The PJ Pod

In this episode of The PJ Pod, we look at how pharmacists can become more involved in research, by hearing directly from those who have done just that. We speak to the members of our OPERA 2024 shortlist, and winner, as well as Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to explore some of the practical steps that individuals can take when starting out, while also conside...

The ‘NHS mental health implementation plan 2019/20–2023/24’, published by NHS England in July 2019, identified a need for “new and integrated models of primary and community mental health care” to support 370,000 adults and older adults with severe mental illness (SMI). With many of these patients on psychotropic medication, such as clozapine, lithium, valproate and antidepressants, to treat a ran...

Please note that this episode includes discussions of war and injury that may be distressing to some listeners, with stories from pharmacists working in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza. Horrific stories of injury and death in war zones across the world have become a staple of daily news headlines since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In an effort to help, the UK government and grassroots organis...

As we reach the end of 2023, this final podcast episode of the year continues our annual tradition of looking back at the biggest stories to affect pharmacy teams across the UK, while reflecting on our highlights from The PJ Pod over the past 12 months. While 2023 has been a significant year for pharmacy, with the announcement of a new NHS 'Pharmacy First' service in England and accelerating plans...

From 2026, all pharmacists will be independent prescribers when they first qualify. But that leaves a whole cohort of non-prescribing pharmacists already in the workforce, many of whom do not want to be left behind. In this episode of The PJ Pod, we accompany three pharmacists — Isabel Macho and Isheeta Mendiratta, who work in primary care, and community pharmacist Rachael Patel — as they train to...

In November 2023, an investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that two-thirds of patient safety incidents related to homecare medicine provision were for services provided by the company Sciensus, according to the latest data provided by NHS trusts. The findings came after the House of Lords Public Services Committee opened an inquiry into homecare medicines services in May 2023, follo...

The term 'deprescribing' refers to the tapering, stopping, discontinuing, or withdrawing of medications for the benefit of patients. It was first used 20 years ago in an article titled 'Deprescribing: achieving better health outcomes for older people through reducing medications' by Michael C. Woodward. Since then, the body of literature has exploded. In this 'spotlight' episode of The PJ Pod, we...

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are used to treat cancers caused by defective B cells, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B-cell lymphomas and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). While B-cell malignancies are relatively rare cancers, their incidence is increasing. There are significant side effects and drug interactions associated with these therapies, and as the clinical use of BTK in...

In June 2023, The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that the number of adults in England prescribed medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has more than doubled since January 2020. The increase, which was particularly pronounced in females, has been largely fuelled by increasingly frequent opportunities for adults to pinpoint the symptoms of ADHD in themselves, either as a res...

Medicines play a critical role in ensuring that people at the end of their lives, and their carers, can manage symptoms, including pain, and remain comfortable at home. But there is evidence that the systems supplying these medicines are difficult, complex and often lead to delays in vital care that leave patients in unnecessary suffering. This in turn can increase costs for the NHS if these patie...

The UK government has said it will introduce a ‘Pharmacy First’ service for England by the end of 2023, as part of a plan for recovering access to primary care. Negotiations are ongoing, but the new service is designed to enable pharmacists to supply medicines for seven common health conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infections. However, it is not clear whether community...

***Warning: this episode contains some potentially upsetting content about suicidal thoughts and miscarriage. If you would like to skip this part please fast forward from 09:50 to 17:00*** Julia Robinson speaks with experts in the field of psychedelics and mental health, and hears the personal account of someone with first-hand experience of participating in one of these trials, to uncover the tru...

So-called ‘skinny jabs’ have been heralded as game-changers for weight management. Wegovy (semaglutide) is due to be launched in the UK imminently, will soon be available from community pharmacies, with large chains already setting up waiting lists for people wanting to get the weekly injection privately. In this episode, Nigel Praities, executive editor, talks with Dawn Connelly and Emma Wilkinso...

TV personality Davina McCall has been at the forefront of a much-needed sea change in the awareness of menopause symptoms, leading to many more women seeking HRT. However, as demand as risen, there have also been major shortages of certain products and there have also been claims that, in some cases, hormone therapies are being overprescribed. In this episode, Katherine Sole and Julia Robinson spe...

In this second Spotlight episode, we talk through an investigation that has shown the awarding gap between white pharmacy graduates and their ethnic minority counterparts in the UK has narrowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. PJ journalists Dawn Connelly and Corrinne Burns share the inside story on how they put the investigation together, what the results show and their potential implications for mo...

In this learning episode, we have enlisted the help of two experts to explore what it takes to deliver effective deprescribing and ask what pharmacists can do to help patients get the most from their medicines. For links to relevant articles and further resources on deprescribing visit the PJ website: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/effective-deprescribing-getting-the-most-from-...

In the UK, three babies are still being born each month after being exposed to sodium valproate. This is despite the risk of foetal valproate spectrum disorder being known about for many years. In the first of a series of shorter ‘Spotlight’ episodes, executive editor Nigel Praities speaks with senior data journalist, Julia Robinson, about her recent investigation into this issue and whether NHS E...

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed how inequalities in health can be affected by factors such as ethnicity, gender or geography — and all the evidence points to these getting worse. But in this episode, we hear from two pharmacists trying to turn this around. First, Ade Williams, superintendent pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, explains how he used a "Pulse in the Pub" blood pre...

Will pharmacists go on strike over pay? Will medicines shortages improve? What will be the biggest clinical developments next year? The team unpicks some of the biggest pharmacy stories of 2022 and shines a light on what pharmacists should expect in the coming 12 months. Please do let us know what you think we have missed in this episode on social media, using the hashtag #PJPod. See you next year...

Two years since the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) took on responsibility for approving consultant pharmacist posts, we look at how these roles are evolving. We also ask how many consultants the profession needs, look at the barriers to reaching this level of practice and explore how the path to becoming a consultant could be made easier. Thanks to Hannah Beba, consultant pharmacist in diabete...

Anticholinergic drug use is on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK medicines regulator is also considering extending access to the anticholinergic bladder drug oxybutynin over the counter. In this episode, we will look at the potential implications of these changes, particularly in older people, and examine the case for deprescribing. We will also assess emerging evidence that suggest...

In this episode, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, and Alex Clabburn, senior editor, enlist the help of two experts to explore what the rise in immunotherapy treatment means for the ongoing care of cancer patients. Many thanks to Dharmisha Chauhan, lead genomic clinical pharmacist for North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and specialist oncology pharmacist at The Royal Marsden NH...

In this episode, assistant clinical editor Caitlin Killen, looks at the practical implications of a recent update to NICE guidance on diabetes treatment in adults, with the help of two experts. Many thanks to Michelle Lam, pharmacy team leader for education & training at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Sallianne Kavanagh, an advanced clinical pharmacist at Sheffield Teac...

What if you could pop into your local pharmacy to get tested for how your genes affect the way you metabolise drugs, such as statins or antidepressants? In several countries, you can. Features editor Dawn Connelly travels to those countries and speaks with community pharmacists that are already providing this routinely. She starts by visiting the Netherlands, where she talks to Fleur van Gelder an...

Which combination is most effective? Should I take this with food? The public often ask for advice on how to treat acute pain conditions, such as headaches, period pain or soft tissue injuries. At first glance, it may seem straightforward; however, there are some common misconceptions around the changing evidence in this area. In this episode, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, and Nigel P...