Anyone with hay fever told don't take Kenalog over safety concerns
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said people should not buy Kenalog, which can be advertised on social media sites or by salons and beauty clinics
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has issued a warning against purchasing Kenalog, a drug that is often advertised on social media platforms and by beauty salons and clinics.
There are growing concerns that many people are resorting to this drug after discovering it online, despite serious safety issues and the fact that it's not licensed by the NHS.
The NPA, which represents over 6,000 independent community pharmacies, has noted an increase in enquiries about Kenalog from healthcare professionals.
The organisation is worried that medication procured from unregulated sellers could be counterfeit and pose a significant risk to patient safety. The NHS no longer prescribes or administers Kenalog for hay fever, as their guidelines have determined that the potential risks outweigh the benefits of the treatment.
Kenalog injections function by temporarily suppressing the immune system. The injection contains a steroid to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms, reports Surrey Live.
However, this treatment is not suitable for individuals with mild hay fever symptoms, as it may weaken the immune system, making patients more susceptible to other infections, such as flu, chickenpox, and shingles.
Known side effects of the drug include elevated blood pressure, dizziness, severe abdominal pain, depression and mood swings.
In the UK, Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine and is not licensed for the treatment of hay fever.
The product contains triamcinolone acetonide, a steroid injection licensed for treating conditions such as arthritis but not for hay fever.
A joint enforcement notice regarding the advertisement of Kenalog injections was published in 2022 by the MHRA and CAP, instructing all entities that offer Kenalog for hay fever to stop advertising it on social media and their websites.
NPA revealed that a proportion of the medication available online are bogus or do not meet UK safety and quality standards, or could be replaced with other drugs.
Based on a snapshot survey of more than 350 pharmacies, NPA found 45% have had recent inquiries about using Kenalog for hay fever, while 96% reported a notable surge in patients seeking help for hay fever symptoms since early April.
Olivier Picard, NPA chairman, 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 calling for regulators to reinstate rules that necessitate a public list of regulated online UK medicine sellers.
These requirements were part of previous EU regulations but were discarded when the UK exited the EU.
The NPA contends that patients should be able to easily identify a regulated online pharmacy and steer clear of sellers who are not regulated in the UK.
Mr Picard believes that reinstating 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
Glasgow Times
30 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
NHS should act as ‘engine of local economic growth', Streeting says
It comes as Wes Streeting announced a new pilot scheme which will aim to recruit an extra 1,000 NHS staff from areas worst affected by unemployment. Mr Streeting was in Blackpool on Wednesday to deliver a speech unveiling plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities. He also announced changes to the NHS App, with new features that will aim to give patients access to more information and tackle what he described as 'one of the starkest health inequalities'. Speaking of the new programme, Mr Streeting told the PA news agency: 'The pilot we've announced will trial a programme benefiting 1,000 people, including disabled people, people with conditions like autism, carers and people over the age of 50, who, for reasons I cannot understand, are often written off when it comes to being able to go back to work or to get a different job. 'This is the NHS walking the talk. We know that what makes for good health isn't just good treatment, but is a society which creates good health, and that involves employers. 'So this is me and the NHS putting our money where our mouth is, to show that we're going to be good employers providing great opportunities as well as great healthcare.' The pilot will also offer support with job applications and work placements. It comes amid sweeping welfare reforms by the Labour Government which have split the party. In his speech, Mr Streeting said the 'health service should also act as an engine of local economic growth, giving opportunities in training and work to local people'. He told PA: 'The NHS got really important role to play, not just as a provider of public services, but as a provider of great job opportunities. 'I've seen first hand what can happen when the NHS acts as a good local employer and provides opportunities, particularly for people who can often get overlooked and not recognised for their talents.' Mr Streeting also announced that, under reforms included in the Government's upcoming 10-year plan, around £2.2 billion previously set aside to plug financial holes will now be spent on resources in deprived areas. This year, deficit support funding will not go to systems that fail to meet their agreed financial plans and is being phased out entirely from 2026/27, with NHS England chief executive Jim Mackey behind the drive. Struggling NHS trusts will now be required to set out activity and costs in a transparent way. The Government also plans to review GP funding and the GP contract so working-class areas receive their 'fair share' of resources. Mr Streeting told the PA his own experiences of poverty as a child influenced the announcement. 'I'm in politics because I want to make sure that more people from working class backgrounds like mine have the same sorts of choices and chances in life as those from the wealthiest backgrounds,' he said. 'I think the state has a really powerful role to play in making sure that people have those opportunities and security in life. 'But I'm also aware from some of my family's experiences about where the state sometimes lets people down and needs to change and genuinely listen to people and do things with people, rather than to them. 'I don't resent sharp elbowed, middle-class professionals exercising their voice – and I'm obviously one of them now – but we've got to make sure that working class people, people from underprivileged backgrounds, have the same voice, the same choice, the same power and control over their lives as everyone else.' During his speech, Mr Streeting described unequal access to information and choice as 'one of the starkest health inequalities'. To address this, he announced that new features will be introduced on the NHS App as part of the 10 year plan, adding that technology can 'empower patients with choice and control'. A tool known as My Companion will use artificial intelligence to give patients direct access to information. 'It will provide all patients with information about their health condition, if they have one, or their procedure, if they need one,' Mr Streeting added. 'It will get patients answers to questions they forgot to ask or felt too embarrassed to ask in a place that makes appointment. 'So the next time you're at appointment and you're told something doesn't sound right, you'll have at your fingertips the information you need to speak up confidently with the other expert in the room.' Mr Streeting said another feature, known as My Choices, will 'show patients everything from their nearest pharmacy and its opening hours to the best hospital for heart surgery across the country, with patients able to choose based on their preference'.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
NHS should act as ‘engine of local economic growth', Streeting says
It comes as Wes Streeting announced a new pilot scheme which will aim to recruit an extra 1,000 NHS staff from areas worst affected by unemployment. Mr Streeting was in Blackpool on Wednesday to deliver a speech unveiling plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities. He also announced changes to the NHS App, with new features that will aim to give patients access to more information and tackle what he described as 'one of the starkest health inequalities'. Speaking of the new programme, Mr Streeting told the PA news agency: 'The pilot we've announced will trial a programme benefiting 1,000 people, including disabled people, people with conditions like autism, carers and people over the age of 50, who, for reasons I cannot understand, are often written off when it comes to being able to go back to work or to get a different job. 'This is the NHS walking the talk. We know that what makes for good health isn't just good treatment, but is a society which creates good health, and that involves employers. 'So this is me and the NHS putting our money where our mouth is, to show that we're going to be good employers providing great opportunities as well as great healthcare.' The pilot will also offer support with job applications and work placements. It comes amid sweeping welfare reforms by the Labour Government which have split the party. In his speech, Mr Streeting said the 'health service should also act as an engine of local economic growth, giving opportunities in training and work to local people'. He told PA: 'The NHS got really important role to play, not just as a provider of public services, but as a provider of great job opportunities. 'I've seen first hand what can happen when the NHS acts as a good local employer and provides opportunities, particularly for people who can often get overlooked and not recognised for their talents.' Mr Streeting also announced that, under reforms included in the Government's upcoming 10-year plan, around £2.2 billion previously set aside to plug financial holes will now be spent on resources in deprived areas. This year, deficit support funding will not go to systems that fail to meet their agreed financial plans and is being phased out entirely from 2026/27, with NHS England chief executive Jim Mackey behind the drive. Struggling NHS trusts will now be required to set out activity and costs in a transparent way. The Government also plans to review GP funding and the GP contract so working-class areas receive their 'fair share' of resources. Mr Streeting told the PA his own experiences of poverty as a child influenced the announcement. 'I'm in politics because I want to make sure that more people from working class backgrounds like mine have the same sorts of choices and chances in life as those from the wealthiest backgrounds,' he said. 'I think the state has a really powerful role to play in making sure that people have those opportunities and security in life. 'But I'm also aware from some of my family's experiences about where the state sometimes lets people down and needs to change and genuinely listen to people and do things with people, rather than to them. 'I don't resent sharp elbowed, middle-class professionals exercising their voice – and I'm obviously one of them now – but we've got to make sure that working class people, people from underprivileged backgrounds, have the same voice, the same choice, the same power and control over their lives as everyone else.' During his speech, Mr Streeting described unequal access to information and choice as 'one of the starkest health inequalities'. To address this, he announced that new features will be introduced on the NHS App as part of the 10 year plan, adding that technology can 'empower patients with choice and control'. A tool known as My Companion will use artificial intelligence to give patients direct access to information. 'It will provide all patients with information about their health condition, if they have one, or their procedure, if they need one,' Mr Streeting added. 'It will get patients answers to questions they forgot to ask or felt too embarrassed to ask in a place that makes appointment. 'So the next time you're at appointment and you're told something doesn't sound right, you'll have at your fingertips the information you need to speak up confidently with the other expert in the room.' Mr Streeting said another feature, known as My Choices, will 'show patients everything from their nearest pharmacy and its opening hours to the best hospital for heart surgery across the country, with patients able to choose based on their preference'.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Buckinghamshire cancer survivor says finally going to cervical screening 'saved' her life
ITV News Meridian's Wesley Smith spoke to a woman who says her life was saved by a cervical screening. Home testing kits are to be offered to women who've consistently missed opportunities for cervical screening. The news is welcomed by a mother from Buckinghamshire, who put off cervical screening and had to undergo life-saving treatment. Toyah Myall, who's 33, had to live with the fear of not knowing what the future might hold for her backing an NHS campaign getting underway in the Thames Valley called, "Love Your Cervix" to encourage younger women to get checked as under 35s are the most vulnerable age group for a positive diagnosis of cervical cancer. Family is everything to Toyah Myall from Aylesbury. So the thought that she might not be there to see her children grow up, because she'd put off cervical screening, was a wake-up call. Ms Myall says her diagnosis would have been worse if she had left it any longer. Toyah Myall said: "I didn't have a single symptom. Had I not gone, it could have been so much worse. "Please, please go. I can't stress how important it is. It's uncomfortable, it's only two minutes, but it's going to save your life. It saved mine. "I put it off for an awful long time, in actual fact, it was eight years, but now I sit here and think, gosh, I'm so lucky that it was just laser that was needed, there was no chemotherapy or anything and it could have been so much worse had I left it even longer. "It was really difficult because having to explain to the children that actually something wasn't quite right with Mum and Mum needs to be seen by the doctors. "Young people think, with cancer, death automatically and it was just reassuring them that wasn't the case. I was in good hands." Toyah's condition was caught in the nick of time, but hundreds of other women, whose lives could potentially have been saved, die from the disease annually. Athena Lamnisos from gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal said: "It's theoretically an eliminable disease. "Now, you can't say that about any other cancer type and we know how to detect cancer before it even starts with cell changes and that's part of the national cervical screening programme. "If you do have symptoms, don't wait for a screening appointment, that's not what you need, you need to go and see a medical professional." Cervical screenings are a preventative procedure and were formerly known as smear tests. They involve collecting cells from the cervix to see if there's evidence of HPV, human papillomavirus, which can lead to cervical cancer. Women aged between 25 and 64 are invited for regular screenings and trans men and non-binary people with a cervix are also eligible. A third of those invited, do not book an appointment. The disease still kills 800 people a year.
