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A daily medication for high blood pressure could be replaced by an injection twice a year, if Queen Mary University and Barts Health NHS Trust succeed in their trail to investigate if an injection-based drug - Zilebesiran - could inhibit the production of a protein called angiotensinogen (AGT). Scientists are to trial a world-first drug to treat high blood pressure that can be given by injection twice a year. Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director, British Heart Foundation, said: "This exciting trial could lead to good news for the millions of people across the UK with high blood pressure, many of whom need to take daily medication to lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes. "The study will determine whether an injection given twice a year lowers blood pressure sufficiently over a prolonged period. "If this proves to be the case, it may provide an alternative to taking daily pills for some patients."

Kate Bingham, the former head of the UK's Covid-19 Vaccine Taskforce who secured millions of doses for the country, said scientists should know within a week whether existing shots are effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Bingham, a venture capitalist who backed multiple vaccines at the start of the pandemic to secure early access for Britain, said she currently expected that the leading shots would still show efficacy. "The question is do they have the same level of efficacy?" she said on Wednesday. Bingham, who has returned to her role as managing partner at SV Health Investors, said Britain had built up the capability to quickly test existing vaccines against new variants. "It's not something you can do overnight, but we will get data, I would have thought within a week as to whether or not the vaccines work or don't," she said.

The Health Education England (HEE) has allocated £440,000 to help upskill pharmacists working in adult critical care across England. UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) has confirmed with HEE that UKCPA critical care courses meet the criteria for this funding, for courses that complete before 31 March 2023. "The funding is expected to exceed demand and so it is likely that bids for these UKCPA courses will be approved by HEE, as they meet the learning outcomes in the new RPS/UKCPA/FICM specialist critical care curricula (in development)," said UKCPA.

A new study by the University of East Anglia has found that giving out 'vape starter kit vouchers' on the NHS could help even hardened smokers quit. In the recent study, researchers worked with GPs and the 'NHS stop smoking service', commissioned locally by Public Health at Norfolk County Council, to set up a pilot 'vape shop voucher' scheme (worth £25 each) to help patients who had tried but failed to stub it out in the past. An evaluation of the scheme, funded by Norfolk County Council, showed it was a big success - with 42 per cent of the entrenched smokers who were referred to it and redeemed their vape voucher having quit within a month. After the success of the pilot, the scheme has been rolled out across Norfolk and the research team hope it could be rolled out nationally to help more smokers quit. Lead researcher and addiction expert Prof Caitlin Notley, from the UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "Research shows that vaping is an effective way of quitting smoking, compared to nicotine replacement therapies like patches and gum. E-cigarettes or vapes are now the most popular way of stopping smoking.

National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not recommended 'Tirzepatide', also known as Mounjaro, developed by Eli Lilly, in its draft guidance issued on Tuesday (27 June) for treating type 2 diabetes in adults alongside diet and exercise. The independent NICE committee recognised the importance of new treatment options given that fewer than two-thirds of the adults with type 2 diabetes have adequate glucose control when using current treatment options. Evidence submitted to the committee from clinical trials showed the use of tirzepatide at any dose resulted in better glucose control and lower weight compared with semaglutide or insulin therapy. The weight reduction was more pronounced with higher doses of tirzepatide, while the effect on glucose levels seemed less dose-dependent. Similar effects were observed against all GLP-1 receptor agonists in company's network meta-analysis, but this was uncertain. The committee have asked the company to provide more data to address the uncertainties in the clinical evidence, when compared to all relevant alternative treatments.

After the government announced to award pay rise to pubic sector workers, pharmacy trade bodies have expressed their disappointment at the neglect shown towards funding crisis in community pharmacy. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chair, Andrew Lane, said: "Our sector can't help but feel utterly neglected after seven years of crushing real terms cuts to pharmacy funding, amounting to half a billion pounds, and no hint of any relief to come. "This week's public sector pay awards, which include a large number of our health service colleagues, highlight that there's an unresolved funding crisis in community pharmacy which needs urgent attention." "Four months into this financial year, there is as yet no clarity even on current arrangements." "After stepping up to tackle Covid and keep the wheels on the NHS, the sector deserves better than to be neglected in this way," Andrew opines.

Sobha Sharma Kandel wants community pharmacy teams up and down the country to be super responsive to emerging needs of their patients - by always being pro-active rather than reactive. "We know that every patient benefits from our proactive approaches - listening, asking questions, providing information and making clinical interventions when appropriate. "At a time when general practice is overstretched, community pharmacy must be relied upon as the frontline of the NHS when it comes to providing diagnosis, treatment and continuous care in our communities to promote health and wellbeing of our patients." Sobha believes Covid-19 has helped shift public perception of community pharmacies from being a place where one goes to collect a prescription to a hub where one can access a range of healthcare advice and services. "We are way more than just a shop where you can collect your medicines," she said, giving examples of how her interventions have helped reduce medication errors, prevent harm and subsequently reduce cost of care. She once saved a baby from getting overdosed with omeprazole when they had issues with gastroesophageal reflux. On another occasion, she managed a lady's high blood pressure by finding equivalent medications to a combination dose prescribed by her doctor in another country.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have authorised community pharmacies throughout the UK to dispense original full packs of Valproate-containing medicines upon prescription. The necessary changes in regulations came into effect on 11 October which was strongly supported by 85 per cent of respondents concerned about risks to the unborn baby if valproate-containing medicines are used in pregnancy. The decision was made to ensure patients receive safety warnings and pictograms, including a patient card and the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL), contained in the manufacturer's original full pack. Valproate is a treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder but is also associated with birth defects and neurological disabilities.

Prince Charles has praised the "dedication and professionalism of pharmacy staff" at an event held in London to celebrate the work of community pharmacists during the Covid-19 pandemic. Two hundred pharmacists, pharmacy staff and other health service representatives were invited to attend a special reception hosted by His Royal Highness at St James's Palace on Wednesday night (May 4). According to the National Pharmacy Association, the event was held, in part, to mark the NPA's recent centenary. In his closing speech, The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the work of pharmacies on the NHS frontline. He praised "the dedication and professionalism of pharmacy staff" during the Covid-19 pandemic and said: "I very much hope that this evening's event will help, a little bit, to highlight the marvellous work you do in your communities day in and day out."

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended elosulfase alfa for routine use in the NHS for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type 4A (also known as MPS 4A and Morquio A syndrome). Elosulfase alfa, also called Vimizin and made by BioMarin, becomes the first disease modifying treatment recommended by NICE for routine NHS use for people with this rare, severely life-limiting condition. NICE's final draft guidance follows the collection of 'real-world' data from 69 people who received NHS-funded treatment since 2015 as part of a managed access agreement. Clinical trial evidence and data collected as part of the managed access agreement, along with expert clinical opinion, shows some long-term benefits with elosulfase alfa treatment which suggest it slows progression of MPS 4A.

The latest findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2022 by QualityWatch, a joint programme with the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation shed light on concerning disparities faced by ethnic minority communities in the UK healthcare system. Despite strides in cancer care, the survey highlights persistent challenges in easy and equitable access to timely diagnosis and quality communication, particularly for individuals from Mixed, Black, or Asian backgrounds. Key insights from the survey underscored that individuals from ethnic minority groups often require a higher number of interactions with healthcare professionals before receiving a cancer diagnosis. Notably, one in three people from Mixed, Black, or Asian ethnicities needed three or more visits to a GP practice, compared to the average of one in five across the population. These delays in diagnosis can have significant implications for treatment outcomes and overall patient experience. Moreover, the survey revealed concerning trends regarding the quality of communication following a cancer diagnosis among ethnic minority patients.

A groundbreaking study analysing data from nearly 600,000 cancer patients in England has shed light on the increased risk of second cancers among breast cancer survivors. The research conducted by University of Cambridge in association with the Lancet Regional Health-Europe studied data from over 580,000 female and over 3,500 male breast cancer survivors diagnosed between 1995 and 2019 using the National Cancer Registration Dataset. The findings suggest that survivors of breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer in the UK, face a substantially higher risk of developing second primary cancers. According to the research, female survivors exhibited a twofold increase in the risk of contralateral breast cancer compared to the general population. The data highlighted an 87 per cent greater risk of endometrial cancer, a 58 per cent greater risk of myeloid leukemia, and a 25 per cent greater risk of ovarian cancer in female survivors.

Thorrun Govind, a former chair of the English Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, has joined Brabners' regulatory & professional conduct team. With nearly a decade of experience as a GPhC-registered pharmacist, Govind will provide guidance on regulatory and professional conduct issues. Govind's expertise extends to healthcare advisory and disputes involving NHS Trusts and social care organisations. She has been recognised as the 'Young Pharmacist of the Year' by Pharmacy Business Magazine and is a frequent commentator on public health and healthcare law for major television networks. Her appointment underscores Brabners' commitment to offering top-tier legal services to the healthcare industry.

Some health firms widely accepted the idea of fitness holiday and assist people in the best way in fulfilling their necessary needs. There are lots of things that you can set your eyes on.

More than half of pharmacists working in England are considering changing their roles over the next 12-18 months because of work-related issues, a recent survey by The Pharmacists' Defence Association revealed. The survey which concluded on February 18, 2022 had more than 2,500 participants including employed and locum pharmacists from all four UK nations. In the survey, PDA asked respondents about their current roles and future career plans. The initial feedback showed that unsatisfactory pay and working environments, lack of professional fulfilment, and poor management were the key factors for pharmacy professionals to reconsider their current positions.

A Company Chemists' Association (CCA) analysis has shown that 'Pharmacy First' service in England could free up 30m+ GP appointments each year. It has urged the Government and NHS to be even 'bolder in their ambition and go further and faster'. The recent 'Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care' announced a 'Pharmacy First' service for England, mirroring similar approaches in Scotland and Wales. The association has estimated that with the added capability to supply non-prescription medicines and prescribe additional prescription-only medicines, an ambitious 'Pharmacy First' service could free up 30m+ GP appointments annually. Harnessing community pharmacies to deliver care for minor health conditions will effectively create 11,000 urgent care centres in England.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee announced last week that it is in discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England about relieving capacity pressures, such as a relaxation of pharmacy opening hours requirements. PSNC is also scheduling webinars to talk with contactors about the steps they might be willing to take in future, to cut costs, should emergency financial relief fail to materialise. The pharmacy regulator reported that many of its members felt that it was no longer tenable for pharmacies to keep offering all of the free and non-core services to patients that they would like to, and that all contractors should consider what steps they could take to try to safeguard their businesses and their core services for patients. PSNC is also keen to talk to contractors about their current situation and the steps they might be willing to take in future, should emergency relief not be forthcoming.

Any prescription for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets x 56 submitted for payment to the NHSBSA for July 2022 will be reimbursed at the new price of £17.77 not as per the price concession of £13.45 announced in the 4th concessions update published on 29 July 2022, said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). In July 2022, PSNC received several reports from contractors unable to obtain Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets (56) at the published Drug Tariff price of £4.24. Therefore, it submitted a request for a price concession, which was granted and subsequently published but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that due to the price change mechanism, the reimbursement price for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets has increased from £4.24 to £17.77 for July 2022. PSNC said, "Following the price change mechanism rules, for generic drugs (excluding drugs in Category M), a price change up to and including the 8th of the month takes effect for prescriptions dispensed in that same month. Any price change after the 8th takes place in the following month."

National pharmacy bodies have called on the government and NHS leaders to take appropriate action to keep pharmacy teams safe from violence and abuse. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) - in collaboration with the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) - is supporting an important petition started by Mike Hewitson, a community pharmacy contractor, who has been threatened with stabbing and robbed in his own pharmacy. The PSNC and the other national pharmacy bodies strongly believe that no healthcare professional should have to deal with this, that and pharmacists and their teams should be better protected. It said: "Community pharmacies play an integral role in the delivery of primary care and most patients are highly appreciative of the hard work of local pharmacists and pharmacy teams from dispensing medicines and administering vaccines to providing medical advice and health monitoring services.

In response to new research that revealed inequality in menopause support with 51 per cent of women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, Holland & Barrett, the UK's leading health and wellness retailer, has decided to continue its menopause campaign work to make "every menopause matter". A quarter of women (26 per cent) from minority ethnic communities say they find it difficult to access menopause support relevant to their specific backgrounds. Alongside support from Olympian and menopause campaigner, Michelle Griffith Robinson and expert, Meera Bhogal, the retailer is launching several new initiatives to make its information and support on menopause more inclusive by offering more diverse and personalised advice and content, tailored to different needs. Almost a third (31 per cent) believe being able to speak to a female healthcare professional of the same ethnicity as them would have made a difference to their menopause experience. Fifteen per cent go as far as saying that communicating in their native language would have made a positive difference. Based on these findings, Holland and Barrett is the first retailer to launch a free, multi-language menopause online consultation service. The service will see trained H&B menopause advisors offering guidance and symptom support in multiple languages, starting with Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Punjabi.