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Paydens Pharmacy Group, one of the first multiple pharmacies to adopt hub and spoke model last year, revealed that the move has resulted in significant time savings in store. Centralising dispensing of repeat prescriptions relieves pressure in pharmacy branches and releases time to deliver revenue generating services, the group said. The group created a hub in Maidstone, Kent, to service its highest dispensing branches. The hub uses Centred Solution's FLOWRx Hub Auto to dispense their original pack repeat prescriptions. The group put in the first FLOWRx Hub production line in spring 2022 and then added in a second line in the autumn as they increased production and moved more stores to the hub and spoke model. The innovative solution interfaces with EMIS PMR, Omnicell's Robotic Dispensing System and Universal Logistics Management software as well as Victoria OS ordering software. The hub operation runs during the day Monday to Friday and produces an average of 33,289 packs per week for just under 9,000 patients, leaving plenty of scope to ramp up. The hub is currently dispensing 79.7% of repeat prescription original packs requested by the group's busiest stores.

The UK GDP Association has been established as a non-profit organisation, operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), with a focus on providing a broader support network, particularly for small and medium business enterprises and pharmacy wholesalers. In addition to delivering commercially viable Good Distribution Practice (GDP) consultancy services for simple models with smaller budgets, the association aims to function as a networking platform for Responsible Persons in the UK. As members of the association, companies and individuals can gain multiple benefits that will add value to their business through access to knowledge, discounted training, consultancy services, audit and inspection support, as well as resources like document templates for risk assessments, CAPA, deviations, and more. Moreover, members can enjoy the benefit of a like-minded support network via a dedicated GDP community hub, providing a platform for discussions, seeking advice, and fostering new relationships. "Our mission is to ensure that patient safety, GDP compliance, and excellent quality is paramount in all organisations, regardless of budget," the company said.

"If the Government does not support community pharmacies with the relevant funding, then we will see a massive number of closures," warns Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA). The Fight4Pharmacies campaign, led by the IPA, is urging prime minister Rishi Sunak to address a critical £1.2 billion funding shortfall that threatens the survival of independent pharmacies across the UK. This urgent plea comes as 1,000 community pharmacies have closed since 2019 due to rising operational costs and insufficient reimbursements. On May 21, supporters of the Fight4Pharmacies campaign, along with 50 MPs including prominent figures like Priti Patel and Gavin Williamson, delivered a petition to Downing Street. The petition, Prescription to Save Our Pharmacies outlines how independent community pharmacies can be supported to ensure smooth running of pharmacies.

Research shows that attitude and communication skills of the person delivering the bad news are important in determining the nature of a family's grieving process, and in their ability to cope and recover.

Liposomal CBD Colorado Hemp Oil delivers a nanoemulsified oil that is 40% CBD. The nanoemulsified is formatted for ultimate bioavailability, delivering biologically active substances directly to lymphatic circulation and improving cellular delivery.

Ultra K2-D3 is a cinnamon flavored tablet and can be chewed or swallowed. If 2 tablets are taken each day, this delivers 160 mcg of K2 and 4000 IU of vitamin D3, which is thought to be a physiologic dose.

Now is the best time for community pharmacy to integrate its model of NHS representation and support to ensure better outcomes for contractors, said James Wood, director of Contractor & LPC Support, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). It is important for the sector to adapt to the new landscape and address challenges such as workforce, digital data, integration of pharmacy services, and medicines optimisation, he said during the first session of the sixth annual Pharmacy Business Conference held online on Tuesday, September 21. Under the new system, every part of England will be covered by integrated care systems (ICSs) from April 2022. ICSs have been created to bring about big changes in how health and care services in England are planned, paid for and delivered. They are a key part of the direction of travel for the NHS as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Medical doctor (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are two different entities that work with the same mission but different approaches, as DO goes with a holistic approach for treatment. QPP MIPS, being an incentive payment program, allows them both to deliver quality healthcare to patients. However, there are a few commonly used MIPS Quality Measures that both doctors can use and register their value-based care. Last year, the condition was a little different with MIPS data submission, but for MIPS 2021, the requirements are seen to be a bit flexible, and the corona pandemic is the reason for that. From Advance Care Plan to the MIPS Quality Measures, associated with the common illnesses and conditions, eligible clinicians have to check which measures are most suitable for their practice. An easy way to go through the process of MIPS 2021 reporting is to find a MIPS Qualified Registry. They have the resources and the trained MIPS consultants to help you meet your objectives.

Medical doctor (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are two different entities that work with the same mission but different approaches, as DO goes with a holistic approach for treatment. QPP MIPS, being an incentive payment program, allows them both to deliver quality healthcare to patients.

The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) celebrated achievements of its members during the pandemic at its first annual 'ball and award' ceremony held last week in London. To highlight the important role played by pharmacy teams, the association representing community pharmacy businesses with multiple branches, introduced two award categories - for patient safety and social care. Stephen Walls from H I Weldricks won the Patient Safety Awards and Sandeep Dhami, Nadia Hussain and Sachin Basandrai from MW Phillips won the Social Care Award. Congratulating the winners, Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of AIMp, said that community pharmacy teams "have worked tirelessly to deliver patient care throughout the pandemic." David McNicol, head of sales at AAH Pharmaceuticals, noted that the country and community pharmacy witnessed the toughest 18 months, and the gathering provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing challenges.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published a new strategy pledging to deliver equality, improve diversity and foster inclusion in all aspects of its work. The strategy was updated after a public consultation held between April and July. It's key themes are: To make regulatory decisions that are demonstrably fair, lawful, and free from discrimination and bias. To use our standards to proactively help tackle discrimination and to make sure everyone can access person-centred care, fostering equality of health outcomes.To lead by example and demonstrate best practice within our organisation, holding ourselves to the same high standards we expect of others. GPhC chair Nigel Clarke said having a strategy is vital as the pandemic has exposed "the scope and scale of inequities in society, in healthcare outcomes and in pharmacy." "Inequality and exclusion are bad for people's health. Therefore, this strategy is fundamental to our core purpose as a regulator and our vision for safe and effective pharmacy care at the heart of healthier communities."

US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on Friday (November 12) announced plans to break up into two listed companies, separating its consumer health arm that sells Band-Aids and Tylenol from its pharmaceutical division. Johnson & Johnson said in a statement it will create "two global leaders that are better positioned to deliver improved health outcomes for patients and consumers through innovation." It plans to complete the separation in 18-24 months, creating two publicly traded companies. CEO Alex Gorsky said the decision was made following a "comprehensive review." The board and management believe the split is "the best way to accelerate our efforts to serve patients, consumers, and healthcare professionals, create opportunities for our talented global team, drive profitable growth, and -- most importantly -improve healthcare outcomes for people around the world," he said.

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a proposal from Brussels to ensure the continued supply of medicines from Britain to Northern Ireland - an issue that had dogged the bloc since London left it. "Great news from the @Europarl_EN today with the overwhelmingly positive vote to ensure the continued supply of medicines to Northern Ireland," tweeted Maros Sefcovic, European Commission vice president who had been leading discussions with London. "The EU is delivering on this lasting solution for Northern Ireland in record time," he added, though the EU Council must give final approval. Britain itself has yet to give formal approval on a move that would avoid potential disruption of supplies as London wants an overall accord for matters pertaining to the Northern Ireland protocol governing post-Brexit trade.

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline beat first-quarter sales and earnings forecasts on Wednesday (April 27), helped by demand for its Covid-19 therapy and shingles vaccine, as the company moves towards the July separation of its consumer health business. Profit after tax jumped 68 percent to £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion, 2.1 billion euros) compared with the start of 2021. Sales climbed 32 percent to almost £9.8 billion. "We have delivered strong first-quarter results in this landmark year for GSK, as we separate consumer healthcare and start a new period of sustained growth," chief executive Emma Walmsley said in the earnings statement. "Our results reflect further good momentum across speciality medicines and vaccines, including the return to strong sales growth for Shingrix and continuing pipeline progress." The shingles vaccine generated £698 million in quarterly sales, beating analyst estimates of 528 million. Walmsley is seeking to reshape GSK after facing fierce investor criticism over the company's delay in producing Covid jabs and treatments.

National Pharmacy Association (NPA) urged the NHS England to make local impact assessment a key requirement prior to any recruitment into Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), to help tackle workforce crisis. With inputs from LPCs, PCNs and CCGs should consider the impact of the creation of new roles on all health care providers in the area and on their ability to deliver their objectives on behalf of the NHS, it said. The NPA believes that creation of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) programme is impacting community pharmacy services in some areas and contributing to the ongoing workforce shortage. In a letter addressed to Ed Waller, director of Primary Care for NHS England, NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette highlighted the challenges emerged following a shortage of pharmacists and other members of staff.

American global healthcare company, Viatris, has launched a new rapid self-test for qualitative detection of antibodies developed after Covid-19 vaccinations. The firm is going to market the Covid-19 Neutralising IgG Serological self-test, manufactured by PRIMA Lab SA, in the UK market, which would check presence of neutralising antibodies after vaccination. The presence of antibodies indicates that a person has had an immune response to the Covid-19 vaccine, and not that protective immunity has been acquired. The self-test that can be performed easily at home with a small blood sample, delivers results in just 10 minutes and has a recommended retail price of sub £20. After two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, the self-test has shown a seroconversion rate of 98.3 per cent for the Pfizer vaccine, 98.5 per cent for the AstraZeneca vaccine and 95.2 per cent for the Moderna vaccine. It recommended that the test be performed at least 14 days after completing the vaccination cycle.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday (January 19) that restrictions re-imposed in England last month would be lifted by from next Thursday (January 27). In the latest development, the government has decided to end the guidance on working from home, asking employers to make adequate arrangements to return safely to work. From the start of next Thursday, mandatory certification based on vaccines and tests will end, however, organisations can still choose to use the NHS Covid Pass voluntarily. Besides, the legal mandate to wear face masks will go away from next week. Making a statement to the House of Commons on Covid-19, he said that infection levels are falling in England mainly because of the country's "extraordinary booster campaign". He noted more than 36 million Covid-19 booster jabs had been delivered, with over 90 percent of over-60s now given a third dose. "Our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally," Johnson added, while cautioning "the pandemic is not over". "I encourage everyone across the country to continue with all the cautious behaviours that we know help to keep each everybody safe."

The Pharmacy Collect team is now in position to supply additional stocks of lateral flow device (LFD) test kits to pharmacies that are still experiencing higher demand, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update. The team has informed the negotiator that LFD orders in some locations have reduced allowing them to work with Alliance Healthcare to facilitate extra deliveries. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is continuing to deliver LFD stocks to Alliance Healthcare for onward delivery to pharmacies, distributed over 14.5 million tests to the company last week. Community pharmacy contractors can seek up to three additional cartons of test kits by emailing the Pharmacy Collect team. This will be in addition to one carton daily order that contractors are allowed to get through Alliance Healthcare.

Britain on Monday (January 10) put the biggest private health companies on high alert to deliver crucial treatments such as cancer surgery should Omicron overwhelm National Health Service hospitals in England. The United Kingdom's death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic stands at 150,154, the world's seventh worst official Covid toll after the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru. Prime minister Boris Johnson has bet on refraining from lockdowns to deal with the Omicron variant which in recent weeks has swept across the UK, albeit with death rates significantly lower than previous waves. In a sign of just how stretched the NHS could become, health secretary Sajid Javid ordered England's NHS to strike a three-month deal with private health companies to allow patients to get treatments such as cancer surgery outside. "Millions of patients have already got their tests and treatment quicker thanks to our existing deal with independent providers," said David Sloman, NHS England chief operating officer and Covid incident director.

Bas Vorsteveld, who was made vice president and general manager for Great Britain & Ireland (GBI) in November last year, is joined by Monica Michalopoulou as GBI marketing director and Onyeka Anugwom as GBI commercial excellence director GSK Consumer Healthcare. He took over from Jonathan Workman, who held the position from 2018, and has now moved into the role of Business Unit general manager for Northern Europe. Vorsteveld, who has 15 years' industry experience, played at major part in the merger of Novartis and GSK consumer healthcare businesses. Most recently, he held the role of VP & head of commercial excellence EMEA LATAM at GSK Consumer Healthcare, where he spearheaded international sustainability initiatives. Commenting on his new role, Vorsteveld said: "I am incredibly honoured to have been a part of GSK Consumer Healthcare's journey to date and it is our collective ambition to deliver better everyday health with humanity for our customers, with a laser focus on 'self-care'. "The recent pandemic has shown us that healthcare matters more now than ever before for our consumers. We want to redefine the role that self-care plays in people's lives, because it can bring long-term benefits for individuals and society, and is a key component of a sustainable healthcare system.

Hundreds of children in England are set to benefit from a treatment for cystic fibrosis - Kaftrio, after the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed an extension to its licence. With the licence extension, more than 1,300 children in England with cystic fibrosis, aged six to 11, are newly eligible for this treatment, which improves lung function and improves overall quality of life of patients. Earlier, Kaftrio was only licensed for those aged 12 and above. British patients were the first in Europe to benefit from Kaftrio, when NHS England secured a landmark deal in June 2020. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "Since NHS staff delivered one of the fastest rollouts of Kaftrio in the world just over a year ago, the lives of thousands of patients with cystic fibrosis have been transformed. "Innovative treatments like Kaftrio are life-changing for patients and their families, and that is why the NHS has done all it can since we secured the deal for Kaftrio to ensure patients benefit as soon as possible.