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Paclitaxel is a taxane chemotherapy that interferes with cancer-cell division. Depending on the formulation, it is used alone or with other anticancer treatments for certain breast, ovarian, lung, pancreatic and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma indications.
Paclitaxel albumin is a taxane chemotherapy in which paclitaxel is carried in tiny albumin-bound particles. In adults, it is licensed for particular settings of metastatic breast cancer, metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer.
Palbociclib is a targeted anticancer treatment that blocks proteins involved in cell division. It is usually combined with hormonal treatment for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that is locally advanced or metastatic.
Paliperidone is a second-generation antipsychotic and the main active metabolite of risperidone. It is used for schizophrenia; prolonged-release tablets also have a role in schizoaffective disorder, and a long-acting injection is available for maintenance treatment in suitable adults.
A long-acting antipsychotic injection converted in the body to paliperidone. It is used to maintain symptom control in adults with schizophrenia who have responded to paliperidone or risperidone.
Palivizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody that provides temporary passive protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It is licensed to prevent serious RSV lower respiratory tract disease requiring hospitalisation in certain high-risk young children. Longer-acting antibodies now usually serve the UK high-risk infant programme.
Palonosetron hydrochloride is an anti-sickness treatment that blocks serotonin signals involved in nausea and vomiting. The selected injection helps prevent sickness caused by certain cancer chemotherapy in adults and children aged at least one month.
Palopegteriparatide is a long-acting parathyroid hormone replacement for adults with chronic hypoparathyroidism. It releases active parathyroid hormone to help regulate calcium and phosphate.
Pamidronate disodium is an intravenous bisphosphonate that slows excessive bone breakdown. It is used for high blood calcium caused by tumours, selected cancer-related bone complications and Paget’s disease of bone.
Pancreatin is a porcine-derived mixture of lipase, amylase and protease. It replaces digestive enzymes when the pancreas does not make or deliver enough, helping digest and absorb fat, starch and protein.
Panitumumab is a targeted monoclonal antibody for adults with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer. It may be used alone or with specified chemotherapy, depending on previous treatment.
Panobinostat is an oral anticancer histone deacetylase inhibitor. It is licensed with bortezomib and dexamethasone for adults with previously treated relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate is a proton pump inhibitor that reduces stomach acid. It is used for acid-related disorders, including reflux oesophagitis and peptic ulcers.
Para-aminosalicylic acid is an antimycobacterial treatment used by specialist tuberculosis teams. It is used with other treatments for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis when an effective combination cannot otherwise be formed because of resistance or poor tolerability.
Paracetamol is a painkiller and fever-reducing medicine for adults and children. It treats mild to moderate pain and high temperature but not the underlying cause.
Combines paracetamol for pain and fever with phenylephrine, an oral decongestant. Selected UK products provide short-term relief of cold and flu symptoms, including aches, headache, sore throat, fever and nasal congestion.
Combines paracetamol for pain and fever with pseudoephedrine, an oral decongestant. Selected products are licensed for temporary relief of nasal or sinus congestion with symptoms such as headache, aches, pain or fever.
Combines two pain-relieving substances that work differently. The selected UK product is licensed for moderate to severe pain when both components are considered necessary.
Parathyroid hormone is a laboratory-made copy of the natural hormone that regulates calcium and phosphate. Natpar was used alongside calcium and vitamin D for selected adults with chronic hypoparathyroidism that standard treatment could not adequately control. Its UK marketing authorisation was withdrawn on 1 July 2026.
Parecoxib is an injectable NSAID that selectively inhibits COX-2 after conversion to valdecoxib. In the UK, it is licensed for postoperative pain in adults.
Parecoxib sodium is an injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) converted in the body to the selective COX-2 inhibitor valdecoxib. It is used in adults for short-term relief of pain after an operation.
Paricalcitol is a synthetic active vitamin D analogue used to control excess parathyroid hormone in chronic kidney disease. It helps manage associated mineral and bone disorder.
Paroxetine is a prescription antidepressant in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It is used for depression and several anxiety-related conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Paroxetine hydrochloride anhydrous is the active ingredient in an SSRI antidepressant. It is licensed for depression and several anxiety-related conditions in adults.
Paroxetine hydrochloride hemihydrate provides paroxetine, a prescription selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. It is licensed for depression and several anxiety-related conditions.
Pasireotide diaspartate is an injectable somatostatin analogue that reduces excess pituitary hormone release. It is used for adults with Cushing’s disease when surgery is unsuitable or has not worked.
Pasireotide pamoate is a long-acting somatostatin analogue given by deep injection into a buttock muscle. It is used in adults with Cushing’s disease or acromegaly in defined situations where surgery is unsuitable or unsuccessful; acromegaly must also be inadequately controlled by another somatostatin analogue.
Patiromer sorbitex calcium is a non-absorbed potassium binder used to treat high blood potassium. It removes potassium through the bowel and is intended for ongoing control rather than emergency correction.
Patisiran sodium is a small interfering RNA treatment that reduces production of transthyretin protein in the liver. It is used for adults with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis affecting the nerves.
Pazopanib is an oral targeted cancer treatment called a protein kinase inhibitor. It is licensed in adults for advanced renal cell carcinoma and selected advanced soft-tissue sarcomas in defined settings.
Pazopanib hydrochloride is an oral targeted anticancer treatment called a multikinase inhibitor. It is used in adults with advanced kidney cancer and selected advanced soft-tissue sarcomas.
Pegaspargase is an enzyme-based cancer treatment used for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). It is given with other anticancer treatments to adults and children, including babies.
Pegcetacoplan is a complement inhibitor given by infusion under the skin. In the UK, it is used for haemolytic anaemia caused by paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), and for specified complement-mediated kidney diseases.
Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that helps bone marrow produce and release neutrophils. It is used in adults receiving certain cancer chemotherapy to shorten neutropenia and reduce febrile neutropenia.
Peginterferon alfa-2a is a long-acting interferon given by injection. It is licensed for polycythaemia vera, essential thrombocythaemia and selected people with chronic hepatitis B or C.
Peginterferon beta-1a is a long-acting interferon beta treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in adults. It aims to reduce inflammatory disease activity; it does not cure MS or repair existing nerve damage.
Pegunigalsidase alfa is an enzyme replacement therapy for adults with confirmed Fabry disease. It replaces deficient alpha-galactosidase A, helping reduce the build-up of fatty substances within cells.
Pegvisomant is a growth hormone receptor antagonist used to control acromegaly in adults. It is usually considered when surgery or radiotherapy has not controlled the condition and somatostatin analogue treatment has been ineffective or not tolerated.
Pegzilarginase is a modified recombinant human arginase enzyme used to treat arginase 1 deficiency, also called hyperargininaemia. It lowers excess arginine and is used alongside individualised dietary and other disease management.
An oral herbal preparation containing a dry extract of Pelargonium root from one or both named species. It is registered to relieve common-cold symptoms such as cough, sore throat and a blocked or runny nose, based on traditional use rather than demonstrated clinical effectiveness.
Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody and immune checkpoint inhibitor used to treat several cancers. It may be used alone or alongside other cancer treatments, depending on the cancer type, stage and tumour-test results.
Pemetrexed diarginine is an antifolate chemotherapy given into a vein. It is used in adults with certain non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancers and, with cisplatin, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pemetrexed disodium is an antifolate chemotherapy that interferes with processes cancer cells need to make DNA. In the UK, it is licensed for selected non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancers and, with cisplatin, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pemetrexed disodium hemipentahydrate is a cytotoxic antifolate chemotherapy used in adults for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma and certain locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancers, with cisplatin or alone depending on the treatment setting.
Pemetrexed disodium heptahydrate is an intravenous antifolate chemotherapy that disrupts processes cancer cells need to make DNA. It is licensed for selected non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancers and, with cisplatin, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pemetrexed disodium hydrate is a cytotoxic antifolate that disrupts processes cancer cells need to make DNA. It is used for malignant pleural mesothelioma and selected non-small-cell lung cancers, either alone or with cisplatin depending on the clinical setting.
Pemigatinib is an oral targeted cancer treatment that blocks fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). In the UK, it is licensed for certain adults with advanced bile duct cancer whose tumour has an FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement and has progressed after previous systemic treatment.
Penicillamine is a chelating agent and disease-modifying antirheumatic treatment. It is mainly used to remove excess copper or lead, reduce cystine stone formation, or treat severe active rheumatoid arthritis when other treatment has not worked.
Pentamidine isetionate is an antiparasitic treatment used for several serious infections. Its main roles include preventing or treating Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and treating leishmaniasis or early-stage West African sleeping sickness.
Pentostatin is a purine-analogue anticancer treatment that inhibits adenosine deaminase. In the UK, it is licensed as single-agent treatment for adults with hairy cell leukaemia.
Perindopril erbumine is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It lowers blood pressure and can reduce further cardiac events in certain people with stable coronary artery disease.
Phenoxymethylpenicillin potassium, also called penicillin V, is an oral penicillin antibiotic. It treats selected bacterial infections and can prevent certain infections in people at increased risk. It does not treat viral infections.
Phentolamine mesilate is a short-acting alpha blocker that relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. In the UK, this injection is used in hospital for sudden hypertension associated with phaeochromocytoma around surgery and, when better tests are unavailable or inconclusive, as a diagnostic test.
Pirtobrutinib is an oral targeted cancer treatment called a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In adults, it is used alone for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and for previously treated mantle cell lymphoma in specified circumstances.
An inactivated bacterial vaccine that helps the immune system recognise selected types of Streptococcus pneumoniae. It reduces the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia; selected products also prevent pneumococcal acute otitis media in children.
An inactivated conjugate vaccine that helps the immune system recognise selected types of Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is licensed to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in adults and eligible children and adolescents who have completed primary pneumococcal vaccination.
Prednisolone is a prescription corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and suppresses excessive immune activity. It controls symptoms in many inflammatory, allergic, autoimmune and other steroid-responsive conditions but usually does not cure the underlying condition.
Prednisolone sodium metasulphobenzoate is a corticosteroid for rectal use. It acts mainly on the inflamed lining of the rectum and lower bowel to treat ulcerative colitis; the foam is also licensed for proctitis.
Promethazine hydrochloride is a sedating antihistamine with anti-sickness, anticholinergic and calming effects. Selected UK products are licensed for allergies, nausea or vomiting, temporary sleep disturbance and sedation in specific clinical settings.
Propranolol hydrochloride is a prescription-only, non-selective beta blocker. It treats several heart and circulation conditions and can prevent migraine and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, tremor and excess thyroid hormone.