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Victoza (liraglutide) 6mg/mL pre-filled injection pens, previously used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have been out of stock in the UK since August 2023. Novo Nordisk has confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal that the product has now been discontinued as part of their broader strategy to consolidate their portfolio. The Danish pharmaceutical company said that they are in close dialogue with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which is expected to release guidance outlining timelines, alternative treatments, and recommended next steps for healthcare professionals. However, the company clarified that they have no plans to discontinue Saxenda (liraglutide) pre-filled injection pens, though this product has also faced supply restrictions in the UK since shortages began. The DHSC initially announced a national shortage of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), including Victoza, in June 2023. At that time, prescribers were advised to limit use of these drugs for their licensed indications and to avoid initiating new GLP-1 RA therapies for T2DM patients during the shortage.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has notified pharmacy teams that starting 1 August 2024, three Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) medicines will be discontinued and will no longer be covered under the NHS HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC) scheme. These are Bedol® 2mg tablets, Climanor® 5mg tablets and Clinorette® tablets. Since Climanor® 5mg tablets have been discontinued, Medroxyprogesterone 5mg tablets will also be removed from the HRT PPC list, as this generic product is no longer available as a licensed HRT medicine. The CPE also noted that Provera® 5mg tablets, being an unlicensed HRT medicine, are not covered by the HRT PPC. Pharmacy staff are advised to check the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website for the most current list of HRT medicines covered by the HRT PPC. The CPE has updated its HRT PPC medicines list to reflect these changes, which will also be updated in Part XVI of the August 2024 Drug Tariff.

Community pharmacies are being forced to halt certain NHS and public health services due to escalating financial and operational pressures, a recent survey by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has revealed. In the survey conducted ahead of the June Committee Meeting, an overwhelming 96 per cent of pharmacy owners reported having stopped delivering locally commissioned services over the past twelve months. Additionally, nearly one-third of the pharmacies surveyed indicated they had discontinued providing some Advanced services. The survey also revealed that pharmacy opening hours are being reduced, with 81 per cent of respondents stating they had to stop offering extended hours. In 90 per cent of the cases, pharmacy owners had to cease employing locum pharmacists, likely due to cost constraints. Furthermore, over 20 per cent of the more than 2,100 pharmacies surveyed reported having to discontinue the free delivery of prescription medicines to patients.

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 Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has warned that patients in deprived areas could face even greater difficulty accessing GP services if funding for the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme (TERS) is withdrawn. In a letter to NHS England, the College is calling for confirmation that TERS will be extended for 2025/26 and beyond. The scheme, launched in 2016, was designed to attract GP trainees to economically disadvantaged areas, where healthcare provision has historically been inadequate. TERS offers a one-off payment of £20,000 to GP trainees who commit to working in hard-to-recruit-to locations. Over the years, the scheme has successfully recruited over 2,000 GPs. However, with funding for 2025/26 yet to be confirmed, the RCGP is worried that it could be cut from April. The College has expressed concern that discontinuing the scheme could "make it even more difficult to recruit GPs to work in deprived and under-doctored areas where patients are already significantly disadvantaged compared to those in more affluent areas of the country."

For patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, 12 weeks of treatment with glecaprevir and pibrentasvir results in a high rate of sustained virologic response, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Edward Gane, M.D., from Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand, and colleagues conducted a multicenter trial to examine the efficacy and safety of combination treatment with the NS3/4A protease inhibitor glecaprevir and the NS5A inhibitor pibrentasvir for 12 weeks in adults with HCV infection and compensated liver disease with severe renal impairment, dependence on dialysis, or both. Participants had stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease. One hundred four patients were enrolled in the trial. The researchers found that the sustained virologic response rate was 98 percent. During treatment, none of the patients had virologic failure, and none had a virologic relapse after the end of treatment. Pruritus, fatigue, and nausea were reported in at least 10 percent of the patients. Twenty-four percent of the patients reported serious adverse events. Because of adverse events, four patients discontinued the trial treatment prematurely; three of these had sustained virologic response.