Medicines

Draft HIV guidance backs website selling PrEP for Bitcoin

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has warned about “patient safety” after discovering that draft HIV guidance directs patients to purchase pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from a website using cryptocurrency.

Pharmacy workers lose right to tattoo without licence in Wales

Pharmacy technicians, students and pharmacists are among those who are no longer free to practise tattooing or body piercing without a licence, while exemptions around take-home naloxone have expanded.

‘Gross incompetence’: High Court orders GPhC to reconsider FtP case

The High Court of Justice has called out the “gross incompetence and unfairness” of the GPhC’s handling of a pharmacist’s alleged role in “fraudulent” medication sales overseas, ordering the regulator to “undertake the whole process again”.

Coroner: Patient overdoses after ‘excess’ bank holiday diazepam and codeine scripts

A 78-year-old woman has overdosed after being given excess diazepam and codeine she was “addicted to” ahead of an Easter bank holiday weekend, a coroner has found.

Change legislation so pharmacists can amend prescriptions, says RPS

The RPS has called on the government to change legislation to allow community pharmacists to amend prescriptions when medicines are in short supply, a new report published today (November 26) has said.

In full: ‘We cannot afford a race to the bottom’: GP leaders vote for an ‘immediate’ end to pharmacy blood pressure checks

GP leaders have voted “overwhelmingly” for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect” at the BMA’s annual GP conference – also calling for Pharmacy First to be “immediately discontinued” and funds “redirected” into general practice.

John Bell & Croyden fails inspection standard over P-meds in ‘retail area’

The pharmacy regulator has ruled that the luxury pharmacy, which held the Royal Warrant as pharmacist to Queen Elizabeth II, has not met its inspection standard on “governance”.

PDA: GPhC consultation ‘watering down’ online pharmacy guidance

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns that proposed changes to online pharmacy regulations would embed “potentially poor practice” and allow pharmacies to “circumvent” guidance.

Pharmacy sore throat services provide antibiotics less than GPs, study reveals

A study of Welsh sore throat services has found that 24% of pharmacy consultations ended with an antibiotic prescription, compared with 39% of GP consultations.

Pharmacy group urges BMA to reject ‘short-sighted’ GP vote on pharmacy BP checks

A pharmacy group has urged the BMA to reject a GP leaders’ motion for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect”, which is set to be debated at the BMA’s annual GP conference tomorrow.