The PJ Pod

In this episode, Carolyn Wickware, investigations editor, looks at the emerging evidence that UK rivers are becoming a dangerous ‘breeding ground’ for bacteria resistant to antibiotics that could adversely affect human health. Alistair Boxall, professor of environmental science at the University of York, describes his concerns over the level of antibiotics that he has measured in our water system,...

There have been claims that COVID-19 oral antivirals, such as molnupiravir and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir), will “change the course of the pandemic”. But with limited supply, a short treatment window and only a few patient groups eligible to receive them — can these drugs really turn things around? In this episode, Dawn Connelly, features editor, and Julia Robinson, clinical and science ed...

In this episode, we explore the arguments for and against the planned introduction of degree apprenticeships as an alternative for the traditional MPharm degree in England. Reporter Corrinne Burns speaks with Mark Koziol, chair of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who is sceptical about the benefits for future pharmacists. Exploring the other side of the argument, Nick Hillman, director of the...

In our last PJ Pod of the year, we eat some mince pies and ruminate over what has been a momentous 12 months in the history of the pharmacy profession. We also stake our journalistic reputations on some predictions of what might be the big news for pharmacists in 2022. Should pharmacists in the NHS be preparing for industrial action over pay? What will health secretary Sajid Javid's next move be?...

Over the past few years, pharmacy student Adanna Anthony-Okeke has been leading a project to "decolonise" the curriculum at the University of Nottingham’s school of pharmacy. In this episode, we speak to her and MPharm course leader Helen Boardman about how this work has led to significant and ongoing change to the syllabus. Clinical and science editor, Julia Robinson, also investigates the progre...

Stomach acid-suppressing medicine ranitidine disappeared from pharmacy shelves two years ago, owing to fears of contamination with probable human carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In this episode, features editor Dawn Connelly finds out why. She speaks with David Light, chief executive officer of Valisure, the online pharmacy that first identified the contamination in ranitidine, and Micha...

Until recently, the withdrawal symptoms some people experience after stopping an antidepressant were not recognised as a serious problem. However, they can be extremely distressing, and so patients have been forced to set up their own online support groups to share information how best to taper antidepressant doses. In this episode, executive editor Nigel Praities talks with Adele Framer, founder...

There have been some promising trial results recently regarding the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) in patients with COVID-19. In this podcast, features editor Dawn Connelly and clinical and science editor Julia Robinson investigate the science behind these exciting new treatments and the potential role of pharmacists in preparing, supplying and assessing patients for their use. Robins...

The stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on everyone’s mental health; however, the impact on frontline healthcare workers has been particularly acute. For some of these individuals, it will have a long-lasting effect and they may require support for a number of years to come. In this podcast, Julia Robinson investigates the experiences of pharmacists redeplo...

Amazon has been shaking up the US pharmacy market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has just been granted a trademark in the UK. In this podcast, deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware looks at whether Amazon Pharmacy really is a threat to community pharmacies in the UK, which is a very different market to the US. Wickware speaks with the CEO of McKesson UK, Toby Anderson, about its progress on imple...

This podcast uncovers the problem of ‘hidden disabilities’ in pharmacy, and what can be done to make the profession more supportive for those with health conditions, such as hearing or mobility issues, that may be hard to see. We speaks with two pharmacists, Nalwenga Mutambo and Aamer Safdar, about their experiences working as a pharmacist with a hidden disability and how they came to the realisat...

Over the past year, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for those trying to enter the pharmacy profession has been profound. In this podcast, we investigate how pharmacy’s own “Generation COVID” is feeling, with two recording audio diaries in the weeks leading up to their long-delayed registration assessment. Proregs Regan McCahill and Andrew Moy share their day-to-day lives, thoughts a...

With three COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK, the focus is now shifting towards how the vaccination programme is being rolled out This podcast picks up where we left off in our previous one, answering a new set of readers questions submitted through the PJ website and social media. Nigel Praities, executive editor, Dawn Connelly, features editor, and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor,...

Recently, it emerged that Billy Caldwell — the young boy who sparked a change in the law over medical cannabis — has received an NHS prescription for the cannabis oil to treat his severe epilepsy. However, two years after its legalisation, Billy is only one of a handful of patients who have received an NHS prescription for medical cannabis in the UK. This is despite many thousands of patients usin...

We asked PJ readers to submit their questions regarding the different COVID-19 vaccines being developed around the world, the phase III trial results and the practicalities of how these vaccines will be administered. In this podcast, Dawn Connelly, features editor and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, will try to answer these questions using the latest available information and the help...

This podcast celebrates the shortlisted entries to The Pharmaceutical Journal's 2020 writing competition. Hosted by executive editor Nigel Praities and opinion editor Abigail James, we hear all the shortlisted entrants read out their pieces, give an insight into what makes a winning entry and announce the winners!

Senior staff at two UK pharmacy schools - Reading and Wolverhampton - outline how they are tackling their ethnicity awarding gaps for MPharm degrees and the head of education at the General Pharmaceutical Council explains how its new standards may help improve the situation. Looking outside of pharmacy, our careers editor Angela Kam also speaks with a recognised expert in how universities can tack...

Careers editor Angela Kam speaks with four ethnic minority students about their experiences of going to university to study pharmacy and explores new evidence there is an "awarding gap" between them and white students studying the MPharm degree. Publications officer at the British Pharmacy Students Association, Isobel Lowings, also speaks about her organisation’s position on the ethnicity awarding...