Keeping medicines safe in hot weather – a dual challenge for pharmacists ... out the importance of reminding patients that: ‘although we can enjoy hot weather, heatwaves can quietly affect our bodies, our breathing, and even the way our medication works’. The MHRA has also addressed the issue this summer, with helpful guidance that pharmacists can pass on to patients, such as: Store medicines below 25°C and keep them in the coolest, driest part of the home, away from d ... Date: 11-07-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

Diclofenac eye drops hit by stock shortage Diclofenac (Voltarol Ophtha) 0.1% eye drops 0.3ml unit dose preservative free are out of stock until early October 2025, according to a medicine supply notification issued by the Department of Health and ... Date: 11-07-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

MHRA and NICE to join forces to speed up medicines approval ... ar NHS plan has suggested – with the aim of getting innovative treatments to patients more quickly. According to the 168-page document, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will adopt 'a more pro-innovation approach to regulation, while maintaining safety’. The intention is to ‘ensure that the UK is one of the best places in the world to develop and launch new products' ... Date: 11-07-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

ASA takes action against pharmacies breaking rules on weight loss meds ... oring sweeps using its AI monitoring system. The GPhC has previously issued a joint enforcement notice with ASA and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in a bid to tackle inappropriate advertising of weight loss medicines. Responding to the action, Dionne Spence, chief enforcement officer at the GPhC, said: ‘We are continuing to work very closely with the ASA and MHRA ... Date: 10-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Latest News • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Zaditen eye drops batch recalled due to manufacturing concern Pharmacists have been advised to stop supplying one batch of Zaditen 0.25 mg/ml eye drops solution following a precautionary recall issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The recall affects batch number 4V64 (expiry date: 30 September 2026), distributed in 5ml packs. The batch was first distributed on 27 January 2025. Zaditen, which contains ketotifen fumarate ... Date: 10-07-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Patient safety alert issued over loop diuretic tablet shortage Bumetanide 1mg tablets are currently out of stock and will remain unavailable until at least mid-August 2025, according to a national patient safety alert issued by the Department of Health and Social Car ... Date: 08-07-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Almost half of adults support free weight loss jabs through pharmacy, shows poll ... d that women taking weight-loss injections face unknown risks of harm during pregnancy and that some online pharmacies are unscrupulously prescribing the medication. Last week, the MHRA asked pharmacists to help identify patients for a new study examining genetic links between GLP-1 weight loss treatment and acute pancreatitis. Mr Gregg said: ‘It's clear that supply for weight loss medication wi ... Date: 03-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

MHRA alerts pharmacists to PIL error in batch of erythromycin tablets ... ts have been advised to make patients aware of incorrect patient information leaflets (PILs) included in one batch of erythromycin tablets. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a notification issued yesterday that it had been informed by Amdipharm UK Ltd that the batch included a ‘superseded’ PIL which is ‘missing important updated safety information’. The affec ... Date: 02-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Dermatology and wound care • In Practice • Latest News • News

‘Precautionary’ recall of breast cancer medication batch ... The batch of medication, used primarily to treat breast cancer, was first distributed on 22 August 2024. In a recall alert issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Monday, pharmacists have been advised to immediately cease supplying the affected batch, quarantine remaining stocks, and return them via approved supplier processes. The MHRA explained that patie ... Date: 01-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News • Women's health

Customer complaint prompts recall of Omeprazole oral solution batch ... bottles. The batch of medication, used to treat heartburn and indigestion, was first distributed on 29 January 2024. An alert issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Monday said the issue was ‘a result of an inadequate assembly of the plunger stem and the cup which could lead to a premature mixing of the two components of the medicinal product’. Pharmacists ar ... Date: 01-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Pharmacies spending ‘longer than ever’ managing medicines supply issues ... ply notifications from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) this month, including diabetes treatments and anti-depressants. Date: 30-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

MHRA recalls medication with label error ... h of Depo-Medrone has been released to the market with a label error that could result in the administration of the incorrect dose, according to a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) class 2 medicines recall. Batch number LG3883 Max 0943Y of Depo-Medrone 80mg/2ml suspension for injection (PLPI 20774/1666), first distributed on 13 May this year, has an incorrect label and ... Date: 27-06-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Estimated £17.2m worth of illegal medicines seized by MHRA Nearly eight million doses of illegal medicines have been seized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in an operation to tackle the illegal online sale of medicines and medical devices, the regulator has said. Working with law enforcement partners between December 2024 and May 2025, the MHRA’s Cr ... Date: 26-06-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Pharmacists can support study into weight loss injection side effect ... ve been asked to help identify patients for a new study examining genetic links between GLP-1 weight loss treatment and acute pancreatitis. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in collaboration with Genomics England, is calling for patients who have been hospitalised with acute pancreatitis while taking GLP-1 medicines – including Ozempic and Mounjaro – to report the inci ... Date: 26-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Cancer patients urged to consult with pharmacists before taking weight loss drugs ... concerns from pharmacists of patients accessing ‘high risk medications’, such as weight loss jabs, from unregulated sources. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) this month issued a warning to women using weight-loss jabs around the unknown risks of harm during pregnancy and said women should use ‘effective contraception’ while using the injections. Dr Owen Carter, nation ... Date: 20-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

How new medicines become available on the NHS ... This work took us into the technical processes that govern access to medicines in England. Two key institutions are central to this: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The MHRA is responsible for licensing medicines, ensuring they are safe and effective. NICE then assesses whether these medicines offer goo ... Date: 20-06-2025 Categories: • Analysis • Analysis • Community • In Practice

Weight loss jabs and the role of community pharmacy ... lebrities publicly discussing their use of weight loss injections. However, more recent news-worthy mentions are of a riskier tone, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warning women taking GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes to use effective contraception, saying ‘there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby’. ... Date: 19-06-2025 Categories: • Analysis • Analysis • Clinical • Community • In Practice

Warning over ‘Wild West’ of unregulated cosmetic treatments ... eight-loss medications, it was concerned about some fat dissolving injections which do not fall under the remit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Other issues reported by members included ‘unsafe and unregulated filler products readily available for sale online to everyday consumers for as little as £20’ and a ‘postcode lottery across the UK in the minimum ages at w ... Date: 18-06-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Anticoagulant Inhixa recalled due to typo The carton used to package two imported batches of anticoagulant Inhixa have the incorrect strength of the product written on one side, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned. Pharmacists have been told to stop supplying the affected batches of 12,000 IU (120mg)/0.8 ml solution for injection’ Inhixa solution for injection immediately and to contact any pati ... Date: 13-06-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

Two batches of paracetamol recalled due to ‘contamination’ The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has recalled specific batches of Paracetamol 500mg Tablets (Chelonia Healthcare Limited) as a precautionary measure, ‘due to contamination’. The move follows a small number of complaints of disco ... Date: 09-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Pain

Chronic asthma guideline: pharmacological management updates ... that it is a more economical option in England, it is available orally and is easier than adding a new inhaler and being trained on correct use. However, the recent MHRA alert on the LTRA montelukast reiterated the risk of neuropsychiatric reactions with use,8 so this should form part of patient shared decision-making discussions. If the patient is controlled with the additional agent, treatment s ... Date: 09-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • Respiratory

New guidance to support bringing phage medicines to UK patients The UK’s first official guidance to support the ‘safe development and use’ of phage therapies has been published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Phage therapies use bacterial viruses – called bacteriophages – to target and destroy harmful bacteria without harming human cells. While there are currently no licensed phage medicines on the UK m ... Date: 06-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Vaccinations and infections

Women on weight-loss jabs must use ‘effective contraception’, urges MHRA Women using weight-loss jabs should use ‘effective contraception’ while taking them, according to latest guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The regulator has today issued a warning to women using the injections around the unknown risks of harm during pregnancy. In its latest guidance on the safe use of GLP-1 medicines Ozempic, Mounja ... Date: 05-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

MHRA issues advice on Zentiva soluble and effervescent paracetamol The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued advice to pharmacists about batches of soluble or effervescent paracetamol tablets manufactured by Zentiva Pharma UK Limited. The tablets are taking longer than expected to fully disso ... Date: 03-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Pain

Low-carbon COPD inhaler approved by MHRA A new low-carbon version of the Trixeo Aerosphere inhaler has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and will be available in the UK later this year. The triple combination inhaler for adults with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) replaces the propellant HFA-134a wi ... Date: 23-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Batch of Mercaptopurine tablets recalled due to ‘microbial contamination’ A batch of Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets has been recalled due to a ‘microbial contamination’, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. The action is being taken by Aspen Pharma Trading Limited as a ‘precautionary measure’ following a small number of complaints of ‘discoloured tablets’ within the packs which have been ident ... Date: 22-05-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • News

Think tank recommends ‘predominately digital-first’ national weight-loss jab offer ... n coverage, the ability provide a 'predominantly' digital-first model of care, and the capacity to provide face-to-face care where required, the thinktank said. All patients eligible under MHRA licensing – rather than the current more limited NICE eligibility – could then access the medication either through paying for it themselves, co-paying through employer schemes or accessing it for free if th ... Date: 21-05-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Trafficked medicines seized in 'largest-ever' MHRA crackdown Police made 12 arrests this morning as part of a major investigation into organised trafficking of unlicensed medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the operation – nicknamed Operation Subaru – was 'the largest criminal investigation into organised medicines trafficking' in the organisation's 22-year history. 'The individuals have been a ... Date: 29-04-2025 Categories: • Community • News

Pharmacists issued warning over social media use ... ne. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) recently issued a joint enforcement notice with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), urging pharmacies to ‘immediately’ review their advertising and remove any adverts for named prescription-only medicines (POMs) for weight loss. And in February, the MHRA had separately asked on ... Date: 23-04-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

Pharmacists told to stop supplying blood pressure med with incorrect dose on pack ... However, the packs from this batch contain 20mg tablets. The correct strength (20mg) is printed on the top of the carton and on the blister strips, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. Patients taking the blood pressure medication must check whether the dose on their medicine's box matches the one on the foil blister pack. And they 'should contact their pharmacist ... Date: 17-04-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • News

Pharmacies told to ‘immediately review’ adverts for weight-loss meds ... ged. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has issued a joint enforcement notice with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in a bid to tackle inappropriate advertising of weight-loss medicines. The regulators said they were concerned about the advertising of weight-loss POMs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, including on soc ... Date: 14-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Boots Paracetamol batch recalled after being wrongly labelled as Aspirin ... ks of Boots Paracetamol have been recalled because of a packaging error where they are incorrectly labelled as Aspirin on the foil blister. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today issued a recall alert for a specific batch of Boots Paracetamol 500mg (16s) and has advised the public to stop using the product immediately and to return packets a Boots store for a refun ... Date: 04-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News • Pain

Valproate in men: review by two specialists not needed for continuation ... is required for initiating valproate but not for male patients already taking valproate, the Commission on Human Medicine (CHM) has advised. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) previously advised that men taking valproate and their partners should use effective contraception, as a precaution against potential teratogenic risks. And it has now released three infographics ... Date: 21-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • Men's health • Neurology • Sexual health • Women's health

Nine in ten pharmacists oppose P med self-selection, finds PDA survey ... ommendations for next steps, ensuring that patient safety remains at the heart of practice,' she said. The PDA report comes as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has encouraged medicines manufacturers to apply for product reclassification from prescription-only (POM) to P. This could include medicines that treat short-term sleep issues, allergies, pain, skin problems, ... Date: 13-02-2025 Categories: • Community • News

MHRA tells online pharmacies to review influencer strategies for weight-loss meds ... g weight-loss medications. This comes as one company, Habitual Healthcare, has changed how it collaborates with online influencers, on the advice of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In particular, it has stopped using content creators with unique discount codes and tracking links to advertise prescription-only weight-loss medication to the general public. And it has had ... Date: 13-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

More meds could be sold in pharmacies as POM to P switches 'encouraged' More medicines could be switched from prescription-only medicines (POM) to pharmacy medicines (P), as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has encouraged medicines manufacturers to apply for product reclassification. Specifically, it has asked for applications regarding medicines that treat short-term sleep issues, allergies, pain, ... Date: 10-02-2025 Categories: • Community • Dermatology and wound care • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology • Pain • Respiratory • Women's health

Nitrofurantoin recall as extra tablet found in packs of UTI antibiotics ... e packs of 14, a small percentage of blister pockets have been found to contain an additional yellow tablet alongside the antibiotics capsule, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. This is in addition to the registered product - a capsule containing powder and two yellow tablets. It added that these extra tablets had come from the manufacturing process, not fro ... Date: 06-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Pharmacy First • Renal and urology • Women's health

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may cut risk of dementia and other conditions Use of GLP-1 weight loss-drugs – such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) – is associated with reduced risk of a wide range of conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, a large ... Date: 22-01-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Diabetes and endocrinology

Recall issued as 'foreign material' detected in cough medicine ... romethorphan hydrobromide BP containing products 'as a precautionary measure'. Investigation and analysis into the issue 'remains ongoing', the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an alert issued yesterday (21 January). Pharmacies have been instructed to stop supplying the below listed batches of Tesco Health Dry Cough Relief 200ml, Asda Strong Dry Tickly Cough 200 ... Date: 22-01-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory

What changes to expect for medical devices in 2025? ... pieces, click here and here. This time last year, the UK's medical device regulatory framework was undergoing significant transformation. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had outlined a roadmap of proposed steps to enhance the safety, efficacy, and traceability of medical devices of proposed steps to enhance the safety, efficacy, and traceability of medical devices. ... Date: 21-01-2025 Categories: • Views

‘Worrying trend’ in companies seeking prescribers to sign off on weight loss jab questionnaires ... those who ‘do see an advert for a prescription only medication on social media’ to report it to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Pharmacist recently reported that fake online pharmacies are targeting vulnerable patients whose medicines are in short supply, including obesity drugs, ADHD medication and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The MHRA said such fraudu ... Date: 23-12-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Two cefalexin SSPs issued and defective WockAIR inhalers recalled ... guidance on reconciliation of SSP claims. Defective WockAir inhalers recalled Pharmacists must also be aware of a recall notice issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) yesterday on behalf of inhaler manufacturer Wockhardt UK Limited. Pharmacies must stop supplying batch NV6057 of an inhaler two-pack immediately, and all remaining stock must be quarantined and ret ... Date: 10-12-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections • Women's health

NHS flu antivirals can be supplied from this week Community pharmacies can begin supplying flu antivirals oseltamivir and zanamivir on the NHS, as of yesterday (3 December). And prescribers working in primary care can begin prescribing these antiviral ... Date: 04-12-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

'Concerning reports' of scam websites targeting weight loss and other shortage meds ... upply, including obesity drugs, ADHD medication and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has reported. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said such fraudulent supply was the work of 'organised criminal gangs', while the General Pharmaceutical (GPhC) warned that there was 'no way of knowing' what drugs from these websites contained, wh ... Date: 03-12-2024 Categories: • Community • News

Pharmacists must continue promotion of folic acid after fortification of flour Pharmacists have been urged to continue to promote the importance of folic acid supplementations following news that it will be added to non-wholemeal flour from the end of 2026. The UK’s chief nursing ... Date: 26-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Women's health

Latest UKHSA figures show rise in both antibiotic use and resistance ... nd prevent infections is having an increasing impact, particularly on our poorest communities.’ UKHSA said it is working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in an effort to combat antibiotic resistance. Dr Nicola Rose, interim executive director, science and research of MHRA, said: ‘Our purpose is to improve patient safety. ‘Our scientists are working with UKHS ... Date: 20-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Cytisine pill could be added to stop smoking guidelines ... six months or longer, when compared to placebo or no medication. The drug was made available in the UK in January this year, after being approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019. NICE has said that cytisine has a ‘comparable effect’ as a smoking cessation treatment to varenicline, a pill which was last week relaunched on the NHS. Cytisine, also known as cytisi ... Date: 18-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Respiratory

Post-market surveillance requirements for medical devices: Implications Claire Burrows, partner at Brabners LLP and Thorrun Govind, solicitor at Brabners LLP, pharmacist and TV health expert, provide further insight into ongoing MHRA work on legislation covering medical devices. If you missed their last piece click here. The explosion of innovation in health technology in recent years has the potential to bring transformative ... Date: 15-11-2024 Categories: • Views

Unauthorised ejaculation delay spray recalled by MHRA A spray sold to delay ejaculation has been recalled after its manufacturer revealed it was not authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The EXS Delay Spray Plus contains lidocaine, a local anaesthetic. But the product has not undergone the appropriate assessments related to safety, quality and efficacy, the MHRA said today. ... Date: 13-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Men's health • News • Sexual health

NHS England announces relaunch of anti-smoking pill varenicline ... . NHSE chief executive Amanda Pritchard will announce the rollout at a speech today, following the relaunched generic product’s approval by the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Distribution of Champix was paused in 2021 as a precaution due to high levels of potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines detected in the tablets. Researchers at University College London have since sugge ... Date: 12-11-2024 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory