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Despite being relatively new to the dispensing doctor market as a short-liner, Bestway Medhub is seeing exponential growth in the market in addition to the 3,500 independent pharmacies that we service and deliver to. We have however been servicing the dispensing doctor market for well over 40 years through our dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) Wardles. Wardles service and supply more than 55% of all dispensing sites with dressings, bandages, appliances, ostomy, wound care and hosiery. Graham Burford-Row To meet the needs of dispensing practices and surgeries we carry a large range of more than 10,000 Generics, PI's and OTC products. We offer net pricing so the practice can see straight away what price they are paying for their products - with no hidden fees. We offer all our practices 24-hour online ordering via our Bestway Medhub ordering portal and our recently launched Wardles FP Portal. Additionally, we have the backup of a telesales department with personal service from myself and a dedicated Internal Dispensing Dr Account Manager. We offer daily, weekly or monthly calls to those customers wishing to hear our special offers. Our deliveries are done daily via our third party full-line logistics partner for efficient deliveries, which no other short-line wholesaler offers. Bestway Medhub understands that dispensing practices are not only in the business of offering superior care to their patients and community, but they also offer numerous other services like clinics, nursing and referrals. By enabling practices to cost save, the funds could be used elsewhere instead.

The Dispensing Doctors' Association (DDA) is advising patients left deserted due to pharmacy closures in rural areas to consult their general practice about accessing the GP dispensing service. This recommendation comes in response to concerns that England's rural areas are increasingly becoming pharmacy 'deserts', posing challenges for residents to access essential medications and healthcare services. DDA chairman Dr Richard West said: "The GP dispensing service is designed to ensure NHS medicine supply in areas where people have little or no access to a pharmacy service. "People in rural areas who now live more than a mile from a pharmacy should speak to their GP about whether they can receive the NHS GP dispensing service."

Community pharmacies were responsible for dispensing over 99 per cent of items in 2022/23, revealed General Pharmaceutical Services for Northern Ireland, Annual Statistics 2022/23 published on Thursday (29 June). While the remaining one per cent dispensed by appliance contractors and dispensing doctors. According to the statistics, on average, each community pharmacy dispensed over 84,000 items in 2022/23, witnessing a growth of over 3 per cent on the previous year to 44.6 million in 2022/23, which is the highest level of dispensing recorded. This equated to BSO processing 2.1 million prescription forms per month, on average, throughout the year, representing a 4 per cent increase on the just over 2.0m processed each month last year. The total ingredient cost over the year was £486.9 million. This was an increase of approaching 7 per cent on the previous year, which was around double the percentage increase in the number of items dispensed. The annual ingredient cost total has fluctuated since the beginning of the series but was over 18 per cent higher in 2022/23 than in 2013/14.

The 2025/26 pharmacy contract consultation will include a review of the medicine margin and reimbursement arrangements, health and care minister Stephen Kinnock has confirmed. Kinnock made this statement in response to a written question from Nick Timothy, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, who asked the secretary of state for health and social care, if he will review the reimbursement system for pharmacies and GP practices dispensing medicines. Kinnock stated that consultation with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) for the 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) has started and will include "reviewing the allowance for medicine margin as part of funding, and any further changes to the reimbursement arrangements." However, he clarified that there are currently no plans to review the reimbursement system for general practices (GPs) dispensing medicines. Kinnock said: "Dispensing practices receive a dispensing fee, approximately £2.00 to £2.30 per item, which is intended to cover dispensing costs. "This fee is calculated based on forecasted volumes of prescriptions to be dispensed and the size of the funding envelope, according to a methodology agreed by the Department, the General Practitioners Committee (GPC), NHS Employers, and the Welsh Government."

Summersdale Pharmacy, originally established by local doctors at Lavant Road Surgery, has been sold for an undisclosed amount. Located just outside Chichester town centre and attached to the local GP surgery, the pharmacy dispenses around 10,000 items per month. Following the retirement of some doctors, the remaining GPs decided to sell the pharmacy, with specialist business property adviser Christie and Co handling the transaction. The pharmacy has been acquired by experienced multiple operators Mohamed Amiralli and Kardo Ali through a joint venture. Ali highlighted their intention to build upon the strong foundations laid by the previous owners. He noted that the pharmacy's close relationship with the local GP surgery presents "a unique opportunity to provide even greater care and service to the community."

Community pharmacies, like any business, face financial challenges, and one significant concern is managing cash flow. Your business requires cash flow to pay for stock, suppliers, operational costs, taxes and service bank debts and these need to be matched with cash inflows from NHS remuneration, Over The Counter (OTC) sales and HMRC VAT refunds otherwise you could find yourself in a vicious circle. If cash flow is not monitored, you will find the business juggling to settle its liabilities as they fall due. If suppliers are not paid on time, they will not send vital supplies which in turn results in customers going elsewhere. If staff/locums are not paid on time, your patients will suffer due to lack of staff or even poor service levels from demotivated staff. HMRC can issue debt recovery proceedings against the business if debts remain unpaid. Lenders will be keeping a keen eye on the management accounts to ensure the business remains strong and is able to settle its financial obligations as they fall due. Let's explore how UK community pharmacies can identify potential cash flow problems and implement strategies to navigate these challenges effectively. Dispensed items If you are experiencing a drop in the average number of items you are dispensing over time, then it could mean customers could be going elsewhere. Loss of customers will mean less income for the business, and it is always difficult to get them back especially when they have gone to a local competitor. You need to keep an eye on this indicator and investigate any drop in numbers. Implement alternative strategies as to how you may increase this for example through partnerships with local community centres, GP surgeries, colleges, etc.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has lashed out at the British Medical Association (BMA) after GP leaders voted in favour of the motion to terminate pharmacy blood pressure checks with immediate effect and redirect the funds into pharmacy dispensing fees. Commenting on the BMA's vote, NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "It benefits no-one, least of all patients, for one set of health care professionals to talk down the services provided by another." He emphasised the importance of investment and collaboration across the healthcare system, particularly between general practice and community pharmacies, to provide the best possible care for patients. Furthermore, Kaye stressed the value of pharmacy-based NHS clinical services in improving access to care, while also providing more convenient care for patients and relieving pressure on other parts of primary care. "It would be terribly shortsighted to row back on preventative services such as hypertension case finding, which will be cost-saving as well as lifesaving in the long term," he warned. He noted that the NHS will only meet the growing needs and expectations of the ageing population by making the most of capacity and skills across the whole system.

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.

People are advised to be prepared and order their repeat prescriptions in time so that they don't run out of their routine medicines over the Christmas and New Year break when services are likely to be busier than normal. As GP practices will be closed over the bank holidays and only some pharmacies will remain open, local NHS leaders have urged patients to plan ahead to avoid making last-minute requests for collecting repeat prescriptions, which can add avoidable pressure for doctors, pharmacies, and other NHS services. Sati Ubhi, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, have cautioned patients that running out of their usual medication can have serious consequences. "By ordering medicines as soon as possible, it allows enough time for it to be processed and dispensed and helps avoid a last-minute rush," she told Fenland Citizen.

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.

A community pharmacy in Consett, County Durham, North East England, has been sold to a locum pharmacist after the previous owner decided to put it on the market following 29 years of ownership. Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, recently announced the sale of Moorside Pharmacy, a 30-hour community pharmacy that dispenses an average of 3,200 NHS items per month. Located 1.5 miles west of Consett, the pharmacy shares a building with a small GP surgery in Moorside. Rachel Hurst, who has owned it since 1995, brought it to the market to downsize her operations and focus on her busier pharmacies - one in Consett and two in Crook, County Durham, according to the broker. Following a confidential sales process, locum pharmacist Monju Miah has acquired the pharmacy. He plans to manage it hands-on and introduce additional services that will benefit the local population, the broker stated.

A policy brief, developed by researchers from the University of Bath and University of Strathclyde with funding from Sigma Pharmaceuticals, has recommended the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS to increase community pharmacy funding to avoid damaging closures and diminution of quality. The report launched on Wednesday (12 June) at an event in the House of Commons, attended by Members of Parliament, senior policymakers and the pharmacy industry, analysed community pharmacy policies and spoke to stakeholders to explore their opinions of the future of community pharmacy. It was found that patients value their community pharmacies, but staff feel demotivated, insecure and undervalued. Stakeholders and policies suggested that in the future, medicines should be supplied by automated 'hub and spoke' dispensing, enabling community pharmacy staff to provide services that relieve pressure on GP surgeries, such as long-term conditions management, urgent care and public health.

Nestled in the heart of a bustling high street and a housing estate, at Lincoln Pharmacy, part of Mildcare Ltd Group, in Tower Hamlets in London, the scene is a testament to resilience and innovation, where queues of people seek aid from a pharmacy technician stationed behind a glass window-a symbol of the enduring impact of the pandemic. Amidst the array of modern amenities at the pharmacy stands Atulkumar Patel, the proprietor and Independent Prescriber (IP) at Lincoln Pharmacy, whose vision has propelled the establishment into a beacon of progressive healthcare. Owner of two Pharmacies, Patel's team of 20 dispenses an average of 20,000 prescriptions monthly, maintaining an NHS/OTC split of 80/20. Recipient of the prestigious Independent Prescriber of the Year award at the Pharmacy Business Awards 2023, Patel reflects on the pivotal moment when his pharmacy pioneered the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine jabs within the community. "When doctors' doors closed, pharmacy was the only place where people could get help and care," Patel recounts, emphasising the pivotal role pharmacies played during the crisis. Patel's dedication during the pandemic extended beyond mere service provision; it was about showcasing the untapped potential of pharmacies.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published updated guidance on online pharmacy services in Great Britain, introducing additional safeguards to prevent unsafe supply of high-risk medicines, including weight loss injections. Under the new rules, medicines used for weight-management and medicines requiring physical examination before a prescribing decision is made have been added to the list of high-risk medicines. When prescribing these medicines, prescribers can no longer rely solely on online questionnaires. Instead, they must independently verify patient information, either through timely two-way communication with the person, accessing the person's clinical records, or contacting the person's GP, their regular prescriber, or a third-party provider. These measures aim to prevent individuals from providing false information to obtain medicines that may not be clinically appropriate for them, reducing potential harm. The pharmacy regulator updated its guidance in response to concerns identified relating to unsafe prescribing and supply of medicines online.