Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can do ‘more harm than good’ and should not be prescribed to treat chronic pain, health officials have said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence claims that there is ‘little or no evidence’ the drugs, as well as aspirin and opioids, work. But in draft guidance, published on … Read more
Prescriptions for two anti-malaria drugs to treat the novel coronavirus soared by hundreds of thousands in March, a new study suggests. Typically, only about 380,000 people are prescribed hydroxychloroquine and its analog chloroquine to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. However, in March, President Donald Trump hailed the drug, which also is used to treat arthritis … Read more
More Weight Watchers diets could be prescribed on the NHS as Boris Johnson looks at slimming down the nation after his coronavirus battle convinced him to shape up NHS could prescribe more Weight Watchers plans to tackle national obesity Current plans are only given to those people at risk of Type 2 Diabetes People will … Read more
Doctors have launched a campaign calling for home devices that measure blood oxygen levels to be available on prescription. They act as an early warning system for people at increased risk of a ‘silent pneumonia’ death due to coronavirus. They want the matchbox-sized gadgets, known as pulse oximeters, to be given to those in most … Read more
A drug prescribed for scabies has been shown to stops the coronavirus in its tracks and may help fight the infection, according to a study. Ivermectin is used on the NHS and in the US for parasitic infections – but researchers in Australia believe it could be useful against COVID-19. Tests showed the drug reduced … Read more