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Online pharmacy Pharmacy2U, acquires LloydsDirect in a merger for a single digital-first pharmacy. The companies issued a statement on 9 October and confirmed that they would operate as Pharmacy2U. It would also have a total of 1.4 million EPS nominations, as confirmed by NHS recent data. They are planning to enhance patient accessibility to online pharmacy and healthcare services through their combined services. Kevin Heath, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacy2U, said: "We are delighted to welcome the LloydsDirect team into the Pharmacy2U family. Combining the best of both of our businesses, we can provide patients with greater access and convenience.

Digital pharmacy app Charac has raised over £1 million in debt and equity, bringing total funding to date for the London-based startup to £2.5m. Pharmacy Business understands while the majority of the new finance, worth about £1.2 million, comes from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) coffer, the remainder is put forward by a number of individual pharmacy businesses. The pharmacy sector is in a state of crisis, experiencing nearly two closures per week over the past two years, Charac said in a statement. According to data from the NHS Business Services Authority, there are now only 11,026 community pharmacies in England, the lowest number since 2015. The current crisis is attributed to escalating operational costs, a shortage of staff, and diminished government financial support.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has taken an interesting step to increase public awareness and understanding of the Pharmacy First service. The organisation has launched a new video animation that provides clear and concise information about the service, highlighting the seven conditions covered, the eligible age ranges within the clinical pathways consultations, and explaining how patients can access these services. Pharmacy owners and their teams are encouraged to use the new animation with existing resources to communicate the benefits and scope of the service to their  patients. The animation can be linked to pharmacy social media content and downloaded for display on digital screens in pharmacies. General practices are also encouraged to use the animation on digital screens in their practice waiting areas.

Acknowledging the ongoing challenges in delivering the required IT systems for the scheduled launch of the Pharmacy First service on January 31, NHS England reported progress in fulfilling 'many' commitments outlined in its plan to enhance primary care access during a board meeting on Thursday. However, it noted that the digital infrastructure supporting Pharmacy First, included in the £645 million fresh funding for community pharmacy, will require additional time for implementation. "Delivery remains challenging due to changes needed in digital infrastructure, and we are working with suppliers to support January implementation," NHSE said. "A public campaign is planned for 2024." The Pharmacy First service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common health conditions (sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women), eliminating the need for a GP visit. Meanwhile, NHSE is leveraging the widespread accessibility of pharmacies by expanding blood pressure monitoring and introducing direct prescribing of clinically safe oral contraceptives-an initiative that has been well-received.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England has published a review of its 10-year Vision for Pharmacy Professional Practice that was launched in December 2022 in collaboration with The King's Fund. The 'one year on' vision report highlighted key milestones achieved in the first 12 months since its publication as well as opportunities for further progress. It identified the publication of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which recognises the significant role that pharmacists play in healthcare and commits to growing and expanding the pharmacy workforce, as one of the positive policy developments made since the launch of the vision. The development of a Vision for Community Pharmacy by Community Pharmacy England, the Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund; work on digital integration to enable community pharmacists to update a clinical record; the launch of Pharmacy First scheme; and the publication of the public consultation of pharmacy supervision were other key milestones mentioned in the report.

Amid media speculations that a large pharmacy multiple was putting all its stores at risk of closure, PSNC supremo Janet Morrison said the sector was in crisis and in danger of a significant collapse. Addressing delegates via a video link at Sigma Pharmaceutical's 13th Annual Community Pharmacy Conference held last week (March 4 -9) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, she said while "a lot of consolidation or sales" would continue, a lot of the smaller, independently-owned community pharmacies - which had to work harder and harder to make ends meet - were just "hanging on in there". "But I don't know how much longer people can go on," she said, adding that the risk of actual closure was rendering the remaining pharmacies so fragile that "they may not be able to pick up the slack of many thousands of patients" who would need repeat prescriptions. "The disruption is frightful and awful. We have got 53 per cent of the population on repeat prescriptions, so that matters." Her comment on the opening day of the conference was a sober reminder that the sector - which relies heavily on income from prescriptions - couldn't afford to "carry on with the current format of a contract and the current amount of money" it was paid to deliver numerous tasks which have been heaped on it to share the burden of a crippling NHS.

More than 80 per cent of pharmacy organisations have received the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) functionality for Real Time Exemption Checking (RTEC). The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has confirmed RTEC has been rolled out gradually, in phases. Contractors first received RTEC for use with processing NHSBSA exemptions. RTEC allows pharmacy teams to digitally check if patients are eligible for free NHS prescriptions because they hold a specific exemption. The rollout of the DWP inclusion in RTEC means patients found to be exempt via RTEC no longer need to complete an exemption declaration on an EPS token, saving time for patients and pharmacy teams. David Broome, a community pharmacy contractor in Leeds and PSNC regional representative said: "The rollout of the DWP for our pharmacy team has been a positive development, helping reduce the amount of paperwork that my team and patients have to deal with and in turn the environmental impact of our operations. Whereas I used to send my paperwork bundle to the NHSBSA in a large box, I now send this in an envelope!" Contractors can access and confirm their acceptance of the RTEC user agreement via the RTEC registration form in the NHSBSA's Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.

Community pharmacists in England have launched a new digital platform called My Local Surgery, enabling patients to access Pharmacy First consultations online. This initiative, a part of the NHS Pharmacy First scheme, facilitates free video consultations for six common conditions, connecting patients with community pharmacists for clinical advice and treatment. The platform, spearheaded by a team of pharmacy, tech, and clinical services experts, including experienced community pharmacists Darren Lingaloo and Gulraj Dhillon, tech specialist Nav Ramiah, and Dr. Adam Kirk, a seasoned NHS and digital healthcare professional, seeks to meet the rising demand for clinical services. Darren Lingaloo, co-founder and chief pharmacist at My Local Surgery, said: "The evolving role of pharmacists is long overdue and has the potential to save millions of GP appointments every year.

Pharmacy owners discussed the key concerns and priorities for the future at the Community Pharmacy England's (CPE) digital briefing event held last week (on 7 May 2024). More than 500 pharmacy owners and their representatives registered for the event, which provided them an opportunity to learn more about the committee's work in key areas and share their views on important issues. Major concerns raised by them included underfunding, dispensing at a loss, and challenges in implementing Pharmacy First. Attendees described the new service as "slow", "challenging" and "underfunded", while also highlighting the importance of improving GPs' understanding of the service.

Phoenix UK has partnered with 2San Global Ltd, a diagnostic and digital tools company, to supply home testing kits to its 5,200 independent pharmacy members through Numark and selected Rowlands Pharmacy branches nationwide. Both Numark and Rowlands Pharmacy are owned by Phoenix. Numark will be the first UK wholesaler to supply 2San's home tests, granting members swift access to these screening products for essential health insights in minutes, all at reasonable prices, the company said in a statement. Numark will offer 10 essential tests to its 5,200 independent pharmacy members from August, while Rowlands Pharmacy will provide a selection of tests in over 380 branches beginning September. This collaboration aligns with Phoenix's goal of improving diagnostic accessibility and easing strain on the NHS.

Community pharmacy chain Jardines Pharmacy has partnered with patient relationship management platform Charac to launch a new app designed to digitalise its services, enhance operational efficiency, and elevate customer satisfaction. The app allows patients to order repeat prescriptions, access medicine home delivery and book consultations with their pharmacist all in one place, enabling faster pharmacist-to-patient care. By incorporating Charac's platform into its business, Jardines is able to boost prescription dispensing efficiency, helping reducing wait times for patients. Additionally, its delivery feature enables patients to track their orders directly through the app, thereby streamlining the overall patient experience. The app also minimises administrative and manual tasks for pharmacists, giving them more time to focus on helping patients and delivering the outstanding customer service. Patients of Jardines can also use the app to book appointments digitally for Pharmacy First consultations, blood pressure checks, earwax removal, travel vaccinations, and emergency contraception services. Santosh Sahu, Founder and CEO of Charac, said: "We are pleased to support Jardines Pharmacy and its patients across England. Our mission is to ensure that community pharmacies are empowered to digitalise, making care easier and more accessible for patients.

In a recent announcement, the British supermarket chain, Asda has launched its first online prescription service becoming the first self-serving shop to offer prescribed medicine supply at the doorsteps through its latest healthcare accessibility venture. The NHS certified online pharmacy service, Asda Online Pharmacy, is set to offer patients a digital platform designed to simplify the prescription process for patients, offering the convenience of online management and home delivery with their partnership with Pharmacy2U. Effective immediately, new patients can register for an account on the platform via pharmacy.asda.com. Once registered, they gain access to a seamless prescription ordering system that facilitates home delivery, along with the ability to monitor the progress of their orders. Prescriptions submitted through Asda Online Pharmacy will undergo rigorous scrutiny by qualified pharmacists before being dispatched directly to patients' doorsteps, all without any additional charges.

MP Steve Brine, the chair of the health and care committee, said that the healthcare in the UK "doesn't work without pharmacy". The inquiry focuses on addressing current issues, particularly around the "funding model, digital infrastructure and workforce recruitment, training and retention." Brine said at the Sigma annual conference on Sunday, that he wants to "focus on the sector", and "drill down into some of the challenges and potential" that lies ahead. "The Health and Social Care Committee, we think about much of our work through the lens of pharmacy, what role it plays, the quality of care that it delivers, and the potential for it to do more," said Brine. He further said that he wants to "build on the groundwork" and to "cover as many of the different pharmacy services within the pharmacy sector as we can, so pharmacy in our communities, in hospitals and general practice".

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.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has awarded Professor Abdul Basit with the RPS Harrison Memorial Medal for an outstanding contribution to advancing pharmaceutical science. Professor Basit graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bath, and received his PhD from The School of Pharmacy, University of London. Currently in position as Professor of Pharmaceutics at the UCL School of Pharmacy, he is internationally recognised for leading in the field of drug delivery, microbiome medicines, three-dimensional printing of pharmaceuticals and digital health. He has also founded three start-up companies. Professor Basit has an impressive track record of publications, and a lifetime grant and investment income of over £100million pounds. His research has led to a series of transformative drug delivery systems, translated into the design of new technologies and improved therapies, many of which have been commercialised and launched worldwide including a new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. To date, more than a million patients have benefited from inventions created and developed in the Basit Research Group.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in collaboration with Health Education England's Centre for Advancing Practice and the Centre for Pharmacy Post Graduate Education (CPPE) will provide a pharmacy-specific professional development pathway for advanced pharmacist practice. Successful completion of the pathway, assured through the RPS Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum assessment, will result in pharmacists being recognised by RPS as an advanced pharmacist, along with the awarding of HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice's 'Advanced' digital badge, demonstrating the quality assurance of their advanced practice preparation to patients, families, carers, and other healthcare professionals. The first participants in a fully funded, supported e-portfolio pathway to recognise advanced pharmacist practice in England will get underway in March 2023 This new programme is an important step in creating a clear postgraduate career structure for pharmacists in England. The innovative approach provides funding from HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice in 2023-24 for 300 pharmacists in England who are near to, or already practicing at, an advanced level, to enable them to receive supervision and support in building their RPS Core Advanced e-Portfolio from CPPE's pharmacy education supervisors.

Wales launched the new electronic prescribing service (EPS) last week, with the country's first electronic prescription sent and dispensed on 17 November. The new service allows prescriptions to be sent digitally to a patient's nominated pharmacy, thus eliminating the need for paper forms. It is part of a wider plan to introduce digital medicines and e-prescribing in all hospitals and primary care in the country. Wellington Road Pharmacy and Lakeside Medical Centre in Rhyl became the first community pharmacy and GP practice to use the EPS, which is expected to be rolled out across Wales in January 2024.

The Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP) was able to deliver the electronic prescription service (EPS) in Wales - just 20 months after starting the project - with support from key partners in the NHS and industry. Patients in Rhyl were the first to benefit from the new service, which allows GPs to send prescriptions electronically to the patient's choice of community pharmacy, without the need for a paper form. The new EPS service is currently in a live testing phase, with a phased roll out across Wales expected from January 2024. DMTP, which is hosted by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has worked closely with NHS England, who provided the core EPS platform that has been developed for use in Wales. NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership has also made a major contribution in the project, incorporating digital reimbursement to pharmacies and putting security measures in place.

Boots has expanded its partnership with Deliveroo to cover 125 stores in the UK, offering delivery of a wide range of health and beauty products up and down the country. The company announced last year that it had entered into an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo to provide 400 plus health and beauty products to consumers at their doorsteps. The pharmacy multiple has been delivering over-the-counter cough, cold and flu symptom relief products, paracetamol, vitamins and digital thermometers through Deliveroo. The partnership has been part of the business' continued investment in digital technology to provide customers with a more convenient and personal shopping experience. Popular and new products available on Deliveroo include cough, cold and flu symptom relief products, paracetamol, vitamins, digital thermometers, period and sexual wellbeing products including sanitary towels, condoms and pregnancy tests among other health and beauty products. Boots is now available via Deliveroo for the first time to customers in major cities including Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Bristol, Sheffield, Coventry, Plymouth, Exeter, Middlesbrough, York, Aberdeen and Inverness.

In a groundbreaking move towards modernising healthcare, England's National Health Service (NHS) has successfully implemented digital prescriptions, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its latest regional digital health report. Since January 2024, patients across England have had access to their prescription information through the NHS App, marking a significant leap in healthcare accessibility and efficiency. With over 33 million registered users, representing 75 per cent of the adult population, the NHS App has become a vital tool in managing healthcare online. The introduction of digital prescriptions allows users to order repeat prescriptions online without the need for a GP visit. This innovation has witnessed a surge in digital requests, with over 3.1 million repeat prescriptions processed monthly.