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Three UK pharmacists are featured in the digital book of celebrations to mark the International Federation of Pharmacists' (FIP) World Pharmacists' Day 2022. Simon Nelson, Nelsons Pharmacy Group, Wales; Raj Rohilla, Midhurst Pharmacy (West Sussex)/Goys Pharmacy (Battersea)/ Hamlins Pharmacy (Shepherds Bush) and Olutayo Arikawe, Swinford Pharmacy, West Midlands were among 27 pharmacists from across the globe and the AmerisourceBergen family, who contributed to a digital book of celebration, which aims to highlight the changing role of pharmacists and how they can create healthier futures. Pharmacists are no longer just 'chemists' - some pharmacists are now able to diagnose, treat and prescribe for patients who traditionally may have needed to see a doctor or GP. Others are guardians of their local community - keeping an eye on vulnerable patients who may not have regular contact with other healthcare professionals. During the Covid-19 pandemic they stepped up to support stretched healthcare systems, with many taking a leading role in the world-wide response. This has evolved further with more and more pharmacists offering vaccination services for Covid-19, as well as flu, chicken pox and 'holiday' vaccinations. This changing role of pharmacists is helping them unite to create healthier futures.

NHS Somerset is aiming to grow its referral rate through GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS) to between 4,000 to 6,000 patients a month. Since June 2021 GPs in Somerset have successfully referred around 1,000 patients a month through the Somerset GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS) Currently, 59 of NHS Somerset's 64 GP practices and all of Somerset's 102 community pharmacists are using the Somerset GP CPCS. NHS Somerset found that providing the right training for GPs and for reception staff and practice managers was key to a smooth rollout and uptake of the service. As was making sure the technology worked when making referrals from general practice to community pharmacists. NHS Somerset is using software called Patient Access Connect, which seamlessly integrates with the EMIS Web GP system used in Somerset, to give practices a quick and easy way to capture the patient information needed to deliver a referral.

The GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS) is also delivering 'unexpected' insights to help transform patient care and facilitate integrated working between pharmacists and GPs across Greater Manchester. Since April 2021, almost 14,000 appointments have been referred using the GP CPCS across the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership - a figure that is growing as its success gathers pace and they continue to support practices to increase referral activity. Joshua Nolan, a pharmacist at Internet Pharmacy in Heywood, one of the first in the area to join the referral service, said: "The number of patients we're seeing from GP CPCS has been building consistently month-on-month. On average we see around 50 patients, but recently we recorded 53 in just one week." The pharmacist, who has been practising for six years and is also an independent prescriber, believes the GP CPCS has helped bring about more awareness to the clinical services community pharmacy can offer.

The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) has been running as a national advanced service since October 2019 to relieve pressure on the National Health Service which aims to help with on the day demand in relation to minor illness and medicines. The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service CPCS (NHS CPCS) aims to meet the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan to use community pharmacists' skills to advise patients, and to build relationships with GP surgeries, primary care teams and wider NHS providers and to assist with urgent care system repeat prescription requests. Referrals from the GP referral pathway and urgent care systems and urgent treatment centres are digitally routed to community pharmacies so that patients can receive same-day appointments and have their queries resolved. The numbers Based on the estimated annual number of minor ailment GP appointments, the service was expected to save the NHS up to £640 million per year . Three years later, the nation has weathered the Covid 19 pandemic, which had widespread effects and put further strain on already overstretched NHS staff. The pandemic impact has resulted in higher numbers of GP appointments than initially anticipated. Nevertheless, this may offer an opportunity to proactively engage pharmacy teams in patient contact help ease strain across the wider NHS.

The Company Chemists Association (CCA)'s workforce finding showed that by 2024 eight years' worth of growth of the pharmacist workforce will have been funnelled away from community pharmacies. "In 2019, when NHS leaders realised they were unable to find enough GPs to meet the public's needs, they hastily decided to recruit pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to fill the gaps. This was implemented without any corresponding efforts to increase the supply of pharmacists, creating huge shortages," said CCA. "The bulk of the NHS's recruitment drive was paid for using additional money ringfenced by the NHS - the £2.4bn Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). We estimate over the life course of ARRS funding (2019-2024), the equivalent of eight years of growth in the number of pharmacists in England will have been funnelled directly into primary care at the expense of other sectors. At the current rate, CCA estimate that community pharmacy will have experienced the equivalent of three fallow years by 2024. To ensure the pharmacy network is protected and able to take pressure off other parts of the NHS, there are several urgent measures which must be implemented. Countering the impact of primary care recruitment: Community pharmacists should be commissioned to provide 'packages of care' on behalf of GPs, rather than taking pharmacists away from accessible high street settings.

More than half of people (52%) do not feel confident in treating backache and less than half (44%) uses community pharmacists' advice as their first step on self-treatable conditions, a self-care attitudes 2022 survey has revealed. PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, surveyed over 2,000 adults across the UK about their attitudes towards self-care and access to health services. According to the survey, the public is in favour of self-care but many people lack the confidence and knowledge to care for the most common self-treatable conditions including backaches, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation. Four in five respondents (79%) said that people should take more responsibility for their own health and three-quarters (73%) believe that the NHS should make self-treatment easier. Behaviours around the current use of pharmacy varied - with less than half (44%) using community pharmacists as their first step in in getting advice on self-treatable conditions - but longer term attitudes were encouraging, with 69% supporting the idea of GPs being able to make referrals to pharmacists. Respondents also supported expanding the role of pharmacists so that their skills can be better utilised.

Growing financial pressures has dented pharmacists' confidence, despite an anticipated increase in profits in the current year, latest Lloyds Bank Healthcare Confidence Index revealed on Tuesday (November 9). Though short-term confidence among pharmacists increased for the fifth consecutive year, ticking up from 27 to 29, the sector's long-term belief fell from -34 to -42. Martyn Kendrick, UK head of healthcare banking services at Lloyds Bank, said: "While pharmacists' confidence has declined somewhat, their short-term outlook has improved for another year, painting a picture of a sector that has begun to bounce back." He added that "pharmacists have performed an invaluable service during the lockdown, confirming their place at the heart of our communities." The index, a survey of pharmacists, GPs and dentists, has run annually since 2011 and gives a detailed overview of the sector.

To maximise the benefits of the Pharmacy First service for patients, the NHS, and community pharmacies, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has advised the community pharmacists to to establish a robust relationship between community pharmacies and local general practices. The news comes after several reports highlighted issues regarding GP referrals for the seven minor ailment conditions under the Pharmacy First services. According to the reports, many pharmacists claimed that "many GPs in England are not sending patients to them to be treated - and that some are refusing to participate at all in the "groundbreaking" Pharmacy First scheme". In response to foster better relationship with the GPs, CPE has said that strong local collaborations will enable general practice teams to confidently refer patients to the Pharmacy First and other community pharmacy services where appropriate. Moreover, the organisation emphasised implementation of long-term changes in practice will take time. The current focus on integrating GP referrals to Pharmacy First will likely require sustained effort over several months or longer.

Alphega Pharmacy Oncology Support Programme allows community pharmacists from six European countries to enhance support and guidance they provide to cancer patients. The programme aims to help upskill pharmacists and their teams to provide more expert advice to patients living with cancer, raising their profile in the community as key healthcare providers. Enhancing knowledge amongst community pharmacists about cancer treatment and its side effects is vital as cancer cases are set to increase if current trends continue. The programme covers practical help topics, such as oral care, nutrition advice and skin, hair and nail care among others, helping patients to get more of the support they need because community pharmacists are easily accessible, rather than needing to book a GP or consultant appointment. With rates of cancer forecast to rise throughout Europe , and cancer patients likely on average to visit hospital less often, community pharmacists are well-placed to look to support cancer patients with managing the side-effects of their treatment.

In a recent survey of 2,000 UK adults, 34 per cent preferred consulting pharmacists for health advice after researching symptoms, while for those surveyed specifically from Wales, this figure increased to 35 per cent, according to 2San - a global supplier of healthcare products and solutions. The survey said women had a higher tendency, with 39 per cent seeking their pharmacist's guidance compared to 29 per cent of men surveyed. According to the survey findings, over one-fifth of people in the UK are turning to pharmacists instead of their primary care physician or doctor for guidance and advice with medical symptoms. "With more than 38 million patients in the UK waiting more than two weeks for a GP appointment, it is unsurprising that 34 per cent of people surveyed asked a pharmacist for advice over their primary care physician/doctor in the last 12 months," 2san said. In Wales, over a third of people prefer their community pharmacist for support and advice, while those aged 65 and above still tend to consult their primary care physician.

The new data from NHS England has revealed that more than 100,000 patients were treated for minor illness by their high street pharmacist in just one month. According to new NHS figures, in June, 118,123 people with minor illnesses such as a sore throat or constipation, or those in need of medicine urgently, received a same-day consultation with their local pharmacist after calling NHS 111 or their GP practice - an increase of more than four-fifths (83%) on the number in the same month last year (64,512). The data comes alongside expanded roles for community pharmacies ahead of winter, announced at the NHS England board meeting today. "From this week, NHS 111 online can directly refer people to their high street pharmacist for a same-day consultation, rather than patients needing to call the phone line," said NHS England. Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: "Our local pharmacies ensure hundreds of thousands of people every week get the support and medication they need and today's figures show that in just one month, over 100,000 patients have also had consultations with their local pharmacist for minor illnesses - this means patients are getting the care they need quickly but also in a convenient way that can fit in with their busy lives.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has republished a three-year-old report which underscores the vital role of community pharmacists and pharmacy t echnicians in a 'modern NHS' amid speculations that the government is set to announce plans to enhance the role of community pharmacy teams. PDA's 2019 report which "took three year to compile" highlighted significant empirical evidence and made recommendations to develop the roles of both community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the skill mix required to meet patients' needs. It examined in detail the role of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy. The PDA still that pressure on the NHS can be managed much more effectively through the better use of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In the community pharmacy setting, it is evident that if the further development of the pharmacist's role is to be facilitated and pharmacists are to become more patient facing in the future, an extended role and greater responsibility for pharmacy technicians is not only desirable, but ultimately it is essential.

Community pharmacy bodies have said that the current crippling financial pressures and severe staff shortages will limit the sector from fully supporting the new health secretary's ambition to improve patient care in England. Thérèse Coffey announced her plans on Thursday (September 22) which would be looking to reduce the country's reliance on general practice by expanding the range of services available from community pharmacies and allowing pharmacists more "prescribing powers". "Pharmacists will be able to manage and supply more medicines, without a prescription from a GP. We will look to go further on enabling pharmacists with more prescribing powers and making more simple diagnostic tests available in community pharmacy," she said in her foreword to Our Plan for Patients. However, the National Pharmacy Association has lamented that the plan stops short of promising any fresh funding for community pharmacies to deliver patient care and develop clinical services. NPA vice-chair, Nick Kaye, said: "The life is being choked out of independent pharmacy businesses by the continuation of a fundamentally under-resourced contract in England.

The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) will be expanded to enable urgent and emergency care settings to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a consultation for minor illness or urgent medicine supply from Monday (15 May), the DHSC and NHSE said. The service builds on the progress made in GP referrals via the CPCS and hospital referrals under the Discharge Medicine Service. It was originally planned to launch in March, and fee for this service will be the existing CPCS fee of £14, as per the agreement for both year 4 and year 5 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) 2019 to 2024 5-year deal. In an update on the CPCF, published today (12 May), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) has also committed to the 4 October 2023 launch date for the Tier 2 of the Pharmacy Contraception Service, subject to a positive evaluation of the pilot. The Tier 1 of the service was launched on 24 April, delayed by over three months. This new service enables community pharmacists to provide ongoing management, via a patient group direction (PGD), of routine oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or by a sexual health clinic. The fees for this service are as follows: a fee for each consultation of £18; and a set-up fee of £900, paid in instalments. The Tier 2 will "enable community pharmacists to also initiate oral contraception, via a PGD, and provide ongoing clinical checks and annual reviews," Alette Addison, deputy director for pharmacy, dental and optical at the DHSC and Ali Sparke, director for dentistry, community pharmacy and optometry at the NHSE, said in a letter.

Staff shortage has begun to bite the community pharmacy sector with several high street pharmacies closing doors due to workforce crisis triggered by the NHS poaching. More than 200 pharmacies closed last year and several are reducing their hours, posing a significant risk to patients' access to care, medicines and advice. Many in the industry have raised concerns related to workforce crisis and warned that plans for community pharmacies to help ease pressure on GP surgeries could also take a hit. The NHS plans to recruit a total of 6,000 pharmacists in England by 2024, equivalent to nearly three full years of new pharmacists. Since 2019, 3,000 pharmacists have been recruited into NHS primary care networks, which accounts for around 10 per cent of the community pharmacist workforce.

A community pharmacist was applauded for his 'quick-thinking' action in treating a Co Down woman with a fatal bee sting. Joan Johnson, from Moira, was stung on her scalp in her home garden. After the bite, she noticed allergic reactions on her neck and ears with severe itching and redness. However, she was advised to visit her local pharmacy by the GP where the pharmacist, Stephen Joyce, quickly administered life-saving antihistamine and an adrenaline injection while an ambulance was called. Joan hailed the 'treatment' and the 'professionalism' of the whole team for saving her life. "What was just a simple bee-sting, quickly became something very serious. On arrival at the pharmacy on the advice from my GP, I was dealt with very promptly and Stephen was summoned and immediately took control of the situation. "I was given an urgent antihistamine, but quickly started feeling lightheaded and faint. The pharmacy team assisted me to a chair and called an ambulance," she said.

The 14th Community Pharmacy Conference by Sigma Pharmaceuticals has been timely, prime minister Rishi Sunak said, noting that it coincided with the launch of Pharmacy First, a new initiative that enables patients to receive treatments for seven common conditions directly from a pharmacist without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. "We are all grateful for the tremendous contributions that pharmacists make to our NHS. The fantastic work you do is critical to the success of Pharmacy First and many other initiatives," Sunak said in a written message. The conference was organised from 25-29 February at Sun City in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the theme 'community pharmacy in an integrated NHS'. In a recorded video address to the Sigma Conference, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said community pharmacies are 'critical' to the Labour party's mission to make the NHS 'fit for the future'. "You should be playing a much more significant role. Labour's reform agenda will get pharmacists working to the top of their licence. We want community pharmacists to play a greater role in healthcare, with more focus on their expertise in prescribing and medicines management," he said.

Leaders from across the pharmacy sector and trade bodies dwelled on the challenges faced by the pharmacists at the Sigma Conference held on Sunday (2 October). "If the cost of carrying out regulation is higher than the benefits, it's time for all the bodies to sit together and talk on what can be adjusted accordingly," said Salim Jetha, Chairman, Avicenna. Jetha highlighted the challenges faced by the independent pharmacy and also raised the concern about the 'level playing field' for pharmacists compared to GPs. He said: "GPs get paid for energy cost, premises cost, the staffing cost. We don't get paid for that. So don't be misled by saying we are being exactly the same. Yes, on paper we are, but in reality we are not. I think also the rules of engagement are different." He called for better collaboration with GPs, and urged PSNC and other trade bodies to ensure a level playing field. Janet Morrison, CEO, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee(PSNC), warned that the pressure in the sector is building up to a 'breaking point'.

More than 1000 pharmacies in England, including Boots stores, are now delivering the newly launched NHS Pharmacy First Service. Launched on Wednesday (31 January), the new service enables pharmacists to provide advice and treatment, if appropriate, for seven common conditions, which include sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, or an uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women. Instead of going to a GP surgery, patients can go to their community pharmacists to get treatment for these common conditions, without the need for an appointment. Patients who may need additional support will be referred to a GP or another healthcare provider by the pharmacist. Seb James, managing director of Boots UK and ROI, has described their launch of Pharmacy First service as "one of the most significant changes in how we can serve our customers and patients in our 175-year history."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) presented the best practice award to a pharmacist from NHS Tayside at an event on May 29 which celebrated pharmacy practice across Scotland. The Glasgow event, organised by RPS, brought together pharmacists from across the country to present their own best-practice examples. These included all sectors of pharmacy, including hospital, GP practices, community and specialist settings. Delegates at the event were asked to vote for what they considered to be the winning example of best practice. Alex Matos, specialist clinical pharmacist, won the award for his presentation on 'Implementing Pharmacogenomics in the Stroke Service'. Alex won a £500 bursary for travel and accommodation to the RPS's annual conference in London, where he has been invited to present on his best practice example.