The Pharmaceutical Journal

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Hospitals should prescribe time-critical medicines within 24 hours of emergency admission NHS England has said that patients in emergency or acute hospital departments should have all their time-critical medicines identified and prescribed, including a plan for pharmacy review, within 24…

NHS England has said that patients in emergency or acute hospital departments should have all their time-critical medicines identified and prescribed, including a plan for pharmacy review, within 24 hours of admission

#ukpharmacy #time-criticalmedicines #hospital

Boots launches lung cancer early awareness scheme Pharmacy chain Boots is placing lung cancer awareness materials around its over-the-counter displays to encourage people to be aware of symptoms that may need closer investigation. Signs will be…

Pharmacy chain Boots is placing lung cancer awareness materials around its over-the-counter displays to encourage people to be aware of symptoms that may need closer investigation

#ukpharmacy #lungcancer #communitypharmacy

The dark side of the ‘miracle jab’: why eating disorder safety cannot be an afterthought In recent years, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), such as Ozempic (semaglutide; Novo Nordisk), Wegovy (semaglutide; Novo Nordisk) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide; Eli Lilly) have been…

In this blog piece #ChetanShah and #AnastaciaTew highlight that as the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists increases, so must our awareness of patients who have an eating disorder or who are at risk of developing one

#ukpharmacy #eatingdisorder #weightlossinjections

Paediatric health Physiological and developmental differences present unique challenges in the care of children and young people, compared with other patient cohorts. A significant proportion of the General…

Our collection of resources on paediatric health is organised within three categories — medicines, conditions and safeguarding and wellbeing — including a self-assessment quiz

#paediatrichealth #ukpharmacy #pharmj #paediatrics

Coroner raises concern over access to patient records for pharmacists in Wales A coroner has expressed concern over Welsh community pharmacists’ “limited” access to patient records, following the death of a patient whose pharmacists were unaware of her medication history.…

A coroner has expressed concern over Welsh community pharmacists’ “limited” access to patient records, following the death of a patient whose pharmacists were unaware of her medication history

#ukpharmacy #patientrecords #communitypharmacy

Nearly 400 'dormant' medicines targeted to be revived by government, industry and NHS scheme Almost 400 medicines with dormant Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licences have been identified as part of an initiative to relieve medicines shortages. Project Revive — a 12-month…

Almost 400 medicines with dormant Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency licences have been identified as part of an initiative to relieve medicines shortages

#ukpharmacy #medicinesshortages

Calling all pharmacy recruiters!

Post a premium job on the #PJJobs board and get 15% off with the code PJPREMIUM15

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The unexpected importance of workplace resilience in pharmacy practice All pharmacists and technicians who work in day-to-day, patient-facing practice experience the stresses, rewards, opportunities and challenges of being a healthcare professional.  There have been…

This week, we featured a blog by #ZubinAustinan to kick off our new series of learning articles on improving resilience within pharmacy

#resilience #pharmacy #pharmacyworkforce #ukpharmacy

Sir Hugh Taylor: ‘We'd like to do ourselves out of a job as quickly as possible’ Sir Hugh Taylor chairs the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB), which was launched in 2023 to help implement recommendations made by the UK Commission on Pharmacy…

Read our latest interview with #SirHughTaylor, chair of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board, about his optimism for a collaborative future with the creation of the Royal College of Pharmacy

#ukpplboard #rpharms #ukpharmacy

January 2026, Vol 316, No 8005 Table of contents Top news stories Features Opinion Learning & CPD Your RPS Letters Announcements & Tributes

Did you know you can find all of our content from #ThePJ's January 2026 in one place?

We collate each issue on the last day of the month to create a easily navigable resource for our readers

#monthlyissue #pharmaceuticaljournal #rpharms

Our #QuoteoftheWeek is from #HenriettaHughes, calling out "disappointing" delays to #valproate compensation for affected patients and families. Read more below 👇

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Health news round-up: travel warnings, AMR in children, and the latest on medicine supply This week, The Pharmaceutical Journal has dug deep into community pharmacy prescribing, rounded up everything you need to know about GLP-1s for weight loss and investigated how quickly online…

A weekly summary of important developments in health news that you may have missed, including a travel warning to Cape Verde, more research needed to tackle antimicrobial resistance in children and the latest on medicines shortages

#ukpharmacy

Aspirin supplies expected to stabilise ‘over coming weeks’ Health minister Zubir Ahmed has confirmed that aspirin supplies are expected to return to normal “over the coming weeks”. In a response to a written parliamentary question, published on 4 February…

Health minister Zubir Ahmed has confirmed that aspirin supplies are expected to return to normal “over the coming weeks”.

#ukpharmacy #aspirin #medicinesshortage

Patient died from infection associated with non-sterile alcohol-free wipes A patient has died after contracting a Burkholderia stabilis infection associated with non-sterile alcohol-free wipes, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed. In a joint statement…

A patient has died after contracting a Burkholderia stabilis infection associated with non-sterile alcohol-free wipes, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed

#ukpharmacy #bacterialinfection

Everything you need to know about GLP-1s for weight loss Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were touted as “breakthrough” drugs in 2023 — and their popularity has soared since.  Around 2.5 million people each month accessed GLP-1s privately…

Everything you need to know about GLP-1s for weight loss — our latest guide shares latest evidence and best practice

#obesity #weightloss #GLP1s #semaglutide #tirzepatide

All ex-Jhoots pharmacies taken over by Allied Pharmacies to reopen All Jhoots pharmacies taken over by Allied Pharmacies will reopen over the next four to eight weeks, the company has said. The company acquired 61 Jhoots branches in November 2025, and a further 68…

All #Jhoots pharmacies taken over by #AlliedPharmacies to reopen over the next four to eight weeks

#communitypharmacy #pharmacybusiness #ukpharmacy #pharmacyworkforce

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National pharmacy stop-smoking service could support more than 200,000 quit attempts annually A nationally commissioned community pharmacy stop-smoking service could significantly expand access in deprived areas and support more than 225,000 quit attempts each year, according to a Company…

National community pharmacy cessation service could expand access in deprived areas and support more than 225,000 quit attempts each year, says #CCA

#smokingcessation #communitypharmacy #stopsmokingservice

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#RPS announces candidates for the inaugural elections for the future Royal College of Pharmacy

#rcpharm #ukpharmacy #rpharms

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Preceptorship: the key to unlocking advanced pharmacist practice Expectations of advanced practice roles are expanding across healthcare, driven by NHS workforce strategy, professional strategy from professional bodies such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society…

In this comment piece, #MairiAnneMcLean highlights that by implementing preceptorship programmes across pharmacy teams, leaders have an opportunity to guide workforce development by evidence and strategy, rather than chance or goodwill

#ukpharmacy #advancedpractice

Mental health Medicines are a primary treatment tool for many mental health conditions. For pharmacists to use their expert skills to help patients who have mental health challenges, it is vital for them to have a…

Pharmacists can provide support to people experiencing #mentalhealth symptoms in a variety of ways, such as helping to identify people at risk, providing education and giving medicines advice

Visit our dedicated hub page for a selection of resources

Pharmacies to deliver HPV ‘catch-up’ vaccines and early cancer detection under national cancer plan Community pharmacies in England will take on an expanded role in cancer prevention and early detection under the government’s national cancer plan. In the ‘National cancer plan for England‘,…

Community pharmacies in England will take on an expanded role in cancer prevention and early detection under the government’s national cancer plan

#ukpharmacy #vaccination #HPV #cancer

Medicine shortages are ‘national security issue’, says Lords committee report Medicines availability should be treated as a national security issue and ministers must take a more proactive, coordinated approach to tackling shortages, according to a House of Lords Public…

Medicines availability should be treated as a national security issue and ministers must take a more proactive, coordinated approach to tackling shortages, according to a House of Lords Public Services Committee report

#ukpharmacy #medicinesshortages

DHSC will fund £1bn increase in new medicines spending over next three years A minister has confirmed the government will spend an additional £1bn on new medicines over the next three years, following changes introduced as part of a UK–US life sciences deal. In a letter sent…

A minister has confirmed the government will spend an additional £1bn on new medicines over the next three years, following changes introduced as part of a UK–US life sciences deal

#ukpharmacy #newmedicines

Students from 24 out of 28 pharmacy schools applied for a bursary in 2025 Charity Pharmacist Support received 88 applications for bursaries from students across 24 universities in Great Britain in 2025, which means that they had applications from students from all but four…

Pharmacist Support received 88 applications for bursaries from students across 24 universities in Great Britain in 2025

#pharmacystudent #PharmacistSupport #UKpharmacy

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Patients will be able to join clinical trials through NHS App Patients with rare cancers will be able to register their interest to join clinical trials through the NHS App. On 31 January 2026, the government announced that it will be further integrating the…

Patients with rare cancers will be able to register their interest to join clinical trials through the #NHSApp #BePartofResearch

Patient safety commissioner to approach PM over ‘disappointing’ delay to valproate compensation Henrietta Hughes, patient safety commissioner for England, has said she will approach prime minister Keir Starmer directly to secure financial compensation for people affected by valproate, after the…

"I will not stop holding government to account until this is resolved for the patients and families harmed”

#HenriettaHughes said she will approach #KeirStarmer directly to secure compensation for people affected by valproate

#valproate #healthcare #ukgovernment

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Improving resilience in pharmacy practice: reducing the burden of multitasking Community pharmacy can seem an incredibly busy, verging on chaotic, place. Pharmacy staff may be answering phones, speaking with patients, receiving inventory, dispensing medications, teaching…

*Improving resilience in pharmacy practice: reducing the burden of multitasking*

The first article in a short series that will explore how to improve resilience in pharmacy practice

#pharmacypractice #resilience #communitypharmacy

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The unexpected importance of workplace resilience in pharmacy practice All pharmacists and technicians who work in day-to-day, patient-facing practice experience the stresses, rewards, opportunities and challenges of being a healthcare professional.  There have been…

In this learning blog, #ZubinAustin explains how his team discovered the outsized impact that managerial decisions can have on staff wellbeing

#ukpharmacy #pharmacypractice

Case-based learning: insect bites and stings Introduction Being stung or bitten by an insect is almost an inevitability, with estimates suggesting it happens in up to 94% of the population at least once during their lifetime​[1]​. Reactions to…

*Case-based learning: insect bites and stings*

This learning article offers advice on how pharmacists can identify and manage insect bites and stings, as well as prevention methods

#ukpharmacy #insectbites