This article was taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45850140 By BBC Health News Patients claiming free prescriptions in England face checks before medicine is issued in an effort to stamp out fraud. Prescription fraud currently costs the NHS in England an estimated £256m a year. A new digitised system to be piloted next year will mean pharmacies can instantly…
This article was taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45319393 By BBC News A major study has found promising results for the safety of a weight-loss drug available in the US. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, says adults using the drug lorcaserin lost an average of 4kg (8.8lb) over 40 months. It says the drug, which…
This article was taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44797545 By Dr Katherine Sleeman & Prof Sir John Strang King’s College London The widespread use of opioids to treat pain frequently prompts concerns about addiction and even deaths. So, why are these sometimes dangerous drugs still being given to patients? Much stronger than many of the other options, opioids are among the…
This article was taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42787958 By Michelle RobertsHealth editor, BBC News online Public Health England is launching a review into the “growing problem” of prescription drug addiction. NHS data suggest one in every 11 patients in England is being prescribed medication that could be addictive, or difficult to come off. This includes sedatives, painkillers and antidepressants….