Antibiotics

GP leaders have voted “overwhelmingly” for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect” at the BMA’s annual GP conference – also calling for Pharmacy First to be “immediately discontinued” and funds “redirected” into general practice.

A study of Welsh sore throat services has found that 24% of pharmacy consultations ended with an antibiotic prescription, compared with 39% of GP consultations.

A pharmacy group has urged the BMA to reject a GP leaders’ motion for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect”, which is set to be debated at the BMA’s annual GP conference tomorrow.

GP leaders have called for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect” ahead of the BMA’s annual GP conference later this month, where the motion and other community pharmacy issues will be debated.

The pharmacy sector has deemed the tabloid “irresponsible” for publishing an article that tells patients how to answer Pharmacy First service questions so that pharmacists “give you antibiotics”.

Pharmacists face accusations they are not up to the challenge of responsibly prescribing antibiotics, and could exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Is there any justification for this?

The government has reactivated two serious shortage protocols (SSPs) for the antibiotic clarithromycin amid the ongoing outbreak of whooping cough, the pharmacy negotiator has announced.

Pharmacy should “learn from” the veterinary sector to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR), while pharmacy technicians will receive “role-specific training” on the issue, the government has said. 

A pharmacy is fighting for security guard funding after a man caused £5,000 worth of damage and hit a member of the public when he was denied antibiotics without a prescription. 

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has won a multimillion-pound contract to “generate evidence” on the new Pharmacy First service, it has announced.