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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) recently announced a valuable addition to their e-library collection: the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, authored by renowned experts Mark Horowitz and David Taylor. Designed to assist pharmacists and clinicians in recognising and appropriately treating withdrawal effects of medications, the guidelines have garnered praise from industry figures like Peter Pratt, National Speciality Advisor for Mental Health Pharmacy and RPS Fellow. This initiative responds to the increasing demand for guidance on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medications, providing comprehensive support for clinicians and patients alike. Drawing on insights from contributors to The Lancet Psychiatry, the handbook offers step-by-step instructions for tapering antidepressants, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, and z-drugs, along with troubleshooting strategies.

The truth is that most people are not aware of the importance of always knowing diabetes guidelines and most will just focus on them when they are diagnosed with this condition. Unfortunately, if we were to know about the specific diabetes guidelines, we could have been better prepared. We are dea

Proper drug storage is essential to ensure the safety of yourself, your family, and those around you. This is especially important if you are taking multiple medications and need to keep track of them all. Knowing how to store drugs correctly can help prevent misuse or accidental ingestion by children or pets. Here are six important guidelines about proper drug storage that everyone should follow: 1. KEEP ALL MEDICATIONS IN THEIR ORIGINAL, LABELED CONTAINERS: Using alternative storage containers can make it difficult to identify medications or keep track of expiration dates. Keeping medications in their original containers also prevents accidental misuse and helps ensure that the correct dosage is taken. In addition, it's important to store all medications out of reach of children and pets. Also, keep medications in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. For example, a medicine cabinet in the bathroom or kitchen is a good option. 2. DISPOSE OF EXPIRED MEDICATIONS: Expired medications can be less effective and even potentially harmful if taken, so it's important to regularly check expiration dates and get rid of any outdated medications. The best way to dispose of old drugs is to take them to a drug collection site. If no such sites are available, mix the medication with something like coffee grounds, put it in an opaque container, and then throw it away in your trash bin. Never flush expired medication down the toilet unless instructed by your pharmacist or healthcare provider! 3. STORE DRUGS IN A COOL, DRY PLACE: Extreme temperatures can cause medications to break down and become ineffective. To avoid this, keep all drugs away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. A medicine cabinet or drawer in the bathroom is an ideal spot for storing most drugs, but some require special storage conditions (more on that below). Different medications should also be separated from one another to avoid confusion and stored differently. For example, if a

It is common knowledge that human happiness and well-being are dependent on good health. According to The American Lung Association (ALA) though, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women as well. Unfortunately, it seems we often overlook the importance of our lungs. We tend to forget that they are nature's natural defensive system designed to keep dirt and germs out. However, there are several crucial things you can do to lower your lung disease risk. Here are some valuable guidelines for keeping your lungs in good shape. 1. AVOID EXPOSURE TO POLLUTION 2. NO SMOKING! 3. KEEP AWAY FROM INFECTIONS 4. TAKE DEEP BREATHS 5. EXERCISE REGULARLY These are the most essential and valuable guidelines that you should follow if you want your respiratory system to be healthy. Along with proper exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, and keeping your mind in a healthy vigorous state, they should form the foundation for long and prosperous life. Let's always keep in mind the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers, like Hippocrates, who maintained the axiom "a healthy mind in a healthy body", and we'll always be on the right track.

CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and Controlled Substance Reporting System. Discuss the Opioid crisis history and prescribing trends

"Our main concerns are that the use of what they call an asynchronous supply, where the prescriber neither sees nor talks to the patient at the time they issue the prescription, does lay itself open to perhaps people getting hold of medication that they shouldn't," the Head of Policy, PDA said. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) engages in a critical conversation on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, shedding light on the online prescribing of weight loss drugs and advocating for safer practices. The PDA's spokesperson, Head of Policy Alima Batchelor, emphasised the importance of adhering to professional guidelines to ensure patient safety and mitigate regulatory concerns. During the feature, the PDA highlighted the complexities and risks associated with online supply chains, stressing the necessity for direct clinical consultations and pharmacist involvement in medication management. ""There are guidelines and advice about verification within the DiCE guidance, but it doesn't go quite far enough for us. We are concerned when patients decline to allow the online prescriber to advise their GP of what they're taking," Batchelor highlighted.

In its first, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to treat people at the highest risk of catching HIV. The announcement comes along with a consultation on draft guideline by NICE on reducing sexually transmitted infections. NICE's recommendation is backed up by the government's HIV Action Plan to hit zero new transmissions of HIV by 2030. The pill prevents HIV by stopping the virus from crossing into the healthy cells and replicating. According to the UK PROUD study, PrEP reduced the risk of HIV infection by 86 per cent for men who have sex with men. However, people taking the pill must also get regular HIV testing and STI screening done every three months.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has welcomed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's leadership in introducing a new approach to the evaluation of antibiotics. On Tuesday (12 April), NICE published a draft guidance to tackle antimicrobial resistance under which two new antimicrobial drugs - cefiderocol and ceftazidime-avibactam - became the first to be made available as part of the UK's innovative subscription-style payment model. Commenting on the announcement of the new draft guidance, Richard Torbett, chief executive of the ABPI, said: "This is an important milestone in the UK's global leadership on AMR. Antibiotics underpin modern medicine, but the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance remains one of the biggest global health challenges we face. "To tackle this, it is critical that the appropriate frameworks are in place for companies to invest the billions of pounds required to discover the new antibiotics needed for patients.

CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and Controlled Substance Reporting System. Discuss the Opioid crisis history and prescribing trends

CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and Controlled Substance Reporting System. Discuss the Opioid crisis history and prescribing trends

Britain's health regulator is poised to announce that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be made available over the counter for the first time, the Daily Telegraph has revealed. The newspaper first reported on Tuesday (February 1) that watchdogs were set to propose a reclassification of the medication so women are able to access it in a pharmacy without a prescription. Every year, some 1.5 million women experience difficult menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance and a variety of emotional problems. But only a tenth of them are prescribed HRT, following a consultation with a GP or specialist. According to the newspaper, the latest proposal aims to improve convenience so that women are able to access HRT more easily, without needing a GP appointment.

The Pharmacist's Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns over the adoption of Digital Clinical Excellence (DiCE) guidelines for online prescribing of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management in adults. This follows a clash with expert recommendations commissioned by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as the PDA "believes the final guidance conflicts with the expert opinion underpins the GPhC's prosecution strategy towards pharmacist prescribers under investigation." In a recent statement, the PDA highlighted the discrepancy between DiCE's guidance and the expert report employed by the GPhC to prosecute pharmacist prescribers using a questionnaire-based consultation model. This conflict has prompted the PDA to withhold its endorsement of the DiCE guidance as it differs from an expert report commissioned by the GPhC. The PDA's reservations stem from the inherent risks associated with questionnaire-based prescribing.

Wondering bariatric surgery covered under Insurance company? This post enlists all the guidelines for claiming Insurance for weight loss surgery. Check it out.

Wondering bariatric surgery covered under Insurance? This post enlists all the guidelines for claiming Insurance for weight loss surgery. Check it out.

Storing your medication properly is important. Only if they have their place in the house will you and your family members always know where to find their supplements, pain relief medications, and others. In this article, we'll try to give you some guidelines on how to manage your medication and develop a system that will work well for you and your family. Also, since medicine safety is so important, we'll share some simple tips on making sure all medications are good and when is the right time to toss them. 1. USE A BOX 2. KEEP YOUR MEDICATION IN A COLD AND DRY PLACE 3. COLOR CODE YOUR MEDICATION 4. DISPOSE OF MEDICINE 5. ORGANIZE YOUR MEDICINE ON THE GO 6. KEEP IT NEAT Once you find a place where medicine won't experience extreme temperatures, humidity, and strong sunlight, get a nice set of boxes and take one afternoon to make it neat and organized. Even if you're taking specific medication, ask your pharmacist what's the best place to store them. Sometimes, it might turn out that it's your fridge, but a kitchen might also be a good place to start thinking about.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s diagnostic advisory committee has recommended the use of HM-JACKarc or OC-Sensor quantitative faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) in a draft guidance release for consultation on Wednesday (5 July). Under existing NICE guidance, FIT was already offered to some people presenting to primary care with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer, while others were immediately referred on the suspected cancer pathway. The new draft guidance will now see everyone receive a FIT. A sample is sent in the post to a laboratory where the amount of blood in the faeces is measured. The results are usually available within a week and people with 10 or more micrograms of haemoglobin in their faeces should then be referred for further investigation. Further assessment using colonoscopy, or CT colonography, is required to diagnose cancer. The tests cost between £4 and £5 per sample, and can correctly identify about 9 out of 10 people with colorectal cancer. The committee agreed it is important that GPs can refer people for colonoscopy without a positive FIT result if they think it is necessary and where symptoms persist. The institute believes that the recommendation of the tests should reduce the number of unnecessary colonoscopies, thus freeing up appointments for more non-urgent referrals. This should lead to 50% fewer referrals for urgent colonoscopies being made by GPs in primary care settings each year.

As part of efforts to streamline spending and enhance resource allocation within the healthcare system, the NHS has chosen to cease providing the free vaccinations for all, which were initially introduced in 2020. Approximately 12 million British citizens will not have access to free flu vaccinations and Covid-19 boosters during the upcoming winter, according to NHS. Furthermore, the NHS plans to defer flu vaccine distribution to October, aiming to heighten protection for those aged 65 and older and other eligible groups in the high-risk winter months. However, this has stirred panic among pharmacies, given their advanced planning based on the initial start date of September 1 for vaccinations. On Tuesday (Aug. 8), the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) released NHS guidelines indicating that Covid-19 booster shots, starting from autumn, will not be provided to individuals aged 50 to 64 who are in otherwise good health. Similar guidance had already been released for flu, rendering 12 million middle-aged Britons ineligible for free jabs, JCVI said. Prior to the pandemic, influenza vaccinations were available to healthy adults aged over 65, alongside children and younger adults with medical conditions. Amidst the pandemic, the distribution of flu vaccinations was expanded to include individuals aged 50 to 64, in alignment with the criteria for Covid-19 boosters.

Adhesive tape is a versatile product that can be used for a variety of purposes. It is important to use this product correctly, however, in order to achieve the desired results. In this blog post, we will provide you with guidelines on how to use adhesive tape correctly. We will also discuss the different types of adhesive tape and their uses. Let's get started! USING ADHESIVE TAPE CORRECTLY - HOW TO DO IT One might think that adhesive tape is pretty straightforward to use - you just peel it off and stick it on, right? Well, sort of. Adhesive tape can be a little tricky to use, especially if you're not familiar with its different types and functions. Moreover, one needs to understand the difference between the 3M™ Microfluidic Diagnostic Tape 9795R and the Medipore™ H Soft Cloth Surgical Tape in order to apply them correctly. Adhesive tapes are not all the same! Many people fail to realize this and use the wrong type of tape for their needs, resulting in frustration and wasted time.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s independent committee has called for more research to ensure liposuction for treatment of chronic lipoedema is safe and effective enough for use on the NHS. Lipoedema is more prevalent in women and very rarely affects men. It is characterised by an abnormal, usually symmetrical, accumulation of fat in the legs, hips, buttocks, and occasionally arms. It is a separate condition to obesity and lymphoedema. The cause of lipoedema is unknown, but hormonal changes, weight gain and genetics are thought to be involved. The size and shape of legs, and the resultant mobility issues and pain, can have a profoundly negative effect on quality of life, and physical and mental health. The interventional procedures advisory committee reviewed evidence from several sources, including eight before-and-after studies. The committee was informed that several different liposuction techniques are used and that they may have different safety and efficacy profiles.

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)'s decision to withdraw gluten free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease across Leeds and Calderdale has disappointed Coeliac UK. In a statement released on Thursday, the charity, which provides support and advice to those living with the disease, has raised "grave concerns" about the decision, warning that it will have a detrimental impact on the coeliac community. The policy is currently implemented across the ICB's other places including Bradford district and Craven, Kirklees and Wakefield district, preventing coeliac patients from accessing gluten free bread and flour mix on prescription. NHS West Yorkshire ICB wants to align its gluten free prescribing guidelines across its five places. But the charity is worried that the additional cost of gluten free staple products will poses a real challenge to maintaining the gluten-free diet, which is the only treatment for the condition.

Britain's drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Monday announced that fluoroquinolone antibiotics must only be administered when no other antibiotics are appropriate for use. It elaborated that fluoroquinolones given systemically (by mouth, injection, or inhalation) should only be prescribed "when other recommended antibiotics have failed, will not work due to resistance, or are unsafe to use in an individual patient." Previous regulations on fluoroquinolones stated that this class of antibiotics should not be prescribed for mild to moderate or self-limiting infections, or non-bacterial conditions. Further restrictions have been introduced after receiving reports from patients who have experienced long-lasting or disabling reactions following use of fluoroquinolones, the MHRA revealed. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: "Patient safety is our top priority. We have listened to the experience of patients regarding long-lasting and potentially irreversible adverse reactions following use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, in some cases prescribed for mild-to-moderate infections.