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The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) has changed its name to the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA). AIMp, now IPA, stated that rebranding was prompted by the demand from independent community pharmacists for an association that properly represents their interests. The membership of the Independent Pharmacies Association will not be restricted to pharmacy owners with multiple branches, as was the case with AIMp, but will be open to all independents, it announced today (Tuesday). It believes that the switch will "provide a clearer identity and afford a strong voice to the thousands of independent pharmacies in England and Wales." Furthermore, the IPA noted that it will not primarily function as an insurance organisation with membership attached, but it will be "fighting for and representing its members across all fronts."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday (17 May). It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams. The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS, professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators. A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer. Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure. "Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported. "It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to deliver high-quality patient care. "This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.

British health officials on Wednesday (September 28) warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in Covid-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched NHS. Warnings over a possible "twindemic" of Covid-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, but Covid restrictions that limited social contact have meant flu levels stayed low. However, the government ended coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, meaning that social contact rates have returned to near pre-pandemic norms while immunity to flu is relatively low. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that given the risk it was important those eligible took up vaccines against Covid and flu. "There are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in Covid-19 circulating," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has re-elected Andrew Carruthers as chair of RPS Scotland Pharmacy Board. Andrew is a Medicines Governance pharmacist within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where he has a clinical commitment to Care of the Elderly. Prior to becoming a pharmacist, he studied Pharmacology at the University of Glasgow, and maintains a keen interest in pharmacokinetics and research. In his address for the position, he said: "In my second term I want to continue to support and drive the introduction of RPS Ambassadors and the creation of an online RPS community." "As a previous RPS local coordinator, I've seen first-hand that RPS Local events are a great forum to formally support the training and development of local pharmacists. With input from our members and RPS staff we could share learning, inspire, and enable development, and build a supportive online community for the profession." He was the RPS Local Co-ordinator for Greater Glasgow and Clyde for 3 years, then he co-opted on to the Scottish Pharmacy Board (SPB) in 2018 and have been an active and effective member of the board. He was re-elected to the board in 2021 and he stood and was elected as Chair.

The Pharmaceutical Defence Association (PDA) has urged health ministers of the UK to take a strict and necessary action against the unnecessary closures of pharmacy. Concerned over the rising number of pharmacy closures, PDA has written an open letter to health secretary Steve Barclay; Robin Swann, health minister for Northern Ireland; Eluned Morgan, minister of health and social services for Wales; and Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary. In its letter, PDA said: "The minister of health must now ensure the regulation of poor business behaviours and be prepared to take over rogue pharmacies, however large their corporate owner may be. If patients' access to NHS services is to be protected from the consequences of avoidable full or part-day pharmacy closures." The association believes it is only a matter of time before serious harm to patients' health will be caused by the decisions of mainly large chains of pharmacies to close some of their branches for all or part of a day, instead of engaging an available pharmacist to cover their agreed opening hours. "While a small number of unforeseen closures have always occurred from time to time in pharmacies for genuine reasons, the indiscriminate scale at which closures have now become commonplace seems to have evolved over the last 20 months."

Numark Pharmacy is hosting an event today (December 4) to mark the takeover of one of the former Lloyds Pharmacy stores in Cumnock, Scotland. It has renamed the acquired pharmacy on Tanyard as Rowlands Pharmacy Cumnock HC, which will be reopened to the community on Monday. Rowlands Pharmacy Cumnock HC, which is the latest to reopen in Scotland, will be run by Pharmacy manager Meghan Mcewan, supported by a team of colleagues from the local community. At the new branch, the team will oversee prescription dispensary, vaccination services, over-the-counter medications, emergency contraception, and medication review.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a second "bivalent" vaccine as a Covid-19 booster. The updated booster vaccine made by Pfizer/BioNTech, targeting two coronavirus variants, has been approved for use in individuals aged 12 years and above. In each dose of the booster vaccine, 'Comirnaty bivalent Original/Omicron', half of the vaccine (15 micrograms) targets the original virus strain and the other half (15 micrograms) targets Omicron (BA.1). Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive said: "I am pleased to announce that we now have a second approved vaccine for the UK Autumn booster programme. The clinical trial of the Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent vaccine showed a strong immune response against the Omicron BA.1 variant as well as the original strain. Bivalent vaccines are helping us to meet the challenge of an ever-evolving virus, to help protect people against Covid-19 variants. We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines, and this will include the updated booster we approved today."

People in the UK have a high level of trust in pharmacies and many are keen on seeing the Pharmacy First initiative expanded, according to the 2024 STADA Health Report published today (24 June). The 10th annual health report by global healthcare leader STADA Arzneimittel AG, the parent company of Thornton & Ross, involved a survey of over 46,000 respondents across 23 countries, including 2,000 participants from the UK. The UK data showed an overwhelming trust in UK pharmacies, with 94 per cent of those surveyed (more than nine out of 10 Brits) saying they have only ever had good advice from a pharmacist. The report also indicated a strong desire for the Pharmacy First scheme to be expanded, with 44 per cent of respondents advocating for an increase in pharmacists' scope of responsibilities to support doctors.

Global consumer healthcare company Haleon has launched a new centre of excellence for a global leader in consumer health which will bring together world leading academics in human behaviour and frontline healthcare professionals including community pharmacists. Unveiled at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress in 'sunny' Seville, Spain on September 20, the Centre will operate as a community of healthcare professionals and specialists in behavioural science, health psychology and the social sciences to solve some of the most pressing everyday health challenges. Named the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) the initiative will be the first major programme for healthcare professionals since the Haleon's launch on July 18 as an independent, global leader in consumer health. The Centre's mission is to support practising health professionals - pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and dental professionals - in serving their patients and communities. Combining science with deep human understanding, CHS will bring expertise in physiology together with human sciences to deliver real world-solutions and tangible interventions, resulting in measurable improvements in health outcomes through sustained behavioural change. The Centre is facilitated by Robert Horne, professor of Behavioural Medicine at UCL School of Pharmacy, who started his career as a practising pharmacist but later chose to become a behavioural scientist when he saw an opportunity to address issues around psycho-social factors that acted as a hindrance in pharmacy practice. Speaking to me in an exclusive three-way conversation alongside Tess Player, the global head of healthcare professional & health influencer marketing at Haleon, on the sidelines of the FIP Congress 2022, Prof Horne expanded on what the Centre was all about and how it would work. "We've got some good ideas, but it's not a pre-filled prescription that we're going to deliver at scale from the start. What Haleon is t

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said last week (Aug 5) there were "early signs" that the monkeypox outbreak was plateauing across the country and that its expansion had slowed. "While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we cannot be complacent," Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said. There were 2,859 confirmed and highly probable cases of monkeypox in the UK as of Aug. 4, with nearly 99 per cent of the cases among men, the country's health authority said in a statement. The recent analysis by the UKHSA showed that "monkeypox continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men", it added. British authorities in June were recommending gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox be offered a vaccine, as the outbreak of the viral disease had gathered pace, mostly in Europe.