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opioids

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Don’t use opioids for lower back or neck pain

Opioids could even make patients’ pain worse in the medium or long-term, say researchers.

14 Aug 2023

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Pharmacist who failed to spot falsified fentanyl prescriptions suspended

Pharmacist failed to question issues around a patient's prescriptions, says GPhC

08 Aug 2023

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Watch out for symptoms of opioid overdose in heroin users

The MHRA urged pharmacists to make their teams aware that heroin users could be at risk because the drug could contain synthetic opioids.

28 Jul 2023

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Clinical refresher: Recognising red and yellow flags in patients on opioids

Humanity has used opioids for millennia – Sumerian clay tablets from about 3000 BC mention the opium poppy. It’s telling that we are still trying to find the most effective way to use them, says Mark Greener.

16 Feb 2023

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MHRA calls on naloxone providers to check for missing needles

Reports from France suggest some kits may be missing needles, says MHRA

11 Nov 2022

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CPhO issues opioid substitution guidance ahead of bank holiday

'Make the care of the patient your first priority,' says David Webb

14 Sep 2022

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LGA chair wants naloxone expansion after record number of drug deaths

Drug misuse accounted for 3,060 of 4,859 drug poisoning deaths last year

04 Aug 2022

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Pharmacy figures will discuss drug-related deaths in Scotland next month

Catriona Matheson, who chairs the Ministerial Drug Death Task Force for Scotland, launched the Scottish Pharmacy Alliance.

06 Apr 2022

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Opioid consumption dropped in UK but increased globally, says study

Switzerland, Germany and Spain surpassed the US in sales of opioids.

31 Mar 2022

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Getting a grip on opioid usage

When it comes to tackling the over-prescribing of opioids, growing NHS waiting lists may be undoing any good work.

24 Feb 2022

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Analysis: Duty of care and the supply of opioids

Could pharmacy owners in the UK end up in court for fuelling the opioid abuse crisis?

19 Dec 2021

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Start trialling injecting facilities to drive down drug deaths, says RPS

There were 4,561 drug-related deaths in England and Wales and 1,339 in Scotland last year.

13 Dec 2021

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Opioid use has fallen in County Durham and Sunderland, campaigners claim

Painkillers Don't Exist said the number of high-strength opioids prescribed has gone down.

06 Dec 2021

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Boots working with regulators to address opioid misuse

Exclusive: Boots working with "external" regulator and professional bodies to tackle opioid misuse.

25 Nov 2021

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Walgreens, CVS and Walmart helped fuel opioid epidemic, jury finds

Over 60 million and 80 million prescriptions for painkillers were dispensed in Lake and Trumbull respectively between 2012 and 2016.

24 Nov 2021

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MHRA recalls batch of methadone tablets

Medicines watchdog issues a class 3 recall for a batch of methadone tablets.

22 Nov 2021

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