Clinical guidance updates, January 2026

Despite only being a month into the new year, there has been no shortage of clinical updates and approvals to keep updated with. This article explores some of the top level, need-to-know announcements from the world of healthcare over the last month that may influence your clinical practice.

Dermatology

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revised isotretinoin prescribing rules to strengthen patient safety while improving access to treatment. Key changes include removing the second-prescriber requirement for under-18s to reduce delays and reinforcing risk-minimisation measures such as counselling, monitoring and pregnancy prevention. This will affect how clinical pharmacists support safe isotretinoin use, as well as dermatology pathway flows and patient education as they integrate the updated guidance into practice and engage with audits and training resources.

Weight management

The MHRA has approved a higher dose of semaglutide for adults with obesity only, offering greater weight-loss efficacy for patients not responding to lower doses. The update expands treatment options within specialist weight-management services. For clinical pharmacy professionals, this means supporting dose escalation, managing potential gastrointestinal side effects, and ensuring appropriate patient selection, monitoring and counselling as GLP-1 use continues to grow across NHS pathways.

Respiratory

A new inhaled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment targeting lung inflammation has shown significant benefits in reducing exacerbations and improving quality of life. The update highlights progress for patients with frequent flare-ups despite standard therapy. This signals upcoming changes to COPD pathways, formulary decisions and inhaler optimisation, alongside patient education on correct device use, adherence and monitoring outcomes in both primary and secondary care.

Similarly, NICE has endorsed digital asthma self-management platforms to help patients monitor symptoms, improve adherence and reduce exacerbations. The update supports integration of apps and digital tools alongside personalised asthma action plans. For clinical pharmacy teams, this strengthens their role in promoting digital engagement, medicines optimisation and inhaler adherence, while supporting population-level asthma control through remote monitoring and data-informed reviews in primary and community care settings.

Oncology

A new once-daily oral treatment for advanced prostate cancer has been approved, offering improved survival and a convenient alternative to injectable therapies. The update could benefit thousands of patients across England. Clinical pharmacy professionals will have greater responsibility for adherence support and counselling on long-term adverse effects, particularly as oral oncology treatments continue to shift cancer care closer to home.

Women’s health

A large MHRA-supported study has confirmed no causal link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders following an additional review. The update reinforces paracetamol as the first-line pain and fever treatment during pregnancy when used appropriately. This is particularly significant as it has countered misinformation following comments made by the US President last year. For the clinical pharmacy community, it will strengthen confidence when advising pregnant patients.

These developments highlight the accelerating pace of change across clinical pharmacy practice, from expanded therapies and digital innovation to strengthened safety frameworks and evolving care pathways. Clinical Pharmacy Congress 2026 provides a timely opportunity for delegates to explore how these advances can be implemented in practice, share learning and shape the next phase of medicines optimisation.