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Found 327 results
  1. News Article
    Prescribers should not start any new patients on some ADHD medicines because of a national shortage, the Department for Health and Social Care has warned. GPs are also being asked to identify and contact all patients currently prescribed the medicines to ensure they have supplies to last. A national patient safety alert said there were ‘supply disruptions’ of various strengths of methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine. It follows a previous alert about shortages of atomoxetine capsules in August which is set to resolve next month, DHSC said. The shortages are due to a combination of manufacturing issues and an increased global demand, the alert explained. With the latest issues expected to continue to December for some medicines, new patients should not be started on the products affected by shortages until the supply issue resolves, the guidance sent to healthcare professionals said. Where patients do not have enough to last until the re-supply date – which differs depending on the medicine in question – GPs are being asked to contact pharmacies to find out about stocks and reach out to the patient’s specialist team for advice if a product cannot be sourced. Read full story Source: Pulse, 28 September 2023
  2. Content Article
    There are supply disruptions affecting various strengths of the following medications which are licensed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): methylphenidate (Equasym® XL) capsules, methylphenidate (Xaggitin XL® , Concerta XL® , Xenidate XL® ) prolonged-release tablets, lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse® ) capsules, and guanfacine (Intuniv® ) prolonged-release tablets. This is a safety critical and complex National Patient Safety Alert. Implementation should be co-ordinated by an executive lead (or equivalent role in organisations without executive boards) and supported by clinical leaders in pharmacy, community pharmacy, GP practices, mental health services and those working in the health and justice sector.
  3. Content Article
    The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting jointly with the Department of Health Northern Ireland to seek your views on amending the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines using patient group directions (PGDs). This proposal supports the ambitions of NHS systems across the UK to maximise the use of the skill mix within pharmacy teams, enabling them to meet more of the health needs of their local populations. Deadline: 29 September 2023.
  4. Content Article
    People rely on prescription medication to treat and manage their conditions and keep well. Based on analysis of public feedback from local Healthwatch and from a webform on pharmacies, this blog by Healthwatch England highlights the challenges people face when trying to get prescription medication. It outlines the following key issues: Shortages of medication Delays in getting repeat prescriptions issued Shortages of staff Closed pharmacies
  5. Content Article
    The Patient Safety Network (PSNet) produces primers which provide guidance on  key topics in patient safety through context, epidemiology and relevant PSNet content. This primer focuses on nurse-related medication administration errors and highlights that despite error reduction efforts through implementing new technologies and streamlining processes, medication administration errors remain prevalent. It covers the background to the issue, low-tech and high-tech prevention strategies and the current context.
  6. News Article
    A high-profile government climbdown which legalised a type of cannabis medicine on the NHS five years ago misled patients, campaigners say. It was thought the law change would mean the unlicensed drug, which treats a range of conditions, could be freely prescribed by specialist doctors. But fewer than five NHS patients have been given the medicine, leaving others to either pay privately or miss out. The government says safety needs to be proven before a wider rollout. Legalisation of whole-cannabis medicine was hailed as a breakthrough for patients - giving either NHS or private specialist doctors the option to prescribe it if they believed their patients would benefit. But patients are being turned away, say campaigners, because doctors often do not know about the medicine, which is not on NHS trusts' approved lists. Some specialists who do know about it say there is insufficient evidence of the drug's safety and benefits to support prescribing. Senior paediatric consultant Dr David McCormick, from King's College Hospital in London, says it was "disingenuous" of the government to suggest in 2018 that NHS prescribing was ready to take place. "Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case. "The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England." Read full story Source: BBC News, 13 September 2023
  7. Content Article
    Healthcare professionals prescribing fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, delafloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin) are reminded to be alert to the risk of disabling and potentially long-lasting or irreversible side effects. Do not prescribe fluoroquinolones for non-severe or self-limiting infections, or for mild to moderate infections (such as in acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) unless other antibiotics that are commonly recommended for these infections are considered inappropriate. Fluoroquinolone treatment should be discontinued at the first signs of a serious adverse reaction, including tendon pain or inflammation.
  8. News Article
    Sharri Shaw walked out of the CVS on Vermont Avenue in South Los Angeles in 2019 believing she had a prescription for the pain reliever acetaminophen. Instead the bottle held a medicine to treat high blood pressure, a problem she did not have. Shaw began taking the pills, not learning of the mistake until six days later when a CVS employee arrived at her home, according to a lawsuit she filed last year. The employee told her not to take the tablets, the lawsuit said, before leaving the correct prescription at her door. The mistake, she said, left her stunned. Shaw’s experience is far from an isolated event. California pharmacies make an estimated 5 million errors every year, according to the state’s Board of Pharmacy. Officials at the regulatory board say they can only estimate the number of errors because pharmacies are not required to report them. Most of the mistakes that California officials have discovered, according to citations issued by the board and reviewed by The Times, occurred at chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, where a pharmacist may fill hundreds of prescriptions during a shift, while juggling other tasks such as giving vaccinations, calling doctors’ offices to confirm prescriptions and working the drive-through. Christopher Adkins, a pharmacist who worked at CVS, and then at Vons pharmacies until March, said that management policies at the big chains have resulted in understaffed stores and overworked staff. “At this point it’s completely unsafe,” he said. Read full story Source: Los Angeles Times, 5 September 2023
  9. Content Article
    This debate was requested by Barbara Keeley MP of Worsley and Eccles South, following the death of Emily Chesterton, the daughter of her constituents Marion and Brendan Chesterton. Emily died in November 2022 after suffering a pulmonary embolism. She was just 30 years old when she died. The conclusion of the coroner was: “Emily Chesterton died from a pulmonary embolism, a natural cause of death. She attended her general practitioner surgery on the mornings of 31 October and 7 November 2022 with calf pain and shortness of breath, and was seen by the same physician associate on both occasions. She should have been immediately referred to a hospital emergency unit. If she had been on either occasion, the likelihood is that she would have been treated for pulmonary embolism and would have survived.”
  10. News Article
    THE NHS has announced plans to scrap prescriptions for 35 conditions in a bid to save the money it spends on drugs available over-the-counter (OTC). The body said it will no longer issue treatments for a range of minor conditions, such as diarrhoea, oral thrush and ailments associated with pain. The health body will no longer prescribe drugs for 35 conditions listed below, which patients will have to purchase from their local pharmacy or supermarket going forward. The plan to dial back on prescriptions was devised with the aim of allocating funds to treatments for more serious conditions, according to the health body. Many of the conditions are able to resolve on their own, but prescriptions may still be issued if an exemption applies. Acute sore throat Conjunctivitis Coughs, colds, and nasal congestion Cradle cap Dandruff Diarrhoea Dry eyes / sore tired eyes Earwax Excessive sweating Haemorrhoids Head live Indigestion and heartburn Infant colic Infrequent cold sores of the lip Infrequent constipation Infrequent migraine Insect bites and stings Mild acne Mild burns and scalds Mild cystitis Mild dry skin Mild irritant dermatitis Mild to moderate hay fever Minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and fever (e.g. aches and pain, headache, period pain, back pain) Mouth ulcers Nappy rash Oral thrush Prevention of tooth decay Ringworm/athlete’s foot Sunburn Sun protection Teething / mild toothache Threadworms Travel sickness Warts and verrucae Read full story Source: Express, 20 May 2022
  11. News Article
    NHS prescription charges in England are to be frozen for the first time in 12 years, the government has confirmed. Single prescription charges, which the Department of Health said would normally rise "in line with inflation", will remain at £9.35 until next year. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said freezing the costs would "put money back in people's pockets". Faith Angwet, a single mother of two, said she had to choose between paying for prescriptions to treat for her high blood pressure, or using that money to feed her children. She said the price freeze "won't go far" because "it's not necessarily the outgoings affecting me, everything is going up in price and I'm not able to afford everything I use to be, including my prescription". Claire Anderson, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said people who do not qualify for free prescriptions because of their income, age, or medication type, often had to make decisions about which medicines they need. "Those medicines are prescribed for a reason because that patient needs that treatment," she told the BBC. And Laura Cockram, chairwoman of the Prescription Charges Coalition, who welcomed the freeze, said the government should review the list of those who qualified for free prescriptions. She said the prescription exemption charge list was put together more than 50 years ago, when conditions like HIV "didn't even exist" and at a time there "weren't life saving treatments for things like asthma, Parkinson's and MS". Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 May 2022
  12. News Article
    Nearly a third of community pharmacies in Wales should be able to prescribe medicines for NHS patients, including antibiotics, by the end of this year, health officials say. It is the first new service of its kind in the UK. The aim is to take the pressure off GPs at a time of increasing strain on the NHS. Scotland has adopted a similar approach but England and Northern Ireland have not so far. Community pharmacies in Wales are allowed to offer prescriptions of medicines for acute illnesses such as urinary tract and respiratory infections, gout and chronic pain, as well as emergency contraception - if they have a pharmacist who has had extra training for prescribing. For most patients, that will be more convenient and avoid waits for GP appointments. The plan is to roll out the service progressively across Wales, building on local schemes already in place. Local doctors in general practice have welcomed the new policy. Dr Penny Coyle said each week about 25 patients with minor ailments were referred to the pharmacist, saving 100 GP appointments a month and giving doctors more time to visit seriously ill patients in their homes. "We are finding that demand is outweighing capacity and so anything that relieves some of the pressure on general practice is very welcome," she said. Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck said: "Pharmacist prescribers can help massively when you think about the shortages and the HRT issues, for example, that we are currently facing - having a pharmacist prescriber being able to prescribe alternative medicines without the patient having to wait to see the GP." Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 April 2022
  13. News Article
    RaDonda Vaught's conviction for a fatal medical error has already damaged patient safety and should serve as a wake-up call for health system leaders to improve harm prevention efforts, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has said. Ms. Vaught was convicted 25 March of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult for a fatal medication error she made in December 2017 while working as a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. "We know from decades of work in hospitals and other care settings that most medical errors result from flawed systems, not reckless practitioners," IHI said. "We also know that systems can learn from errors and improve, but only when those systems encourage reporting, transparently acknowledge their mistakes and are held accountable for those errors." The organization said criminal prosecution of errors over-focuses on the individual and diverts attention from necessary system-level issues and improvements. "Were this practice to be repeated in future cases of a serious or fatal error, there will be more damage, less transparency, less accountability and more lives lost," IHI said. "Instead, this case should be a wake-up call to health system leaders who need to proactively identify system faults and risks and prevent harm to patients and those who care for them."
  14. News Article
    We have the technology to start a new era in medicine by precisely matching drugs to people's genetic code, a major report says. Some drugs are completely ineffective or become deadly because of subtle differences in how our bodies function. The British Pharmacological Society and the Royal College of Physicians say a genetic test can predict how well drugs work in your body. The tests could be available on the NHS next year. It would have helped Jane Burns, from Liverpool, who lost two-thirds of her skin when she reacted badly to a new epilepsy drug. She was put on to carbamazepine when she was 19. Two weeks later, she developed a rash and her parents took her to A&E when she had a raging fever and began hallucinating. The skin damage started the next morning. Jane told the BBC: "I remember waking up and I was just covered in blisters, it was like something out of a horror film, it was like I'd been on fire." Jane's experience may sound rare, but Prof Mark Caulfield, the president-elect of the British Pharmacological Society, said "99.5% of us have at least one change in our genome that, if we come across the wrong medicine, it will either not work or it will actually cause harm." "We need to move away from 'one drug and one dose fits all' to a more personalised approach, where patients are given the right drug at the right dose to improve the effectiveness and safety of medicines," said Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed, from the University of Liverpool. Read full story Source: BBC News, 29 March 2022
  15. News Article
    Antipsychotics have been frequently and increasingly prescribed for extended periods to people with recorded personality disorder but no history of severe mental illness, a study looking at UK general practice data has found. Researchers from University College London looked at 46 210 people who had had personality disorder recorded in their GP record between January 2000 and 31 December 2016. Of these, 15 562 (34%) had been prescribed antipsychotics. The study, published in BMJ Open, also found that 36 875 people with a record of personality disorder had no record of severe mental illness. An urgent review of clinical practice is warranted, including the effectiveness of such prescribing and the need to monitor for adverse effects, including metabolic complications. Read full story (paywalled) Source: BMJ, 10 March 2022
  16. News Article
    Sasha Mallett, Sue Taylor and Kimberly Cooley all have immune deficiencies that make them especially vulnerable to Covid-19, and all have tried to get the same thing: a new treatment that can prevent the disease in people who either cannot produce antibodies after receiving a coronavirus vaccine or cannot get vaccinated at all. Ms. Cooley, a liver transplant recipient in Duck Hill, Mississippi, got the antibody drug, called Evusheld, from her transplant team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center with no trouble. But Ms. Taylor, of Cincinnati, was denied the treatment by two hospitals near her home. And Dr. Mallett, a physician in Portland, Ore., had to drive five hours to a hospital willing to give her a dose. As much of the USA unmasks amid plummeting caseloads and fresh hope that the pandemic is fading, the Biden administration has insisted it will continue protecting the more than seven million Americans with weakened immune systems who remain vulnerable to Covid. Evusheld, which was developed by AstraZeneca with financial support from the federal government, is essential to its strategy. But there is so much confusion about the drug among healthcare providers that roughly 80% of the available doses are sitting unused in warehouses and on pharmacy and hospital shelves. Interviews with doctors, patients and government officials suggest the reasons the drug is going unused are varied. Some patients and doctors do not know Evusheld exists. Some do not know where to get it. Government guidelines on who should be prioritised for the drug are scant. In some hospitals and medical centres, supplies are being reserved for patients at the highest risk, such as recent transplant recipients and cancer patients, while doses in other areas of the country are being given out through a lottery or on a first-come, first-served basis. Hesitance is also an issue. Some doctors and other providers do not know how to use Evusheld and are thus loath to prescribe it. Read full story (paywalled) Source: New York Times, 6 March 2022
  17. News Article
    Hundreds of people across England with drug and alcohol dependencies who have been prescribed Valium long-term, will have their cases reviewed following an Ombudsman investigation. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found that Change Grow Live (CGL), on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council, has been prescribing benzodiazepines to people long-term, against national guidance. The company also provides drug and alcohol services for 50 other councils. Benzodiazepines – including diazepam (Valium) - are a class of medicines that can relieve nervousness, tension and other symptoms of anxiety and should usually only be prescribed short-term. CGL’s policy explains people use them for anxiety, insomnia, to enhance opiate effects, to deal with mental health issues, improve confidence and to reduce psychotic symptoms like hearing voices. However, if they are prescribed for too long, they can have significant negative effects including dependence, withdrawal symptoms and drug-seeking behaviour. People on these medicines should have their prescriptions reviewed regularly, and those reviews should consider the benefits and risks of continuing with the current dose, reducing or stopping it, with a management plan put in place after each review. However, the Ombudsman’s investigation found CGL were either not reviewing people’s prescriptions regularly enough or not keeping proper records of those reviews. Nigel Ellis, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Chief Executive, said: “Clinicians need to weigh up the benefits and risks for patients who are taking these medicines long-term and should have a clear rationale for continuing to prescribe. “I am pleased that patients in these vulnerable groups will now have their cases reviewed more regularly and comprehensively following my investigation. “Both CGL and the council have co-operated fully with our investigation, and I welcome their ready acceptance of our recommendations.” Read full story Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, 23 August 2023
  18. News Article
    Almost 180,000 patients have been prescribed strong painkillers every month for two years, a rise of over a third compared to levels recorded just before the pandemic, data obtained by HSJ shows. The figures collected by the NHS Business Services Authority showed 179,353 patients had been prescribed an opioid analgesic every month between April 2021 and March 2023, a 36% increase compared with 131,876 receiving the same prescription between April 2017 and March 2019. Guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2021 advised clinicians not to prescribe opioids to manage chronic pain. A statement published alongside an earlier draft of these guidelines explained: “While there was little or no evidence that they made any difference to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress, there was evidence that they can cause harm, including possible addiction.” In 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency asked healthcare professionals to discuss the risks of dependency and addiction with any patient taking or planning to take an opioid-containing medicine and made sure such warnings were reinforced in the patient information leaflet. The regulator at the time defined long-term use as longer than three months. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 18 August 2023
  19. News Article
    Northern Ireland’s chief pharmaceutical officer has said that the use of prescribed medicines and the associated costs remains too high, exceeding £800m a year. In a blog to reflect on the 75th anniversary of the NHS, Professor Cathy Harrison added that medicine costs in NI are the second largest single investment made in the health service, after staff. “The average number of prescription items a year is 21 per person, at a cost of £227. This cost is the highest in the UK and the volume of prescription items is still rising each year,” she said. “There is an uncomfortable truth that manifests in the prescribing data for medicines. In Northern Ireland, we continue to use more of almost every type of medicine than other parts of the UK. “That includes more antibiotics, more painkillers, more baby milks, more nutritional supplements, even more oxygen.” Read full story Source: Belfast Telegraph, 27 June 2023
  20. News Article
    The American Medical Association and three other major health groups have warned that patients across the nation could suffer “irreparable harm” due to the shattered legal landscape left in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In a statement, co-authored with the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists and the National Community Pharmacists Association, the groups said they were deeply concerned by state efforts to limit access to medically necessary medicine. Ongoing questions about state laws are already impacting patients, and language in newly enacted rules is “vague,” “unclear” and “disrupting care,” they said. “Physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professionals face a confusing legal landscape due to state laws’ lack of clarity, confusing language, and unknown implementation by regulatory and enforcement bodies,” the statement reads. “Without such guidance, we are deeply concerned that our patients will lose access to care and suffer irreparable harm.” The groups pointed to reports that some hospitals had prioritised caution over healthcare, others that have removed emergency contraceptives from kits for victims of sexual assault and pharmacies that have imposed “burdensome” steps for prescriptions. Read full story Source: HuffPost, 9 September 2022
  21. News Article
    Previously offered as prescription only, estradiol tablets, sold under the brand name Gina10, will now be available to women over the age of 50 who have not had a period for more than a year, as part of hormone replacement therapy treatment (HRT). Pharmacists have been offered training to identify who needs the tablets. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made the decision as part of a strategy to make menopause treatment more accessible for women. Estradiol tablets treat vaginal symptoms caused by a lack of oestrogen, such as dryness, soreness, itching, burning and uncomfortable sex. The product is inserted into the vagina rather than taken by mouth. MHRA chief healthcare quality and access officer Dr Laura Squire called the move a "landmark reclassification for millions of women in the UK". "In reaching this decision, we have seen positive support from a wide range of people, including many women aged 50 years and above who could benefit from this decision," she said. The MHRA hopes the move will relieve pressure on front-line NHS services and give women more freedom in choosing treatments that work for them. Read full story Source: BBC News, 8 September 2022
  22. News Article
    GPs around England are to prescribe patients activities such as walking or cycling in a bid to ease the burden on the NHS by improving mental and physical health. The £12.7m trial, which was announced by the Department for Transport and will begin this year, is part of a wider movement of “social prescribing”, an approach already used in the NHS, in which patients are referred for non-medical activities. Minister for health, Maria Caulfield, said the UK is leading the way in embedding social prescribing in the NHS and communities across the country. “Getting active is hugely beneficial for both our mental and physical health, helping reduce stress and ward off other illness such as heart disease and obesity,” she said. Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said he welcomed news of the extra investment, enabling the NHS to try new ways of supporting mental health, such as through social prescribing schemes. But, he added, prescribing exercise is not a miracle cure for treating mental health problems. “What we urgently need to see is proper investment into our country’s mental health services,” he said. “Only that will enable us to deliver support to the 1.6 million people currently sat on waiting lists, and the 8 million people who would benefit from mental health support right now but are deemed by the system not to be unwell enough to access it.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 August 2022
  23. News Article
    Prescribing potentially harmful antipsychotic drugs to people with dementia has increased by more than 50% on average in care homes during the pandemic, new research suggests. It found that the number of people with dementia receiving these prescriptions had soared from 18% to 28% since 2018 – with prescription rates of over 50% in a third of care homes. Professor Clive Ballard, who was part of a national campaign in 2009 to reduce antipsychotic prescribing by half, said: “Covid-19 put tremendous pressure on care homes, and the majority of them must be applauded for maintaining relatively low antipsychotic prescribing levels amid incredibly difficult circumstances." “However, there were very significant rises in antipsychotic prescribing in one third of care homes and we urgently need to find ways to prioritise support to prevent people with dementia being exposed to significant harms.” Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat some of the more distressing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and psychotic episodes. They have only very limited, short-term benefits in treating psychiatric symptoms in people with dementia – but significantly increase the risk of serious side effects, including stroke, accelerated decline and death. Dr Richard Oakley, from the Alzheimer’s Society, added: “This study shows the shocking and dangerous scale of the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat people with dementia in care homes. “Alzheimer’s Society has been campaigning for a move away from the model of ‘medicate first’ and funded research into alternatives to antipsychotic prescriptions, focused on putting people living with dementia at the centre of their own care. “This drug-free, tailored care can help avoid the loss of lives associated with the harmful side effects of antipsychotic medications.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 4 August 2022
  24. News Article
    The UK needs to do more to use diagnostic testing in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the chair of a government-commissioned review on AMR told MPs. Lord O’Neill, an economist and former treasury minister, warned in the review’s final report in 2016 that a continued rise in AMR would lead to 10 million people dying each year by 2050 and made ten recommendations, including the need for rapid diagnostics to reduce unnecessary use of antimicrobials. Speaking to a Commons Science and Technology Committee evidence session on 22 June 2022, Lord O’Neill said that while he was pleased with progress on some of the recommendations published in his review in 2016, especially in the reduction of antimicrobials in agriculture, progress on diagnostics was “woeful”. He said it was “alarming to me how we are not embedding state-of-the-art diagnostic technology right in the middle of our health systems”, adding that it could “really make a huge difference about whether an antibiotic is needed or not, and the right kind of antibiotic”. “Our most aggressive recommendation was that we should ban the use of subjective prescriptions in secondary settings, at least in Western countries, until they’ve gone through a state-of-the-art diagnostics,” he continued. “And nobody’s done it; they claim it’s a vicious circle, the technology isn’t there, but we have to give incentives in order to get this embedded because that would make a permanent difference.” Read full story Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 24 June 2022
  25. News Article
    The cost of living crisis is adding to pressures on GPs, the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland has warned. The BMA said that is because the number of people asking for prescriptions for medicines that can be bought over the counter is increasing. That includes medicines like painkillers and allergy medication, Dr Alan Stout of the BMA said. Prescriptions are free for everyone in Northern Ireland. The rise in prescription request increases "the cost to the health service as a whole and the pressure on GPs", Dr Stout told Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme. "We have talked before about the difficulties people have accessing GPs and this is just more demand and difficulties," he said. Dr Stout added: "I absolutely don't hold that against anyone, it is not our position as GPs to deny people medication or deny people prescriptions if they need this medication." Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 June 2022
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