Trainee pharmacists across Great Britain are preparing to participate in Pharmacist Support's annual Trainee ACTNow Wellbeing Campaign, scheduled from
May 20th to 24th.
Organised by the charity, this initiative aims to provide essential support as trainees approach the culmination of their placements and gear up for the General
Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) assessment.
Danielle Hunt, Chief Executive of Pharmacist Support, highlighted the campaign's focus on addressing the significant stress and pressure trainees may experience
during this critical period.
She stated: "We understand the anxiety and pressure they may feel, not only in preparing for the assessment but also in stepping into their roles as registered
pharmacists."
In a significant move to address health disparities and enhance clinical research, community pharmacies across several regions are set to become central
players in the Genes and Health study.
Led by Queen Mary University of London and funded by the Wellcome Trust, this national initiative aims to improve health outcomes within British-Bangladeshi
and British-Pakistani communities.
Professor Mahendra Patel, Director of the Centre for Research Equity at the University of Oxford, highlighted the importance of this approach.
"By engaging the broader pharmacy workforce, including technicians, we aim to establish a research-ready infrastructure within community pharmacies," Patel
told Pharmacy Business.
He shared that the initiative marks a transformative step in integrating pharmacies into the clinical research landscape.
The Thames Valley and South Midlands Clinical Research Network (CRN) is managing a pioneering pilot program for this study, which will initially focus on
pharmacies in Banbury, Oxford City, Reading, Slough, High Wycombe, and Aylesbury.
NHS England has funded the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) to offer 80 free places in their Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT)
programme.
Starting August 2024, up to 10 NHSE-funded places will be available each month on a first-come, first-served basis for pharmacy technicians working in community
pharmacy, NHS hospitals, and in health and justice.
The funding will continue until all 80 places are allocated or until March 2025.
CPPE has revealed that 50 per cent of the funding has been allocated for community pharmacy and 50 per cent for other sectors.
The ACPT programme is a 3-12 month course aimed at helping pharmacy technicians achieve various competencies, ensuring they can provide safe and effective patient
care.
The #AskAboutAsthma annual campaign, led by NHS England - London's Babies, Children and Young People programme, is returning for its eighth year with a
focus on promoting simple changes that can make a big difference to people living with asthma.
Scheduled to take place from 9-15 September, this year' campaign aims to address broader factors such as vaping, air quality, housing conditions, and mould to
ensure every child and young person in London with asthma receives the support and tools necessary to manage their condition effectively.
Pharmacists are encouraged to support the 2024 #AskAboutAsthma campaign, themed "helping children and young people with asthma to live their best lives." They
can contribute to the campaign in various ways, including:
Offering inhaler technique checks to all children and young people with asthma.
Identifying children and young people who are not regularly collecting their preventer medication and communicating this to their GP practice.
Identifying children and young people who are collecting large amounts of reliever medication and communicating this to their GP practice.