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The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), emphasising on the recruitment and retention of NHS pharmacists. It has urged the PRB to help the NHS achieve two important objectives - ensuring that pharmacists can achieve well-rewarded and the service is viewed as an a ppealing alternative by student pharmacists. The PDA suggested that for the NHS to remain competitive, the PRB should focus its pay approach on employees within Bands 5-8 this year. It recognised that the last recommendation from the PRB was a "flat rate increase" and it left those working in the above-mentioned bands feeling "unhappy", which led to the CSP taking strike action over pay for the first time in their history.

The government will on Thursday launch a drive to boost childhood vaccination rates, health authorities said, seeking an "urgent reversal" to a fall in uptake as the country faces a worsening measles outbreak. Routine childhood immunisations in Britain for diseases including measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria and polio, have been falling gradually over the past decade, but dipped more sharply after the Covid-19 pandemic, mirroring a global decline. Last year UNICEF said people worldwide had lost confidence in the importance of routine childhood vaccines during the pandemic, with misinformation, dwindling trust in governments and political polarisation contributing to rising hesitancy. Britons will begin seeing adverts from next week across various media, including a television campaign featuring children reminding parents of the risk of missing out on vaccinations, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. "We need an urgent reversal of the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations to protect our communities," UKHSA chief executive Jenny Harries said in a statement.

Covid-19 vaccine maker Novavax on Wednesday said it expects revenue this year to be flat or lower as it works to improve its commercial performance and pick up market share from much larger rivals, Pfizer and Moderna. The company posted a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss as revenue lagged analysts' estimates. Chief executive John Jacobs said Novavax claimed just a low-single-digit percentage market share in the US during the most recent vaccination campaign, as demand for Covid vaccines was smaller than hoped and the company got its protein-based shot to market later than its messenger RNA-based rivals. "We were disappointed with that US performance," Jacobs said in an interview. He said the company's sales force was not targeted enough toward retail pharmacy chains, and that its 5-dose vials were not as convenient for use as rivals' pre-filled syringes.

Britain's antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday announced that it is investigating the acquisition of LloydsDirect by Pharmacy2U last year, and has launched its first phase of the merger inquiry. The completed deal between two of the UK's foremost online pharmacies was announced in a joint statement issued on 9 October, confirming that they would operate as Pharmacy2U. Commenting on the purchase, Kevin Heath, CEO of Pharmacy2U, then said: "Combining the best of both of our businesses, we can provide patients with greater access and convenience." The regulator is considering "whether it is or may be the case that this merger has resulted in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation has resulted, or may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services."

The drop in vaccination rates is believed to be driving a surge in measles cases in England, mainly in the West Midlands. As of 18 January, 216 confirmed cases and 103 probable cases have been reported in the region since 1 October 2023, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed. The majority of cases (around 80 per cent) were from Birmingham, with children aged under 10 years being infected the most. UKHSA Chief Executive, Professor Dame Jenny Harries has warned that the outbreak could spread further to other towns and cities if urgent action is not taken to increase Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake in areas at greatest risk.

NHS England is encouraging people to get their flu and Covid vaccines as hospitals dealt with the highest number of norovirus and flu cases this winter. An average of 688 patients with norovirus were in hospital each day last week, 75 per cent higher than the same time last year (393), according to the latest data from NHS England. The data also showed an average of 2,226 patients with flu in hospital each day last week, which is three-quarters higher than the same week last January (1,290). Compared to last month, there has been an 80 per cent increase in the daily count of norovirus cases and 70 per cent in flu cases. In the week ending Dec 31, NHSE recorded 1,312 hospital admissions due to norovirus and 376 and 1,312 flu cases each day.

Almost all community pharmacies in the West Midlands and East Midlands have begun treating people for seven common conditions, as part of the newly launched Pharmacy First scheme. NHS England on Sunday (4 February) revealed that more than 95 per cent of community pharmacies in the West Midlands (1130) and over 97 per cent in the East Midlands (840) have joined the ground-breaking initiative. The scheme allows highly trained pharmacists to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) without the need for an appointment or prescription. With this major expansion of pharmacy services, the health service is aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year, while making it easier and more convenient for people to access care.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has confirmed that City Pharmacy in Portsmouth, Hampshire has been purchased by the existing regional operator, JCL (U.K.) LTD - Lalys Pharmacy. Nyewood Healthcare, which owned the community pharmacy for over 25 years, decided to sell the business to concentrate on their two remaining pharmacies in West Sussex, the broker said. Located on a busy parade in the North End area of Portsmouth, City Pharmacy dispenses an average of 6,900 items per month, it added. Following a freehold sale, the business has been acquired by Lalys Pharmacy, which already has multiple other pharmacies in Hampshire, Dorset, and Surrey. Raj Laly, Director at Lalys Pharmacy, commented: "We are delighted to continue the expansion of our group in Portsmouth as we currently operate right across Hampshire, Surrey, and Dorset.

MCAN Health, a medical travel company based in Istanbul-Turkey, has announced its sponsorship of National Pharmacy Association (NPA), a not-for-profit organisation representing independent community pharmacies across the UK. Gulsultan Dogan, the Founder and CEO of MCAN Health, said that their company is dedicated to improving global healthcare accessibility, which aligned perfectly with the NPA's mission to boost community health services in the United Kingdom. On receiving the invitation letter from the NPA, Dogan said: "We did not hesitate to show our support and positively answer the invitation letter. "As a professional in the healthcare sector for years, I firmly believe medical care is a human right that should be accessible to everyone without enduring lengthy waiting lists."

Jackie Giltrow and Jose Moss have been appointed as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety group, respectively, bringing with them a wealth of experience and expertise in pharmacy practice. Supported by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and hosted by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the CPPSG serves as a collaborative platform for large community pharmacy organisations to openly share and learn from each other's experiences. A CPPSG Chair now, Jackie Giltrow, Clinical Governance Lead at Paydens Limited is a seasoned pharmacist and expert in risk management and patient safety. With nine years of experience as a member of the CPPSG, Giltrow's appointment represents a continuation of her longstanding dedication to advancing patient safety initiatives within community pharmacy settings.

In a strategic move to enhance healthcare delivery, the NHS has announced plans to intensify the utilisation of virtual wards under the the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan. The NHS virtual wards are aimed to reduce avoidable hospital admissions across England. This follows a comprehensive analysis revealing significant benefits from virtual wards over the past year. "Virtual wards offer a transformative approach to healthcare delivery, allowing patients to receive medical care from the comfort of their own homes," remarked NHS national director for urgent and emergency care, Sarah-Jane Marsh. "This initiative not only reduces the burden on hospital resources but also ensures that patients receive timely and personalised care."

A Lake District pharmacy is grappling with significant medication supply issues, affecting its ability to provide essential drugs to customers amidst nationwide drug shortages. According to Simon Butterworth, whose family has operated Collins & Butterworth Pharmacy in Hawkshead for nearly 40 years, voiced his concerns to the ITV stating that the staff is "having to spend time hunting for (medications), looking for it or doing our best to find ways to solve that problem" for distressed patients. "They've got to know when they can get the medications they need," he added. Butterworth also highlighted the financial strain pharmacies face due to the NHS's fixed tariff system. "Certain items are actually costing more to buy than we get paid for them by the NHS. An item we were trying to get this morning was 250 per cent higher than the tariff price, which is significant and builds up over lots of items," he explained.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the results of the 2024 elections for its three national Pharmacy Boards. For the English Pharmacy Board, the newly elected members include Claire Anderson, Martin Astbury, Steve Churton, Ciara Duffy, Sue Ladds, Mike Maguire, Tase Oputu and Ankish Patel. Matthew Prior has been elected for a period of one year to fill the casual vacancy on the Board. Seven candidates have been elected unopposed to the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board. They include: Jonathan Burton, Lucy Dixon, Laura Fulton, Catriona Sinclair, Amina Slimani-Fersia, Richard Strang and Audrey Thompson. Only seven nominations were received for the eight substantive vacancies on the board. Helen Davies has been elected to the RPS Welsh Pharmacy Board to represent the Primary Care sector. Meanwhile, Rafia Jamil and Geraldine McCaffrey have been elected unopposed to fill the two vacancies in the Hospital sector.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) views the COVID vaccination programme as broadly successful, largely due to the efforts of healthcare workers and volunteers. However, it cited some areas that could be improved, notably the early involvement of community pharmacies in planning, operational challenges, and recognising the role of community pharmacy in addressing vaccine hesitancy and inequalities. Submitting its evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry, the NPA highlighted that the community pharmacy should have been consulted and involved earlier in the planning process, considering their two years of experience and expertise in administering annual influenza vaccination programs and the reach and resources of the 14,000 community pharmacies across the UK. "Instead, community pharmacy was initially given a gap in service role, which failed to fully utilize their experience, expertise and resource," Lawyer Brian Stanton told the Inquiry on behalf of the NPA during the Module 4 Preliminary Hearing on 22 May.

Amid the rapid rise in semaglutide usage, a study has suggested a potential risk of a rare eye condition associated with the weight loss drug. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), is available under the brand name Ozempic (by Novo Nordisk) in a lower-dose form for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and as Wegovy (also by Novo Nordisk) in a higher-dose form for weight management in patients with high body mass indexes. Anecdotal evidence has indicated that semaglutide might be linked to nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). To investigate this potential connection, researchers in the United States analysed data over a six-year period from nearly 17,000 neuro-ophthalmology patients at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, all of whom had no prior history of NAION.

NHS England has confirmed the initial sites that will test and implement Martha's Rule in the first phase of the programme. This follows the announcement in February regarding NHSE funding for the major patient safety initiative for this financial year. The scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died from sepsis at the age of 13 in 2021. She had been treated at King's College Hospital, London, where a failure to escalate her to intensive care and a lack of response to her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition contributed to her death. Martha's Rule aims to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one's condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to. NHS England on Monday (27 May) announced that the scheme will be implemented at 143 hospital sites across the country by March 2025.

Parents are advised to check their children's hair often as cases of head lice infestations are increasing in the UK amid rising temperatures. Superdrug has reported a significant 121 per cent surge in sales of its head lice treatment spray, according to Wales Online. The high-street chemist explains that head lice are particularly prevalent during this time of year as the warmer weather triggers infestations. Head lice and nits (head lice eggs) are very common in young children and are picked up by head-to-head contact. The pesky insects make your head feel itchy. The National Health Service (NHS) recommends taking immediate action against head lice as soon as they are detected. It is not necessary to see a GP for head lice treatment.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced adjustments to the reimbursement rates for several Aptamil products dispensed earlier this year, following a pricing error that left pharmacies out of pocket. The changes, which apply to products dispensed between January and April 2024, come after Community Pharmacy England (CPE) raised concerns about discrepancies in the pricing data used by the NHS. The issue stemmed from recent price increases by Nutricia Ltd, the manufacturer of Aptamil, which were not reflected in the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d). To address the shortfall, the DHSC has retrospectively increased the reimbursement prices for the following Aptamil products: - Aptamil Anti-Reflux powder (800g): From £14.29 to £16.08 - Aptamil Comfort milk (800g): From £14.29 to £16.08 - Aptamil First milk powder (200ml): From £0.92 to £1.06 - Aptamil Follow On milk (200ml): From £0.92 to £1.06 - Aptamil Lactose Free powder (400g): From £7.70 to £8.39 These changes, effective from January 2024, are intended to ensure that pharmacies are appropriately reimbursed for the cost of these products.

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust (LTCT) is set to provide financial aid for the families of those working in the convenience, grocery, and pharmacy trades starting next month. In an announcement, the Trust shared that the applications for the academic year 2024/25 for undergraduate bursaries will start from August 1 till October 15. LTCT bursary schemes are intended for university students whose parent or carer is "employed in an eligible profession, such as convenience retailer, supermarket store worker, or pharmacy technician". According to the charity's bursary scheme, successful applicants can receive up to £3,000, which can be put towards tuition fees, course materials, equipments, or even travel costs. "With the charity's core belief that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their academic potential", LTCT believes. The bursary scheme will help alleviate some of the financial pressure on students interested in pursuing higher education and their parents. In 2024, the total number of bursaries awarded since the scheme launched is expected to exceed 5,000, totalling £28million worth of financial aid.

"Only around half of ICSs have a Chief Pharmacist," indicating a significant gap in leadership that hampers the pharmacy sector's ability to influence critical healthcare decision, a report on medicine optimisation by the Public Policy Projects (PPP) highlights. In PPP's latest report, a notable concern highlighted is the inadequate representation of pharmacy leadership within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) despite the role of pharmacy being "central in the delivery of system priorities, with pivotal roles in improving population health and tackling inequalities". In recent years, the role of pharmacy within the NHS has evolved significantly with recent developments including Pharmacy First Services and legislative amendments that allows pharmacy technicians under PGDs to administer and supply medicines.