Mum 'driven insane' by schizophrenia drug after blundering pharmacy prescribed wrong tablets

A traumatised mum thought she was going "insane" after a blundering pharmacy gave her drugs used to treat schizophrenia, the Mirror reports.

Henryka Barszczowska, 60, sought treatment for restless legs syndrome but was mistakenly given anti-psychotic drug risperidone , which she took for more than a month.

Mrs Barszczowska, from Roundhay, West Yorkshire, took 83 out of the 84 pack of risperidone tablets over a five-week period last September and October.

Community battles to keep open the only chemist in Miles Platting

Concerned residents have launched a campaign to keep open the only pharmacy in Miles Platting, Manchester Evening News reports.

Haven Chemist, on Medway Walk, was facing closure last week but following a protest outside the shop an agreement has been made for it to stay trading until April.

The chemist is the only remaining shop on Medway Walk after the area was subject to a compulsory purchase order from Manchester City Council.

Could cannabis ease period pains? New drug-infused vaginal capsules 'deliver pain relief without the high'

A new cannabis-infused vaginal suppository has gone on sale in the US, claiming to ease the agony of period pains, the Daily Mail reports.

The tampon-shaped capsule is said to harness the pain relieving properties of marijuana 'without a psychotropic (high) effect'.

Menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, are throbbing or cramping pains in the lower abdomen.

During a woman's menstrual period, the uterus contracts. Hormone-like substances, known as prostaglandins, involved in pain and inflammation trigger the uterine muscle contractions.

Documents show profit-seeking behind price hikes at Turing, Valeant

A decision by Turing Pharmaceuticals to increase profits by raising the price of a lifesaving drug by 5,000% drove some patient co-pays up to $16,000, according to excerpts of documents that congressional committee members made public on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The excerpts, highlighted in memos released by Democrats on the powerful U.S. House of Representatives Committee in Oversight and Government Reform, give a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the business decisions behind drastic price increases at Turing and Canada-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.

The increases sparked a major public outcry.

Both companies now face federal investigations over drug pricing.

The document excerpts show how Valeant bought two heart medicines for their "material pricing potential." The company increased the price of Isuprel by 525% and Nitropress, by 212%.

GP pressures: Care potentially unsafe - doctors' leader

Pressures on GPs in England and Wales are so great they feel they are failing patients and potentially providing unsafe care, the BBC reports.

British Medical Association GP leader Dr Chaand Nagpaul said doctors were having to rush patients to keep up.

And he said this could be potentially dangerous in terms of identifying cancer and getting medicines right.

But ministers in England responded by promising they would invest in services to address the concerns.

Ireland health service confirms two cases of Zika virus

Two cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Ireland, the country’s health service said on Tuesday night, the Guardian reports.

The Health Service Executive said two people – a male and an older woman – had contracted the virus. Both individuals are believed to be recovering from the Zika virus, the HSE in Dublin.

The pair both have a history of travel to Zika virus-affected countries, but the cases are unrelated, the HSE added. It said the woman concerned was not at risk of pregnancy.