Evidence-based use of newer agents in type 2 diabetes

Recent accumulating evidence on the use of newer therapies in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is helping to define their position in treatment. This information coupled with the increasing priority given...

Obedience to collaboration: compliance, adherence and concordance

A literature review was conducted to gain an overview of the use of the terms ‘compliance,’ ‘adherence’ and ‘concordance’ alongside the meanings that have been attached to them. A search of English...

The role of community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pharmacies have played a vital role during the pandemic, not only by ensuring a stable supply of key medicines, but also in becoming an information hub regarding the virus. Many pharmacies are now the...

A time for reflection

This has been a month of progress and reflection here in the United Kingdom. As restrictions start to lift after many difficult months of lockdown, I'm sure, like me, you find yourselves having to...

Updates: May 2021

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced on the 4 May 2021 that more people the rare genetic disorder spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) will be able to benefit from...

Drug Breakdown: Dapagliflozin

Day 1: In the mid 19th century, phlorizin extracted from the root bark of the apple tree was found to cause glycosuria; there was poor oral absorption and also, because non-selective, the inhibition...

Complexity of fall prevention and whether deprescribing fall-risk-increasing drugs works

Being one of the leading causes of death in the elderly, falls can cause numerous health complications. Prescribing is important to protect the health of the frail and vulnerable, just as much as the...

Treatment advances in mental health

This month we are going to look at some interesting and applicable advances in the area of treatment of bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Some new research is examined and implications...

Carbon footprints and pharmacy

Diabetes care: a time to review prescribing approaches and reach out to local communities

There has been a bidirectional relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes, with increased rates of new diagnosis and an increased risk of severe COVID-19 for those already diagnosed (Rubino et al,...

Managing the side effects of contraception

Headache is a reported side effect of all hormonal methods of contraception, but is also very common in women of reproductive age, particularly those age >35 years old (Grossman Barr, 2010). Because...

Pharmacokinetics in paramedic prescribing

Absorption is the process a drug undergoes to enter the circulation. The most common route is the oral route, where drugs are ingested orally, and then absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into...

Treating post-renal transplant surgical site infection with combination therapy: a case study

A 61-year-old Azerbaijani woman was admitted to Imam Khomeini hospital in Urmia, in north west Iran. She had a kidney transplant on 5 October 2018. The patient had a history of end-stage renal disease...

Tackling vaccination concerns

The first thing I wanted to tell you in this editorial was that I have had my first vaccine! Like many million others I was delighted to get the call and I feel relief and privilege to have received...

Drug Breakdown: AZT / Abacavir

Day 1: Seven days of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), inspired by #ItsASin. The first HIV/AIDs drug #AZT (zidovudine) was discovered from unusual RNA/DNA elements found in marine...