Health officials warn over persistent rise in Shigella infections
In addition to rising Shigella case numbers, UK Health Security Agency data has highlighted increasing levels of antimicrobial resistance.
All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group publishes framework on self-administration of medicines in hospital
The guidance says that enabling patients to be involved in the management of their medicines can improve “adherence, safety and health literacy”.
Safety risks for hospital patients treated with insulin highlighted in report
According to a report by the Health Services Safety and Investigations Body, most inpatient diabetes care is delivered by non-specialist staff who “may lack confidence and/or competence” in diabetes management.
Petition urges government to extend NHS support fund to fully include pharmacy students
A petition has been launched calling on the UK government to extend the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) to fully include pharmacy students, stating that current support does not reflect the costs associated with their training.
GPhC announces 6% rise in registration fees
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced a 6% rise in its annual registration fees for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises, effective September 2026.
'Complex and largely uncharted': the grey area of AI
AI tools are quietly slipping into routine everyday pharmacy practice — but they are also advancing faster than regulations can keep up. Pharmacists now face operating in a ‘grey area’, where professional judgement is their only guide.
Investing in education that benefits the whole profession
The SPVS Educational Trust is building on its long-standing support for the veterinary profession by funding innovative projects that deliver long-term, profession-wide benefit, writes Carlotta Eden.
Spotting gum disease in your pharmacy – and why it matters for heart health
Ghostwritten - can be verified by third party. With growing evidence on the associations between gum disease and cardiovascular health, pharmacists are in a unique position to spot the warning signs.
Pharmacy teams subjected to racism, threats and violence
A survey conducted by Community Pharmacy England has revealed the regular extent of abuse against community pharmacy teams, including racist behaviour, threats and physical violence.
Pharmacists ‘perfectly placed’ to deliver nationally commissioned weight-loss service, MPs told
Community pharmacy is “perfectly placed” to help deliver a nationally commissioned weight management service, MPs heard during a Health and Social Care Committee session examining private provision of GLP-1 weight-loss medicines.
Experts back call to include pregnant women in clinical trials
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should be routinely included in clinical research, where safe and appropriate, the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) has said.
Community pharmacies urged to plan ahead for Easter bank holidays with methadone safety resources
The Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group resources have been developed to offer support for community pharmacy teams before, during and after bank holidays, when opening hours may differ and other commissioned services may close.
Scottish Parliament votes against assisted dying bill amid concerns over pharmacist protections
The bill was rejected by 69 votes to 57, after several MSPs cited concerns about the lack of safeguards for healthcare professionals who do not wish to participate in assisted dying.
Coroner flags lack of clarity around expanded role of community pharmacists under Pharmacy First
A coroner has raised concerns about outdated methotrexate guidance and a lack of clarity around the role of community pharmacists under the Pharmacy First scheme, following the death of a patient.
Welsh parliament approves motion on assisted dying
Members of the Senedd have voted to support plans that would allow Welsh ministers to shape how assisted dying services could operate on the NHS in Wales if UK legislation on the issue is approved.The legislative consent motion linked to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed by 28 votes to 23, with 2 abstentions, on 24 February 2026.The bill, which is currently going through the Westminster parliament, would allow terminally ill adults to request medical assistance to end their lif...
Regulator sets acceptance criteria for fitness-to-practise complaints
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published acceptance criteria for fitness-to-practise (FtP) complaints for the first time, setting out which FtP concerns about pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacies will be taken forward for investigation.The criteria explain that a pharmacy professional’s fitness to practise can be called into question on specific legal grounds and states that not every error or concern will lead to a formal investigation. The regulator said...
Pharmacy owners warn of closures and cuts in open letter to health secretary
A letter sent to health secretary Wes Streeting on behalf of more than 3,000 community pharmacy owners in England has warned that services face being cut — or pharmacy businesses closed — without an increase to funding.The letter, coordinated by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and sent on 18 February 2026, said that two-thirds of pharmacies “are at real risk of imminent closure” and “face the reality of underfunding in a real and very brutal way”.The results of a survey conducted by the...
EXCLUSIVE: Barcode errors ‘potentially fatal’, warns patient safety commissioner
Exclusive: All four UK chief pharmaceutical officers also wrote an open letter to pharmaceutical companies earlier this year urging them to continue 2D barcodes on medicine packs, despite it no longer being mandatory following Brexit.
NICE widens access to SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1s in updated type 2 diabetes guidance
Newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) should be offered a sodium–glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor – which include dapagliflozin and empagliflozin – earlier in their treatment alongside metformin, updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said.In guidance published on 18 February 2026, NICE said that research has shown that SGLT-2 inhibitors not only control blood sugar but actively protect the heart and kidneys, whi...
Stopping antidepressants in pregnancy linked to higher risk of mental health emergencies
Women who stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy are almost twice as likely to have a mental health emergency as those who continue treatment, according to new research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting on 11 February 2026.The study examined records from a state-based private insurance database for 3,983 patients who gave birth between January 2023 and December 2024. All patients had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety and were prescri...
Pharmacy First campaign boosted public awareness and trust in pharmacy advice, says minister
A national campaign to promote Pharmacy First services appears to have increased public awareness, trust in pharmacy advice and “intention to use”, according to pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock.In a written parliamentary answer, published on 9 February 2026, Kinnock gave details on the results of a promotional campaign, which ran between November and December 2024.He highlighted data from the campaign, which showed that public awareness that pharmacies can treat Pharmacy First conditions rose f...
Poor communication hampered parts of winter vaccination campaign, MPs told
Community pharmacies in England delivered a record number of flu vaccinations at the start of this winter; however, confusion over COVID-19 jab eligibility and poor communication meant the wider vaccination programme had been “absolute chaos”, a senior pharmacy representative has told a committee of MPs.Speaking at an evidence session on the effectiveness of the government’s vaccinations strategy and if the rollout of flu jabs in winter 2025 reduced pressure on hospitals — held by the House of C...
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 Chemists’ Association (CCA) report.In the report, published on 5 February 2026, the CCA said that current stop-smoking services “vary across the country” and fewer than half of local authorities commission services from community pharmacies, while some also restrict access by age or other patient charac...
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 Services Committee report.In the report, published on 4 February 2026, the committee warned that the UK government and NHS often react to supply problems after they have already happened, while there is “little oversight or leadership from the Department of Health and Social Care,” leaving patients at risk...
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