High levels of patient safety incidents related to time-critical medicines (TCMs) — medicines that need to be given or taken at a specific time — have persisted for decades. In 2022/2023 alone, there were 17 deaths recorded as a result of medicine dose delivery being delayed or omitted entirely.Solutions, such as using e-prescribing systems, has be…

Green social prescribing, which can include activities such as community gardening, mindful walks and conservation volunteering — as well as 'blue' activities like kayaking and wild swimming — is gaining traction.Results from a government-backed green social prescribing programme were published in September 2024, showing that it had a positive impa…

Over the last decade, the development of targeted therapies has significantly changed the way that chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is treated. Survival and life expectancy has improved, and this patient cohort is living and receiving treatment for longer than ever before. These changes have meant that the involvement of pharmacists across all s…

In this learning episode, we look at the latest developments in migraine treatment where new classes of drugs are starting to provide additional options for patients and prescribers. For links to relevant articles and further resources on migraine treatment visit the PJ website. Many thanks to Kerri Spalding, a migraine patient, advocate and fundra…

Drones are already being used to transport medicines in several countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, Switzerland and Rwanda, but what’s the story in the UK, where the road infrastructure is good and the airspace is small and busy? Is there a need for medical drone deliveries? Are they safe and would they be a viable o…

In this episode of The PJ Pod, we look at how pharmacists can become more involved in research, by hearing directly from those who have done just that. We speak to the members of our OPERA 2024 shortlist, and winner, as well as Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to explore some of the practical steps that individu…

The ‘NHS mental health implementation plan 2019/20–2023/24’, published by NHS England in July 2019, identified a need for “new and integrated models of primary and community mental health care” to support 370,000 adults and older adults with severe mental illness (SMI).With many of these patients on psychotropic medication, such as clozapine, lithi…

Please note that this episode includes discussions of war and injury that may be distressing to some listeners, with stories from pharmacists working in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.Horrific stories of injury and death in war zones across the world have become a staple of daily news headlines since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In an effort …

As we reach the end of 2023, this final podcast episode of the year continues our annual tradition of looking back at the biggest stories to affect pharmacy teams across the UK, while reflecting on our highlights from The PJ Pod over the past 12 months.While 2023 has been a significant year for pharmacy, with the announcement of a new NHS 'Pharmacy…

From 2026, all pharmacists will be independent prescribers when they first qualify. But that leaves a whole cohort of non-prescribing pharmacists already in the workforce, many of whom do not want to be left behind.In this episode of The PJ Pod, we accompany three pharmacists — Isabel Macho and Isheeta Mendiratta, who work in primary care, and comm…

In November 2023, an investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that two-thirds of patient safety incidents related to homecare medicine provision were for services provided by the company Sciensus, according to the latest data provided by NHS trusts.The findings came after the House of Lords Public Services Committee opened an inquiry in…

The term 'deprescribing' refers to the tapering, stopping, discontinuing, or withdrawing of medications for the benefit of patients. It was first used 20 years ago in an article titled 'Deprescribing: achieving better health outcomes for older people through reducing medications' by Michael C. Woodward. Since then, the body of literature has explod…

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are used to treat cancers caused by defective B cells, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B-cell lymphomas and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). While B-cell malignancies are relatively rare cancers, their incidence is increasing. There are significant side effects and drug interactions associated with …

In June 2023, The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that the number of adults in England prescribed medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has more than doubled since January 2020.The increase, which was particularly pronounced in females, has been largely fuelled by increasingly frequent opportunities for adults to pinpoint th…

Medicines play a critical role in ensuring that people at the end of their lives, and their carers, can manage symptoms, including pain, and remain comfortable at home. But there is evidence that the systems supplying these medicines are difficult, complex and often lead to delays in vital care that leave patients in unnecessary suffering. This in …

The UK government has said it will introduce a ‘Pharmacy First’ service for England by the end of 2023, as part of a plan for recovering access to primary care.Negotiations are ongoing, but the new service is designed to enable pharmacists to supply medicines for seven common health conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infec…

***Warning: this episode contains some potentially upsetting content about suicidal thoughts and miscarriage. If you would like to skip this part please fast forward from 09:50 to 17:00***Julia Robinson speaks with experts in the field of psychedelics and mental health, and hears the personal account of someone with first-hand experience of partici…

So-called ‘skinny jabs’ have been heralded as game-changers for weight management.Wegovy (semaglutide) is due to be launched in the UK imminently, will soon be available from community pharmacies, with large chains already setting up waiting lists for people wanting to get the weekly injection privately.In this episode, Nigel Praities, executive ed…

TV personality Davina McCall has been at the forefront of a much-needed sea change in the awareness of menopause symptoms, leading to many more women seeking HRT.However, as demand as risen, there have also been major shortages of certain products and there have also been claims that, in some cases, hormone therapies are being overprescribed.In thi…

In this second Spotlight episode, we talk through an investigation that has shown the awarding gap between white pharmacy graduates and their ethnic minority counterparts in the UK has narrowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.PJ journalists Dawn Connelly and Corrinne Burns share the inside story on how they put the investigation together, what the res…

In this learning episode, we have enlisted the help of two experts to explore what it takes to deliver effective deprescribing and ask what pharmacists can do to help patients get the most from their medicines.For links to relevant articles and further resources on deprescribing visit the PJ website: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/featu…

In the UK, three babies are still being born each month after being exposed to sodium valproate. This is despite the risk of foetal valproate spectrum disorder being known about for many years.In the first of a series of shorter ‘Spotlight’ episodes, executive editor Nigel Praities speaks with senior data journalist, Julia Robinson, about her recen…

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed how inequalities in health can be affected by factors such as ethnicity, gender or geography — and all the evidence points to these getting worse.But in this episode, we hear from two pharmacists trying to turn this around.First, Ade Williams, superintendent pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, exp…

Will pharmacists go on strike over pay? Will medicines shortages improve? What will be the biggest clinical developments next year?The team unpicks some of the biggest pharmacy stories of 2022 and shines a light on what pharmacists should expect in the coming 12 months.Please do let us know what you think we have missed in this episode on social me…

Two years since the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) took on responsibility for approving consultant pharmacist posts, we look at how these roles are evolving.We also ask how many consultants the profession needs, look at the barriers to reaching this level of practice and explore how the path to becoming a consultant could be made easier.Thanks …

Anticholinergic drug use is on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK medicines regulator is also considering extending access to the anticholinergic bladder drug oxybutynin over the counter.In this episode, we will look at the potential implications of these changes, particularly in older people, and examine the case for deprescribing. W…

In this episode, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, and Alex Clabburn, senior editor, enlist the help of two experts to explore what the rise in immunotherapy treatment means for the ongoing care of cancer patients.Many thanks to Dharmisha Chauhan, lead genomic clinical pharmacist for North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and speci…

In this episode, assistant clinical editor Caitlin Killen, looks at the practical implications of a recent update to NICE guidance on diabetes treatment in adults, with the help of two experts.Many thanks to Michelle Lam, pharmacy team leader for education & training at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Sallianne Kavanagh, …

What if you could pop into your local pharmacy to get tested for how your genes affect the way you metabolise drugs, such as statins or antidepressants? In several countries, you can. Features editor Dawn Connelly travels to those countries and speaks with community pharmacists that are already providing this routinely. She starts by visiting the N…

Which combination is most effective? Should I take this with food? The public often ask for advice on how to treat acute pain conditions, such as headaches, period pain or soft tissue injuries.At first glance, it may seem straightforward; however, there are some common misconceptions around the changing evidence in this area.In this episode, Caitli…

In this episode, Carolyn Wickware, investigations editor, looks at the emerging evidence that UK rivers are becoming a dangerous ‘breeding ground’ for bacteria resistant to antibiotics that could adversely affect human health.Alistair Boxall, professor of environmental science at the University of York, describes his concerns over the level of anti…

There have been claims that COVID-19 oral antivirals, such as molnupiravir and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir), will “change the course of the pandemic”. But with limited supply, a short treatment window and only a few patient groups eligible to receive them — can these drugs really turn things around?In this episode, Dawn Connelly, features ed…

In this episode, we explore the arguments for and against the planned introduction of degree apprenticeships as an alternative for the traditional MPharm degree in England.Reporter Corrinne Burns speaks with Mark Koziol, chair of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who is sceptical about the benefits for future pharmacists.Exploring the other sid…

In our last PJ Pod of the year, we eat some mince pies and ruminate over what has been a momentous 12 months in the history of the pharmacy profession.We also stake our journalistic reputations on some predictions of what might be the big news for pharmacists in 2022. Should pharmacists in the NHS be preparing for industrial action over pay? What w…

Over the past few years, pharmacy student Adanna Anthony-Okeke has been leading a project to "decolonise" the curriculum at the University of Nottingham’s school of pharmacy.In this episode, we speak to her and MPharm course leader Helen Boardman about how this work has led to significant and ongoing change to the syllabus.Clinical and science edit…

Stomach acid-suppressing medicine ranitidine disappeared from pharmacy shelves two years ago, owing to fears of contamination with probable human carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In this episode, features editor Dawn Connelly finds out why. She speaks with David Light, chief executive officer of Valisure, the online pharmacy that first ide…

Until recently, the withdrawal symptoms some people experience after stopping an antidepressant were not recognised as a serious problem.However, they can be extremely distressing, and so patients have been forced to set up their own online support groups to share information how best to taper antidepressant doses.In this episode, executive editor …

There have been some promising trial results recently regarding the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) in patients with COVID-19.In this podcast, features editor Dawn Connelly and clinical and science editor Julia Robinson investigate the science behind these exciting new treatments and the potential role of pharmacists in preparing, suppl…

The stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on everyone’s mental health; however, the impact on frontline healthcare workers has been particularly acute.For some of these individuals, it will have a long-lasting effect and they may require support for a number of years to come.In this podcast, Julia Robinson inv…

Amazon has been shaking up the US pharmacy market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has just been granted a trademark in the UK.In this podcast, deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware looks at whether Amazon Pharmacy really is a threat to community pharmacies in the UK, which is a very different market to the US.Wickware speaks with the CEO of McKesso…

This podcast uncovers the problem of ‘hidden disabilities’ in pharmacy, and what can be done to make the profession more supportive for those with health conditions, such as hearing or mobility issues, that may be hard to see.We speaks with two pharmacists, Nalwenga Mutambo and Aamer Safdar, about their experiences working as a pharmacist with a hi…

Over the past year, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for those trying to enter the pharmacy profession has been profound.In this podcast, we investigate how pharmacy’s own “Generation COVID” is feeling, with two recording audio diaries in the weeks leading up to their long-delayed registration assessment. Proregs Regan McCahill and An…

With three COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK, the focus is now shifting towards how the vaccination programme is being rolled out This podcast picks up where we left off in our previous one, answering a new set of readers questions submitted through the PJ website and social media.Nigel Praities, executive editor, Dawn Connelly, features editor,…

Recently, it emerged that Billy Caldwell — the young boy who sparked a change in the law over medical cannabis — has received an NHS prescription for the cannabis oil to treat his severe epilepsy.However, two years after its legalisation, Billy is only one of a handful of patients who have received an NHS prescription for medical cannabis in the UK…

We asked PJ readers to submit their questions regarding the different COVID-19 vaccines being developed around the world, the phase III trial results and the practicalities of how these vaccines will be administered.In this podcast, Dawn Connelly, features editor and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, will try to answer these questions us…

The popularity of butter is on the rise and we discuss if eating butter keeps you warm throughout the winter, Pol almost ruins Christmas and a mysterious metal monolith appears in the middle of the desert- how did it get there? We also play another game of What Did We Learn Today with Zoner Lionel!Love you for listening,Pol & Jenny…

We are jumping into another lockdown in BC and people are going ham on the Holiday decorations already. Is it too soon for lights? Jenny shares her new puzzle passion and Pol shares what is on his Christmas list this year. All that and more spicy, explicit content in this week's episode!Love you for listening ❤Pol & Jenny…

Will Pol and Jenny get killed by Jason Voorhees this Friday the 13th? Listen to find out! Also, what does one do with their old CD collection? Why are vape kids blowin' smoke in their nintendo machines? And Pol creates an acronym that is sweeping the nation!Love you for listening,Pol & JennyPor The Zone @ 91-3

We hail the best cereal of all time, the best thing to do with your pumpkins and candy slides now that Halloween is over, and we share our feelings as our neighbour votes in their new president. Love you for listening Pol & JennyPor The Zone @ 91-3

This podcast celebrates the shortlisted entries to The Pharmaceutical Journal's 2020 writing competition. Hosted by executive editor Nigel Praities and opinion editor Abigail James, we hear all the shortlisted entrants read out their pieces, give an insight into what makes a winning entry and announce the winners!…