Delivering national immunisation programmes - a blanket opportunity for the pharmacy profession or a case of horses for courses?

This opinion piece explores the opportunities and challenges from increased utilisation of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in delivery of the UK immunisation programme, within the recent legislative change enabling pharmacy technicians to administer Prescription Only Medicines (POMs) under Patient Group Directions (PGDs).

D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate in the treatment of glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS).

Background: Deficiency of the Glut1 transporter due to mono-allelic variants in causes hypoglycorrhachia, resulting in a neurological spectrum from neonatal epilepsy to adult-onset paroxysmal movement disorders (PMD). The brain utilises ketone bodies as an alternative energy source to glucose. Thus, early initiation of the ketogenic diet (KD) is standard care for Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS).

Hydrological and hydraulic drivers of microplastics in a rural river sourced from the UK's largest opencast coal mine.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in river and freshwater ecosystems. However, the hydraulic and hydrological mechanisms that regulate the activation and emissions of MPs from both the land surface and subsurface into rivers are not well understood. This study aims to quantify the instream MP concentration and MP load in a remote headwater catchment river (Taff Bargoed, Wales UK), which drains the UK's largest opencast coal mine (Ffos-y-fran), over a two-year period.

Characteristics of Ra-226 particles from legacy contamination and implications for radiological protection.

Radioactive particles are physically discrete sources of radioactivity that have been released into the environment as result of past accidents, incidents, and practices, and can present a hazard to members of the public. The historical use of radium in the luminising of aircraft components, and the subsequent decommissioning of those aircraft and associated waste disposal practices, has left a legacy of contamination, such as the radioactive particles containing Ra-226 at Dalgety Bay, Scotland. The aim of this research was to physically, chemically, and radiologically characterise Ra-226 particles from Dalgety Bay and consider the implications for radiological protection of the public.

Low-risk febrile neutropenia: does combined chemotherapy/immune checkpoint inhibitor necessitate a change in approach?

Purpose: Management of patients with low-risk febrile neutropenia in an outpatient setting guided by the MASCC score is proven to be safe and effective. Most patients on ambulatory low-risk febrile neutropenia pathways are undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Recent data has shown benefit of the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy to cytotoxic chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with early triple-negative breast cancer.