Hay fever 'cure' warning: Pharmacists warn of 'serious risk'
The organisation, which represents more than 6,000 community pharmacies across the country, said it was concerned that medication from unregulated sites could be fake and pose a risk to patient safety.
It added that health staff have been receiving more and more enquiries about Kenalog in recent weeks.
(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
The drug also has known side-effects, such as increased blood pressure, dizziness, severe abdominal pain, depression and mood swings.
Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine that is not licensed for the treatment of hay fever in the UK.
It contains triamcinolone acetonide, which is a steroid injection licensed for a number of conditions such as arthritis, but not for hay fever.
In 2022, the regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) issued a joint enforcement notice about the advertising of Kenalog injections.
They told all organisations offering Kenalog as a hay fever treatment to stop advertising it on any of their social media or website advertising.
The NPA said some of the medication being sold online is fake, could be swapped for other medication, or does not meet UK safety and quality standards.
Its snapshot survey of over 350 pharmacies found 45% have recently had queries from patients about using Kenalog as a treatment for hay fever.
Most (96%) had also seen a significant increase in patients seeking help for hay fever symptoms since the start of April.
Recommended Reading:
Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, said: 'We know that hay fever season is well and truly upon us and as these findings show, pharmacies are reporting increased numbers of patients visiting them to help treat their symptoms.
'Kenalog is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of hay fever and we are clear that patients should not seek it online or request it from their community pharmacy.
'We're urging people to avoid using unlicensed treatments, which could pose a serious risk to their health, and instead speak with their pharmacist about other options for managing hay fever symptoms.
'Pharmacists are well placed to provide safe licensed alternatives, such as antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays.
'Medication from unregulated sellers could be fake, swapped for an alternative medication and not meet rigorous safety standards we have in the UK.
'Instead, patients experiencing hay fever should visit their local pharmacy on their doorstep, who can quickly and safely provide treatments to relieve their symptoms.
'If people are unsure about medication bought online, they should check with their pharmacist.'
The NPA is also urging regulators to reintroduce rules that made it mandatory for a list of regulated online UK medicine sellers to be made publicly available.
Previous EU rules required this to happen, but these were scrapped when the UK left the EU.
The NPA argues patients should be able to easily identify a regulated online pharmacy and avoid sellers who are not regulated in the UK.
Mr Picard said reintroducing the previous rules would 'provide a helpful tool for patients to understand how to find a regulated, safe online pharmacy'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Scotsman
Ambulance staff being 'pushed beyond breaking point' as 2.7m hours of overtime revealed
A warning has been issued that the ambulance service is being 'kept afloat' by staff overtime Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish ambulance staff have worked more than 2.7 million hours of overtime, costing taxpayers almost £74 million - with concerns raised the pressures are 'pushing already exhausted staff beyond breaking point'. The statistics come amid separate analysis of cancer waiting times showing patients waited a year for treatment to begin and a warning from a senior doctor that 'the Scottish NHS is struggling to provide the care patients need, when they need it'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ambulance staff are working large amounts of overtime Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire New statistics revealed under freedom of information legislation, showed 2,718,922 hours of overtime were worked by paramedics, ambulance technicians, care assistants and specialist nurses between 2020 and 2024. The figure peaked in 2022, when 581,155 overtime hours were worked. While 2023 was the highest year for overtime spend, costing just shy of £15.7 million. Figures for 2023 and 2024 also assess how many required hours in the ambulance service are filled by staff working overtime. For those years, the proportion was 24 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Services 'kept afloat' by overtime Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said the situation was 'completely unacceptable',and claimed the ambulance service was being 'kept afloat' by overtime. Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane He added: 'This will be pushing already exhausted staff beyond breaking point and is completely unsustainable. 'Relying on overstretched staff to plug gaps in shift will be putting staff as well as patients at serious risk. 'Ambulance crews have been left dangerously understaffed because of years of dire workforce planning by successive SNP health secretaries who are clueless to the scale of the emergency facing them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The NHS, Dr Gulhane said, is in a 'state of permanent crisis'. A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: 'Our staff do a fantastic job helping patients and saving lives across Scotland each and every day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'To support them, over the last three years, we've recruited a record 1,388 staff, introduced 52 additional ambulances, aligned shift patterns to meet patient demand and expanded into 10 new locations as part of our demand and capacity programme. 'Since the recruitment of the additional staff we have seen a reduction in total overtime hours despite significant issues at some hospital sites in relation to turnaround times. 'As with all ambulance services across the UK, we offer overtime to boost shift cover during periods of increased pressure and high demand, and we continue to monitor spend.' Long cancer waits revealed Separate analysis from the Scottish Lib Dems has revealed the longest waits for first treatment of cancer, with patients waiting up to a year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The party analysed waiting times from an urgent referral with suspicion of cancer to first treatment for patients in every health board - with an NHS Lothian patient forced to wait 393 days for treatment in the quarter ending March 2025. In the same period, patients in Grampian, the Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway waited 11 months for treatment to begin. Between the quarter ending March 2015 and March 2025, the longest wait in NHS Borders has more than quadrupled, increasing from 76 days to 343 days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Over the same period, the longest wait in NHS Dumfries & Galloway has more than trebled, from 99 days to 347 days and since March 2015, the longest waits in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland have more than doubled. Last month, SNP Public Health Minister Jenni Minto admitted that people could be dying as a result of later cancer diagnoses. Scottish Lib Dems leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said: 'All across Scotland, the SNP government isn't giving cancer patients the best chance of survival. These statistics show huge increases in waiting times to begin treatment after an urgent referral with suspicion of cancer, stretching up to a year. Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton | PA 'International studies show Scotland falling behind. The fact that SNP ministers are now admitting that their failures may have caused people to die shows just how badly they have got this wrong. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Access to screening programmes, diagnoses and treatment is a postcode lottery across the country.' NHS 'underinvestment' fears Dr Alan Robertson, chair of BMA Scotland's consultant committee, said the 'worrying statistics' reflect 'our continued warnings about how badly the Scottish NHS is struggling to provide the care patients need, when they need it'. He added: 'At the heart of this are years of underinvestment and a consistent failure to plan for the future, which means the NHS in Scotland is struggling to deliver what is required with current resources. We know there are still more than 1,000 WTE consultant vacancies across Scotland, and so this raises questions about how these types of waits will be tackled when there are not enough consultants to keep up with current demand. READ MORE: Cancer patients forced to pay for private treatment amid NHS delays Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Unfortunately there is no overnight solution, but steps must be taken now to value and retain the doctors the NHS does have, as part of finally drawing up a proper long term workforce plan for the NHS. Without that plan, and urgent reforms, there is little chance of waiting times like these improving anytime soon.' SNP Health Secretary, Neil Gray, said: 'We know that some people are still waiting too long to begin their cancer treatment, and that is not acceptable. We are determined to improve waiting times and ensure everyone gets the timely care they deserve. Health Secretary Neil Gray. Picture: Andrew Milligan 'It's disappointing that the 31-day standard was narrowly missed this quarter. However, performance has remained steady at around 95 per cent since the pandemic. The median wait for treatment is three days, and the median wait from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 52 days, demonstrating the extensive work by staff across Scotland to treat people as quickly and effectively as possible. 'We are treating more patients with cancer on time, within both standards, compared to the same quarter six years ago – 7.7 per cent more within the 31-day standard & 0.1 per cent more within the 62-day standard.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Amazon, Sainsbury's, Lidl and Asda product safety recalls
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a number of recalls, including on products sold at some of the UK's biggest retailers, including supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Asda. This is a guide to the recalls you should be aware of. If you have purchased any of the products below, please stop using them immediately, and contact your retailer, or see the full recall notices for more information. Amazon recalls There are two recalls for products sold by Amazon. The first is an updated alert, issued by the FSA for Orgenism Eggshell Membrane Capsules, because Salmonella has been found in the product. Their update this week said: "This update is to make consumers aware that the Salmonella found in this product has been linked to human illness after consumption of the product. The Salmonella found is resistant to several antibiotics, therefore particular disposal routes are required. "This update is to make consumers aware of additional online platforms selling this product. The product is sold on Amazon and on the Orgenism website." Thursday 3 July 2025. Update 2 - Orgenism recalls Eggshell Membrane Capsules because of contamination with Salmonella #FoodAlert — Food Standards Agency (@foodgov) July 3, 2025 The second recall is for a piece of jewellery sold via Amazon. This has been removed from sale because it contains a 'serious chemical risk' which could cause cancer. The affected jewellery is a Dervivea metal ring and earings with Amazon codes B0CT21SWWY (Ring) and B0DHV43HC3 (Earrings). The product presents a 'serious risk chemical risk' as it contains butylphenyl methylpropional, which is prohibited in cosmetic products. An OPSS spokesman said: 'The products present a serious chemical risk as the cadmium content was found to be greater than the maximum permissible limit in both the metal ring and metal earrings. 'Cadmium is harmful to human health as it accumulates in the body, can damage organs and may cause cancer. 'Owners of the product are advised to contact the distributor they purchased from to request redress. The listing has been removed by the online marketplace (Amazon).' Lidl recall (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire) Lidl has issued an urgent recall as a popular air fryer sold at the supermarket could be a potential 'fire hazard'. The supermarket is recalling the Tower eight litre dual basket air fryer which is sold in its stores. The affected air fryers have a product code of T17129L. No other Tower products sold at Lidl stores are impacted by the recall. Tower is recalling the products 'due to risk of overheating', the retailer said. It added that this could ultimately 'present a fire hazard' to shoppers who bought the item. 'If you own one of the affected models, please stop using it immediately,' Lidl said in the recall notice. Customers who bought affected air fryers have been urged to contact the supplier directly through They will then be able to see if their particular product has been affected and can access instructions for returning it. The retailer added: 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your cooperation.' Sainsbury's recall Three popular products sold at Sainsbury's supermarkets across the UK have been recalled, as shoppers were told to 'stop using them immediately'. All of the recalled products present a fire risk, the recall warnings state. The Bosch Styline Toaster has been recalled due to a technical fault which can cause the electronics to overheat and could cause a toaster fire. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) The affected products have codes of TAT8613GB and TAT8611GB, and the recall affects the white and black versions of the toaster. A recall statement from producers Bosch, said: 'Bosch (BSH) is voluntarily recalling the above Styline Toaster models produced from October 2021 to April 2023 as the quality checks have revealed a technical fault which can cause the electronics to overheat and could cause a toaster fire. 'To minimize safety risks, please disconnect any affected toaster from the mains supply immediately and do not use it. 'For further details or if you have any questions, you can contact the customer care team on 01536 436236. 'Or if you would like to request a call back please email your contact details at bosch-toaster-action@ and one of Bosch team members will contact you. 'Bosch thank you for your understanding.' ⚠️Here is our monthly recall roundup for June⚠️ Visit for more information.#ProductRecalls #UkRecallsAndAlerts — Office for Product Safety and Standards (@OfficeforSandS) June 27, 2025 Sainsbury's warned shoppers that they had been informed of an issue affecting specific units of rechargeable blenders from Nutribullet. A spokesman said: 'A small number of units have been identified as having a battery defect that could overheat during charging, creating a potential fire risk. 'Please stop using the item immediately, and check if you have an affected product by locating the serial number on the base of the blender. 'Please visit to verify if your blender is potentially affected and if so, register to receive a replacement product free of charge." The Air Fryers affected by the Tower recall have SKUs of 141407023 and 139987372, and both the 2.2 litre and 4 litre Tower Air Fryer are included in the recall. A Sainsbury's spokesman said: 'We have been requested by Tower to alert you to a product recall impacting three Tower branded air fryers produced between January 2022 to April 2023. 'A small number of units have been identified as having a potential manufacturing default that could cause the air fryer to overheat and pose a fire risk. 'Please stop using the item immediately, and check if you have an affected product by locating the product number on the base of the air fryer. 'Once you have identified that your product is impacted. Please visit to see if the batch number means it is included in the recall. 'If it is, follow the instruction on how to return your affected product. We take the quality and safety of our products extremely seriously and would like to apologise to customers affected for any inconvenience this may cause. 'No other batches are affected by this recall.' Recommended Reading: Asda recall A George at Asda product has been recalled from all stores across the UK, and anyone who has purchased it has been urged to 'stop using it immediately'. The supermarket giant has pulled the product from its stores and is asking anyone who owns it to return it to a store for a full refund. The Office for Product Safety and Standards warned that the George Baby 3-Pack Rompers with Zip sold by Asda presents a 'risk of injuries'. The recall affects all sizes of the rompers up to 24 months and impacts the following barcodes: 5059201506212, 5059201505772,5059201506137, 5059201506151, 5059201506175, 5059201505796, 5059201506113, 5059201506199, 5059201505772, 5059201506137, 5059201506151, 5059201506175, 5059201505796, 5059201506113, 5059201506199. ⚠️Here is our monthly recall roundup for May⚠️ Visit for more information.#ProductRecalls #UkRecallsAndAlerts — Office for Product Safety and Standards (@OfficeforSandS) May 31, 2025 A warning from The Office for Product Safety and Standards says: 'The product presents a risk of injuries as some of the zips have sharp edges. This may lead to babies becoming scratched and injured during use. "The product does not meet the requirement of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. "Consumers are advised to return the product to their nearest ASDA store for a full refund." Recommended Reading: An Asda spokesman added: 'George Baby 3PK Zip Rompers (all sizes up to 24 months) has been identified with a manufacturing issue. "Some of the zips may contain sharp edges, which poses a risk of injury. This issue affects ALL sizes. "If you have purchased the George Baby 3PK Zip Rompers from Asda, please stop using immediately. "Bring it back to your nearest store where you will be given a full refund. You do not need your receipt. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. "If you would like any further information, please contact: Asda Customer Relations – 0800 952 010" Matalan recall Matalan has recalled a product which could cause 'strangulation' as customers have been told to 'stop using it immediately'. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) confirmed that Matalan was recalling some its boys' swimwear due a 'risk of entrapment and strangulation due to the length of the functional draw cords'. These are the affected product names and item numbers: Shark Rash Vest & Short Blue - B369646/647 Seersucker Swimshort Blue - B369742/743 Boys Tie Dye Swimshorts - B369750/751 A Matalan spokesman said: 'It has come to our attention that the above Boy's swim shorts do not meet our usual high standards for quality and safety. (Image: Matalan) "If you have bought any of the swim shorts shown, please do not use and return immediately.' An OPSS spokesman added: 'The products present a risk of entrapment and strangulation due to the length of the functional draw cords. 'The products do not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. 'If you have purchased any of the affected boys' swimwear, please stop using it immediately and return it to your nearest Matalan store for a full refund. 'You will not need to produce a receipt.'
Scotsman
13-07-2025
- Scotsman
Euan McColm: Despite the law and public opinion, there is strong resistance to gender reality among politicians and officials
Nurse Sandie Peggie, whose tribunal against NHS Fife is due to resume this week, outside the Scottish Parliament after meeting MSPs. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire As Sandy Peggie case is set to resume, the need to take on privileged and powerful ideologues remains Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is a disturbing case which continues to create difficult headlines for First Minister John Swinney. When nurse Sandie Peggie complained about the presence in a women-only changing room at work of trans-identifying Dr Beth Upton, she was treated disgracefully by her employers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ignoring the law protecting single-sex spaces – and the dignity of female employees – NHS Fife initiated a disciplinary process against Peggie, while senior staff treated Upton as a victim. Unwilling to be bullied out of the career to which she has dedicated three decades, the nurse launched claims of harassment and discrimination against both the health board and Upton. Initial tribunal sessions during February heard how Peggie had raised concerns about Upton's presence in a changing room at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy only to have management turn on her. Last week, it emerged that NHS Fife has already spent £220,500 defending itself and Upton against Peggie's claim. That total will soar by the time the tribunal process – which resumes on Wednesday after a prolonged break – reaches its conclusion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Feminists who have been engaged in fighting the extreme demands of trans activists use the work 'peaking' to describe the moment at which an individual recognises the harm caused by an ideology that insists the feelings of men matter more than the reality of being a woman. I think it reasonable to say that Peggie's case is responsible for 'peaking' a remarkable number of Scots. During the period when Nicola Sturgeon was First Minister and pushing hard to remove the rights of women to single-sex spaces, we might have expected to hear senior politicians wax nauseating about Upton's bravery. We might have expected to hear MSPs attack Sandie Peggie as a bigot. We might have expected to hear endless meaningless bromides about being 'kind'. But times have changed. Government-funded trans activist groups, for so long seemingly free to dictate policy to the SNP, are no longer running the show. A number of high-profile legal cases, including the successful action by campaigners group For Women Scotland which saw the Supreme Court rule that, when it comes to sex, biology trumps vibes, have strengthened public opposition to gender ideology. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some politicians have felt the way wind is blowing and changed course. In December 2022, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar whipped his MSPs to back the SNP's disastrous attempt to reform the Gender Recognition Act, allowing anyone to self-identify into the legally-recognised sex of their choosing but his position now is that, had he known then what he knows now, he would not have done so. Of course, had he paid the slightest bit of attention to the feminists warning him that self-ID would destroy women's rights, Sarwar would have know everything he needed to know in order to oppose the proposal long ago. While Sarwar has reconnected with reality on this issue, First Minister John Swinney remains fully committed to the removal of women's rights, recently stating that he had no regrets about backing reform of the GRA. Well, what else could he say? While more than 60 per cent of people agree with the ruling of the Supreme Court, just a fifth of voters think the justices made the wrong decision. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Swinney is one of a dwindling band of supporters of self-ID, which remains popular with the hard-left and self-styled 'progressives'. The political division over gender ideology has been clear for a long time. The case of Sandie Peggie brings into focus another societal split on the issue. The trans-rights movement is the first 'equality' crusade to filter from the top down. The luxury belief that an individual can magically change sex has been pushed not by grassroots activists but by well-funded organisations and political parties captured by activists. Peggie is a working class woman while Upton – in common with so many gender activists – was raised in middle class privilege. The difference in power, in agency, is clear. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad During February's evidence sessions, Upton claimed to be a 'biological female'. It says something about the doctor's sense of entitlement that Sandie Peggie and the rest of us are expected to accept this. Until recently, a male entering a female-only changing room at work would have faced the strongest possible disciplinary action. The fact that Upton was ever permitted to use the women's facilities at work is a scandal. But, among the chattering political and middle classes, the idea that one should be cheered for living 'authentically' rules, even when that authenticity means expecting others to share and indulge someone's delusion, no matter how uncomfortable that may make them. To Nicola Sturgeon and her fellow gender militants, the consequences of their actions mean nothing. If a vulnerable woman has to share a confined changing room with a man, then she should not complain but educate herself. And then see that man as the brave woman she is. The class aspect of this whole mess is the reason it will take so long to complete the necessary process of removing the influence of gender ideologues from public bodies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The powerful men and women – politicians, highly paid government officials, senior academics – who have fully invested in this nonsense are not (the occasional Anas Sarwar, aside) easily going to admit they got things so terribly wrong. And so – although common sense is winning – there remains a thick streak of resistance to reality among the upper echelons of society. Eleven working days have been set aside for concluding stage of Peggie's tribunal hearing. Among those scheduled to appear is Dr Kate Searle, who permitted Upton's use of the women's changing facilities at the Victoria. I can't image Searle is relishing the prospect of being examined by Sandie Peggie's impressive lawyer, Naomi Cunningham KC. It stands to be very messy, indeed. But the messier the better, I say.
