Businesses, including community pharmacies, that handle cash have been urged to prepare for the removal of £20 and £50 paper banknotes from circulation. The
paper notes of both denominations will no longer be legal tender from Friday 30 September.
Cash handling experts Volumatic reminded businesses to make sure that they deposit any paper notes at banks by this date, and ensure they would not be accepting any
further paper notes from customers from 1 October onwards.
"While businesses continue to face extra demands during the current cost-of living crisis, we've already seen evidence of an uplift in cash usage by consumers, who
are now using cash more to help them budget more effectively," Mike Severs, Sales and Marketing Director at Volumatic, said.
"With more consumers looking to spend their old paper notes before the end-of-September deadline, it's really important to remember to deposit any paper notes you
either already have within your business or receive throughout this month to your bank before the end of September."
Professor Harry McQuillan has said community pharmacists in the UK must change their focus from an 'accuracy of supply' to a 'safety of supply' model when it
comes to dealing with patients.
"The main take away message from tonight's lecture is for pharmacy professionals to really challenge themselves about whether they are focused on accuracy of supply
or safety of supply," he said at this year's UCL School of Pharmacy Lecture in London on Thursday, 15 June.
"For our community pharmacists it must be about safety, including prescribing, and ensuring patients and citizens get the maximum benefit from prescribed medicines.
"To deliver this, we need to invest in our teams - harness technology and always be willing to take the next step in a more clinical future."
The Chief Executive Office of Community Pharmacy Scotland, however, noted that at a time when the UK was grappling with an unprecedented national debt crisis
exacerbated by severe cost of living and spiraling inflation, community pharmacy will need to make a "compelling case" of where the priority should be in the sector.
Expanding on the financial woes of the country, he compared the current national debt of the UK, which stood at a staggering 270 percent of GDP in September 2022,
with the previous record-breaking national debt of 250 per cent at the end of WWII.
The NHS has made major improvements across long waits, urgent and emergency services, and cancer care, latest performance figures published on Thursday (11)
have shown.
The number of patients waiting more than 18 months fell to 10,737 by April - down by more than 90 per cent from 124,911 in September 2021 and by more than four-fifths
since the start of January when there were 54,882.
Around half of NHS trusts in England have no patients on their elective care waiting lists apart from those who have chosen to wait longer. More than one in
five (21%) trusts had completely eliminated 18-month waits.
However, the overall waiting list has risen to over 7.3 million entries in England.
"I promised I would cut NHS waiting lists and we are delivering," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. "Reducing 18-month waits by over 90 per cent is huge progress,
and it is testament to the hard work of NHS staff who have achieved this despite one of the busiest winters on record.
"We still have work to do, but backed by record government investment and the ongoing efforts of the NHS, I am confident we will get patients the care they need
more quickly."
Ambulance response rates have improved to their fastest in two years, with average category two response times now at 28.5 minutes and category one at 8 mins.
The 62-day cancer backlog has fallen for the first time since before the pandemic, with those waiting two months or more down from 21,823 at the end of the last
financial year (March 2022) to 19,248 at the end of this March (2023). This is down almost 15,000 from a peak of 34,000 in July 2022.
The American healthcare company, CVS Health, has decided to remove the cold and cough pills containing phenylephrine from the drug stores.
The following decision comes after the health regulator, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines the decongestant is ineffective towards flu if
taken orally.
However, when ingested in pill or tablet form, this ingredient fails to reach its destination from the stomach to the nasal passages.
CVS Health spokesperson told USA Today, "We are removing a small number of oral decongestant products that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient
from CVS Pharmacy stores but will continue offering many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs."
They almost run more than 9,000 stores in the US whereas their rival, Walgreens has not yet taken the step to remove over-the-counter medications from their shelves.
Members of the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) who have benefits in the Boots Pension Scheme have sought support from their union following the recent
communications from the trustees about the removal of the option to retire at 60 without a reduced pension.
The company claimed that retirement between 60-65 years old without a reduced pension was a discretionary benefit, and it has ended with the buy-in deal with Legal
and General.
However, PDA members believe there is insufficient evidence to fully support this claim, and therefore they are questioning whether this option should have been
secured as part of the buy in and not ended with immediate effect.
PDA Union national officer, Paul Moloney said: "Instead, we believe benefit statements issued to members, at the very least are contradictory, and clearly state
that a full pension will be payable from a member's 60th birthday, with no reference to this benefit being discretionary and therefore subject to a regular
review by the trustees. Instead, the benefit statements give the impression that an unreduced pension from 60 is a right with no indication that retirement plans
should not be based on the benefit statements."
The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long Covid than previous variants, according to the first peer-reviewed study of its kind from the UK.
Researchers at King's College London, using data from nearly 100,000 people who logged their Covid symptoms via an app, found the odds of developing long Covid
after infection were 20 per cent to 50 per cent lower during the Omicron wave in the UK compared to Delta. The figure varied depending on the patient's age and the
timing of their last vaccination.
Long Covid, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to 'brain fog', can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being
recognised as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out if Omicron presents as big a risk of long Covid as previously dominant variants.
The study from King's is believed to be the first academic research to show Omicron does not present as great a risk of long Covid, but that does not mean long
Covid patient numbers are dropping, the team said.
While the risk of long Covid was lower during Omicron, more people were infected, so the absolute number now suffering is higher.
"It's good news, but please don't decommission any of your long Covid services," lead researcher Dr Claire Steves said, appealing to health-service providers.
Proper drug storage is essential to ensure the safety of yourself, your family, and those around you. This is especially important if you are taking multiple
medications and need to keep track of them all. Knowing how to store drugs correctly can help prevent misuse or accidental ingestion by children or pets. Here are
six important guidelines about proper drug storage that everyone should follow:
1. KEEP ALL MEDICATIONS IN THEIR ORIGINAL, LABELED CONTAINERS:
Using alternative storage containers can make it difficult to identify medications or keep track of expiration dates. Keeping medications in their original containers
also prevents accidental misuse and helps ensure that the correct dosage is taken. In addition, it's important to store all medications out of reach of children and
pets. Also, keep medications in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. For example, a medicine cabinet in the bathroom or kitchen is a good option.
2. DISPOSE OF EXPIRED MEDICATIONS:
Expired medications can be less effective and even potentially harmful if taken, so it's important to regularly check expiration dates and get rid of any outdated
medications. The best way to dispose of old drugs is to take them to a drug collection site. If no such sites are available, mix the medication with something like
coffee grounds, put it in an opaque container, and then throw it away in your trash bin. Never flush expired medication down the toilet unless instructed by your
pharmacist or healthcare provider!
3. STORE DRUGS IN A COOL, DRY PLACE:
Extreme temperatures can cause medications to break down and become ineffective. To avoid this, keep all drugs away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture.
A medicine cabinet or drawer in the bathroom is an ideal spot for storing most drugs, but some require special storage conditions (more on that below). Different
medications should also be separated from one another to avoid confusion and stored differently. For example, if a
One of the long-standing medical mysteries is the diagnosis of diabetes in majority of patients suffering from high blood pressure.
The reason for this had been unknown. But now, an international team of universities have made a breakthrough.
The research, published online in 'Circulation Research', involved contributions from collaborating scientists in Brazil, Germany, Lithuania, and Serbia, as well as the UK and New Zealand.
The important new discovery has shown that a small protein cell glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) couples the body's control of blood sugar and blood pressure.
Professor Julian Paton, a senior author, and director of Manaaki Manawa, The Centre for Heart Research at the University of Auckland, said: "We've known for a long time that hypertension and diabetes are inextricably linked and have finally discovered the reason, which will now inform new treatment strategies."
GLP-1 is released from the wall of the gut after eating and acts to stimulate insulin from the pancreas to control blood sugar levels. This was known but what has now been unearthed is that GLP-1 also stimulates a small sensory organ called the carotid body located in the neck.
A change in medication can benefit patients on blood pressure-lowering therapies significantly more than increasing the dose of their current medication.
A recent study from Uppsala University that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrates this.
In this study, four different blood pressure-lowering medications were tested out on 280 individuals over the course of a year.
"The effect of a change of medication can be twice as great as the effect of doubling the dose of the patient's current medication. It was clear in our study that
certain patients achieved lower blood pressure from one drug than from another. This effect is large enough to be clinically relevant," said Johan Sundstrom,
cardiologist and Professor of Epidemiology at Uppsala University, who is the first author of the study.
Most Swedes develop high blood pressure sooner or later; more than two million Swedes have high blood pressure at the present time.
Only a fifth of them have managed to bring their blood pressure under control through drug therapy, and some studies suggest that only half of them take their blood
pressure medication as intended.
Could this be because the efficacy and side-effects of the drugs differ from individual to individual?
At the European Conference of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) this year in Copenhagen, Denmark, data on a test that may detect HIV,
hepatitis B, and hepatitis C from a single drop of blood are being presented.
Hepatitis B or C claim the lives of over a million people each year. Every year, 1.5 million individuals contract HIV, and 650,000 people pass away from HIV-related
causes.
The World Health Organisation has made the elimination of all three viruses by 2030 one of its global health strategies but new tests are necessary if case numbers
are to be reduced.
The most common test for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV involves taking a blood sample from a vein using a needle. While this method works extremely well, there
is a potentially large reservoir of the three conditions in places where this method is not suitable.
This could be prisons, drug rehabilitation centres and homeless shelters, where the taking of venous blood samples isn't always suitable or countries in which the
shipping and refrigerated storage of blood samples can be challenging.
Alternatives include dried blood spot tests, in which a single spot of blood is tested for nucleic acid from the three viruses.
In a bid to address the ongoing deficit in staff in the UK's healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS) has entered into a new workforce agreement
with India.
According to media reports, the healthcare service plans to hire 2,000 doctors from India on a fast-track basis to alleviate this pressing issue.
It is learned that the NHS has set up training centres across many Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Delhi, Gurugram, Indore, Mysore, Chennai,
and Calicut to provide postgraduate training for the first batch of doctors.
Post their training period (which ranges from six to 12 months), these doctors will be deployed at hospitals across Britain. They will also be exempted from the
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination that is otherwise mandatory for practising in the country.
Boots and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union have released a joint statement to confirm that there will be a pay increase for trainee
pharmacists in England and Northern Ireland from April 2024.
From 1 April 2024, the new hourly pay rate for trainee pharmacists working at Boots pharmacies will be £12.69 for Zone A in England/Northern Ireland, £13.79
for Zone B in England and £14.05 for Zone C in England.
"This increase will be applied centrally in the April pay run," said the statement from the Boots and the PDA Union.
Team members can see the new rate of pay in the Benefits Box during the annual enrolment window from 20 February 2024, it added.
In August 2023, pay for trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland was increased to £11.64 per hour for Zone A, £12.77 per hour for Zone B
and £12.88 per hour for Zone C.
The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) has published a new paper highlighting the learnings from a major COVID-19 research trial conducted in primary
care settings.
The paper, which draws on insights from the PANORAMIC study, emphasised the importance of prioritising primary care studies from the very start of any pandemic
to prevent worsening of patient symptoms and reduce hospital admission.
Additionally, it recommended considering the use of UK-wide pharmacy networks, including community pharmacies, to promote research inclusion for future similar
trials in primary care to increase recruitment in underserved communities.
Authored by Professor Phil Evans, GP and Deputy Health and Care Director at the NIHR RDN together with colleagues from the NIHR and University of Oxford, the
80-page paper concluded that primary care research should be at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness.
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, much research was carried out on critically ill patients in secondary care settings.
In a surprising move that has divided the pharmacy profession, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has sanctioned hundreds of pharmacies to allow
patients to self-select certain Pharmacy (P) medicines, a decision met with strong opposition from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) as well as from the
Pharmacy Defense Association (PDA).
In a statement, RPS shared that at a board meeting held on 19th June, they expressed "disappointment" over what they described as a lack of prior consultation
and comprehensive communication from the GPhC regarding the implications of this policy shift.
They argue that allowing patients to self-select certain P medicines could potentially jeopardize established professional guidelines and compromise the role of
pharmacists in ensuring safe medication use.
"Enabled by the General Pharmaceutical Council, we understand that hundreds of pharmacies, from large multiples to small independents, have been approved by the
regulator to enable patients to self-select certain P medicines," the statement said.
In significant development, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has advised its Boots members to challenge the "trustees' decision to end the
ability to take an unreduced pension from age 60 by submitting complaints through the scheme's two-stage internal disputes procedure".
The issue centers around the alterations made to pension scheme rules without the adequate disclosure to scheme members or their representatives.
The PDA has drafted template letters to assist scheme members in response to undisclosed changes during a buyout process, sparking legal challenges and demands
for transparency from Boots and scheme trustees.
Paul Moloney, National Officer of the PDA Union leading the campaign, expressed concern over the sudden withdrawal of the right to an unreduced pension from age 60.
"We have always maintained that members had a right under the rules to draw an unreduced pension from age 60," Moloney stated.
A new study has revealed that UK adolescents get around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which have been linked to the
rising levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
The research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)'s School for Public Health Research, was published in the European Journal of
Nutrition.
Ultra-processed foods are often characterized by poor dietary quality due to their high content of added sugars, saturated fats, and salt, along with lower
levels of fibre, protein, and micronutrients.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol, analysed data from four-day food diaries of almost 3,000 adolescents, sourced
from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
After examining trends in the UK between 2008/9 and 2018/19, the researchers found that UPFs accounted for 66 per cent of adolescents' energy intake on average
during this period.
New research shows that lifelong excess weight almost doubles a woman's risk of developing womb cancer.
The findings of the study were published in 'BMC Medicine'. The study from the University of Bristol is one of the first to find that for every fiver extra BMI units,
a woman's risk of womb (endometrial) cancer is almost doubled (an increase of 88 per cent).
This is higher than most previous studies have suggested and reflects lifelong weight status rather than a snapshot in time like most other studies.
Five BMI units is the difference between the overweight category and the obese category, or of a 5'5 adult woman being two stones heavier.
The international study looked at genetic samples from around 120,000 women from Australia, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the UK, and the USA of which around
13,000 had womb cancer. This large statistical analysis is one of the first studies of its kind to look at the effect of lifelong greater BMI on womb cancer risk.
Nottinghamshire Police have released a CCTV image of a man over the theft of £1,400 worth of cosmetic products from a Boots store on Sunday (18 June).
Police have made appeal they would like to speak to the man in the CCTV image to in connection with the theft from a Boots store in St Peter's Retail Park,
Mansfield.
On Sunday (18 June) boxes of eye serum were stolen from the store at around 10.35am. Officers would like to trace the man pictured as they continue with their
inquiries into the theft.
Police Constable Beth Richards, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. Offences of this sort can have a hugely detrimental
impact on retailers and wider communities.
"We have carried out initial inquiries but are now asking the public to assist us in identifying who this person might be - as he could help aid our investigation.
FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensors and Budesonide 500microgram orodispersible tablets sugar free have been included in the Drugs for which Discount is Not
Deducted (DND) list (Part II of the Drug Tariff) from January 2024, according to Community Pharmacy England (CPE).
Following applications made by CPE on behalf of pharmacy contractors, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) agreed to give DND status to these
products to ensure that "pharmacies are not faced with dispensing these sensors at a loss."
Updated monthly by the DHSC, Part II of the Drug Tariff includes grouped and individual items.
Recently launched by Abbott Diabetes Care Ltd, FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensors have also been added to the Appliances section in Part IXA of the January 2024 Drug Tariff.
As the sensors can only be ordered by pharmacies directly from the manufacturer without any discount, CPE requested the DHSC to exempt this appliance from any
discount deduction.
Ensuring comprehensive healthcare services for the community necessitates collaboration between pharmacies and GP surgeries. However, several pharmacists
have voiced concerns about a lack of cooperation from their local GPs in implementing the Pharmacy First (PF) service.
In a survey conducted by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) covering 470 pharmacies across England, three-quarters of pharmacists (77 per cent) indicated
that local GP practices are not appropriately referring patients to the new service.
The survey highlighted instances of patients either not being referred or being referred but found ineligible for support through Pharmacy First. Additionally,
one in five NPA members (19 per cent) felt that their local GP practices were not engaging with the initiative at all.
Commenting on the issue, NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "Feedback from across our network suggests that the rollout of Pharmacy First varies considerably from area
to area.