Supermarkets to introduce healthy food standard under government plans to tackle obesity
A healthy food standard will be introduced for supermarkets and other retailers as part of government plans to tackle obesity levels in the UK.
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Medscape
38 minutes ago
- Medscape
Medicine Shortages Leave Pharmacies at ‘Breaking Point'
Continuing problems with the supply of medicines have become a 'distressing new normal' for community pharmacies and patients, according to a report by Community Pharmacy England (CPE). The organisation said that the supply chain is 'stuck at breaking point' and warned of a growing risk to patient health and increased workload and stress for its members. The 2025 Pharmacy Pressures Survey found that 87% of pharmacy staff now face daily supply issues – up from 67% in 2022. The survey gathered responses from owners of over 4300 pharmacy premises and 1600 team members. The CPE called for urgent action to address shortages. The report follows a warning in March from the Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR), which said the UK is 'perilously vulnerable' to disruptions of critical medical countermeasures. These included shortages of critical antibiotics such as gentamicin. Serious Shortage Protocols Extended A growing number of essential medications are now covered by Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs). SSPs allow pharmacists to either substitute a prescription with an alternative agent for one month, or to supply a reduced quantity that is in stock without a new GP prescription. In the past year, they have been issued for: Earlier this month, the government extended the current Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) for Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warned that some patients were rationing doses, skipping meals, or travelling long distances to access the medicine. Rising Aggression and Workload The Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2024, published in May last year, identified a 'beyond critical' situation, with most pharmacies impacted by supply disruptions. It said patients were forced to play 'pharmacy bingo' in their search for medications. Some were directing their anger towards staff, the CPE warned then. The latest CPE report found that: 96% of pharmacy team members had encountered patient frustration in response to supply issues. 86% of pharmacy owners said that shortages were leading patients to have to visit multiple pharmacies in search of medicines. 79% of team members reported incidents of aggression when medicines were unavailable or delayed. Supply issues have also worsened, with 80% of pharmacy owners encountering daily wholesaler shortages and 26% reporting daily supply chain failures. Most (74%) pharmacy owners reported that their staff were having to spend longer than ever before on medicines procurement, with 39% spending one to two hours daily sourcing alternative medicines. More than 90% of pharmacy staff reported increased workload and stress because of supply problems. Patient Safety at Risk CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said the survey showed that 'as medicine supply issues remain a daily reality across the country, the risk to patient health has become a distressing new normal'. The survey results 'suggest a system that is stuck at breaking point', she said. Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, which represents over 6000 independent community pharmacies, said that staff were 'at the sharp end of medicines shortages' and often forced to turn patients away despite having safe alternatives in stock. 'It is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed,' Picard said. 'It risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety.' Picard endorsed the CPE's call for the government to give greater flexibility to pharmacists to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable. Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, also supported giving pharmacists more autonomy. She said allowing substitutions with patient consent — where clinically safe — could ease pressure on patients and services. 'Providing clear guidance to the public on what steps to take if their medication is unavailable is crucial,' she added.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Overexercising Caused Trainer's Massive Blood Clot. The Only Signs Were Tinnitus and 'a Really Banging Headache'
Linzi Todd, 40, was training to teach an outdoor bootcamp class when she developed tinnitus and severe headaches, which doctors dismissed as an ear infection When she sought care at the emergency room, an MRI showed she had a massive blood clot in her brain that measured 17mm — triggered by overexercising "If I hadn't pushed as much as I did with doctors, I absolutely would've died," she saysA personal trainer and mom says doctors initially dismissed the symptoms of a blood clot in her brain, telling her it was caused by overdoing it at the gym. Linzi Todd, a 40-year-old personal trainer from the English town of Northampton, was training to teach an intensive outdoor bootcamp fitness class this past March when she suddenly developed tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. 'I woke up the next morning with a really banging headache. I popped a couple of pills, felt unwell but cracked on,' she said, according to the Daily Mail. When she reached out to her doctor, she said they dismissed her symptoms as an ear infection 'because I felt dizzy as well.' 'I just thought maybe my body was tired. I'm not the type of person that gets sick. I've always been really fit and healthy,' Todd says. 'But the headaches persisted. I would wake up with intense throbbing in my head as soon as I got up every morning. It felt like the worst brain freeze and only lying down and painkillers would give me some relief.' When her symptoms continued to intensify, Todd went to the emergency room, where an MRI revealed the source of her pain. 'He said he could see an acute subdural hematoma on your brain, which is very serious and a very large blood clot,' Todd said. It's often the result of a head injury, the Cleveland Clinic says, but for Todd, doctors thought her bleed had a different origin story. They believed that overexercising tore her dura, the outmost layer of the membrane that covers her brain and spinal cord, as the bleed was caused by fluid leaking from her spine. 'It's normally found in boxers, rugby players, horse-riders — someone that has had trauma to the head,' she explained. 'I was walking around with that in my brain and it could've killed me.' Fortunately, there is treatment, she explains; Todd is scheduled to undergo an epidural blood patch — whereby doctors use an injection of your own blood to stop the leak. As she explained, doctors told her, ' 'We don't often see bleeds of this size in women of your age without any head trauma' and it was a medical emergency.' 'I was Googling what this condition was and it said there was a 25% survival rate. I thought, 'Am I going to die? Do I need to plan my funeral?' It was so traumatic. I had to say goodbye to my husband and daughter. I didn't know if I was going to see them again or not.' She shared that the clot was a challenge to diagnose because 'I was passing all of their cognitive and reflex tests.' 'Doctors were baffled by how I was presenting based on my scans and what they found.' Todd explains that she doesn't 'want anyone to be put off exercise because it's a very rare thing to happen,' and is sharing her story not to warn about working out, but to encourage others to continue to seek medical help if they're not getting satisfactory answers. 'I had to push every single step of the way. It would've had a different ending if I hadn't pushed as much as I did with doctors. I absolutely would've died,' she says. 'I just knew there was something wrong. I always tell others to listen to their own body and gut. Push to get seen and get answers.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds of reactions and multiple deaths linked to weight-loss jabs
Hundreds of people have reported problems with their pancreas linked to taking weight loss and diabetes jabs, prompting health officials to launch a new study into side effects. Some cases of pancreatitis reported to be linked to GLP-1 medicines (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) have been fatal. Data from the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), shows that since the drugs were licensed there have been hundreds of cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis among people taking GLP-1 medicines. This includes: READ MORE: Government says stock up on nine emergency items as war risk increases READ MORE: Emergency alert to be sent to every UK mobile phone 181 reported cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to tirzepatide – the active ingredient for Mounjaro. Five people died. 116 reported reactions of this kind linked to liraglutide, one of which was fatal. 113 cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to semaglutide – the active ingredient for Ozempic and Wegovy. One person died. 101 reported reactions of this kind linked to exenatide, three people died. 52 reported reactions of this sort linked to dulaglutide and 11 reported reactions lixisenatide. No fatalities were linked to either drug. These cases are not confirmed as being caused by the medicines, but the person who reported them suspected they may be. Nonetheless, Yellow Card Biobank project, launched by the MHRA and Genomics England, will see researchers examine whether cases of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 drugs may be influenced by peoples genetic makeup. The MHRA is calling for people who are taking GLP-1 medicine who have been admitted to hospital due to acute pancreatitis to submit a report to its Yellow Card scheme. When a Yellow Card report is received, the MHRA will contact patients to ask if they would be willing to take part in the study. Patients will be asked to submit more information and a saliva sample which will be assessed to explore whether some people are at a higher risk of acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines due to their genes. GLP-1 agonists can lower blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes and can also be prescribed to support some people with weight loss. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs. Health officials have suggested that they can help to turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects. Most side effects linked to the jabs are gastrointestinal including nausea, constipation and diarrhoea. And the medical regulator recently warned that Mounjaro may make the oral contraceptive pill less effective in some patients. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA's chief safety officer, said: 'Evidence shows that almost a third of side effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing, it is predicted that adverse drug reactions could cost the NHS more than £2.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone. 'Information from the Yellow Card Biobank will help us to better predict those most at risk of adverse reactions – enabling patients across the UK to receive the safest medicine for them, based on their genetic makeup. To help us help you, we're asking anyone who has been hospitalised with acute pancreatitis while taking a GLP-1 medicine to report this to us via our Yellow Card scheme. 'Even if you don't meet the criteria for this phase of the Biobank study, information about your reaction to a medication is always extremely valuable in helping to improve patient safety.' Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer of Genomics England, said: 'GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy have been making headlines, but like all medicines there can be a risk of serious side effects. We believe there is real potential to minimise these with many adverse reactions having a genetic cause. 'This next step in our partnership with the MHRA will generate data and evidence for safer and more effective treatment through more personalised approaches to prescription, supporting a shift towards an increasingly prevention-focused healthcare system.' Both Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, and Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, have been approached for comment.
