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Content Article
Obesity is now one of the biggest drivers of ill health in the UK’s working-age population, contributing to economic inactivity, increased NHS costs and deepening health inequality. Yet under the NHS’s current plan for the rollout of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), obesity rates will rise faster than the drugs can be delivered. Anti-Obesity Medications: Faster, Broader Access Can Drive Health and Wealth in the UK explains why expanding access to these drugs could save the UK £52 billion by 2050. It's calling for a faster, broader strategy that includes: lowering eligibility to adults with a BMI of 27 or more making access digital-first delivering treatment more equitably through a national prevention programme. The opportunity is real – and so is the cost of delaying action on one of the UK’s most pressing health and economic challenges. Find out why the government needs to make AOMs available faster – and distribute them more broadly.- Posted
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The Yellow Card scheme is a system for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from medicines or adverse incidents with medical devices in the UK, ensuring that these products are safe for both healthcare professionals and patients. Reporting these issues helps the MHRA to identify new safety concerns, review products and take action to minimise risks. Despite the role of the Yellow Card reporting system in pharmacovigilance in the UK, understanding and uptake of the scheme remains limited. The authors designed a survey to explore healthcare professionals’ awareness, usage and perceptions of the Yellow Card Scheme for reporting ADRs. It was aimed at identifying current levels of engagement, perceived barriers to reporting, confidence in identifying ADRs and opportunities for improving reporting practices within the East London NHS Foundation Trust. The survey results showed that 84% were aware of the Yellow Card scheme, with 52% selecting that they were ‘fully aware’. A total of 16% of those asked had never heard of the scheme. Despite awareness of the scheme, actual usage is very low — 76% have never reported and 12% were unsure if they had reported, suggesting underutilisation of the scheme. Reporting is infrequent: no respondents report regularly; 12% report a few times a year and 20% have only reported one or twice in total. When asked about barriers to reporting, participants selected: Lack of awareness. Uncertainty about what qualifies as reportable. Lack of time. . Belief that someone else is responsible.- Posted
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News Article
Breakthrough drugs that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease will reportedly be refused for use on the NHS this week in a blow to thousands of patients. The two drugs, Lecanemab and donanemab, slow down the decline in Alzheimer’s patients' ability to carry out daily activities. The drugs’ success in halting the progression of Alzheimer’s was heralded as a “new era” by campaigners and researchers. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is expected to refuse to recommend them on the NHS, according to The Sunday Times. The regulator has already issued two decisions, one in October last year and another in March, saying they would not recommend the drugs for use on the NHS. A final decision will be published on Thursday. The regulator will reportedly turn down both drugs on the grounds of cost-effectiveness, with one insider telling The Sunday Times: “It is the end of the road for these drugs on the NHS”. Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the decision to turn down the drugs would be “deeply disappointing”. She added: “These treatments are not perfect, and we recognise the challenges they pose around cost, delivery and safety. But scientific progress is incremental, and these drugs represent a vital foundation to build on.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 15 June 2025- Posted
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Blood cancer patients in England first in world to be offered ‘Trojan horse’ drug
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Thousands of patients in England with blood cancer will become the first in the world to be offered a pioneering “Trojan horse” drug that sneaks inside cancer cells and wipes them out. In guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave the green light to belantamab mafodotin, which can halt the advance of multiple myeloma for three times as long as standard treatments. The targeted therapy, which is given as an infusion every three weeks with other cancer drugs, is a special type of antibody drug that targets and attaches to cancer cells. It has been described as a Trojan horse treatment because it works by being taken into a cancer cell and unleashing a high concentration of a lethal molecule to destroy the cell from inside. Prof Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said the drug would be life-changing for patients and their families. “Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies,” he said. “I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer, giving people the chance of more precious time with friends and family.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 June 2025- Posted
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News Article
Hay fever sufferers warned against buying Kenalog medication online
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Pharmacists are warning the public against buying unlicensed hay fever medication online, including the jab Kenalog, because of safety fears. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said people should not buy Kenalog, which can be advertised on social media sites or by salons and beauty clinics. The organisation, which represents more than 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said health staff have been receiving more and more enquiries about Kenalog. It is concerned that medication from unregulated sellers could be fake and poses a risk to patient safety. The drug also has known side-effects, such as increased blood pressure, dizziness, severe abdominal pain, depression and mood swings. Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine that is not licensed for the treatment of hay fever in the UK. It contains triamcinolone acetonide, which is a steroid injection licensed for a number of conditions such as arthritis, but not for hay fever. In 2022, the regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) issued a joint enforcement notice about the advertising of Kenalog injections. They told all organisations offering Kenalog as a hay fever treatment to stop advertising it on any of their social media or website advertising. Read full story Source: ITVX, 10 May 2025- Posted
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No adverse event should ever occur anywhere in the world if the knowledge exists to prevent it from happening. However, such knowledge is of little use if it is not put into practice. Translating knowledge into practical solutions is the ultimate foundation of the safety solutions action area of the World Alliance for Patient Safety. In April 2007, the International Steering Committee approved nine solutions for dissemination: Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medication Names (PDF) Confusing drug names is one of the most common causes of medication errors and is a worldwide concern. With tens of thousands of drugs currently on the market, the potential for error created by confusing brand or generic drug names and packaging is significant. Patient Identification (PDF) The widespread and continuing failures to correctly identify patients often leads to medication, transfusion and testing errors; wrong person procedures; and the discharge of infants to the wrong families. Communication During Patient Hand-Overs (PDF) Gaps in hand-over (or hand-off) communication between patient care units, and between and among care teams, can cause serious breakdowns in the continuity of care, inappropriate treatment, and potential harm for the patient. Performance of Correct Procedure at Correct Body Site (PDF) Considered totally preventable, cases of wrong procedure or wrong site surgery are largely the result of miscommunication and unavailable, or incorrect, information. A major contributing factor to these types of errors is the lack of a standardized preoperative process. Control of Concentrated Electrolyte Solutions (PDF) While all drugs, biologics, vaccines and contrast media have a defined risk profile, concentrated electrolyte solutions that are used for injection are especially dangerous. Assuring Medication Accuracy at Transitions in Care (PDF) Medication errors occur most commonly at transitions. Medication reconciliation is a process designed to prevent medication errors at patient transition points. Avoiding Catheter and Tubing Mis-Connections (PDF) The design of tubing, catheters, and syringes currently in use is such that it is possible to inadvertently cause patient harm through connecting the wrong syringes and tubing and then delivering medication or fluids through an unintended wrong route. Single Use of Injection Devices (PDF) One of the biggest global concerns is the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) because of the reuse of injection needles. Improved Hand Hygiene to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infection (HAI) (PDF) It is estimated that at any point in time more than 1.4 million people worldwide are suffering from infections acquired in hospitals. Effective hand hygiene is the primary preventive measure for avoiding this problem.- Posted
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News Article
Experts warn that weight-loss jabs may need to be taken for life
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Experts suggest that weight-loss jabs may require long-term use to achieve lasting benefits for both patients and the NHS. These drugs, marketed under names such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, function by curbing food cravings. Currently, obese patients can access these injections through NHS prescriptions, following referrals to specialist weight loss clinics typically based in hospitals. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of individuals are obtaining the medication privately through pharmacies. There have been warnings about buying potentially unsafe jabs online from unregulated retailers and potentially missing out on wraparound support. Experts said the jabs should not be seen as the first option in weight loss and should be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, such as eating more healthily and increasing exercise. Professor Graham Easton, a GP who has been using weight loss jabs himself, said: “I think it’s a major issue about the proper funding and resourcing of not only the GPs in the surgeries but also the wraparound care we talked about. “I think the other issue is that so far, to my knowledge, the NHS and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have talked about this being something you take for two years, and that’s probably related to data from research studies. “But as we discussed, this is likely to be a lifelong commitment if it is going to be worthwhile to the NHS. “There’s no point in most people taking it for a couple of years and then have the weight bouncing back. Read full story Source: The Independent, 8 June 2025 -
News Article
Weight loss drugs linked to higher risk of eye damage in diabetic patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Weight loss drugs could at least double the risk of diabetic patients developing age-related macular degeneration, a large-scale study has found. Originally developed for diabetes patients, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medicines have transformed how obesity is treated and there is growing evidence of wider health benefits. They help reduce blood sugar levels, slow digestion and reduce appetite. But a study by Canadian scientists published in Jama Ophthalmology has found that after six months of use GLP-1 RAs are associated with double the risk of older people with diabetes developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration compared with similar patients not taking the drugs. Academics at the University of Toronto examined medical data for more than 1 million Ontario residents with a diagnosis of diabetes and identified 46,334 patients with an average age of 66 who were prescribed GLP-1 RAs. Nearly all (97.5%) were taking semaglutide, while 2.5% were on lixisenatide. The study did not exclude any specific brand of drugs, but since Wegovy was only approved in Canada in November 2021, primarily for weight loss, it is likely the bulk of semaglutide users in the study were taking Ozempic, which is prescribed for diabetes. The study found that those who had been taking semaglutide or lixisenatide for at least six months had twice the risk of developing macular degeneration, compared with similar patients who were not taking the drugs. Patients who had been taking GLP-1 RAs for more than 30 months had more than three times the risk. Marko Popovic, a co-author of the study and physician in the department of ophthalmology and vision sciences at the University of Toronto, said: “GLP-1 receptor agonists appear to have multiple effects on the eye, and in the case of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, the overall impact may be harmful. “Based on our data, I would advise exercising particular caution when prescribing GLP-1 RAs to older [diabetic] patients or those with a history of stroke, as both groups were found to have an even higher risk of developing [the condition].” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 June 2025- Posted
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News Article
'I will fade away without vital pancreas medication'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A Kent man who has had three-quarters of his pancreas removed says he will "fade away" without a medication that there has been a nationwide shortage of since 2024. Paul Elcombe, from Hartley, takes Creon three times a day, after major surgery three years ago left him no longer able to create enough enzymes to break down food. As it stands, he has three and a half weeks worth of tablets left, having only had one prescription filled this year. He said: "You need it to survive, without it [Creon] your body can't break down the food...it's as important as insulin is to a diabetic." The nationwide shortage, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says is a "European-wide" supply issue, has forced the 63-year-old and his wife to spend time travelling to different pharmacies in a bid to get the medication. He said: "I know it sounds dramatic, but without it you will just fade away...it's very scary." Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 June 2025- Posted
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Women warned weight-loss jabs may affect the pill
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Women using weight-loss jabs have been warned by the UK's medicines regulator that they must use effective contraception. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it is not known whether taking the medicines, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, could harm an unborn baby. It also warns that weight-loss jabs may make the contraceptive pill less likely to work in those who are overweight or obese. There are concerns that the growing popularity of 'skinny jabs' means many women aren't using the drugs safely or getting the right advice. It's thought the contraceptive pill may not be absorbed properly due to common side-effects of the jabs such as vomiting and diarrhoea, and because they slow the emptying of the stomach. The MHRA says women should use contraception while taking GLP-1 medicines and for a certain period afterwards before trying to become pregnant - two months for Wegovy and Ozempic, and one month for Mounjaro. It also advises that those using Mounjaro and taking an oral contraceptive should also use a condom for four weeks after starting the drug, or switch to another method such as the coil or implant. Advice on contraception already appears in patient information leaflets that come with the medicines, but the MHRA has now issued its own guidance. Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 June 2025- Posted
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New technology should be paid for ‘like medicines’, says NICE chief executive
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The purchase of approved digital products and services used for diagnosing and treating NHS patients should be reimbursed centrally, the chief executive of the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has told HSJ. Sam Roberts said this was “the minimum a citizen should expect from a digitised health service” and that she was determined “to get that into the [government’s 10-Year Health] plan”. She described the different financial arrangements for NICE-approved digital products and services as “outrageous”, and said they should instead be treated “like medicines”. In a wide-ranging interview with HSJ, the NICE CEO also said: She wanted NICE to “lead the charge” in determining which digital innovations the NHS should adopt NICE would issue more guidance on which medicines it had previously recommended should no longer be used A new approach was needed to deal with the impending wave of expensive “preventive medicines” such as the new wave of weight-loss drugs. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 3 June 2025- Posted
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Pharmacists warn drug shortage affecting cancer patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Pharmacists have warned that "one of the worst" examples of medicine shortages is affecting cancer patients. Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert), helps digestion and is required by patients with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis. It is thought more than 61,000 patients in the UK need the medicine. Some patients are said to be "skipping meals" to ration their medication due to a shortage of it, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said there were "European-wide supply issues" and it was "working closely with industry and the NHS" to mitigate the impact on patients. Without the drug, patients lose weight and strength, which means their ability to cope with treatment such as chemotherapy is reduced. Some experts have predicted shortages continuing until next year. The Department of Health and Social Care has extended a serious shortage protocol for Creon which has already been in place for a year. This indicates concern about shortages of a medicine and allows pharmacists to give patients an alternative - though they argue other drugs are also in short supply. A spokesperson for the department said the "European-wide supply issues" were caused by manufacturing supply constraints. Read full story Source: BBC News, 2 June 2025 Related reading on the hub: Medication supply issues: A pharmacist’s perspective Medicines shortages: minimising the impact on patients- Posted
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK. This roundup provides a summary of their latest safety advice for medicines and medical device users. It includes details of medicine recalls, medical device field safety notices and details of how to report drug reactions and device incidents. -
Content Article
Medication dosing errors occur frequently and contribute to preventable patient harm and negative outcomes (including numerous patient deaths each year in the US). Dosing errors are particularly common in neonatal and paediatric populations, where weight-based dosing is often required and drug formulations are commonly tailored towards adult populations. Hospitalised neonates require frequent dosing adjustments as their weights can change substantially over the course of their hospitalization and even day to day, increasing the potential for dosing errors. Technologies such as computerised order entry, clinical decision support systems, and electronic prescribing strategies have been used to improve dosing accuracy and prevent adverse drug events with mixed results. Additionally, paediatric functionalities are often not integrated into electronic health records (EHR) or tools tailored to the adult population are incorrectly applied to paediatric patients. In this issue of Pediatric Research, Levin and colleagues compared the accuracy of three Large Language Models (LLMs) to nurses of varying clinical backgrounds and experience levels in calculating paediatric medication dosing. Although this study focused on nurses, it applies to all healthcare providers. Medication dosing errors do not occur in a vacuum and it is the responsibility of all healthcare providers (including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, technicians, etc.) to ensure that medications are given at the correct dose, route, interval, and duration.- Posted
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The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) is set to spend up to €50m on a new national electronic prescription service as it seeks to modernise as part of Ireland’s “broader digital health transformation”. It has gone out to tender for the provision of this technology which it said will be rolled out in both public and private settings across the country’s healthcare system. “Ireland’s healthcare system currently lags behind other European countries in its adoption of digital technologies,” it said. “Its prescribing and dispensing processes are fragmented, with either Healthmail (secure email) or paper-based prescriptions being used. Healthcare providers often lack timely access to a patient’s complete medication history, leading to errors, communication gaps, and inefficiencies. Patients also have limited access to their medication information.” The current “healthmail” system has several limitations, according to the HSE, such as community pharmacy staff needing to locate and open patient files on the dispensing system and then transcribing details from prescriptions when they’re dispensing it. The HSE said the new prescription service will be secure, efficient and a fully integrated digital service to transmit and store electronic prescriptions and dispensations for patients. It will also integrate with existing and future health platforms and allow prescribers to generate prescriptions for patients electronically. “It will enable accurate, timely access to medication information, which will enhance clinical decision-making, reduce medication errors, streamline clinical workflows, empower patients and improve overall patient care,” it said. Read full story Source: Irish Examiner, 25 May 2025- Posted
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Wes Streeting reviews teen hormone use amid safety concerns
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Wes Streeting is considering banning cross-sex hormones after two gender dysphoria experts warned there were severe health risks associated with prescribing the drugs to children. The health secretary began “actively reviewing” whether the medication should continue to be prescribed to children under 18 after new evidence was presented from leading Finnish and Swedish clinicians, the New Statesman has revealed. Cross-sex hormones are masculinising and feminising hormones that bring about largely irreversible changes, such as causing females to develop deeper voices and initiating breast growth in males, when prescribed to patients who identify as the opposite sex. Last week it was disclosed in a High Court case that the government was reviewing the “next steps”, including potentially banning the prescription of the drugs to young people — similar to the ban on puberty blockers last year. The disclosure came on Wednesday during an attempt to bring a judicial review, which was ultimately rejected by the court, against Streeting’s failure to ban cross-sex hormones for children at the same time that he banned puberty blockers. Read more Source: The Times, 27 May 2025 -
News Article
A woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) says she has been left with debilitating symptoms after the NHS switched her to a cheaper drug. Julie Cowdrill is among scores of MS patients who say they have suffered a regression in their condition after being switched from a drug called Tysabri to one called Tyruko, with complaints that a “cost-cutting exercise” is coming at the expense of their health. NHS England is hoping to save £1bn over the next five years by switching to biosimilar drugs – medicines that have been shown not to be clinically different from the original drug, but are made far more cheaply. However, in Ms Cowdrill’s case, she has been left suffering from headaches and extreme fatigue, and has experienced worsenening mobility since she started taking the drug in December 2024. “Myself and many others have said that it feels like we’ve regressed 10 or 15 years after all the work we’ve done to get better. It’s like the rug has been pulled from under you – it’s dreadful,” she told The Independent. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it is “aware” that some patients have experienced side effects, but that a rigorous assessment has “demonstrated no clinically meaningful differences” between the drugs. A spokesperson for the MS Trust said it had been contacted by patients who have noticed “significant symptom changes” after switching from Tysabri to Tyruko (both of which are natalizumab products). “It is vital that we fully understand the experiences of people with MS when switching from one natalizumab product to another. We are talking to all stakeholders, including people with MS, to ensure that this data is collected and shared transparently with the MS community and the healthcare teams responsible for prescribing them,” the spokesperson said. Read full story Source: The Independent, 26 May 2025- Posted
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Warning over unlicensed weight-loss jabs after woman left in intensive care
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A woman was left fighting for her life after using a so-called “weight loss jab” sourced from a salon with police making three arrests. The woman suffered internal injuries earlier after using an injection earlier this month. She has since been discharged. Two other people also become unwell. North Yorkshire Police has launched an investigation into the supply of the injections as they arrested three women from the Selby area. Medical professionals in North Yorkshire and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a warning against using weight loss medicines bought from private clinics or online. They warned that buying products from unregulated suppliers “significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK and can pose a direct danger to health”. NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chief Pharmacy Officer, Laura Angus, said: “There has been a lot of attention in the media and on social media about these so-called ‘skinny jabs’, but as with any medicines bought outside of legitimate supply chains, the contents may not match the ingredients on the label. “If you use such products you could be putting your health at serious risk. “If you are thinking of buying a weight-loss medicine, please talk to a healthcare professional first. The only way to guarantee you receive a genuine weight-loss medicine is to obtain it from a legitimate pharmacy – including those trading online – using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 25 May 2025- Posted
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Medical errors are still harming patients. AI could help change that
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Despite ongoing efforts to improve patient safety, it’s estimated that at least 1 in 20 patients still experience medical mistakes in the health care system. One of the most common categories of mistakes is medication errors, where for one reason or another, a patient is given either the wrong dose of a drug or the wrong drug altogether. In the US, these errors injure approximately 1.3 million people a year and result in one death each day, according to the World Health Organization. In response, many hospitals have introduced guardrails, ranging from colour coding schemes that make it easier to differentiate between similarly named drugs, to barcode scanners that verify that the correct medicine has been given to the correct patient. Despite these attempts, medication mistakes still occur with alarming regularity. Dr Kelly Michaelsen, an assistant professor of anaesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington wondered whether emerging technologies could help. As both a medical professional and a trained engineer, it struck her that spotting an error about to be made, and alerting the anaesthesiologists in real time, should be within the capabilities of AI. “I was like, ‘This seems like something that shouldn’t be too hard for AI to do,’” she said. “Ninety-nine percent of the medications we use are these same 10-20 drugs, and so my idea was that we could train an AI to recognize them and act as a second set of eyes.” Michaelsen focused on vial swap errors, which account for around 20% of all medication mistakes. All injectable drugs come in labelled vials, which are then transferred to a labelled syringe on a medication cart in the operating room. But in some cases, someone selects the wrong vial, or the syringe is labelled incorrectly, and the patient is injected with the wrong drug. Michaelsen thought such tragedies could be prevented through “smart eyewear” — adding an AI-powered wearable camera to the protective eyeglasses worn by all staff during operations. Working with her colleagues in the University of Washington computer science department, she designed a system that can scan the immediate environment for syringe and vial labels, read them and detect whether they match up. In a study published late last year, Michaelsen reported that the device detected vial swap errors with 99.6% accuracy. All that’s left is to decide the best way for warning messages to be relayed and it could be ready for real-world use, pending Food and Drug Administration clearance. Read full story Source: NBC News, 25 May 2025- Posted
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In February the HSCIT hosted a webinar for adult social care services about what we can all do to keep antibiotics working. The webinar aimed to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship across adult social care and to explore what they mean in practice. The webinar featured presentations from two antimicrobial stewardship nurses and a principal educator from NHS Education for Scotland, as well as a question and answer session.- Posted
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What should we do in order to improve quality and safety in medicines management? How beneficial is it to design the medicines management system—for example, the tasks, tools and physical environment—to support effective working versus making people adapt to the systems in which they find themselves? This question arises when considering, among other problems in healthcare delivery, that of confusing look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) medicine names, which persists as a threat to medication safety despite much discussion and examination. In this editorial, Denham L Phipps discusses the recent paper by Lambert et al who sought to validate a test battery for assessing the suitability of a given drug name on the basis of that name’s potential to be confused with others. See our Error traps gallery on the hub- Posted
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More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed on behalf of weight-loss drug users who claim that popular weight-loss medications such as Ozempic have caused a loss of vision. Patients from New York and New Jersey have claimed that they suffered non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy after taking drugs containing semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. The condition is rare and includes a loss of blood flow to the optic nerve that causes sudden vision loss in one eye. "People are just waking up and developing this [vision] condition,” Jason Goldstein, the lawyer representing the patients, told Newsday. “They wake and they totally can't see. A lot of them lose their peripheral vision. They could lose total vision. I have one client who lost it in both eyes." One of the patients, 57-year-old Edward Fanelli, told the newspaper, "If it was on the label, I definitely wouldn't have taken it,” referring to a warning of potential vision loss. Fanelli, a New Jersey resident, started taking Ozempic to treat his Type 2 diabetes in October 2022 and was diagnosed with the condition about eight months later. He could no longer do his job as a general contractor because of his vision loss. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, has defended its popular medications. Lauren Browdy Weiner, a spokesperson for the drug maker, said the condition is not considered a possible adverse reaction for drugs. "Novo Nordisk is of the opinion that the benefit-risk profile of semaglutide remains unchanged,” she told Newsday. She continued: “Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously. “This also relates to eye conditions, which are well-known comorbidities for people living with diabetes." Read full story Source: The Independent, 20 May 2025 -
Content Article
Managing insulin during care transfers requires improvement. Understanding factors that impact insulin management during this process improves the likely effectiveness of interventions. This study aimed to map the processes involved in managing insulin during transfers of care and the factors that affect them to identify potential areas for safety improvement interventions. -
Content Article
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event which aims to raise awareness and promote open conversations about mental health. In this Top picks, we’ve pulled together resources, blogs and reports from the hub that focus on improving patient safety across different aspects of mental health services and also supporting staff with their own mental health and wellbeing. 1 Restraint Reduction Network: Supporting people with lived experience As all forms of restrictive practice can result in harm, it is important that people are able to identify restrictive practices and challenge their inappropriate use. The Restraint Reduction Network have a range of resources that people with lived experience, parents and carers may find helpful. The resources are designed to support people to understand what restrictive practices are, when and why they might be used, people’s rights, and how to identify and challenge unacceptable and unethical practices. 2 Harry’s story: Acute Behavioural Disturbance In December 2022, Harry Vass died after experiencing Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) and a complex disturbance in normal physiology. Harry’s death was found to be avoidable as carers were not fully aware of this condition associated with acute psychosis. In this blog, Harry’s mother Julie describes the barriers they faced in getting the right support and care for Harry before he died and highlights the need for healthcare staff to have a greater awareness of ABD and the associated risks of a medical emergency. You can also read a second blog by Julie, where she explains more about Acute Behavioural Disturbance and the changes she believes are needed to make sure patients like Harry are cared for appropriately. 3 Life Beyond the Cubicle: eLearning to support working well with families during mental health crises A set of eLearning modules designed to educate and update clinicians on the importance of involving families wherever possible during mental health crises to improve patient care, avoid harm and reduce deaths. They were developed as a partnership between Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Making Families Count, with funding from NHS England South East Region (HEE legacy funds). The resources have been co-produced by people with lived experience as patients, family carers and clinicians, supported by an Advisory Group drawn from a wide range of expertise, tested in eleven NHS Trusts and independently evaluated. 4 Mental health crises: how to improve care In May 2024, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence held a webinar on care for adults in mental health crisis. The webinar shared research findings on what works in community crisis care, how acute day units compare to crisis resolution teams and whether peer-supported self-management can reduce acute readmissions. This Collection summarises the 3 research projects presented at the webinar. It includes video clips from the speakers and incorporates quotes from the day. The information will be useful for anyone involved in commissioning or delivering mental health crisis services. 5 Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence This new guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) covers assessment, management and preventing recurrence for children, young people and adults who have self-harmed. It includes those with a mental health problem, neurodevelopmental disorder or learning disability and applies to all sectors that work with people who have self-harmed. The guideline sets out some important principles for care and treatment. For example, it states that self-harming patients treated in primary care must receive regular follow-up appointments, regular reviews of self-harm behaviour and a regular medicines review. 6 Hope Virgo: What needs to happen to stop people with eating disorders being failed by the healthcare system? In this blog, Hope Virgo, author and Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eating Disorders, examines the crisis that continues in eating disorder services in the UK and the devastating impact this is having on patients and their families. She highlights how failures in services lead to avoidable deaths. Hope shares the key recommendations from a new report by the APPG and calls for adequate funding and attention to ensure people with eating disorders receive the help they need to recover. 7 Rethinking doctors’ mental health and the impact on patient safety: A blog by Ehi Iden This blog by Ehi Iden, hub topic lead for Occupational Health and Safety, reflects on the increasing workload and pressure healthcare professionals face, the impact this has on patient safety and why we need to start 're-humanising' the workplace. He highlights that, “It takes a safe healthcare worker to deliver safe healthcare to patients.” 8 Zero Suicide Alliance training The Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaboration of NHS trusts, charities, businesses and individuals who are committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond. Their website offers free online training courses to teach people the skills and confidence to have potentially life-saving conversations with someone they’re worried about. They offer short online modules covering general suicide awareness, social isolation and suicide in veterans and university students. 9 How can our team move past a traumatic event? After an extreme traumatic event there are things that you can do to help yourself, and your colleagues, to move on. Fiona Day, medical and public health leadership coach and chartered coaching psychologist, Stacey Killick, consultant paediatrician at Glan Clwyd Hospital, and Lucy Easthope, professor in practice at Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience and adviser on disaster recovery give their tips in this BMJ article. 10 Blog: Shifting the dial on mental health support for young black men In this blog for NHS Confederation, Kadra Abdinasir talks about how mental health services have failed to engage with young black men, and describes how services need to change to overcome the issue. She argues that delivering effective mental health support for young black men requires a move away from a crisis-driven response, to investment in system-driven, community-based projects. Kadra looks at learning from Shifting the Dial, a three-year programme recently piloted in Birmingham as a response to the growing and unmet needs of young black men aged 16 to 25. A recent report on the project found that most young men involved in Shifting the Dial reported good outcomes related to their wellbeing, confidence, sense of belonging and understanding of mental health. 11 Vicarious trauma: The invisible epidemic In healthcare, an insidious epidemic lurks beneath the surface, affecting the very individuals tasked with providing care: vicarious trauma by empathy. Despite its profound impact, this phenomenon remains largely unrecognised and under-discussed within the sector. As leaders, it is imperative that we shed light on this invisible trauma and acknowledge it as one of the greatest challenges facing our industry, as Margarida Pacheco explains in this blog. 12 Beyond stereotypes: A lived experience guide to navigating support for disordered eating Disordered eating can affect anyone, but it can be confusing to understand and recognise it in our own personal experiences. This guide, published by East London NHS Foundation Trust, is a snapshot of how adults in East London have navigated those experiences of uncertainty while seeking support for disordered eating. For many of the contributors, preconceptions about what an eating disorder is (or isn’t) have previously acted as a barrier to seeking or receiving support. It also contains advice on how to seek support for disordered eating. 13 “The alarming rate of suicide among healthcare workers should be a wake-up call in the urgent need to support them” Frontline19 was established at the start of the Covid pandemic as an urgent response to support frontline workers who were under extreme pressure and experiencing significant mental health challenges. Psychotherapist Claire Goodwin-Fee is the founder and CEO of Frontline19. In this blog, Claire explains how systemic pressures and stigma around mental health are continuing to leave healthcare staff extremely vulnerable. 14 Blog: Why harmful gender stereotypes surrounding men’s approaches towards their feelings need challenging This blog explores why men are reluctant to seek support when they are struggling with their mental health and why the suicide rate is so high. It looks at initiatives that exist to encourage men to seek help and highlights what more could be done to support mens’ mental health. 15 Learning how to protect the health system by protecting the caregivers This commentary in JAMA Network Open looks at the increasingly recognised problem of burnout among US healthcare professionals. General Social Survey data suggest that almost one-half of US health care workers experienced symptoms of burnout often or very often in 2022, up from less than one-third in 2018. The article explores research that demonstrates the extent of the issue and highlights studies looking at ways to reduce burnout. The authors conclude that systemic change will be required to tackle the issue. 16 Time for a rebalance: psychological and emotional well-being in the healthcare workforce as the foundation for patient safety In this editorial for BMJ Quality and Safety, Kate Kirk explains why staff well-being is the foundation to improving patient safety. 17 Top tips and key actions for successful collaborative partnership working across mental health services These top tips and key actions have been co-developed to support effective collaborative partnership working in the planning and delivery of community mental health services. They recognise that every heath and care system will experience challenges in relation to partnership working given the statutory and cultural differences of organisations working across the mental health pathways and that there will be different arrangements to frame local partnership working, including for example a Section 75 agreement. 18 Balancing care: The psychological impact of ensuring patient safety In this blog, Leah Bowden, a patient safety specialist, reflects on the impact her job has on her mental health and family life. She discusses why there needs to be specialised clinical supervision for staff involved in reviewing patient safety incidents and how organisations need to come together to identify ways we can support our patient safety teams. Have your say Do you have any stories, insights or resources related to mental health? We would love to hear from you! Comment below (register for free here first) Get in touch with us directly to share your insights.- Posted
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Obesity was once devalued in most areas of health policy but has recently taken centre stage in policy circles. Unfortunately, this renewed focus is not due to recognition of the increasing prevalence or a sudden appreciation of this issue. Instead, obesity has been thrust into the limelight because of the emergence of tirzepatide and other dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss. Partha Kar, a consultant in diabetes and endocrinology, looks at the policy and the wider issues and challenges in rolling it out.- Posted
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- Obesity
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