Heart Beat

April 25 – Some 20,000 nurses have now gained rights to prescribe strong pain-killers to patients, it was announced yesterday. The nurses, who are independent prescribers, will be able to control substances such as morphine and diamorphine. They will also be able to mix drugs to ensure fast treatment for those who need urgent pain [...]

February 28 – People who take common sleeping pills seem to face a massive increase in risk of dying, researchers warned today. A study by a US health charity found increased risks of between three and four times linked to the use of the drugs – and a strong link with cancer development. Researchers in [...]

November 18 – A fresh drive to restrict the use of antibiotics and prevent them losing their potency, was launched today. A government watchdog warned that too many people expect antibiotics for common viral conditions, such as colds and flu, which cannot be treated by the drugs. And a British academic warned the lack of [...]

 Ultra violet light could soon be used to detect and assess infected wounds following the development of polymers that shine when there are bacteria present. Researchers at the University of Sheffield, England, found that when a gel containing the polymers was applied to a wound, the level of fluorescence indicated the severity of infection. Professor [...]

Nurse Rebecca Leighton regained the right to work yesterday – but remains unable to resume her job. The Nursing and Midwifery  Council decided to lift her suspension imposed after police arrested her in connection with the investigation into deaths at Stepping Hill Hospital, Greater Manchester. But a hearing yesterday heard she remains under investigation by her [...]

August 27 – A common pain-killer was withdrawn from the shelves of pharmacies last night amid fears of “sabotage.” The action was taken after a powerful psychiatric drug found its way into packets of Nurofen Plus. Users of Nurofen Plus were urged to check their packets to ensure they contain the correct medicine – and [...]

August 12 – A warning has been issued over several herbal slimming products that can cause serious side effects. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has received safety warnings and alerts from health agencies in Sweden, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and the US over a number of products, which can be bought from [...]

March 19 – Efforts to thwart tuberculosis are being hampered by increased rates in drug resistance and other risk factors such as smoking and diabetes, experts warned yesterday. Writing in The Lancet, Professor Alimuddin Zumla, of University College London Medical School, UK, and Dr Stephen Lawn, from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, point [...]

Confusing dispensing instructions for medicines are to be replaced with plainer English after research found that many commonly-used phrases are misunderstood. The change is being brought in following a study at the University of Leeds, in collaboration with the Leeds-based company Luto Research.Professor of Pharmacy Theo Raynor and his team tested a selection of instructions [...]

Using cannabis increases the risk of developing serious mental illness, researchers warn today. A team of researchers led by Professor Jim van Os from Maastricht University in The Netherlands, looked at the rate of “subclinical” psychosis – that is, below the level needed for a clinical diagnosis.They point out that cannabis is consistently linked with [...]