Group items tagged

Cutting the red tape that blocks pharmacists to alter the HRT prescription could 'quickly fix' the problem of women unable to access their HRT medicines, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) told Daily Mail. RPS has suggested that allowing pharmacists to prescribe alternative HRT treatment amid nationwide shortage of HRT medicine could help the women who are struggling to access these medicines. Thorrun Govind, chair of the English Pharmacy Board, told MailOnline 'changes in prescription rules need to be changed urgently.' She added, 'For the pharmacists on the ground, they need the ability to get rid of this bureaucracy. When you think about it - who's best able to offer an alternative - that tends to be the pharmacist.' MailOnline quoted Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, as said, 'We welcome the Health Secretary meeting with key suppliers and manufacturers to find solutions to the current shortages. But cutting the red tape holding pharmacists back could provide a 'quick fix' that would allow 'women to access their HRT medicines more speedily'.

Merseyside Police have appealed for information from the public following the theft of "a large quantity" of medication from a pharmacy in West Derby this week. As per the police report, the burglary occurred in the early hours of Monday, 12 February, at the pharmacy situated on Deysbrook Lane. Authorities were informed at around 9:15 am. Based on the CCTV footage they have recovered, the Merseyside Police revealed that a man entered the pharmacy at around 1.20 am on 12 February and stole a large quantity of medication, including diazepam, codeine, co-codamol, pregabalin, zopiclone. These are prescription-only drugs that could cause "serious harm" if a significant amount is taken, the report said. The suspect, described as a white man of slim build, was wearing a grey coloured tracksuit and glasses, according to the police.

The Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized a large quantity of suspected illegally traded medicines, including powerful prescription-only medicines, during raids conducted at two residential and two business premises across North Manchester. Officers from the MHRA and Greater Manchester Police carried out searches across two residential addresses in Oldham and Cheetham in the early hours of Wednesday (29 November), and arrested a man in his 20s on "suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, breaches of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and money laundering." They also seized thousands of illegal medicines from two business addresses in Bury and Miles Platting, including powerful opioid painkillers and antidepressants, as well as unlicensed versions of erectile dysfunction drugs.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued an alert to update healthcare professionals on the shortage of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which are used to treat type 2 diabetes. It has informed that the supply of the drugs continues to be limited, and is not expected to return to normal until at least the end of 2024. An increase in demand for these products for licensed and off-label indications is cited as the cause of the supply issues. "Rybelsus® (semaglutide) tablets are now available in sufficient quantities to support initiation of GLP1 RA treatment in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in whom new initiation of GLP-1 RA therapy would be clinically appropriate," the DHSC's National Patient Safety Alert reads.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to convene a 'medicines supply taskforce', following weeks of problems with antibiotics supplies. The NPA's chief executive Mark Lyonette wrote a letter to Steve Barclay this week. It cited the precedent of the HRT Taskforce which this summer brought together representatives from across the supply chain after months of supply problems affecting women. "We strongly believe that this situation calls for a similar response from the government. It is imperative that we resolve this supply situation urgently and therefore we request that you convene a Medicines Supply Taskforce, with all the relevant stakeholders in the supply chain, to urgently discuss and agree practical solutions to address the disruptions to the supply of medicines. HRT and antibiotics are the most visible examples of a wider problem with medicines supply which needs to be addressed." NPA board members Olivier Picard and Reena Barai were among the stakeholders joining meetings convened by the HRT Taskforce this summer.