Latest report on child asthma deaths highlights stark impact of deprivation Children from the most deprived areas are four times more likely to die from an asthma attack, a charity has warned. asthma + Lung UK called on the Government to take ‘urgent action’ to prevent child asthma deaths including tackling poor housing conditions and air pollution. It c ... Date: 20-12-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory

GPhC November pass rate drops again to 2022 levels Just 58% of trainee pharmacists passed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s national registration assessment this November, the regulator has announced. This brings the pass rates back down almost ... Date: 17-12-2024 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Pharmacy First

NICE finalises long-awaited joint guidance overhauling asthma care Long-awaited joint UK guidelines for asthma have been finalised, overhauling recommendations for diagnostics and treatment of the condition. In June, draft guidance published by NICE, BTS and SIGN revealed significant changes to the current ... Date: 28-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Lung cancer: Not just a smoker’s disease ... macists need to know about lung cancer in people who have never smoked, says Krishma Patel, clinical pharmacist As part of my job as a clinical pharmacist at a GP practice in Hertfordshire, I hold asthma and COPD clinics with patients. As well as going through patients’ medication, checking inhaler technique and discussing any concerns patients might have, I am also looking out for flare-ups in sympt ... Date: 27-11-2024 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Respiratory

Local systems must involve community pharmacy to improve population health ... ly funding for a small amount of time,' Ms Shah said. She argued that similar services should be commissioned on an ongoing basis from community pharmacies for a variety of vaccinations. Managing asthma amid air pollution in Newham The borough of Newham has some of the highest levels of air pollution in London, with Newham residents estimated to be exposed to a level of airborne particulate matter ... Date: 18-11-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory

The GP Awards shortlist: St Austell Healthcare Group Clinical Pharmacist Team ... ession. Each pharmacist in the St Austell team has an area of special interest, allowing them to provide targeted support across a range of conditions, including hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, diabetes, HRT and pain management. The team’s organisation of responsibilities by special interest areas has ensured that patients receive focused and high-quality care. This approach not only su ... Date: 01-11-2024 Categories: • In Practice • Interviews

The GP Awards shortlist: Nazir Hussain, specialist respiratory pharmacist ... l. His clinical leadership, combined with a compassionate and proactive approach, has had a direct and measurable impact on patient outcomes. Nazir’s clinic allows early and accurate diagnosis for asthma and COPD patients, reducing the long wait times often experienced for respiratory outpatient appointments. His approach has enabled patients to begin treatment faster, leading to better disease manag ... Date: 24-10-2024 Categories: • In Practice • Interviews

Women with asthma may have higher risk of miscarriage and fertility problems A study showing women with asthma are more likely to miscarry and have fertility problems highlights the need for good disease control in this group, researchers said. The Danish team of researchers said the risk appeared higher i ... Date: 08-10-2024 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Long-awaited joint asthma guidance overhauls diagnostics and treatment Long-awaited new draft UK joint guidelines on asthma care overhauls recommended diagnostics and treatment, but the review committee warned they will require ‘significant investment’. Draft NICE/BTS/SIGN guidelines on diagnosis, monitoring and manage ... Date: 27-06-2024 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Statin tops NHS prescribing once again as total number of items continues to increase ... cal substance with the highest cost for items dispensed in the community in England, was the steroid beclometasone dipropionate, with a total cost of £316 million in 2023/24. It is primarily used for asthma, but also sometimes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Apixaban was the substance with the second highest cost, at £239m, while rivaroxaban, edoxaban, omeprazole and atorvastatin we ... Date: 06-06-2024 Categories: • Analysis • Analysis • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Women's health

Pharmacy First: Tips for diagnosing and treating uncomplicated UTI in women ... obvious such as chemical urethritis (eg, from bubble bath or perfumed soap) or thrush (see Case study 2). Case study 2 Jeanette has just finished a course of antibiotics for an exacerbation of her asthma. She has developed thrush as an adverse effect of these, which is making it very uncomfortable for her to pass urine, causing burning and stinging every time that she goes. She has seen an advert for ... Date: 25-03-2024 Categories: • Pharmacy First • Vaccinations and infections • Women's health

Poorly controlled asthma contributing to greenhouse gas emissions Poorly controlled asthma is contributing to more than 300,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK every year, an analysis has suggested. Most of the carbon footprint comes from over-reliance on reliever inhalers, a ... Date: 01-03-2024 Categories: • Respiratory

Former health secretary praises ‘sensible approach’ of Pharmacy First ... service covering a broad range of common conditions?’ She also suggested that community pharmacies could play ‘an important role’ in helping to manage long-term conditions such as hypertension and asthma, as well as in reducing over-prescribing. Dame Andrea responded that ‘community pharmacists have for some time now been delivering blood pressure checks, which in some cases are truly lifesaving’. ... Date: 08-02-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First

Seven in 10 back data sharing between clinicians ... ose people with us and then provide them with long-term management?’ she said. And she suggested that community pharmacies could provide more ongoing support for other conditions such as diabetes, asthma and respiratory disease. Public health messaging ‘essential’ Wider structural changes outside the NHS are also needed to tackle social determinants of poor health, the report suggested. For ... Date: 08-02-2024 Categories: • Community • News

Don’t forget clinical capacity of non-prescribers, urges GPhC ... . Clinical work done by pharmacists could consist of ‘appointment led caseload work where we're taking pre-diagnosed patients from doctors and helping them maintain their diabetes medicines, their asthma preparations’, said Mr Koziol. This could come alongside a ‘population health model’, which could see a community pharmacist make clinical recommendations on over-the-counter medication based on k ... Date: 23-01-2024 Categories: • Community • News

Trainee pharmacists must have ‘nominated prescribing area’ ... (@GPPharmaSid) January 17, 2024 But another practice pharmacist noted in response that this could be an area which a pharmacist prescriber already works in, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart failure, COPD or lipid modification. Also commenting on the guidance on X, primary care lead at the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists Laura Buckley said that consideration needed to be given ... Date: 17-01-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

Pharmacists surveyed on prescription charges ... prescribed in conjunction with strong anti-inflammatory tablets such as Naproxen, which can lead to an increased risk of developing a stomach ulcer. ‘There have also been reports of patients with asthma, a long-term respiratory condition, refusing steroid inhalers due to cost and rationing their reliever inhalers instead, despite the advice of the pharmacist. This has a considerable effect on their ... Date: 16-01-2024 Categories: • Community • News

CMO: Cardiovascular disease prevention ‘can go further’ with pharmacy support ... choose to provide over the next five years. The report also proposed that community pharmacies could be locally commissioned to manage long-term conditions such as hypertension, lipid control and asthma. And within 10 years, the hypertension and atrial fibrillation case-finding service could become one of a set of essential services which all community pharmacies would be expected to provide, the ... Date: 03-11-2023 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Community • News

‘See Through the Symptoms’: Suspecting lung cancer in people who have never smoked ... ntibiotics or steroids back-to-back or in quick succession for apparent persistent chest infections. Patients who make repeat purchases of over-the-counter cough, cold and sore throat remedies. asthmatic patients who request their prescribed inhalers more frequently than usual. Patients who ask advice about ongoing problems with hoarseness or heartburn. Patients seeking pain relief for persi ... Date: 02-11-2023 Categories: • Cancer • Respiratory

'Support collaboration’ between community pharmacists and general practice, report urges ... nity. And the report set out several ways that community pharmacy could deliver clinical services over the next five and 10 years, including cancer referrals and managing long-term conditions like asthma, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and menopause and HRT. And in addition to offering walk-in services, the report also suggested that community pharmacies could offer some longer consultations on ... Date: 20-09-2023 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

New community pharmacy vision ‘a powerful tool’ for negotiator ... rillation detection, and smoking cessation. The report also suggested that community pharmacies could be locally commissioned to manage long-term conditions such as hypertension, lipid control and asthma. And within 10 years, the hypertension and atrial fibrillation case-finding service, flu and Covid-19 vaccination service and cancer detection and referrals could become essential services which a ... Date: 19-09-2023 Categories: • News

PCN to use conversation app to improve medicines adherence ... wn medicine use at home without requiring additional clinical time. Eden PCN, which supports 54,000 patients, will deploy the Aide app to help improve management of long-term conditions, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The plain-language app has short, daily ‘conversations’ with patients and is intended to help shared-decision making to reduce the need for unplanned visit to th ... Date: 13-09-2023 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Respiratory symptoms linked to young people who vape ... he observed associations, but the findings remained statistically significant for everything except wheeze, the researchers reported in Thorax. Associations also persisted when lifetime history of asthma as reported at the first survey was taken into account, the researchers said. But vaping frequency or type of vaping was not looked at which may have influenced the respiratory effects reported, t ... Date: 21-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Government urged to consider restrictions for vapes ‘similar to tobacco products’ ... en vaping, and calling for action to prevent under 18s from accessing vapes. The move follows a committee evidence session which heard concerns from health and school leaders about an ‘increase in asthma, wheeze and bronchitis-type presentations’ in children which have been linked to vaping. In the same session, hosted in June, a discussion also broke out on whether e-cigarettes and vapes should b ... Date: 20-07-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Alzheimer’s drug donanemab ‘effective’ but ‘a way off’, says expert ... innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said that treatments like donanemab were ‘the first steps towards a future where Alzheimer’s disease could be considered a long-term condition alongside diabetes or asthma’. He added that people living with Alzheimer’s ‘could have treatments that allow them to effectively manage their symptoms and continue to live fulfilled lives’. Dr Oakley noted that it was ‘im ... Date: 19-07-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Mental health and addiction • News

Vaping industry opposed to pharmacy-only vape sales ... protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, who warned of the negative impact vaping was having on children and young people. She said: ‘We are certainly seeing an increase in asthma, wheeze and bronchitis-type presentations that can be linked to vaping. ‘There is a lot of emerging evidence about other potential complications.’ While she recognised that there was not enough ... Date: 04-07-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Ambulatory BP monitoring: 'We're hoping to get a second monitor' ... them. For example, often they are on blood pressure medicines, taking their own blood pressure, and it’s not decreasing, but these problems are easily resolved as long as the GP knows about them. asthma inhaler use is another benefit of the NMS since it was added to the list. There are so many different sorts of inhaler now for asthma and other respiratory conditions, and all are used in a slightly ... Date: 29-06-2023 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical

Pharmacy bodies join call for publication of NHS workforce plan ... act now’. Thorrun Govind, RPS England board chair, signed the letter, along with Mark Koziol, PDA chair, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, and representatives from Unison, asthma and Lung UK, the Stroke Association and other patient and professional groups. Ms Govind said that the range of health and care leaders backing the letter ‘shows just how important it is that the ... Date: 31-05-2023 Categories: • News

Consultation launched on major diseases strategy ... nto routine use will be challenging, and the major conditions strategy presents a huge opportunity to address these challenges and transform our health system.’ Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of asthma + Lung UK, said: ‘Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK, but historically haven’t received the attention they deserve, so the major conditions strategy is a big opportunity to change ... Date: 17-05-2023 Categories: • News

Pharmacist in practice: Sharing your struggles opens up a conversation ... ts, rather than divert them away. Tell us about what you do in your role as a PCN clinical pharmacist I run sessions every day. I run clinics: mainly chronic disease management. So, things like asthma reviews, COPD reviews; a blood pressure clinic. We might do medication changes, and then making sure that those same patients are booked in for blood tests and the monitoring that's required. Plus we ... Date: 17-05-2023 Categories: • In Practice • Interviews • News

Increased risk of atopic diseases with domestic abuse Women who have suffered domestic abuse may have a higher risk of developing atopic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham. The health impacts of domestic abuse analysed in nearly 14,000 women w ... Date: 11-05-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Dermatology and wound care • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

NICE recommends Tezepelumab for severe uncontrolled asthma NICE has recommended biological medicine tezepelumab (Tezspire) as an add-on treatment for people with severe uncontrolled asthma. Final draft recommendations say the monthly injectable treatment is now an option where high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus another maintenance treatment has not worked well enough. Adults ... Date: 30-03-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Vaccine halves risk of developing long Covid ... By contrast an increased risk of long Covid was among females, those over the age of 40, those with a high BMI and smokers, the paper in JAMA Internal Medicine said. And co-morbidities such as asthma, COPD, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, immunosuppression, anxiety and depression were also associated with increased risk, the team from the University of East Anglia reported. Patients w ... Date: 24-03-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Reform prescription charges to keep patients out of hospital, say campaigners ... e exemptions to be updated for the first time since 1968, excepting the addition of cancer in 2009. Many conditions which require patients to take regular medication are not on the list, including asthma, HIV, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and Colitis, motor neurone disease, stroke and Parkinson's. The coalition is calling for an urgent independent review of the list, for the prescr ... Date: 22-03-2023 Categories: • News

Pharmacist in practice: 'There’s lots of new shared care medication coming to primary care' ... me I think about it, but it will be worth it. Do you have any areas of special interest or any particular projects that you’re working on? My interest is in respiratory conditions, particularly asthma and COPD. I enjoyed working in this area when I was working at the CCG and was involved in writing guidelines. Now my role involves implementing those guidelines in practice and making sure that, for ... Date: 22-03-2023 Categories: • In Practice • Interviews

Charity analysis uncovers north-south divide in UK lung health The north west of England has some of the highest emergency admission and death rates for lung conditions in the UK, according to research by asthma + Lung UK. The charity analysed and ranked the latest rates of emergency admissions and deaths from chronic conditions – including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory infe ... Date: 21-03-2023 Categories: • News

Pharmacist in practice: we're a ‘one stop shop’ for the patients ... l the prescriptions so the GPs and I can concentrate on the clinical reviews of prescriptions. It’s a very tight ship and we aim to deliver the best care to the patients on our list. I now run the asthma and COPD clinics, carry out medication reviews, review the medication reorder slips and keep them up to date, carry out medication reconciliations, review discharge letters from hospitals and clinics ... Date: 15-03-2023 Categories: • In Practice • Interviews

Hay fever symptoms significantly worse in urban areas ... e differently and can change over a lifetime and data is lacking on how environmental factors may influence this. ‘This study provides evidence that urban surroundings may exacerbate hay fever and asthma symptoms. ‘It also provides a broader picture of chronic health issues experienced by hay fever and asthma sufferers, as opposed to only observing those with more acute and/or problematic reaction ... Date: 01-03-2023 Categories: • Clinical

Pharmacist in practice: In a clinical role, you need to be aware of your competence ... icians are connected to that – GPs, nurses, pharmacists – and then work is navigated around the appropriate clinicians by the administration staff. Before Covid, I was supporting the practice with asthma reviews and reviewing asthma patients, because I have done a diploma in asthma, as well as in diabetes. However, since Covid, due to the increased demand in general practice, the practice has adopted ... Date: 08-02-2023 Categories: • Interviews

Patient groups say pharmacies should be the ‘first point of call’ for some long-term conditions ... of findings following a discussion with its members in October last year, held on behalf of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Charities represented included Allergy UK, Alzheimer’s Society, asthma + Lung UK, the Caribbean and African Health Network, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Diabetes UK, and Friends, Families & Travellers. Attendees heard from the NPA’s vice chair, Nick Kaye, who spoke ab ... Date: 23-01-2023 Categories: • News

Air pollution linked to multiple long-term health conditions ... higher traffic-related air pollution are at greater risk of having multiple health conditions.’ Conditions which were shown to be associated with exposure to high levels of air pollution included asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, strokes, as well as an increased likelihood of substance abuse, depression and anxiety. Dr Ioannis Bakolis, from King’s, said: ‘How air po ... Date: 07-12-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

Meet the Pharmacist of the Year Award shortlist: Helen Kilminster ... ry data to enable the appropriate cohort of patients to be recalled and clinical interventions to be monitored, supporting pharmacists and practice nurses to lead group consultations for diabetes and asthma, involving social prescribers and pharmacy technicians to facilitate sessions and deliver health and wellbeing assessments. What they said Ms Kilminster said: 'To be nominated for the GP Awards ... Date: 02-12-2022 Categories: • News

Only a fifth of people with COPD receive fundamentals of care Less than a fifth of people living with COPD in the UK receive the fundamentals of recommended care, including support with smoking cessation, research shows. The asthma + Lung UK 2022 survey of more than 6,500 people living with COPD found provision of the five fundamentals of care had dropped in every nation, down almost 7% from 24.5% in 2022 to 17.6% in 2022.  ... Date: 16-11-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

Sir Michael Marmot challenges pharmacists to react to UK health inequalities Sir Michael Marmot has challenged pharmacists to react to health inequalities and help tackle the social determinants of health. Speaking at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society annual conference today, Sir ... Date: 11-11-2022 Categories: • News

Vulnerable patients not taking medicines due to cost-of-living crisis, warn frontline staff ... ures to help with the cost-of-living crisis ahead of his budget statement on 17 November. Last month, a leading lung health charity said that the soaring cost of living has caused life-threatening asthma attacks, as patients cut back on medicines, heating and food. In October, Pulse reported that GP charity the Cameron Fund had seen a 73% increase in financial support requests compared with last y ... Date: 07-11-2022 Categories: • News

Four-year requirement for CPPE risk management guide delayed until 2024 ... ng towards the following from Monday 10 October and continue with this until the day of declaration. Inhaler waste management; Use of a spacer in patients aged 5-15 years; and Personalised asthma action plans. PSNC said that it has resources available to support contractors to meet the PQS criteria on its website, and that ‘most pharmacy teams will be very familiar with these requirements, ... Date: 12-10-2022 Categories: • News

No funding for community pharmacy staff flu jabs, says NHS England ... working with vulnerable individuals at increased risk from flu. Yara Botros, community pharmacist and PCN lead in central Bournemouth, said that while some of her staff - for instance, those with asthma - were eligible for NHS flu jabs, it was ‘fine’ for the pharmacy to cover the cost. ‘It's always covered by the company anyway, regardless,’ she said. However, Thorrun Govind, chair of the RPS in ... Date: 11-10-2022 Categories: • News

‘Lives at risk’ as cost of living impacts health, says lung charity One in five people with asthma surveyed by a leading lung health charity said that the soaring cost of living has caused life-threatening asthma attacks, as they cut back on medicines, heating and food. The asthma and Lung UK s ... Date: 03-10-2022 Categories: • News

Increased asthma risk if father exposed to smoking as a child Children may have an increased asthma risk if their father was exposed to smoking when he was growing up, a new study finds. Researchers from the University of Melbourne have shown that smoking not only damages the health of the smoke ... Date: 21-09-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

NHS Scotland’s plan to switch to greener inhalers ‘appalling’, says asthma charity The Scottish Government should ‘hang its head in shame’ for its plans to switch some patients to greener inhalers to address the climate emergency, an asthma charity has said. NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-26, which was published last week, plans to reduce emissions from medical inhaler propellants (MDIs) by 70% in th ... Date: 24-08-2022 Categories: • Respiratory