Substance abuse

Morrisons rolls out free ‘drinking checks’ across pharmacies

Alcohol harm charity Drinkaware has announced the rollout of a free “drinking check” in all of Morrisons’ 117 pharmacies across the UK to assess the “drinking habits” of customers.

Coroner: Woman dies after buying off-label POMs online ‘over 100’ times

A woman with fibromyalgia has died from multiple organ failure with two medicines purchased from websites selling off-label prescription medications found in her body, a coroner has found.

Pharmacy tech struck off for rape of ‘vulnerable’ 13-year-old girl

A pharmacy technician has been removed from the register after he “took advantage” of a teenager who he messaged on Snapchat and gave cannabis “to facilitate the offence of rape”, the regulator has revealed.

Pharmacy workers lose right to tattoo without licence in Wales

Pharmacy technicians, students and pharmacists are among those who are no longer free to practise tattooing or body piercing without a licence, while exemptions around take-home naloxone have expanded.

Coroner: Patient overdoses after ‘excess’ bank holiday diazepam and codeine scripts

A 78-year-old woman has overdosed after being given excess diazepam and codeine she was “addicted to” ahead of an Easter bank holiday weekend, a coroner has found.

Man farming cannabis in ex-Lloydspharmacy dealt 12-month jailtime

A 27-year-old man has been jailed for 12 months for cultivating cannabis plants in a former Lloydspharmacy in Pembroke with an estimated street value of up to £500,000.

Devon pharmacy pilot launched to reduce opioid drug-related deaths

Pharmacies in Devon are taking part in a new pilot service that aims to reduce the number of drug-related deaths in the county and trains staff to recognise and respond to the “symptoms of opioid overdose”.

Superintendent’s FtP restored after ‘home brew’ drunk delivery van crash

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has found that the fitness to practise (FtP) of a pharmacist who “crashed” her company Citroen Berlingo van after drinking “six large drinks of her husband’s home brew” is “no longer impaired”.

Cannabis farm-acy: Police raid uncovers 600 cannabis plants in ‘old pharmacy’

A 27-year-old man has pleaded guilty of producing cannabis after nearly 600 plants were found at an old pharmacy building in Pembroke last week, local police have revealed.

Fentanyl trafficking: Cartel-owned pharmacy sanctioned by US government

A pharmacy in Mexico owned by a leading Sinaloa cartel family is facing sanctions, according to the US government.