clinics requesting for patients to be prescribed doses of oestrogen that are off-label or exceed licensed recommendations. He also raised concerns that patients were not taking enough progesterone alongside increased doses of oestrogen. Taking increased doses of oestrogen alone can increase the risk of womb cancer but progesterone protects against that risk and therefore the two hormones should be taken together. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 19 December 2022 Further reading on the hub: Surgical menopause: a toolkit for healthcare professionals (British Menopause Society) Menopause Support - Getting the most out of your doctor’s appointment World Menopause Day 2022: Raising awareness of surgical menopause All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause: Inquiry to assess the impacts of menopause and the case for policy reform - conclusions
  2. News Article
    Three more children have died from strep A, it has emerged, and pharmacists in the UK have been told they can supply alternative antibiotics to those originally prescribed, in a bid to ease shortages of certain forms of penicillin. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows at least 19 children have now died across the UK, while there are 7,750 cases of scarlet fever so far this season. This is more than treble the 2,538 at the same point in the year during the last comparably high season in 2017 to 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued serious shortage protocols (SSPs) for three penicillin medicines amid increased demand for the antibiotics. Pharmacists and GPs in the UK have faced serious difficulties in securing supplies of penicillin and amoxycillin, antibiotics used to treat infections including strep A. As a result, parents have reported having to visit a string of pharmacies to obtain medicines prescribed for their sick children, while the price of some antibiotics has risen sharply – a situation pharmacists say has left them facing losses. The health minister Will Quince said: “The increased demand for the antibiotics prescribed to treat strep A has meant some pharmacists have been unable to supply the medicine shown on the prescription. “These serious shortage protocols will allow pharmacists to supply an alternative form of penicillin, which will make things easier for them, patients, and GPs. “We are taking decisive action to address these temporary issues and improve access to these medicines by continuing to work with manufacturers and wholesalers to speed up deliveries, bring forward stock they have to help ensure it gets to where it’s needed, and boost supply to meet demand as quickly as possible.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 December 2022
  3. News Article
    Pharmacists say supplies of key antibiotics to treat strep A have "gone from bad to worse" in the past week. The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMP) said the situation was "unacceptable" and it was time for the government to get a plan in place. Four antibiotics, which treat different conditions, have been added to a list of products that the UK cannot export. The UK government says it is working urgently with manufacturers and wholesalers to speed up deliveries. However, Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the AIMP, which represents 4,000 pharmacies in the UK, said the supply of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections including strep A and scarlet fever was "very poor". She said the problem had been highlighted a week ago, but it was now getting worse, making it very difficult to get hold of any antibiotics. "People are having to go from one pharmacy to another - it's chaos," she said. "Supplies are not coming through to us and it feels like no-one cares." Read full story Source: BBC News, 14 December 2022
  4. News Article
    Medicine shortages are an “increasing problem” for Australia and antibiotics are among the commonly prescribed drugs currently in short supply, the peak body for general practitioners says. The drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), said the three most commonly prescribed antibiotics – amoxicillin, cefalexin and metronidazole – are scarce. They are used to treat a range of bacterial infections, including pneumonia and other chest infections, skin infections and urinary tract infections. To see patients through the shortage, the TGA has authorised pharmacists to provide alternative antibiotics without approval from the prescribing doctor. “Importantly, many of these medicines have alternatives available,” the TGA said. “Your pharmacist may be able to give you a different brand, or your doctor can prescribe a different strength or medicine with similar spectrum of activity.” A TGA spokesperson said “most of the antibiotic shortages are caused by manufacturing issues or an unexpected increase in demand”. Dr Nicole Higgins, the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said the shortage of certain medicines was “becoming an increasing problem in Australia”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 December 2022
  5. News Article
    A warning has been made over the possible side effects of a common NHS antibiotic by a coroner after a newly retired senior doctor died by suicide. "Respected and experienced" consultant cardiologist Robert Stevenson had no history of depression or mental health problems before he started a course of ciprofloxacin. But just over a week later, the 63-year-old went for a walk and messaged his wife to tell her he had left a note under his pillow. He was later found dead in a nearby wood. The note he had left was said to be "uncharacteristically confused and illogical" with "baseless concerns" that he might have AIDS after taking an online HIV tester kit, an inquest heard. The hearing was told Dr Stevenson hadn't been told about a "potential rare link" to suicidal behaviour in patients who took the drug, as this wasn't in line with medical guidance. Now, coroner Martin Fleming issued a warning to highlight the risk of taking the antibiotic, which is prescribed by the health service for serious conditions. Read full story Source: The Mirror, 20 June 2023
  6. News Article
    More than a quarter of patients on antidepressants in England - about two million people - have been taking them for five years, the BBC has found. This is despite there being limited evidence of the benefits of taking the drugs for that length of time. A doctor who runs an NHS clinic helping people off the pills says withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for some to stop taking their medication. Withdrawal guidance was updated in 2019, but he says little has changed. More than eight million people in England are on antidepressants - which are prescribed for depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder and other conditions. That's one million more people than five years previously, NHS prescribing figures show. The investigation also uncovered evidence that a leading drug company attempted 27 years ago to conceal possible withdrawal effects that one drug could cause. Read full story Source: BBC News, 19 June 2023
  7. News Article
    A menopause doctor says scammers using her name to illegally sell testosterone online are damaging women's health. Dr Louise Newson, who founded Newson Health, has warned patients a website has stolen her brand and logo and is selling the sex hormone unlawfully. "We do not sell medication directly to anyone online," she adds. Testosterone is illegal to sell or supply without a prescription from a health professional and currently unlicensed in the UK for use by women. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends it can be considered as a supplement for menopausal woman to treat low sexual desire if HRT alone is not effective. Dr Newson, whose private clinics operate in Stratford-upon-Avon, London, Southampton and Bournemouth, said medication was only prescribed after a consultation with a clinician. "As far as we are aware no Newson Health patients have fallen victim to this scam and we sincerely hope this remains the case," she said. The practice is working with relevant organisations to have the fraudulent website taken down, she added. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 June 2023
  8. News Article
    Peers are launching an inquiry into private health companies paid millions of pounds to courier NHS medicines in England, after the Guardian exposed how sick children and adults were being harmed by botched, delayed or missed deliveries. The House of Lords public services committee will examine “the extent of the problems in homecare medicine services”, and the impact on patients, clinicians and the wider health service. More than 500,000 patients and their families rely on private companies contracted by the NHS to deliver essential medical supplies and care to their homes. A Guardian investigation revealed how Sciensus, Britain’s biggest provider of homecare medicines services, has struggled to provide a safe or reliable service. Seriously ill children as young as four have been let down, with some becoming sicker because of failings by the company. Patients and medics have complained to Sciensus and to regulators, but little has changed. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 June 2023
  9. News Article
    Antidepressants can cause severe, sometimes irreversible, sexual dysfunction that persists even after discontinuing the medication. Sufferers have described it as ‘chemical castration’ – a type of genital mutilation caused by antidepressants, mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The condition is known as post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), a condition largely unrecognised, and the true incidence of which is unknown. David Healy, psychiatrist and founder of RxISK.org said, “I saw my first patient with PSSD in 2000, a 35-year-old lady who told me that three months after stopping treatment, she could rub a hard-bristled brush across her genitals and feel nothing.” David Healy, psychiatrist and founder of RxISK.org said, “I saw my first patient with PSSD in 2000, a 35-year-old lady who told me that three months after stopping treatment, she could rub a hard-bristled brush across her genitals and feel nothing.” Josef Witt-Doerring, psychiatrist and former FDA medical officer said, “This condition is so devastating that it will cause serious changes to your life and to those around you.” Read full story Source: Maryanne Demasi, 13 June 2023
  10. News Article
    Many media stories about ketamine as a treatment for psychiatric disorders such as depression “go well beyond the evidence base” by exaggerating the efficacy, safety and longevity of the drug or by overstating the risks, an analysis has found. Researchers examined 119 articles about ketamine and mental illness published by major print media in Australia, the US and UK over a five-year period. They found articles peaked in 2019, when the US Food and Drug Administration approved a ketamine-derived nasal spray known as esketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Researchers found 37% of articles contained inaccurate information, largely related to efficacy, safety information and the longevity of the effect of the treatment. Ketamine treatment was portrayed in an “extremely positive light” in 69% of articles, the review found. “Overly optimistic statements from medical professionals regarding efficacy or safety may encourage patients to seek treatments that may not be clinically appropriate,” says the paper, published in the journal BJPsych Open. “Disconcertingly, some articles included strong statements about treatment efficacy that went well beyond the evidence base. Conversely, exaggeration of the risks may discourage patients from pursuing a treatment that may be suitable for them.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 8 June 2023
  11. News Article
    GPs in England may start offering weight-loss jabs to some patients to reduce obesity-related illnesses and resultant pressure on hospitals. Wegovy was approved for NHS use after research suggested users could shed over 10% of their body weight. The drug blunts appetite, so users feel full and eat less. Rishi Sunak said it could be a "game-changer" as he announced a £40 million pilot scheme to increase access to specialist weight management services. But experts warn "skinny jabs" - widely used in the US and endorsed by many celebrities - are not a quick fix or a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise. NHS drugs watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), says patients can access Wegovy for a maximum of two years via specialist weight-management services. The new scheme will test how GPs could safely prescribe such drugs and the NHS provide support in the community or digitally, contributing to the government's wider ambition to reduce pressure on hospitals and give patients access to the care they need where it is most convenient for them. Read full story Source: BBC News, 7 June 2023
  12. News Article
    Thousands of people in England who get migraines could benefit from a drug that has been approved on the NHS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the drugs regulator, said it was recommending rimegepant for preventing migraines in the approximately 145,000 adults where at least three previous preventive treatments had failed. The drug, also called Vydura and made by Pfizer, is taken as a wafer which dissolves under the tongue. It is the first time Nice has recommended an oral treatment for preventing migraines. “Each year the lives of millions of people in England are blighted by migraine attacks,” said Helen Knight, the director of medicines evaluation at Nice. “They can be extremely debilitating and can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. “Rimegepant is the first oral treatment for migraine to be recommended by Nice and for many thousands of people it is likely to be a welcome and more convenient addition to existing options for a condition that is often overlooked and undertreated.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 31 March 2023
  13. News Article
    The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed to add to what you get with your prescription drugs. The proposed rule would require the prescriptions you get to come with a new kind of single-page medication guide with an easy-to-use set of directions and easy-to-understand safety information, a goal the FDA has been working toward for years. One study found that nearly 75% of Americans have had trouble taking their medicine as directed. A lot of that is due to cost – people might not be able to afford their medicine, so they don’t take it – but some is due to confusion. They might get more than one kind of written information with their prescription, or the information they receive can be conflicting, incomplete or repetitive, the FDA said. When people are confused or misinformed about their prescription, there is a good chance they will not take it or will stop taking it, and that can directly hurt their health. “Research suggests that medication nonadherence can contribute to nearly 25% of hospital admissions, 50% of treatment failures, and approximately 125,000 deaths in our country each year,” the FDA says. The agency said the new proposal is also meant to help fight the “nation’s crisis with health care misinformation and disinformation.” Read full story Source: CNN, 30 May 2023
  14. News Article
    A brand-new genetic research resource, known as a ‘biobank’, will be piloted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in a joint venture with Genomics England to better understand how a patient’s genetic makeup can impact the safety of their medicines. The Yellow Card biobank, which will contain genetic data and patient samples, will operate alongside the MHRA’s Yellow Card reporting site for suspected side effects and adverse incidents involving medicines and medical devices. It forms part of a long-term vision for more personalised medicine approaches, as scientists will use the repository of genetic information in the biobank to determine whether a side effect from a medicine was caused by a specific genetic trait. This will in turn enable doctors to target prescriptions using rapid screening tests, so patients across the UK will receive the safest medication for them, based on their genetic makeup. Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), or side effects, continue to be a significant burden on the NHS and account for one in 16 hospital admissions. Understanding the underlying mechanism of an adverse reaction would support the development of pharmacogenetic testing strategies, such as the screening tests enabled through the information provided by the Yellow Card biobank. These strategies would in turn provide the opportunity to prevent rather than react to adverse drug reactions. The biobank pilot will officially begin on 1 June 2023 with participant recruitment commencing later this year, on 1 September. Read full story Source: MHRA, 25 May 2023
  15. News Article
    A new treatment could help people to stop taking addictive opioid painkillers for chronic pain, research suggests. Data suggests there are one million people at risk from longer-term continuous opioid prescriptions, and more than 50,000 have been taking these for six months or more. While recent NHS initiatives have managed to reduce opioid prescribing by 8%, saving an estimated 350 lives, the new research has found evidence that could help many more people stop their opioid painkiller use. A team of researchers and doctors has developed and successfully trialled a programme designed to guide people in coming off prescription painkillers, tapering their opioid intake and learning how to manage their pain using alternative techniques with a course which combines one-to-one and group support. According to the findings, after one year, one in five people were able to stop taking opioids without their pain increasing. The scientists suggest the new treatment is an alternative to opioid use and has potential to give patients a better quality of life. Read full story Source: The Independent, 23 May 2023
  16. News Article
    Thousands of patients are facing delays in getting treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, with drug shortages in the United States approaching record levels. Hundreds of drugs are on the list of medications in short supply in the United States, as officials grapple with an opaque and sometimes interrupted supply chain, quality and financial issues that are leading to manufacturing shutdowns. The shortages are so acute that they are commanding the attention of the White House and Congress. The Biden administration has assembled a team to find long-term solutions for shoring up the pharmaceutical supply chain, at a time when the United States remains heavily reliant on medicines and drug ingredients from India and China. And in recent weeks, generic drug makers, supply-chain experts and patient advocates have appeared before lawmakers to discuss the problems. The scarcity of generic forms of chemotherapy to treat lung, breast, bladder and ovarian cancers has only heightened concerns. “This is, in my opinion, a public health emergency,” said Dr. Amanda Fader, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a president-elect of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, “because of the breadth of the individuals it affects and the number of chemotherapy agents that are in shortage right now.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: New York Times, 17 May 2023
  17. News Article
    Nineteen suspects have been identified by police as part of a new inquiry into hundreds of deaths at a hospital. An independent panel found 456 patients died after being given opiates inappropriately at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001. The new criminal investigation is being led by Kent Police after three previous ones by Hampshire Constabulary resulted in no prosecutions. Police said interviews with the suspects under caution were ongoing. Detectives are examining more than 750 patient records as part of Operation Magenta after families, who have also campaigned for judge-led "Hillsborough-style" inquests, repeatedly called for justice. Read full story Source: BBC, 17 May 2023
  18. News Article
    The boss of a private healthcare company exposed by the Guardian for putting seriously ill children and adults at risk was warned it was failing patients three years ago. Darryn Gibson, the chief executive of Sciensus, Britain’s biggest medicines courier, was told in November 2020 that patients with bleeding disorders were being left dangerously exposed to internal bleeding with little or no treatment at home as a result of botched, delayed or missed deliveries. Gibson received the written warning from Kate Burt, the chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, a leading health charity, after she had become outraged at how vulnerable patients were being let down. Sciensus blamed IT issues and promised action. However, three years later, patients remain at “very serious” risk of harm because of “recurring” problems with the company, Burt said. “We continue to receive complaints about missing, incomplete or inaccurate deliveries and are very concerned to see the same issues recurring, indicating that far more needs to be done to improve Sciensus’s ordering and delivery systems,” she said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 May 2023
  19. News Article
    New weight loss drugs such as Wegovy will not be a “silver bullet” in tackling obesity, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Francesco Branca, WHO director of food and nutrition safety, said weight loss drugs must be used alongside a healthy diet and exercise. Ms Branca’s comments come as the health body conducts its first review of obesity management guidelines in two decades. Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy by drugmaker Novo Nordisk, is an appetite suppressant drug that has been approved by the UK medicines regulator and described by some as a “game changer” in helping people to shed weight. People will only be given Wegovy on prescription as part of a specialist weight management service involving input from several professionals and for a maximum of two years. Some experts described the decision as a “pivotal moment” for the treatment of people living with obesity but others warned that the drug is not a “quick fix”. Read full story Source: The Independent, 12 May 2023
  20. News Article
    The first non-prescription birth control pill in the US is on the way to approval, after a thumbs-up from an advisory committee of drug regulators. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel's unanimous vote is not binding, but means the agency is likely to formally approve the drug this summer. Opill has been available, but only by prescription, for the past 50 years. The push for over-the-counter access in the US comes amid Republican-led efforts to restrict access to abortion and contraception at the national and state level. Advisors on the panel said they were mostly confident women of all ages would use the drug as appropriate without first consulting a healthcare provider. "In the balance between benefit and risk, we'd have a hard time justifying not taking this action," said chairwoman Maria Coyle, an Ohio State University pharmacist. "The drug is incredibly effective, and I think it will be effective in the over-the-counter realm just as it is in the prescription realm." Read full story Source: BBC News, 10 May 2023
  21. News Article
    Children with serious health conditions are getting sicker as a result of persistent failings by Sciensus, a private company paid millions by the NHS to deliver essential medication, the Guardian can reveal. Parents of sick children say they are repeatedly let down by botched, delayed or missed deliveries, while NHS paediatric clinicians warn some are suffering avoidable harm as a result. Sciensus failed to send injections to Autumn Powell, an eight-year-old girl with Crohn’s disease, four times this year, according to her mother, Dallas Powell. As a result, she has suffered stomach cramping, pain and fatigue, and been off school sick. “It makes me mad, frustrated, but mostly it’s heartbreaking seeing my child suffering – and feeling helpless,” Powell said. “I am not one to go and complain publicly, but this is serious.” In a complaint to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the care regulator, three NHS paediatric clinicians working at two of the UK’s largest children’s hospitals have raised multiple concerns about Sciensus. Medicines ordered by the NHS to be sent urgently to sick children were delayed or never arrived, they said. Parents of those with serious health conditions also experienced difficulties with the company’s app. In some cases Sciensus did not respond to emails and calls about children’s missing medicines. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 9 May 2023
  22. News Article
    Antidepressants commonly used to treat chronic pain lack evidence as to whether or not they work, researchers have said, declaring the situation a global public health concern. Chronic pain, typically defined as pain lasting three months or more, is a widespread problem affecting up to one in three people, with conditions ranging from osteoarthritis to fibromyalgia. While exercise is often recommended, this is difficult for some patients, while there are concerns that opioids and other painkillers such as aspirin and paracetamol could do more harm than good. Increasing numbers of patients are prescribed antidepressants to treat their pain, with hundreds of thousands in the UK estimated to be taking amitriptyline. Antidepressants affect chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which is how they are thought to relieve pain. But a new Cochrane review, led by Prof Tamar Pincus, professor in health psychology at the University of Southampton, has revealed there is little evidence whether or not amitriptyline and many other common antidepressants work when it comes to tackling chronic pain. “The fact that we don’t find evidence whether it works or not, is not the same as finding evidence that it doesn’t work,” she said. “We don’t know. The studies simply are not good enough.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 10 May 2023
  23. News Article
    Millions of patients in England will be able to get prescriptions for seven common conditions, plus more blood pressure checks and the contraceptive pill, directly from pharmacies under proposals to tackle the crisis in GP surgeries. Those suffering from earache, a sore throat, sinusitis, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women are set to be prescribed medicine by pharmacists without the need to see a doctor or nurse for the first time. The reforms are designed to free up 15m GP appointments over the next two years. The blueprint was broadly welcomed by health leaders, with Thorrun Govind, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, calling it a “real game-changer” for patients. But experts said not all pharmacies would be able to offer all or any of the new services, meaning the shake-up could result in frustrated patients being “bumped from pillar to post, only to end up back at the GP”. There are also concerns that patients may not be able to recognise the seriousness of some conditions, including whether a UTI can be classed as “uncomplicated”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 9 May 2023
  24. News Article
    Two years ago, administrators and caregivers at St. Bernard Hospital in Chicago were stunned when they flunked a basic standard for patient safety. "It was a real jolt," said Charles Holland, the hospital's president and CEO. "We thought we were doing patient safety and we thought we were doing it well." But the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit health care watchdog organisation, found the hospital fell short on documenting and having comprehensive approaches to hand-washing, medication safety systems and fall and infection prevention. The wake-up call led Holland to hire a Patient Safety and Quality Officer and to use Leapfrog's criteria as a roadmap for improving patient safety. It worked. In its latest annual review of hospital safety, released Wednesday, Leapfrog awarded the century-old charity hospital an A. The fact that St. Bernard could turn around so quickly and so effectively without spending a fortune in the process shows that patient safety is an attainable goal, said Leah Binder, Leapfrog's president and CEO. Read full story Source: USA Today, 3 May 2023
  25. News Article
    The watchdog responsible for investigating unresolved healthcare complaints has been warned repeatedly for nine months about problems with Sciensus, a private company paid millions to deliver vital medicines to NHS patients, the Guardian can reveal. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has received 18 official requests to examine grievances against Sciensus since August last year, but has not begun any investigations, according to a person familiar with the matter. The revelation comes after a Guardian investigation exposed serious and significant concerns raised by patients, clinicians and health groups about Sciensus. The investigation revealed that the company has struggled to provide a safe or reliable service. Patients persistently complain about delayed or missed home deliveries of medication, the Guardian found, with clinicians warning that the health of some has deteriorated as a result. The investigation also uncovered how some NHS staff experience “daily issues” with Sciensus. Others reported an increase in patients “flaring” as a result of missed or delayed medication. Some have seen a rise in hospital admissions. In the wake of the investigation, the Care Quality Commission, the care regulator, said it was “aware of concerns raised” about Sciensus, and was reviewing them. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 1 May 2023
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