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The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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...
The Pharmaceutical Journal •

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‘, published on 4 February 2026, the government said pharmacies will offer ‘catch-up’ human papillomavirus vaccinations from 2026 for young people who missed doses at school.Pharmacies will also participate in early cancer detection initiatives, the plan added. A pilot heartburn health checking service will star...
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