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Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. It can affect anyone, regardless of their profession or personal situation. Recognizing the warning signs of burnout is crucial for taking proactive steps to address it before it leads to more severe health issues. This article will explore the key indicators of burnout and provide practical strategies for managing and preventing it. Physical Symptoms of Burnout Physical symptoms are often the first signs of burnout. These symptoms can manifest in various ways, including chronic fatigue, insomnia, headaches, and muscle tension. Persistent fatigue, even after a full night's sleep, is a significant red flag. This type of exhaustion can make daily tasks feel overwhelming and unmanageable. Insomnia, or difficulty sleeping, is another common physical symptom. Individuals experiencing burnout may find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, leading to a vicious cycle of fatigue and sleeplessness. Headaches and muscle tension, particularly in the neck and shoulders, are also prevalent. These symptoms are often caused by the body's prolonged stress response, which keeps muscles in a constant state of tension.

Dr. Reddy's Teraleve® 4mg and 8mg Fesoterodine Fumarate Prolonged-Release tablets have been available in the UK since their launch on 1st June 2022. Therapeutic indications: Indicated in adults for treatment of the symptoms (increased urinary frequency and/or urgency and/or urgency incontinence) that may occur with overactive bladder syndrome. Presentation: 4mg tablets are light blue, oval, biconvex, film-coated, and engraved on one side with the number '4'. 8mg tablets are light blue, oval, biconvex, film-coated, and engraved on one side with the number '8'. Tablets are packaged in aluminium-aluminium blisters in a carton with a PIL.

A daily medication for high blood pressure could be replaced by an injection twice a year, if Queen Mary University and Barts Health NHS Trust succeed in their trail to investigate if an injection-based drug - Zilebesiran - could inhibit the production of a protein called angiotensinogen (AGT). Scientists are to trial a world-first drug to treat high blood pressure that can be given by injection twice a year. Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director, British Heart Foundation, said: "This exciting trial could lead to good news for the millions of people across the UK with high blood pressure, many of whom need to take daily medication to lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes. "The study will determine whether an injection given twice a year lowers blood pressure sufficiently over a prolonged period. "If this proves to be the case, it may provide an alternative to taking daily pills for some patients."

Ketamine therapy has a swift short-term effect on reducing symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts, a recent study has revealed. The research has been published in the 'British Journal of Psychiatry Open'. A systematic review led by the University of Exeter and funded by the Medical Research Council analysed evidence from 83 published research papers. The strongest evidence emerged around the use of ketamine to treat both major depression and bipolar depression. Symptoms were reduced as swiftly as one to four hours after a single treatment and lasted up to two weeks. Some evidence suggested that repeated treatment may prolong the effects, however more high-quality research is needed to determine by how long. Similarly, single or multiple doses of ketamine resulted in moderate to large reductions in suicidal thoughts. This improvement was seen as early as four hours following ketamine treatment and lasted on average three days, and up to a week.

Following a period of prolonged uncertainty, the Competition and Markets Authority has given its approval to Bestway Healthcare's acquisition of Lexon UK and Asurex. The company expects the transactions to be finalised in the upcoming months. In April, Bestway, the owner of Well Pharmacy, acquired Asurex Limited and Lexon UK Holdings, along with the 44-community pharmacy chain Norchem Group, known as Knights Pharmacy. However, in June, the CMA raised competition-related concerns about the transaction, citing worries that the acquisition could lead to a significant decrease in competition among retail pharmacies across 12 areas in Liverpool and the northeastern region of England. The CMA had asked undertakings from Bestway Healthcare due to competition concerns affecting specific branches of Knights Pharmacy within the acquisition. In July, the CMA indicated its readiness to approve the deal, contingent upon Bestway's completion of the required divestments. According to Bestway Healthcare, This matter has been successfully resolved, as Bestway Healthcare has consented to the sale of seven pharmacies in Liverpool and the northeastern region of England. "The impacted Well pharmacies are situated in Seaham, Bishop Auckland, Kenton, High Howden, Stockton, Moreton, and Pensby. Buyers for all seven branches have been identified and contracts have been signed."

The collapse of the three trading entities in the Converse Pharma Group (Testerworld Limited, Doncaster Pharmaceuticals Group Limited and Eclipse Generics Limited) (the Group) in May 2022 undoubtedly caused ripples throughout the pharmacy industry. The Group, a major supplier of pharmaceuticals, had a combined turnover over £300m, employed 1,000 staff members and supplied over 4,000 pharmacies throughout the country. The Group is licensed and regulated by the MHRA. At the beginning of 2021, a breach of the MHRA licensing regulations caused a temporary (but prolonged) cessation of trading. The Group was able to secure the ongoing support of its secured creditors during this time, however, when the licenses were subsequently reinstated, they came with restrictions. Unfortunately for the Group, the period of the suspension and the subsequent restrictions over the licences caused a significant reduction in revenue, from which the Group was unable to recover. Ultimately, by May this year, the companies in the Group had exhausted their working capital and had no prospect of raising the funding they required to continue to trade.

The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long Covid than previous variants, according to the first peer-reviewed study of its kind from the UK. Researchers at King's College London, using data from nearly 100,000 people who logged their Covid symptoms via an app, found the odds of developing long Covid after infection were 20 per cent to 50 per cent lower during the Omicron wave in the UK compared to Delta. The figure varied depending on the patient's age and the timing of their last vaccination. Long Covid, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to 'brain fog', can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being recognised as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out if Omicron presents as big a risk of long Covid as previously dominant variants. The study from King's is believed to be the first academic research to show Omicron does not present as great a risk of long Covid, but that does not mean long Covid patient numbers are dropping, the team said. While the risk of long Covid was lower during Omicron, more people were infected, so the absolute number now suffering is higher. "It's good news, but please don't decommission any of your long Covid services," lead researcher Dr Claire Steves said, appealing to health-service providers.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England have written a letter to pharmacy professionals thanking them for providing the best possible services to patients and the public, despite experiencing high and sustained demands and pressures. GPhC Chief Executive Duncan Rudkin and CPhO David Webb indicated that there will be further challenges over the coming weeks and months due to the ongoing industrial action, and staff shortages due to sickness or caring responsibilities. They expressed concerned that increased pressure will have a significant and potentially prolonged impact on pharmacy teams both personally and professionally. Acknowledging that pharmacy professionals may have to make some difficult decisions as they deal with the pressures they face, the leaders have urged those working in pharmacy to use "your professional judgement to assess and mitigate risk, and to deliver safe and effective care for your patients within your scope of practice."

In a significant leap forward in the fight against HIV, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given the green light to two groundbreaking formulations of cabotegravir. Apretude 30 mg film-coated tablets and Apretude 600 mg prolonged-release suspension for injection are now authorized for preventing sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg at increased risk. This approval marks a pivotal moment in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) prevention, offering an alternative to existing standard pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP treatments. HIV, a virus notorious for compromising the immune system, has long been a global health concern. Cabotegravir, a member of the integrase inhibitor group, works by blocking a key enzyme necessary for the replication of HIV-1, thereby reducing the virus's ability to spread.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that there has been a continued increase in cases of whooping cough (pertussis) across England since the start of this year. According to new data published by the agency on Thursday (7 March), 553 new cases of whooping cough were confirmed in January alone, compared with 858 cases for the whole of last year (2023). The country is witnessing a surge in whooping cough cases after a prolonged period of low case numbers, attributed to restrictions and reduced social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. England recorded the highest number of whooping cough cases in 2016, recording 5,949 cases. As the ongoing rise coincides with a steady decline in the vaccination rates among pregnant women and children, UKHSA has strongly encouraged mums-to-be to get the maternal pertussis vaccine so that their young baby is protected against this serious disease.

A recent survey conducted by the British Society Attitudes (BSA) and published by the King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust highlighted people's satisfaction with the National Health Services (NHS) to be a new record low since the survey's inception in 1983. The latest findings that are based on the public satisfaction and opinion with the NHS and social care, and funding in the context of prominent national debate about taxation and healthcare spending reveal the satisfaction with the NHS to have dwindled across all services and demographics in 2023. Public contentment has sharply declined, with only 24 per cent expressing satisfaction in 2023, a significant drop from 2020. Factors contributing to this dissatisfaction include prolonged waiting times for GP and hospital appointments, staffing shortages, and perceived inadequate government spending.

In a significant development, the British Medical Association's (BMA) consultants committee has voted to accept the government's offer on pay for senior doctors in England, along with proposed reforms to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB). This decision follows a prolonged dispute between consultants and the government, which spanned over a year, involving unprecedented industrial actions. Committee Chair Vishal Sharma described the agreement as "the end of the beginning" in consultants' endeavors to restore their pay levels to those of 2008. Stressing the importance of the review body's independence in averting future pay disputes, Sharma emphasized the imperative role of utilizing this autonomy effectively. A staggering 83% of consultants participating in the three-week referendum voted in favor of accepting the offer, signaling a widespread endorsement of the agreement within the profession.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reclassified codeine linctus, a medicine used for the treatment of dry cough, from a pharmacy-only medicine (P) to a prescription-only medicine (POM) owing to the risk of dependence, addiction, and overdose. This implies that the dry cough syrup, which is also known as codeine oral solution, can only be dispensed upon the submission of a prescription at a pharmacy, rather than being accessible over the counter upon request. Patients are cautioned that as an opioid medicine, codeine can be addictive, and the risk of addiction may increase, particularly with prolonged use over an extended period. According to the medicines regulator, codeine is converted into morphine by the liver enzyme CYP2D6. In individuals identified as ultra-rapid metabolizers, this conversion from codeine to morphine occurs at a faster rate than in others. "If you want to stop taking it and have been taking codeine linctus for a long time, then it is important to reduce the amount you take slowly with the help of your prescriber," the agency said in its drug safety update issued on Tuesday, 20 February.

Medical professionals all over the world say that mother should breastfeed a child until the age of two.

Medical professionals all over the world say that mother should breastfeed a child until the age of two.