In a groundbreaking move towards modernising healthcare, England's National Health Service (NHS) has successfully implemented digital prescriptions,
as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its latest regional digital health report.
Since January 2024, patients across England have had access to their prescription information through the NHS App, marking a significant leap in healthcare
accessibility and efficiency.
With over 33 million registered users, representing 75 per cent of the adult population, the NHS App has become a vital tool in managing healthcare online.
The introduction of digital prescriptions allows users to order repeat prescriptions online without the need for a GP visit.
This innovation has witnessed a surge in digital requests, with over 3.1 million repeat prescriptions processed monthly.
To lead the way in modernizing the UK's healthcare, the National Health Service (NHS) digitized the prescriptions. WHO mentioned this in their current
digital regional report. Since January 2024, the NHS App in England has offered patients the opportunity to see statistics about their prescriptions.
This represents a gigantic step in the area of healthcare which can be categorized as another stage in healthcare accessibility and efficiency. Over 33 million
residents have taken the NHS app enabling the users to be 75% of the adult population. The app helps in online management of their health. The use of digital
prescriptions enables patients to order repeated prescriptions online, in which they would past getting an appointment a GP.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a supply notification for Varicella vaccine (live) powder and solvent for suspension/solution for
injection 0.5ml vials (Varivax and Varilrix) until mid-October.
AAH have put quotas in place for GPs to limit the ordering of Varilrix and safeguard supplies during this shortage. To override this quota or obtain stock in any
other primary care setting (including community pharmacy) a prescription will be required.
To obtain stock through the prescription validation system pharmacy will have to contact AAH Quota Management Customer Care team:
Online https://www.aah.co.uk/s/quotarequest or by logging into AAH Point https://www.aah.co.uk/s/signin then choose Additional Services and select Quotas.
The pharmacy should follow the steps and fill in the required information including their email address.
The pharmacy can also call: 0344 561 8899 and select option 3 (quota)
The pharmacy will need to have the prescription details available
The AAH team will review the request and follow the guidance provided below to validate the prescription and approve the order.
Pharmacists can dispense Paracetamol 120mg suppositories in accordance with the prescription, as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed
that sufficient stocks are available to meet normal demand.
This means the Serious Shortage Protocol - SSP033 - for Paracetamol 120mg suppositories has now expired since 26 August 2022.
Top tips for SSP claims
NHSBSA advise that contractors must follow the specific endorsement guidance issued with each SSP and endorsements should be clear and unambiguous - NHSBSA
processing staff must be able to determine what has been supplied. NHSBSA have published information on common SSP endorsing errors they see when processing claims.
Any paper prescriptions with SSP claims need to be placed in the red separator provided by the NHSBSA.
Although an SSP cannot be used outside its period of validity, claims can be submitted up to three calendar months after expiry or withdrawal of the SSP to help
manage any owings for other items issued on the same prescription form. For example, for SSP033 Paracetamol 120mg suppositories, which expires at 23.59pm on Friday
26 August 2022, the NHSBSA would continue to look for the "SSP" endorsement on prescriptions for Paracetamol 120mg suppositories that are submitted with the August
batch (submitted by 5 September), September batch (submitted by 5 October) and October batch (submitted by 5 November).
Travelling with medical cannabis can be a complex and often confusing experience, given the diverse legal regulations across different countries and states.
Patients who rely on medical cannabis for their wellbeing need to be well-informed and prepared to ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience. This
comprehensive guide covers essential aspects, legal considerations, and practical tips for individuals who use medical cannabis and wish to travel.
Know the Laws
The first and most crucial step before travelling with medical cannabis is to understand the laws and regulations of both the departure and destination locations.
Laws regarding medical cannabis use vary significantly from one country, state, or even city to another. Some places have legalised medical cannabis, while others
strictly prohibit its use. Researching and familiarising oneself with the specific regulations of the destination, transit countries, and the home country is
essential.
Travelling Within the Same Country
When travelling within a country where medical cannabis is legal, patients generally need to carry their prescription information issued by a licensed healthcare
provider. It's advisable to keep medical cannabis in its original packaging, clearly labelled with the patient's name, prescribing physician, and dosage instructions.
Carrying a copy of the relevant laws and regulations can also be helpful in case of any inquiries from authorities. What can be easier than carrying around paperwork,
which could get easily damaged or lost during your travels, is to get a medical card that has a unique QR code on it from Releaf Cannabis, which, when scanned, can
present their prescription information digitally - it has revolutionised the way patients manage their healthcare. This eliminates the need for physical documents
and streamlines the process but also ensures the security and confidentiality of sensitive medical information, offering patients a more efficient and organi
A BBC investigation has found 20 UK online pharmacies selling prescription-only medicines without adhering to the regulatory standards, such as checking
for GP approval or patient's medical records.
The news organisation was able to purchase over 1,600 restricted pills, including anti-anxiety drug, painkiller and sleeping medication, from these regulated
online pharmacies easily by providing false information.
However, the report didn't mention the names of the drugs as "they can be dangerous when taken without medical guidance."
Some pharmacies were also found selling high-risk and potentially addictive medicines, including benzodiazepines and antidepressants, based on online questionnaires
and did not require further checks.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulate online pharmacies in the UK, states that selling and supplying medicines at a distance brings
"different risks which need to be appropriately managed to protect patient safety."
Paydens Pharmacy Group, one of the first multiple pharmacies to adopt hub and spoke model last year, revealed that the move has resulted in significant time
savings in store.
Centralising dispensing of repeat prescriptions relieves pressure in pharmacy branches and releases time to deliver revenue generating services, the group said.
The group created a hub in Maidstone, Kent, to service its highest dispensing branches. The hub uses Centred Solution's FLOWRx Hub Auto to dispense their original
pack repeat prescriptions. The group put in the first FLOWRx Hub production line in spring 2022 and then added in a second line in the autumn as they increased
production and moved more stores to the hub and spoke model.
The innovative solution interfaces with EMIS PMR, Omnicell's Robotic Dispensing System and Universal Logistics Management software as well as Victoria OS ordering
software.
The hub operation runs during the day Monday to Friday and produces an average of 33,289 packs per week for just under 9,000 patients, leaving plenty of scope to
ramp up. The hub is currently dispensing 79.7% of repeat prescription original packs requested by the group's busiest stores.
"Our main concerns are that the use of what they call an asynchronous supply, where the prescriber neither sees nor talks to the patient at the time they
issue the prescription, does lay itself open to perhaps people getting hold of medication that they shouldn't," the Head of Policy, PDA said.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) engages in a critical conversation on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, shedding light on the online prescribing of weight
loss drugs and advocating for safer practices.
The PDA's spokesperson, Head of Policy Alima Batchelor, emphasised the importance of adhering to professional guidelines to ensure patient safety and mitigate
regulatory concerns.
During the feature, the PDA highlighted the complexities and risks associated with online supply chains, stressing the necessity for direct clinical consultations
and pharmacist involvement in medication management.
""There are guidelines and advice about verification within the DiCE guidance, but it doesn't go quite far enough for us. We are concerned when patients decline
to allow the online prescriber to advise their GP of what they're taking," Batchelor highlighted.
Community pharmacy chain Jardines Pharmacy has partnered with patient relationship management platform Charac to launch a new app designed to digitalise
its services, enhance operational efficiency, and elevate customer satisfaction.
The app allows patients to order repeat prescriptions, access medicine home delivery and book consultations with their pharmacist all in one place, enabling
faster pharmacist-to-patient care.
By incorporating Charac's platform into its business, Jardines is able to boost prescription dispensing efficiency, helping reducing wait times for patients.
Additionally, its delivery feature enables patients to track their orders directly through the app, thereby streamlining the overall patient experience.
The app also minimises administrative and manual tasks for pharmacists, giving them more time to focus on helping patients and delivering the outstanding
customer service.
Patients of Jardines can also use the app to book appointments digitally for Pharmacy First consultations, blood pressure checks, earwax removal, travel
vaccinations, and emergency contraception services.
Santosh Sahu, Founder and CEO of Charac, said: "We are pleased to support Jardines Pharmacy and its patients across England. Our mission is to ensure that
community pharmacies are empowered to digitalise, making care easier and more accessible for patients.
A massive global technology outage on Friday has disrupted essential services, including healthcare, airlines, banks, and broadcasters worldwide.
The outage, attributed to a flawed update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, has also affected the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, with several hospitals
and GP practices losing access to their computer systems.
Community pharmacies are also facing significant disruptions. Services such as accessing prescriptions from GPs and medicine deliveries have been affected, causing
inconvenience to patients and healthcare providers.
An NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and an issue with EMIS, an appointment and patient record system, which is causing disruption in
the majority of GP practices."
The spokesperson assured that the NHS has long-standing measures in place to manage such disruptions, including the use of paper patient records and handwritten
prescriptions, and the usual phone systems to contact GPs.
Growing up with a family that worked in pharmacy, our dinner time conversation was not like that of other families. Ours would centre around medicines,
prescriptions, and the health challenges within our local community.
I quickly came to understand the importance of the role played by community pharmacists. So I can't help but be concerned that the current direction being taken by
digital health innovation threatens to leave community pharmacies behind.
Whilst it is brilliant that patients can easily access their prescriptions through the rise of online pharmacies, many of these cut out the vital knowledge and
expertise of local community pharmacists, and threaten to end the traditional close ties between local community pharmacists and their patients.
Nine out of 10 NHS users believe that pharmacists play an unrivalled role when it comes to keeping patients in the community safe. We must ensure that digital health
does not replace this important source of advice for health problems and injuries, but instead preserves and enhances this vital, personal role and enables
pharmacists to continue delivering care in new and effective ways.
A vital connection with patients
Community pharmacies provide crucial support to local patients with managing their medicines safely, particularly older and more vulnerable people. The specific
expertise and knowledge held by pharmacists can help inform the long-term management of a patient's condition and ensure they are kept safe from potential side
effects and complications.
MedAdvisor will be investing $1.9 million (£1 million) into UK-based pharmacy dispensary app Charac, while securing a 7.4 per cent shareholding in the later
company.
Under this new agreement, MedAdvisor CEO Rick Ratliff will become a Non-Executive Director (NED) on the board of Charac.
Both MedAdvisor and Charac provide digital medication adherence solutions that allow customers to file prescription orders to their local pharmacy through mobile apps.
The investment is seen as part of MedAdvisor's cost saving strategy, as the Australian company has decided to discontinue its UK operations, and transfer its
existing pharmacy relationships to Charac.
Charac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, has secured £1 million strategic investment from the Royal Mail Group,
enabling its time-saving platform to assist more local pharmacies and patients across the UK to easily manage their prescriptions and consultations online.
The company said this new money will enable it to leverage strong levels of trust that pharmacists enjoy within the communities they serve in and will ensure
pharmacies remain a cornerstone of vibrant high streets and an invaluable provider of frontline healthcare products and services, including vitally needed
consultations.
Charac says it is aiming to sign up over 1,000 UK pharmacies in the next 12 months by expanding its geographic footprint beyond current cities, including London,
Manchester and Birmingham, and targeting small multiple and independent pharmacies, accounting for almost 40 per cent of the UK's community pharmacy network.
The announcement also sees the addition of Stefan Kulik, a managing director at Royal Mail, to the Charac board. Stefan is responsible for leading Royal Mail's
expansion into the healthcare industry and brings a breadth of experience, having previously worked in healthcare with companies including Johnson & Johnson.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and BeWell are working together to help provide efficiencies and productivity that address the growing pressures within
community pharmacy.
BeWell's Pharmacy Management Platform provides robust solutions that include Patient Relationship Management, Omnichannel Communications and Engagement, Services
and Bookings Management, access to patient records, NHS Login supported Patient Application, and repeat prescription capabilities for Pharmacy Website and Patient
App that include integrations with Surgery Online Services.
This single interoperable platform is also integrated with pharmacy PMRs, connecting back office and administrative functions with front-of-house digital patient
experiences. In line with the NPA's vision, BeWell has taken a leading role in formulating a unique ecosystem of pharmacy partners uniting marketing agencies,
PGD-based service providers, and delivery method partners - integrating their capabilities within the BeWell platform.
HRA Pharma is celebrating the 1st anniversary of Hana, the first type of daily oral contraception available in the UK without a prescription.
The launch of Hana in 2021 followed the historic decision of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to grant a marketing authorisation
and marked a significant step forward in the women's contraception category.
The company reports that pharmacists have embraced the reclassification and have found merit in using emergency contraception consultations as an opportunity to
educate women on their over-the-counter contraception options.
Alison Slingsby, innovations project manager at HRA Pharma, commented: "We have been delighted with Hana's reception - within weeks of launch, it quickly became
the best-selling mini-pill without prescription, with more than 95 per cent market share, and has maintained this market leading position ever since. We previously
had the experience of switching emergency contraceptive ellaOne to a P medicine, Hana is on track to match and eventually exceed the ellaOne volumes.
NHS England has secured a deal for 'Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring' device which will help type 1 diabetes patients to keep track of their
glucose levels at all times without having to scan or take a finger prick test.
Once the patients receive their starter pack - which will include information on the product and usage, a sensor and transmitter - from the hospital or GP surgery,
they can go to the community pharmacy for their repeat prescription.
The wearable arm gadget sends information to a mobile app and allows diabetes patients to keep track of their glucose levels.
"Traditionally, continuous glucose monitors are more expensive than their flash monitor counterparts - which record glucose levels by scanning a sensor - but thanks
to the NHS agreeing on a new cost-effective deal with manufacturers DEXCOM, they will now be available for NHS patients on prescription at a similar price," said NHS.
Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring, uses a sensor no bigger than a bottle cap that attaches to the arm for up to 10 days and measures glucose levels
from just under the skin.
The wider rollout of the technology will help diabetes patients manage their condition better - reducing hospitalisations and associated diabetic illnesses which will
ultimately ease pressure off the NHS.
Karen Baxter, vice president, UK & Ireland, Benelux, France and Spain at Dexcom: "The addition of Dexcom ONE to the NHS England drug tariff is enormous progress
towards improving the choice of diabetes tech, providing an alternative to burdensome finger pricks and scanning.
More than 10,000 pharmacy contractors those have declared their March FP34C submission figures through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by 5 April will
receive earlier advance payments on Monday 11 April, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) announced.
Around 10,700 pharmacy contractors have made their submissions through MYS portal. They will receive their advance payments some 20 days earlier than the normal
payment timetable.
However, due to late submission (after April 5), over 500 contractors will not receive any earlier advance payments in April. These contractors will receive their advance payments on 1 May, in accordance with the normal payment timetable.
From this month, MYS is the only route available to contractors for all monthly FP34C submissions.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) reminded contractors that from this month (for prescriptions dispensed in March), the NHSBSA may apply an administrative deduction of £25 if a prescription bundle is submitted late.
From July 2022, Manage Your Services (MYS) portal will be the only route available for pharmacy contactors to submit all new prescription returns/referred
back items and disallowed items, reminded the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).
Contractors will be able to view and submit the required information for all these items only through the MYS portal.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will send out a notification email from July (for the dispensing month of June) to the pharmacy NHSmail account if any
new referred back or disallowed items have been generated for the contractor to complete on their MYS account.
"Contractors can view any referred back items for completion by checking the 'Unpaid items' tab on MYS landing page," PSNC.
"It is important to note that prescription returns/referred back items via MYS are only held in the system for a period of 18 months from the date they are first
sent to the pharmacy for action; if contractors have not completed and returned any outstanding referred backs before this deadline has passed, the referred back
items will be deleted from system."
People are advised to be mindful of medications that may cause sun reactions, and to watch out for dodgy hay fever treatments and fake weight loss pens.
For those traveling abroad, the MHRA advises considering the suitability of medicines available to reduce the risk of contracting tropical diseases.
Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said: "The summer is an exciting time for many of us, as we take time off to travel and enjoy the warmer weather.
"But it is important to understand what this time of year means for our medicines and medical devices, and take the precautions necessary to use products safely
and protect ourselves."
Watch out for dodgy hay fever treatments
Millions of Britons suffer from hay fever symptoms in the summer. The MHRA advises consulting a healthcare professional to find the best treatment for your symptoms.
People are also warned to be cautious of medicines advertised as hay fever treatments but not approved for use in the UK, such as Kenalog. This is a
prescription-only steroid injection licensed as a medicine for other conditions, but not for the treatment of hay fever.
Susan Rienow, UK Managing Director and Country President of Pfizer is all set to take up her role as President of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry (ABPI).
The association had announced her appointment in March. Last year in September she was appointed as the vice-president of ABPI.
In her new role, she will oversee the ABPI, the ABPI Board, and the ABPI's Code of Practice, which is administered by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice
Authority (PMCPA).
Susan takes up the Presidency as negotiations begin for a new Voluntary Scheme for branded medicines pricing between the government, NHS England and the ABPI.
All parties are looking to secure a new agreement that will help improve patient outcomes, support a healthier population and a financially sustainable NHS, while
also supporting economic growth for the UK.