It takes less than a minute to create your secure account – you just need to tell us
a few details about yourself and create a password.
I can’t remember my password
Please click on the “Forgot my password” link in the login form and follow the
instructions.
I can’t remember the email address I registered my account with
Please email info@pharmacy-network.co.uk so we can check for you.
What learning content do you have?
Pharmacy Magazine contains a library of high-quality
educational e-learning modules, videos and articles to support your ongoing
learning.
Is the learning suitable for all pharmacy team members?
Yes, we have content suitable for all abilities, with topics covering business
management, clinical, practice and OTC. Our aim is to help you keep up to date and
develop your skills and knowledge to positively influence patient outcomes and customer
experiences.
Can I access the library on my mobile?
Yes, you can access all learning at work or at home on any mobile, PC or tablet
device
What’s the best way for me to find relevant content for my role?
There are three ways you can find relevant content. Firstly, the homepage will display
suggestions for you. If you are logged in, we can tailor the content to your particular
job role and topics of interest, as well as making it easy for you to see what’s
trending. Secondly, you can use the “search” function at the top of the website.
Finally, you can click on “explore” in the main menu and browse topics of interest to
you.
How long do modules take?
We have a range of modules and videos ranging from 2 minutes up to 15 minutes. There
is something for everyone, even if you are short on time.
Can I save content for later?
Yes. If you see a piece of learning you would like to take, but haven’t got time right
now, you can “Bookmark” it for later. Please note you need to have a registered account
and be logged in to access this feature.
Can I record my learning outcomes?
Yes, logged in members can record their learning outcomes on any piece of content and
save them in their learning log. Pharmacists and technicians can do this using recording
templates in line with GPhC requirements.
How do I get a learning log?
You have to register an account on Pharmacy Magazine and login
to access your personal, secure learning log.
What does my learning log do?
It documents all the learning you have recorded, including completed learning, learning
in progress and bookmarked learning you have saved to do later.
If I’m a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, can the log help me fulfil the GPhC’s
revalidation requirements?
Yes, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians also have the ability to record and add their
own revalidation entries to their learning log in line with GPhC requirements.
If I’m a member of more than one website on The Pharmacy Magazine,
can I access all my learning in my learning log even if I’ve recorded it on different
websites?
Yes, if you record learning on more than one website, it will be displayed in your
learning log which is shared across all the accounts you have registered with The
Pharmacy Magazine.
How do I view/print a certificate of my learning?
Certificates are available at the end of every module, after the assessment questions.
They are also accessible via the learning log.
How do I change my personal details, email address and password?
Login and click on “Settings” in your member menu and click on the relevant links to
change any of your details. All saved changes take immediate effect.
If I leave the industry and want to delete my account, can I do so?
Yes absolutely. You are able to delete your account at any time but please be aware that
by doing so you will also delete any historical learning records you have in your
learning log.
If I have a query or I’m stuck, how can I get help?
You will need to have registered an account to get help. Logged in members can click on
the “Helpdesk” link in their Settings and submit a Helpdesk ticket. We endeavour to
respond to new Helpdesk tickets within 24 hours during office hours (9pm to 5pm Mon to
Fri)
How can I check on your Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy?
You can click on the relevant links in the footer of the website. If there are any
proposed changes to any of our Policies, we will email registered members in
advance.
Is Pharmacy Magazine GDPR compliant?
Yes we are and we take your privacy and the security of your data extremely
seriously. Please read the Privacy Policy for further details. Logged in members can
click on the “My data” link in “Settings” to download a copy of all the personal
data we currently hold on you.
Who is the company that owns and operates Pharmacy Magazine?
Communications International Group Limited (CIG), the largest, most experienced publisher
in the UK pharmacy sector. CIG is one of the UK’s leading provider of sector-specific news and
training, publishing 15 healthcare and beauty titles including Pharmacy Magazine,
Training Matters, P3Pharmacy, Independent Community Pharmacist and Beauty Magazine. Over
the years the company has built an enviable reputation in pharmacy, journalism,
education, training, regulatory, awards and conferences, that today amounts to more than
350 years of healthcare industry experience.
How do I sign out?
Click on the Sign Out link that can be found at the top of the website, in you member
menu.
Four new studies making headlines this month: a possible link between GLP-1s and hair loss, fresh evidence that the meningococcal B vaccine may also cut gonorrhoea risk, a glaucoma warning for men taking tadalafil long-term for urinary symptoms, and further confirmation that eczema raises the risk of shingles.
Ross Ferguson,
03 Sep 20265 Min
In Clinical update
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
GLP-1s and hair loss
Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1s) may increase the risk of non-scarring hair loss in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), an analysis of US health records reveals.
Researchers compared 12,004 T2D patients using GLP-1s with 15,221 receiving sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. They also compared 11,964 GLP-1 users with 11,233 T2D patients taking dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
Adjusting for confounders, GLP-1s were associated with a 37% higher alopecia risk than SGLT-2 inhibitors (6.91 and 5.04 per 1,000 person-years respectively). GLP-1s were associated with a 68% higher risk than DPP-4 inhibitors (6.53 and 3.89 per 1,000 person-years respectively).
The risk was confined to non-scarring alopecia, where the hair follicles remain intact, so the hair may regrow. GLP-1s increased the likelihood of non-scarring alopecia in T2D patients by 53% and 72% compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors respectively.
Alopecia was most common during the year after starting treatment.
Rapid and marked weight loss can trigger telogen effluvium (diffuse non-scarring hair loss). Micronutrient deficiencies in, for example, biotin, iron and zinc, and hormonal changes may also contribute to the hair loss. Studies need to characterise the mechanisms, especially the effect of weight loss. The authors could not assess the alopecia’s severity, extent, duration and reversibility.
“Although the absolute risk is low, awareness of this potential effect may help to inform treatment decisions,” the authors comment.
The meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine reduces the risk that young people will catch gonorrhoea, Australian researchers report.
“This study adds to growing evidence that the Men B vaccine may offer modest protection against gonorrhoea when provided to young people, in addition to its established role in preventing invasive meningococcal disease,” says principal investigator Professor Helen Marshall from Adelaide University.
The study enrolled 30,650 adolescents, aged, on average, 16.2 years. Two doses of the 4CMenB vaccine reduced the risk of gonorrhoea by 38.4% in those aged 14 to 22 years.
The MenB vaccine did not reduce the presence of disease-associated meningococcal bacteria in the throat over a year (carriage rates of 1.4–1.5%). In other words, the MenB vaccine directly protects people from group B meningococcal disease but does not reduce transmission between people.
The researchers did not have access to information about potentially important factors such as sexual behaviour, healthcare engagement, testing frequency and other immunosuppressive medications and diseases.
The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea are close relatives; the MenB vaccine appears to trigger immune responses that prevent both infections.
Tadalafil for lower urinary symptoms increases glaucoma risk
Tadalafil increases the risk of glaucoma among men using the phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), according to a multinational study.
The study matched 36,927 tadalafil users, aged at least 40 years, with the same number of controls with LUTS who were not taking PDE5is. At baseline, the mean age was 62 years and participants did not have a history of glaucoma.
Unlike erectile dysfunction, men receiving tadalafil for LUTS take the drug daily.
During the five-year follow-up, 3.9% of men using tadalafil for LUTS and 3.2% of controls developed glaucoma, a statistically significant difference.
Men using tadalafil for LUTS were 22% more likely to develop glaucoma than controls. Tadalafil increased the risk of ocular hypertension (by 32%), primary open-angle glaucoma (by 33%) and starting glaucoma drugs and/or undergoing laser therapy (by 33%).
The risks of low-tension or primary angle-closure glaucoma in men on tadalafil for LUTS were not statistically significant.
“These findings suggest that chronic PDE5 inhibition may influence ocular physiology, warranting further mechanistic investigation,” the authors conclude.
“These findings do not contraindicate tadalafil use but highlight the importance of baseline ophthalmic assessment and regular follow-up, particularly in patients with pre-existing glaucoma, ocular hypertension, a family history of glaucoma, high myopia or those requiring long-term therapy.”
Atopic dermatitis (AD) increases the risk of herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) independently of comorbidities, oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressants, according to an analysis of UK primary care records.
Adjusting for confounders, AD patients were 28% more likely to develop HZ than controls without eczema. HZ risk increased by 22% and 28% in people with mild and moderate AD respectively. However, HZ risk more than doubled in participants with severe AD (hazard ratio 2.33).
Adjusting for use of oral corticosteroids (24-27% increased HZ risk depending on the analysis) and other systemic immunosuppressants (27% increased risk) had little impact on the results. The risk of developing HZ increased by 17% after adjusting for topical corticosteroids.
The effect of AD on HZ risk was especially marked among younger people: increases of 51% and 42% in participants aged 30-40 and 40-50 years respectively.
Further studies should explore the underlying biological mechanisms, HZ recurrence, and the influence of vaccination status and other treatments.
5 Min 
