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Pharmacy chain Superdrug has introduced what it asserts to be the most affordable private flu vaccinations offered on the UK high street. The vaccinations will be priced at £8.79 for 17.2 million members of its Ghada , and £16.99 for non-members. The 2023-24 vaccination service is set to become available across 150 of its stores starting from early September. Superdrug has taken this step in response to a change in NHS England's inclusion criteria, which has rendered the 12 million individuals aged 50-65 ineligible for the NHS flu vaccination service, the company said. The company is anticipating heightened demand for private flu vaccinations due to the postponed commencement of the NHS service and alterations in eligibility for free flu jabs. "Our waiting list for private flu vaccination services has already exceeded last year's figures, indicating a heightened demand this year," said Ghada Beal, Superdrug's Healthcare Director. "Providing this service at a more accessible price-point is significant, given the eligibility changes that will impact millions. Our private flu vaccination services provide a convenient means for individuals to safeguard themselves against flu and its potential complications." In May, the government's annual flu vaccination programme letter indicated that individuals aged 50 to 64 won't receive free flu vaccinations in the 2023/24 season. Moreover, the NHS plans to delay flu vaccine distribution to October, with the goal of enhancing protection for those aged 65 and older and other eligible groups during the winter months.

Kelso Pharma, the growing UK based specialty pharma business, has announced its first product launch with the release to the UK prescription medicines market of Acepiro (Acetylcysteine) 600mg effervescent tablets. Acepiro 600 mg effervescent tablets are indicated in adults only and are being made available to hospital and community prescribers in 20 and 30 day packs, with the 30 day pack consistent with monthly prescribing. The NHS List Price for the 30 day pack is £4.40, with the 20 day pack priced at £3.65. Acepiro is being launched by Stirling Anglian Pharmaceuticals (SAP), which was acquired by Kelso Pharma one year ago, providing a new UK platform and springboard for future sales growth for the business. The new product complements SAP's existing portfolio of three medicines: CosmoCol (macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes) powder for oral solution - an osmotic laxative indicated for the treatment of chronic constipation and faecal impaction. Stirlescent (naproxen) 250mg effervescent tablets - containing naproxen, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has cautioned that patients in the UK will continue to encounter difficulties in accessing medicines unless the government addresses supply problems and resolves the critical financial state of community pharmacies. CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison and Mike Dent, Director of Pharmacy Funding, on Monday 19 February, gave evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee's Pharmacy Inquiry, highlighting the impact of ongoing medicines supply issues on pharmacies and patients. Morrison indicated that a combination of the ongoing "financial squeeze, operational pressures, and medicines supply and pricing issues" has left pharmacy businesses fighting for survival. "As the NHS continues to grapple with wider challenges, this is a battle that patients cannot afford for pharmacies to lose," she said. Morrison warned that if pharmacies continue to close, not only business owners and pharmacy teams will suffer, but patients and local communities will also face the consequences.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has developed a webtool to help community pharmacy contractors estimate the impact on their payments under the new discount deduction system. The calculator aims to illustrate the changes to discount deduction that a pharmacy could experience during the transition to the new arrangements from October 2022 to January 2024, when the new system will be fully in place. PSNC's calculator requires contractors to input information about their individual pharmacy dispensing mix (i.e. split of reimbursement by appliances, brands and generics) to provide an estimate for the level of impact the new discount deduction system will have. "The impact on individual pharmacies cannot be estimated without using dispensing mix data, meaning that any estimates which do not take this into account will not be reliable," said PSNC. For years many contractors have been frustrated by how discount is applied to their accounts and have often raised concerns about the blanket nature of its application to PSNC.