The PJ Pod

Until recently, the withdrawal symptoms some people experience after stopping an antidepressant were not recognised as a serious problem.

However, they can be extremely distressing, and so patients have been forced to set up their own online support groups to share information how best to taper antidepressant doses.

In this episode, executive editor Nigel Praities talks with Adele Framer, founder of SurvivingAntidepressants.Org, one of the largest peer-support groups, about her and many other patients' experiences.

Wendy Burn, former chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, describes what has led to a remarkable turnaround in attitudes among specialist doctors to withdrawal symptoms in the UK, and David Taylor, professor of psychopharmacology at King's College London, explains the latest evidence on how to prevent serious these symptoms from occurring.

Specialist mental health pharmacist Chris Johnson also speaks about his work with GP practices in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to review the antidepressants taken by more than 10,000 patients.

Here is the guidance on stopping antidepressants from the Royal College of Psychiatrists: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/stopping-antidepressants

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and additional research was carried out by Abigail James. We are grateful to Peter Groot from Utrecht University, Netherlands, for his help with this episode.

There have been some promising trial results recently regarding the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) in patients with COVID-19.

In this podcast, features editor Dawn Connelly and clinical and science editor Julia Robinson investigate the science behind these exciting new treatments and the potential role of pharmacists in preparing, supplying and assessing patients for their use.

Robinson also visits the aseptics lab at King's College Hospital in London to find out from senior pharmacist James Cheung how mAbs are made.

With thanks to associate professor Al Edwards from the Reading School of Pharmacy and PJ deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware for their help in preparing this podcast.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Our exclusive on NHS plans for a community-based mAbs service: https://tinyurl.com/mabsservice

Here is a link to more information on the clinical trials discussed in this podcast: tinyurl.com/COVIDtxs

The stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on everyone’s mental health; however, the impact on frontline healthcare workers has been particularly acute.

For some of these individuals, it will have a long-lasting effect and they may require support for a number of years to come.

In this podcast, Julia Robinson investigates the experiences of pharmacists redeployed to intensive care units during the height of the pandemic and the impact it has had on their mental health and wellbeing.

Robinson also looks at the longer term implications for the whole of the pharmacy profession, speaking with Nina Barnett, a consultant pharmacist with extensive experience in providing coaching, mentoring and education for healthcare professionals, and Clare Gerada, medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, a free confidential counselling service previously just available to doctors and dentists, about the support that is needed going forward.

Thank you to Paresh, Sarah, Hira and "Jane" for sharing their personal stories with us. This podcast was produced by Geoff Marsh.

For support and to access resources from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Wellbeing hub: https://www.rpharms.com/resources/pharmacy-guides/your-wellbeing#2

Amazon has been shaking up the US pharmacy market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has just been granted a trademark in the UK.

In this podcast, deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware looks at whether Amazon Pharmacy really is a threat to community pharmacies in the UK, which is a very different market to the US.

Wickware speaks with the CEO of McKesson UK, Toby Anderson, about its progress on implementing a digital pharmacy brand, and Jay Badenhorst, chair of the National Pharmacy Association’s Online Pharmacy Services Group, about what smaller pharmacies can do to prepare for the arrival of the online retail giant.

She also finds out the long-view for community pharmacy from Matthew Lee, managing director at investment bank Lincoln International.

This podcast was produced by Geoff Marsh.

This podcast uncovers the problem of ‘hidden disabilities’ in pharmacy, and what can be done to make the profession more supportive for those with health conditions, such as hearing or mobility issues, that may be hard to see.

We speaks with two pharmacists, Nalwenga Mutambo and Aamer Safdar, about their experiences working as a pharmacist with a hidden disability and how they came to the realisation that they needed help.

We also speak with Paul Day, director at the Pharmacists’ Defence Union, and Diane Lightfoot, chief executive of the Business Disability Forum, about the laws that are in place and how employers can make adjustments to ensure that pharmacy is a more welcoming profession.

This episode is presented by Abigail James and was produced by Geoff Marsh. It is part of The Pharmaceutical Journal‘s ‘Mind the Gap’ campaign to highlight the social inequalities that pharmacists face. Click here to find out more: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/mind-the-gap-campaign

A written transcript of this episode is available here: https://tinyurl.com/shatteringsilence

Over the past year, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for those trying to enter the pharmacy profession has been profound.

In this podcast, we investigate how pharmacy’s own “Generation COVID” is feeling, with two recording audio diaries in the weeks leading up to their long-delayed registration assessment.

Proregs Regan McCahill and Andrew Moy share their day-to-day lives, thoughts about the exam and their future beyond.

We also speak with Janet Whittam, senior clinical pharmacist at Salford Royal NHS foundation trust and North West regional pre-registration facilitator at the University of Manchester, and Gail Fleming, director of education and professional development at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, about how they think the experiences of proregs could inform the changes planned to pharmacy training long-term, including the new foundation training year and the registration exam.

This episode is presented by Corrinne Burns and Nigel Praities. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.

With three COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK, the focus is now shifting towards how the vaccination programme is being rolled out

This podcast picks up where we left off in our previous one, answering a new set of readers questions submitted through the PJ website and social media.

Nigel Praities, executive editor, Dawn Connelly, features editor, and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, attempt to answer these questions using the latest available information and the help of some external experts.

Thanks to Steve Griffin, associate professor in the school of medicine at the University of Leeds, Fazila Jumabhoy, lead pharmacist for Central North Leeds Primary Care Network and John Tregoning, a reader in respiratory disease at Imperial College London.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

LINKS

Phase 3 trials

Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577?query=pfw&jwd=000020100690&jspc=

Oxford/AstraZeneca: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32661-1/fulltext

Information for healthcare professionals

Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19/information-for-healthcare-professionals-on-pfizerbiontech-covid-19-vaccine

Oxford/AstraZeneca: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca/information-for-healthcare-professionals-on-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca

Summary of product characteristics

Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/comirnaty-epar-product-information_en.pdf

Recently, it emerged that Billy Caldwell — the young boy who sparked a change in the law over medical cannabis — has received an NHS prescription for the cannabis oil to treat his severe epilepsy.

However, two years after its legalisation, Billy is only one of a handful of patients who have received an NHS prescription for medical cannabis in the UK. This is despite many thousands of patients using cannabis for medical reasons around the world.

In this podcast, we look at why so few patients are receiving NHS prescriptions and whether this may change anytime soon.

We speak with Matt Hughes, the father of Charlie, who has been refused medical cannabis on the NHS; Mike Barnes, a neurologist who runs a number of private medical cannabis clinics and Janine Barnes, a specialist pharmacist who was a member of the NICE clinical guideline development group for medical cannabis.

This episode was presented by Corrinne Burns and Nigel Praities. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.

For more information: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/special-reports/special-report-medical-cannabis

We asked PJ readers to submit their questions regarding the different COVID-19 vaccines being developed around the world, the phase III trial results and the practicalities of how these vaccines will be administered.

In this podcast, Dawn Connelly, features editor and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, will try to answer these questions using the latest available information and the help of some external experts.

Thanks to Charles Bangham, chair in immunology and co-director of the Institute of Infection at Imperial College London and Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

A link to the infographic referred to in the podcast is here: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/infographics/the-race-to-stop-covid-19/20207792.article

Please do let us know if you have any outstanding questions regarding the COVID vaccines after listening to this podcast. Email us at [email protected] — if there are enough, we may do another podcast!

This podcast is presented by Nigel Praities, Dawn Connelly and Julia Robinson. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.

This podcast celebrates the shortlisted entries to The Pharmaceutical Journal's 2020 writing competition.

Hosted by executive editor Nigel Praities and opinion editor Abigail James, we hear all the shortlisted entrants read out their pieces, give an insight into what makes a winning entry and announce the winners!