Carolyn Wickware

The journey towards dedicated pharmacy support for all emergency departments Ten years ago, a pharmacist working in an emergency department (ED) would have been a rarity. But, with patients spending more time in EDs, pharmacists are now viewed as an essential part of the…

NHS trusts in England have started taking the first steps towards a dedicated pharmacy service for emergency departments, but as @alijanemoore.bsky.social has discovered, there is a long way to go before each trust has the recommended support in place

The dangers of propranolol for anxiety In November 2024, a coroner in Blackpool gave a stark warning about the risks of prescribing propranolol for anxiety after a young women died from an overdose. In a report on the death of 17-year-old ...

Our latest feature by @emmajourno.bsky.social The dangers of propranolol for anxiety pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feat...

Hello Bluesky 🦋

We're excited to join the growing pharmacy community here.

Follow us for the latest pharmacy news and member updates.

Congratulations to our investigations editor Sophie Willis for winning Newcomer of the Year at the Avicenna Media Awards this afternoon! Very well deserved!
@pharmaj.bsky.social

Spotlight: Palliative care access Despite national incentives and locally commissioned services designed to improve availability of palliative care medicines from community pharmacies, access is not evenly distributed across the…

This spotlight episode of #ThePJPod @cbwickware.bsky.social and @dawnconnelly73.bsky.social‬ consider the current state of palliative care and how it could be improved to ensure equitable access
#ukpharmacy #palliativecare #healthinequalities

Good to see this finally. But, technically, it's yet another multi-year deal for community pharmacy in England 🚩

Nominate an outstanding early-career pharmacy researcher for OPERA 2025 Established in 2023, the Outstanding Pharmacy Early-Career Researcher Award (OPERA) recognises researchers in the early stages of their careers who are making significant contributions to advance…

The deadline for nominations to #OPERA2025 closes on 31 January 2025. This award recognises early-career researchers who are making significant contributions across any aspect of pharmacy practice or pharmaceutical sciences

https://buff.ly/48N8gLG

Exclusive from @dawnconnelly73.bsky.social

Coroners raise concerns about medicines shortages following two patient deaths Two coroners have expressed concerns over shortages of epilepsy and ADHD medication in December 2024, following the death of two patients. In a ‘Prevention of future deaths’ (PFD) report, published…

Coroners have raised concerns in two ‘Prevention of future deaths’ reports following deaths of patients who had experienced supply issues with their ADHD and epilepsy medications

#medicinesshortages #uksupplychain #drugshortages

David Lipanovic looks into the very important issue of access to urgent palliative care medicines

Subscribe here ⬇️ to #ThePJ's daily, weekly and monthly newsletters, for the latest in pharmaceutical news, analysis and learning content

#pharmacynews #cpdandlearning #ukpharmacy #rpharms

https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/my-account/preference-centre

Senior Clinical Reporter - Royal Pharmaceutical Society Salary: Competitive This is an exciting role for a creative and talented journalist, with a scientific background, to join the award-winning team at The Pharmaceutical Journal. The Senior Clinical ...

We're hiring at The Pharmaceutical Journal!

A great opportunity for a journalist looking to work with an award-winning team, writing features, investigations and exclusive news. Get in touch with me or @dawnconnelly73.bsky.social for more info!
careers.rpharms.com/jobs/5394656...

A bumpy road for pharmacy in 2024 The Pharmaceutical Journal from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Check out our recap of 2024 in pharmacy from @dawnconnelly73.bsky.social, with outstanding visuals from @therevmountain.bsky.social.

What a bumpy road it has been...
@pharmaj.bsky.social

Top ten opinion articles of 2024 Our opinion section in 2024 has showcased strong views, powerful personal stories, in-depth interviews and groundbreaking initiatives from across the pharmacy profession.  The most-read opinion…

In case you missed it - here are our top 10 most-read opinion pieces in 2024.

Thank you to everyone that has submitted articles to The PJ this year — we couldn't do it without you!
#pharmsky @pharmaj.bsky.social

Government advises ICBs set up local plans to address PERT supply shortages Integrated care boards (ICBs) have until 31 January 2025 to implement a “local mitigation plan” to ensure patients can continue accessing their pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) amid supply...

Pharmacy procurement teams at hospital trusts have been advised by the government to use unlicensed imports of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy where demand is greater than supply
#pharmsky @pharmaj.bsky.social
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

Outstanding pharmacy professionals recognised in The Pharmaceutical Journal’s 2024 ‘Women to Watch’ list A shortlist of 11 female pharmacy professionals are being celebrated for their intense dedication to improving both the pharmacy profession and patient care in The Pharmaceutical Journal’s 2024 ‘Women...

pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news.... Such an
honour to serve as a judge for
this award. There are so many outstanding woman in pharmacy #pharmsky #medsky

Excellent to see some familiar faces in @pharmaj.bsky.social 2024 Women to Watch list 🥳

rpharms.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?...

Delighted to announce our 2024 Women to Watch List!

Congratulations to all 11 honourees. Some very well deserved recognition for these inspiring women.
@pharmaj.bsky.social #PJWomen2Watch
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

A very interesting perspective following the GP vote at the LMCs conference last month...

pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

We are pleased to announce #ThePJ's arrival on #Bluesky!

Please follow us for the latest in pharmaceutical news, commentary, learning and research

#introduction #PharmaceuticalJournal #ThePJ #pharmsky

RPS raises concerns after draft HIV guidance recommends unregulated website for purchasing PrEP Patients are being signposted to an unregulated website where pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can be purchased with Bitcoin, in draft guidance published jointly by the British Association for Sexual H...

Joint draft guidance from two national HIV associations has recommended three websites to signpost patients to when buying PrEP online

The RPS has raised concerns that one of the sites in question is unregulated - and accepts bitcoin payments #pharmsky
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

Microsampling: a patient-centred approach to therapeutic drug monitoring Having a blood sample taken, usually by a phlebotomist in a clinic, is an often unpleasant but necessary step in monitoring medical conditions and some medicines. However, Neil Spooner, bioanalyst and...

Our feature this week in the #PharmaceuticalJournal is on microsampling techniques. These could mean faster, less stressful blood tests for vulnerable patients, but introducing them into the NHS has proved challenging

#PharmSky
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feat...

Patient communication will be essential for successful collective action Industrial action is firmly back in UK healthcare. We saw a couple of years of industrial action over pay under the tail-end period of the former Conservative government — one of Labour’s first acts i...

My latest column for the Pharmaceutical Journal looks at how the retail pharmacy sector might go about industrial action: pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opin...

Really good article, with some patient stories on the impacts of stock shortages

Taking its toll: the global pancreatic enzyme shortage “I was down to my last five days’ supply when I posted on social media. I looked into buying some, and could only find the Creon 10,000 capsules, which would mean taking up to 30 capsules per meal,” s...

Our latest feature highlights the devastating impact the PERT shortage is having on the patients who rely on it

Taking its toll: the global pancreatic enzyme shortage
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feat...

BMA conference considers proposal to scrap community pharmacy blood pressure checks The British Medical Association’s (BMA) conference of English local medical committees (LMCs) is due to vote on a motion that proposes scrapping community pharmacy blood pressure checks “with immediat...

At the BMA's annual LMC conference tomorrow, GPs will debate whether the community pharmacy blood pressure check service should be scrapped.

If the motion passes it will become policy for the BMA's GP committee
#PharmSky #PharmaceuticalJournal
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

Antibiotic-resistant infections at highest level since COVID-19 pandemic, finds report An estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections were reported in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels of 62,314 infections in 2019, a report published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKH...

Trending in the wrong direction...

#AMR #WAAW24 #PharmSky

pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

Bruce Warner: ‘Medicines shortages will never go away, but the situation can be improved’ During his nine-year tenure as deputy chief pharmaceutical officer for England from 2014 to 2023, Bruce Warner saw two events that had major implications for the supply of medicines to the UK: Brexit ...

We spoke with the former Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer in his new role as chair of the RPS advisory board on medicine shortages.

He had plenty of insight into the growing problem of drug shortages and how pharmacist prescribing may help. #PharmSky
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opin...

NICE proposes adding cytisine to stop-smoking guideline Cytisinicline, a prescription-only medicine to support smoking cessation, could be added to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stop-smoking guideline. NICE has opened a consu...

Lots of smoking cessation news at the moment. Last week, NHSE announced that varenicline is back on the market, and today in the #PharmaceuticalJournal:

NICE proposes adding cytisine to stop-smoking guideline
pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news...

We are still just finding our feet on here but we've created a starter pack for UK based health and science journalists. Follow them and let us know if you're a journo or MJA member and want adding:

go.bsky.app/BNiFuEN