To those who take antibiotics – the resistance crisis is not your fault
A new government campaign suggests patients are to blame for growing antimicrobial resistance. Let’s look at the real reasons, says health and science journalist Hannah Flynn
What’s stopping pharmacies doing more to reduce pressure on GPs?
Chemists can already provide vital services, such as the morning-after pill – but a new study shows they are being chronically underused
‘The stigma is more in my own mind’: men on using Viagra
Viagra use among men has tripled, with doctors saying there is less stigma around it. We asked readers whether they agreed
Green dreams: the growing case for medical marijuana
Should medical cannabis be legalised? It makes sense to the woman with MS who pays £500 a month on it, and the neurologist whose patients resort to street drugs
Is it safe to take magic mushrooms?
Psilocybin mushrooms have been found to have minimal harmful effects and could potentially benefit those with depression. But they remain illegal, and there is a big risk if you eat the wrong type
‘I knew they were sugar pills but I felt fantastic’ – the rise of open-label placebos
IBS patient Linda Buonanno knew the pills she was given contained no active drugs, yet they had an immediate effect on her condition. So can placebos play a useful medical role?
More middle-aged men taking steroids to look younger
Experts warn about growing number of men in their 40s and 50s taking drugs to fight signs of ageing and boost sex drive
I have vulvodynia – but countless gynaecologists dismissed my agony
Statistics say that one in six women will contract this painful condition. So why did it take years and endless misdiagnoses before I was properly treated?
Breaking the pain barrier: safe ways to manage chronic agony
Long-term pain is estimated to affect up to 28 million people in the UK, but with the safety of commonly used painkillers under scrutiny, what other measures are effective?
Pregnancy test’s alleged link to birth defects to be reviewed by UK regulator
Watchdog to examine new files found by campaigners while Primodos maker Bayer denies it caused abnormalities
Breaking bad: how to prevent and treat osteoporosis
Patients with weak and fragile bones are often given drugs called bisphosphonates, but new research has raised questions about their use. So what is the best treatment – and how can you keep bones strong?
Never Enough by Barney Hoskyns; The Ice Age by Luke Williams; A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman – review
Three vivid memoirs reveal the horrific pull – and possible benefits – of illicit substances
A cure for all ills: what medical advances can we expect in 2017?
Miracles may not exist, but this year could see some key scientific breakthroughs. From dementia and zika to pain relief and customised drugs, here’s a look at what we may hear about this year
A new year that changed me: realising I wanted to live, and giving up heroin
The New Year’s Eve I spent with my family when I was a junkie was horrific. But their contempt for the state I was in helped me to finally change
What should I take paracetamol for?
The drug has no measurable effect on acute back pain, according to a new study – so what should you be using it to treat?