Pharmacy contractors will no longer need to print and submit a paper copy of their completed FP34C declaration made through the Manage Your Service (MYS)
portal when submitting their paper prescription bundle to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).
Instead, from August 2022 (for July 2022 prescriptions), NHSBSA will post out a paper Account Identifier Document along with the red separators and pharmacy address
labels each month.
"The Account Identifier Document should be placed alongside the paper prescription bundle before it is dispatched for payment to the relevant pricing division of
NHSBSA," said PSNC.
With the help of Account Identifier Document, NHSBSA will be able to easily identify the pharmacy that has submitted the prescription bundle, which will help to
speed up prescription processing.
"If the Account Identifier Document is lost or misplaced, contractors will still be able to download and print another copy from MYS. The July 2022 Drug Tariff
will be updated to reflect this change."
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised healthcare professionals to ensure appropriate patient counselling takes place and
patients are aware of the missing information on the patient information leaflet (PIL) of Decongestant Tablets and Decongestant with Pain Relief Tablets.
The advise came after Boots has identified an error with the printed PIL provided with batches of the tablets.
Check the website for more information.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recalled Labetalol 200mg tablets (Tillomed Laboratories Ltd) directed to pharmacies
and wholesalers.
Manufacturer, Tillomed Laboratories is recalling one batch of Labetalol 200mg tablets due to an error on the foil blister packaging.
The incorrect aluminium foil blister packaging states Labetalol 100mg tablets, however it should be labelled as Labetalol 200mg Tablets. This error has occurred
at the primary packing operation.
Tillomed Laboratories Limited has confirmed the actual tablet contained in the blister is Labetalol 200mg Tablets, which is the strength stated on the outer carton.
This error is limited to the packaging of the batch with 100mg aluminium foil blister and does not impact the lot (batch) number or expiry as printed on the outer
carton and aluminium foil blister.
Healthcare professionals has been advised to stop supplying the batches immediately. Quarantine all remaining stock and return it to supplier using supplier's
approved process.
AstraZeneca UK has revised the expiry dates for certain batches of Fluenz Tetra nasal spray vaccines as a precautionary measure, after finding that their
potency (strength) dropped faster than predicted once thawed, during routine testing.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been informed by the manufacturer that the printed expiry date for a limited number of batches
is "incorrect."
However, the MHRA has assured patients that the affected batches are safe to use and fully effective within the amended expiry date.
If the vaccine is administered after the amended expiry date, it may be less effective in protecting against flu, it said.
The UK regulatory authority also reiterated that it "keeps the safety of medicines, including vaccines, under review, and acts where necessary to protect patients
and the public."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has awarded Professor Abdul Basit with the RPS Harrison Memorial Medal for an outstanding contribution to advancing
pharmaceutical science.
Professor Basit graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bath, and received his PhD from The School of Pharmacy, University
of London.
Currently in position as Professor of Pharmaceutics at the UCL School of Pharmacy, he is internationally recognised for leading in the field of drug delivery,
microbiome medicines, three-dimensional printing of pharmaceuticals and digital health. He has also founded three start-up companies.
Professor Basit has an impressive track record of publications, and a lifetime grant and investment income of over £100million pounds. His research has led to
a series of transformative drug delivery systems, translated into the design of new technologies and improved therapies, many of which have been commercialised
and launched worldwide including a new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. To date, more than a million patients have benefited from inventions created and
developed in the Basit Research Group.
While Northern Irish business groups has welcomed the certainty a new EU-UK deal on post-Brexit trade rules for the region provided, the pharmaceutical
industry too has expressed cautious optimism.
In his speech on the Windsor Framework on Monday (February 28) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the agreement "delivers a landmark settlement on medicines".
"From now on, drugs approved for use by the UK's medicines regulator will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland," he
announced.
The National Pharmacy Association's Northern Ireland manager Anne McAlister expressed a sense of cautious optimism.
She said: "While the devil may yet be in the detail, the Windsor Framework would appear to be good news for pharmacies in Northern Ireland. It seems to address
the main concerns we have expressed about medicines supplies to NI, but we want to examine the small print to ensure the new arrangements meet the needs of our
members and the patients they serve.
The national pharmacy bodies has created 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign website to give new focus to calls for fair pharmacy funding in England.
The newly launched site contains key messages for public, politicians and stakeholders, and hosts campaign resources to be used by pharmacy teams.
The pharmacy bodies encourage members of the public and pharmacy teams to show their support for the campaign on social media, as well as signing the petition
and contacting their local MPs about fair funding.
A further resource in the form of a window poster is being printed and will shortly be mailed out to all community pharmacies in England.
It is the latest output of a joint programme of work being coordinated by PSNC, CCA, AIM and the NPA.
Representatives from the national community pharmacy bodies will brief the MPs on the severe challenges facing community pharmacies on Tuesday (21 March) at a
roundtable summit.
The roundtable summit will include discussions on the urgent action needed to address the current severe challenges being faced by community pharmacy, as well as the
sector's role in the upcoming Primary Care Recovery Plan, said PSNC.
The Parliamentary event this week has been coordinated by PSNC as part of the joint #SaveOurPharmacies campaign which exceeded 30,000 signatories in a week.
The Association of Independent Pharmacies (AIM), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and PSNC will take part at the
event.
A spokesperson for the #SaveOurPharmacies campaign group said: "30,000 signatures in a week indicates a high level of underlying public support for community pharmacy
and it's a good start to the #SaveOurPharmacies campaign. A petition by itself won't change the world, but it works as a kind of drumbeat for the campaign, giving
forward momentum, and it's a really easy way to express your opinion.
We hope the new window poster - along with all the resources available at saveourpharmacies.co.uk - will help as many pharmacies as possible to drum up support from
their patients, and we're really grateful to Communications International Group for helping us to print and distribute this.
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