Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is gearing up to conduct a vital Pharmacy Advice Audit, calling on pharmacy owners and their teams to help measure the
increasing reliance on pharmacies within communities.
With years of financial strains impacting the sector, despite the much-needed £645 million recovery plan funding, the sector finds itself on the edge.
The launch of Pharmacy First sparked a notable surge in people seeking advice from community pharmacies, both within and beyond the funded service, as revealed
by recent sector polling.
To accurately assess this trend and advocate for sustainable funding, CPE is initiating an audit to gather data crucial for showcasing the extent of unfunded
care provided by community pharmacies.
Scheduled to commence this week, the Pharmacy Advice Audit will entail pharmacy teams documenting informal healthcare advice dispensed over a single day.
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.
Pharmacy2U has joined thousands of pharmacists in launching the new NHS Pharmacy First service in England.
The new service, which was first launched on 31 January 2024, enables pharmacists to treat seven common health conditions without the need for a GP appointment
or prescription.
Over 95 per cent of all community pharmacies in the country (10,265 in total) have signed up to provide the service, which is aimed at easing pressure on GP
services while giving patients quick and accessible care.
Under the Pharmacy First service, the online pharmacy is offering same-day appointments to manage six conditions: sinusitis, an infected insect bite, sore
throat, UTIs, shingles and impetigo.
Pharmacy2U's CEO Kevin Heath said that they support the initiative fully and that the service will play a major role in providing patients easy and direct
access to pharmacists.
The much-awaited Pharmacy First service has been launched in England, enabling patients to get treatment for seven common conditions from their community
pharmacists without needing to see a GP.
According to NHS England, a total of 10,265 community pharmacies, which is equivalent to more than nine in ten community pharmacies in the country, will be
offering the ground-breaking initiative.
The new scheme allows highly trained pharmacists to give advice and prescription-only medicines for minor ailments including sinusitis, sore throat, earache,
infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65).
With this major expansion of pharmacy services, the NHS is aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year while giving the public more choice in where and
how they access care.
Acknowledging the ongoing challenges in delivering the required IT systems for the scheduled launch of the Pharmacy First service on January 31, NHS England
reported progress in fulfilling 'many' commitments outlined in its plan to enhance primary care access during a board meeting on Thursday.
However, it noted that the digital infrastructure supporting Pharmacy First, included in the £645 million fresh funding for community pharmacy, will require additional time for implementation.
"Delivery remains challenging due to changes needed in digital infrastructure, and we are working with suppliers to support January implementation," NHSE said.
"A public campaign is planned for 2024."
The Pharmacy First service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common health conditions (sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected
insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women), eliminating the need for a GP visit.
Meanwhile, NHSE is leveraging the widespread accessibility of pharmacies by expanding blood pressure monitoring and introducing direct prescribing of clinically
safe oral contraceptives-an initiative that has been well-received.
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.
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."
Almost all community pharmacies in the West Midlands and East Midlands have begun treating people for seven common conditions, as part of the newly launched
Pharmacy First scheme.
NHS England on Sunday (4 February) revealed that more than 95 per cent of community pharmacies in the West Midlands (1130) and over 97 per cent in the East
Midlands (840) have joined the ground-breaking initiative.
The scheme allows highly trained pharmacists to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and
uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) without the need for an appointment or prescription.
With this major expansion of pharmacy services, the health service is aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year, while making it easier and more
convenient for people to access care.
The 14th Annual Community Pharmacy Conference by Sigma Pharmaceuticals began on Monday, 25 February at Sun City, South Africa.
Dr. Bharat Shah, Manish Shah, and Kamal Shah, co-founders of the company, extended a warm welcome to the delegates in attendance at the event.
In a written message, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak extended his best wishes to all the participants attending the conference.
The message read: "This conference is timely as it coincides with the launch of the Pharmacy First, a new initiative launched across England that will enable
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."
Community pharmacists in England have launched a new digital platform called My Local Surgery, enabling patients to access Pharmacy First consultations online.
This initiative, a part of the NHS Pharmacy First scheme, facilitates free video consultations for six common conditions, connecting patients with community
pharmacists for clinical advice and treatment.
The platform, spearheaded by a team of pharmacy, tech, and clinical services experts, including experienced community pharmacists Darren Lingaloo and Gulraj
Dhillon, tech specialist Nav Ramiah, and Dr. Adam Kirk, a seasoned NHS and digital healthcare professional, seeks to meet the rising demand for clinical services.
Darren Lingaloo, co-founder and chief pharmacist at My Local Surgery, said: "The evolving role of pharmacists is long overdue and has the potential to save
millions of GP appointments every year.
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
All 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England have signed memorandums of understanding for the NHS Independent Prescribing Pathfinder programme, the
first nationally-funded prescribing service in the country.
Anne Joshua, interim deputy director of pharmacy commissioning at NHS England, made the revelation during the 'Chief pharmaceutical officer bi-monthly
webinar' held on 7 March 2024, as reported by The Pharmaceutical Journal.
In the initial phase of the programme, 210 community pharmacies across all ICBs will trial independent prescribing, ahead of establishing a commissioning
framework for the service.
Giving an update on the pathfinder programme, Joshua confirmed that 164 of these potential pathfinder sites had registered for the programme as of 29 February 2024.
Additionally, she announced the clinical models to be followed by the participating pharmacies and presented a graph showing an overview of the services they will
provide.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has responded positively to the Labour Party's manifesto, which outlines plans to bolster community pharmacy
services and shift the NHS towards a more localized, prevention-focused model.
Key proposals include the creation of a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service and the enhancement of care delivery in local communities.
Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the CCA, expressed strong support for these initiatives and said:
"We welcome the Labour Party Manifesto's clear focus on moving to a 'Neighbourhood Health Service', prevention, and the return of the 'family doctor'."
"Harnessing community pharmacy is crucial to delivering each of these," Harrison added.
Deviating from the initial schedule to kick off the flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in October, the NHS England has announced that the autumn
vaccination drive will commence sooner than expected in England, starting on September 11. This decision was taken as a precaution in response to a new Covid-19
variant.
The precautionary measure is being taken as the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency examined the variant BA.2.86, which was first
detected in the UK on Friday, August 18, 2023, the NHSE said on Aug. 30.
While NHS England had previously announced that vaccinations for both NHS programmes would begin on October 2 for residents of older adult care homes, appointments
for other eligible groups were scheduled for the following week, starting on October 7. This decision prompted community pharmacy leaders to denounce the delayed
start of the flu service as 'unacceptable'.
NHS England has confirmed the initial sites that will test and implement Martha's Rule in the first phase of the programme.
This follows the announcement in February regarding NHSE funding for the major patient safety initiative for this financial year.
The scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died from sepsis at the age of 13 in 2021. She had been treated at King's College Hospital, London, where a failure
to escalate her to intensive care and a lack of response to her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition contributed to her death.
Martha's Rule aims to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one's condition
deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to.
NHS England on Monday (27 May) announced that the scheme will be implemented at 143 hospital sites across the country by March 2025.
To combat the effects of climate change, the Integrated Care System (ICS) in South East London (SEL) has initiated a pioneering inhaler recycling project.
Supported by NHS England and spanning 20 community pharmacies across the region, the project marks the first nationally-funded pilot of its kind in England,
targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from improperly disposed inhalers.
The project, which commenced at King's College Hospital in February 2024, focuses on the recycling of pressurised metered-dose inhalers.
These inhalers, due to their propellant content, contribute significantly to environmental harm, emitting gases equivalent to driving 71.8 miles in a standard
petrol car.
The National Health Services England (NHSE) is poised to revolutionise diabetes management with the introduction of the 'artificial pancreas', also known
as the Hybrid Closed Loop system, to treat type 1 diabetes. This pioneering initiative, endorsed by the National Institute of Health Care and Excellence (NICE),
represents a global first in healthcare innovation.
With 269,095 individuals grappling with type 1 diabetes in England, the Hybrid Closed Loop system is set to cater to tens of thousands of children and adults across
the nation.
This cutting-edge device operates by seamlessly monitoring blood glucose levels and autonomously adjusting insulin dosage through a pump, by eliminating the need
for regular insulin injections.
Furthermore, it holds the promise of averting life-threatening hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemia episodes, mitigating significant risks associated with the condition.
To facilitate the identification of beneficiaries, NHSE has allocated a substantial sum of £2.5 million, ensuring that those who could benefit from this innovative
solution receive the necessary support.
In its first, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended the use of long-acting injectable treatment for HIV-1 infection in adults, making around 13,000 people eligible for treatment with cabotegravir with rilpivirine in England.
The new treatment aims to keep the number of virus particles in the blood so low that it cannot be detected or transmitted between people.
Current treatment for HIV‑1 is lifelong antiretroviral tablets taken each day.
Use of cabotegravir with rilpivirine is recommended when there is no evidence tosuspect viral resistance, and no previous failure of other anti-HIV-1 medicines.
"Clinical trial results show that cabotegravir with rilpivirine is as effective as oralantiretrovirals at keeping the viral load low," NICE stated.
Both are administered as two separate injections every two months, after an initial oral (tablet) lead-in period.
Thousands of cancer patients in England are set to gain fast-tracked access to personalised cancer vaccine trials through a new National Health Service(NHS)
initiative, the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.
This groundbreaking service aims to find new life-saving treatments by matching eligible patients with clinical trials across the country.
The first patient to receive a personalised vaccine for bowel cancer is Elliot Phebve, a 55-year-old lecturer, treated at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS
Foundation Trust.
Phebve, diagnosed through a routine health check, underwent surgery and chemotherapy before joining the trial.
Sponsored by German biotech company BioNTech SE, the colorectal cancer vaccine trial is one of several taking place across NHS trusts.