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Jackie Giltrow and Jose Moss have been appointed as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety group, respectively, bringing with them a wealth of experience and expertise in pharmacy practice. Supported by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and hosted by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the CPPSG serves as a collaborative platform for large community pharmacy organisations to openly share and learn from each other's experiences. A CPPSG Chair now, Jackie Giltrow, Clinical Governance Lead at Paydens Limited is a seasoned pharmacist and expert in risk management and patient safety. With nine years of experience as a member of the CPPSG, Giltrow's appointment represents a continuation of her longstanding dedication to advancing patient safety initiatives within community pharmacy settings.

NHS England has confirmed the initial sites that will test and implement Martha's Rule in the first phase of the programme. This follows the announcement in February regarding NHSE funding for the major patient safety initiative for this financial year. The scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died from sepsis at the age of 13 in 2021. She had been treated at King's College Hospital, London, where a failure to escalate her to intensive care and a lack of response to her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition contributed to her death. Martha's Rule aims to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one's condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to. NHS England on Monday (27 May) announced that the scheme will be implemented at 143 hospital sites across the country by March 2025.

Three batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride 50mg, 100mg and 200 mg hard capsules manufactured by Clinigen Healthcare has been recalled. Pharmacists are urged to quarantine the said batches and return it to the supplier by or before 12 August. Clinigen Healthcare Ltd has initiated a recall of three batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride hard capsules due to a potential risk of under dose or overdose, which could have consequences for the safety of patients. The manufacturer has confirmed that no alternative batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride 50mg, 100mg or 200mg hard capsules will be available until later in the year, therefore the recall of these batches from patients should only be considered where patients have access to appropriate alternative products. See below for more information on resupplying patients with alternative products. "Patients should be advised not to stop any treatments without consulting their relevant healthcare professional. The risks of suddenly stopping medication for ventricular arrhythmias is higher than the potential risk presented by too much or too little of the active ingredient in the capsule."

In a bid to bolster professional leadership within the pharmacy sector, the four government Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) have embarked on a significant initiative, forming the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB). In a recent communication, all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received confirmation of the board members selected by the CPhOs, alongside a note from the board's appointed chair, who was chosen collectively by the four CPhOs and reports directly to the CPhO for England. Over three years, the 21-member Board will implement recommendations from the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership's report aimed to enhance professional fulfillment among pharmacists while simultaneously augmenting patient safety standards. This announcement also follows with the appointment of Sir Hugh Taylor as its Independent Chair and the appointment of Independent Expert Members who expressed his delight over the role's "potential to lead and support collaboration across the professions in the UK". However, the move has been met with cautious optimism from the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), urging the new board to uphold transparency and openness to garner trust among pharmacists.

The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has initiated a recall of three batches of Quantum Pharmaceutical's Diltiazem HCl 2% Cream, which is an unlicensed medicine. MHRA issued a precautionary recall of the cream due to a change in the product's appearance that affected its thickness. Pharmacists are instructed to halt supply, quarantine remaining stock, and contact Quantum Pharmaceutical to return affected batches M1402497, M1402574, and M1402680. Patients using this product may encounter application issues with the cream due to its consistency. However, MHRA said that this has not impacted the product's effectiveness or posed any risk to patient safety. The MHRA also reported that medac GmbH (t/a medac Pharma LLP) is conducting a recall of two batches of Sodiofolin 50 mg/ml solution for injection/infusion (400mg/8ml vial) with batch numbers G220393B and G220393C. This class 2 medicines recall is a result of particles detected during long-term stability tests.

Errors of any kind in medical settings can have dire consequences for patients and healthcare systems. Unfortunately, negligence, misdiagnosis, and medication errors aren't uncommon in the UK. In this article, we discuss the nature of medication errors in the NHS, outline potential causes, and delve into how and why technology could be turning the tide on the issue. Prevalence and consequences of medication errors Medication errors are incidents involved with the administering, prescribing, dispensing or monitoring of medicine to patients. It can happen at many different steps in the healthcare process and by any medical professional in the system. Many cases are avoidable. According to analysis from BMJ, there are an estimated 237 million medication errors made in England every year. The majority of these are minor errors, but 1 in 4 cases has the potential to cause moderate to serious harm to patients. Not only do these errors cost the NHS significantly, at almost £100 million every year, but there is a shocking cost to public health. Lives are being lost because of medication errors which is unforgivable and tragic for the families involved. Drains on NHS resources have widespread impacts on public health and the operations of healthcare organisations up and down the country. Individual errors and mistakes may seem inconsequential (in minor cases), but they all add up in the big picture to a significant concern for policymakers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory (MHRA) and Genomics England to launch a brand-new genetic research resource, known as a 'biobank' on Thursday (June 01) to tackle the issue of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs). Biobank will help to better understand how a patient's genetic makeup can impact the safety of their medicines. "The Yellow Card biobank, which will contain genetic data and patient samples, will operate alongside the MHRA's Yellow Card reporting site for suspected side effects and adverse incidents involving medicines and medical devices," said MHRA. The biobank pilot will officially begin on 1 June 2023 with participant recruitment commencing later this year, on 1 September. The sequencing of participants' genetic material will begin in Spring 2024, with initial research findings from the pilot due to be published in 2025. Genomics England will be supporting the MHRA with sequencing and storage of genetic material through use of their well-established and secure infrastructure.