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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a notification regarding the shortage of Guanfacine 2mg and 3mg modified-release tablets has raised concerns within the healthcare community. This critical medicine supply notification, issued on March 28th, projects the unavailability of these tablets until the week commencing May 6, 2024. Guanfacine tablets, commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity while enhancing attention and concentration, play a vital role in managing conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the scarcity of these specific strengths poses challenges for patients reliant on this medication. Last year, several countries across the globe experienced shortages of medications for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)including the UK, the US and Australia. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has cautioned that while alternative strengths of Guanfacine remain accessible, they may not adequately meet the heightened demand, potentially resulting in treatment interruptions for patients.

The government's formal consultation on pharmacy supervision, which closes today (29 February), leaves important questions unanswered, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) proposals are to: enable pharmacists to authorise pharmacy technicians to carry out, or supervise others carrying out, the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and supply of medicines enable pharmacists to authorise any member of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions in the absence of a pharmacist allow pharmacy technicians to take primary responsibility for the preparation, assembly and dispensing of medicinal products in hospital aseptic facilities In its formal response to the consultation, the NPA acknowledged that modernisation of the regulations is long overdue, including enabling non-pharmacist members of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has redetermined the December 2023 concessionary prices for four medicines following requests made by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) on behalf of community pharmacy owners. For Ezetimibe 10mg tablets (pack size 28), the price has been fixed at £17.78, up from £9.44. Other drugs included in the list are Aripiprazole 5mg (£8.52), Digoxin 125microgram (£3.70) and Digoxin 250micrgram (£3.70) tablets. Contractors would be reimbursed at the new prices only for prescriptions submitted for payment for the dispensing month of December 2023. CPE said they are still working with DHSC to agree price concessions for January. Check the final the December 2023 price concessionary here. Additionally, DHSC on Friday confirmed that there's now sufficient stock of Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension to meet normal demand, and the Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP), SSP053 for the antibiotic expires on 12 January 2024.

More than 500,000 women in England have benefitted from cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since the launch of the HRT prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) on 1 April last year, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). HRT is the main treatment for negative menopause symptoms that can impact all areas of a woman's life. Introduced as part of the government's Women's Health Strategy, which made menopause a priority area, the HRT PPC reduced prescription costs to just £19.30 per year, helping patients save hundreds of pounds in prescription charges. The DHSC has confirmed that more than £11 million was saved by women using the PPC in the last nine months. Using the HRT PPC, patients can get a range of HRT items, including patches, tablets, and topical preparations at reduced prices, and they can use it many times as needed throughout the year.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) have responded to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation on pharmacy supervision, which was launched in early December last year. The DSHC set out proposals to amend the Medicines Act 1968 and The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow registered pharmacy technicians to work without direct supervision, which in turn will help free up pharmacists to provide more clinical care and reduce GP appointments. While the RPS supported the legislative change, it highlighted a range of topics that should be considered and clarified in regulations and guidance. According to RPS, the new concept of 'authorisation', including around documentation, accountability, and the role of superintendent pharmacist and responsible pharmacist, needs clarification.

The UK government has announced plans to update legislation to enable more services and individuals to provide take-home supplies of naloxone - a life-saving opioid overdose antidote - over the next few weeks. Naloxone can immediately reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by reversing breathing difficulties. The medicine can be administered by anyone in an emergency. However, current legislation allows only drug and alcohol treatment services to supply it without a prescription to individuals for future use. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed on Tuesday (14 May) that more professionals, including nurses, paramedics, police officers, probation officers and pharmacy professionals, will be able to supply the medicine without a prescription to save lives. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins warned that opioid addiction can ruin lives and it accounts for the largest proportion of drug-related deaths across the UK.

In a decisive move highlighting the financial strain faced by community pharmacies, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) submitted a £108 million invoice to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) today (16 May). According to the NPA, this substantial sum represents the amount that pharmacies in England personally covered for the dispensing of NHS medicines last month, as a result of inadequate funding. "The £108m figure is an average monthly figure based on the loss to pharmacy incomes over the past decade," it said. The association believes that mass closures can be prevented only when the government stops expecting pharmacies to subsidise the cost of delivering NHS care. NPA chief executive Paul Rees, said: "The soaring costs of dispensing medicine coupled with declining real terms funding has led to community pharmacies in England having to subsidise the dispensing of drugs to the tune of £108m a month.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has revised concession prices for four products and confirmed three further price concessions for May 2024. This announcement comes in response to representations made by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) on behalf of community pharmacy owners Concession prices have been redetermined for Ezetimibe 10mg tablets, Quetiapine 100mg tablets, Quetiapine 150mg tablets and Quetiapine 200mg tablets. Here are the newly granted concessions: Nicorandil 10mg tablets (60 tablets): £5.05 Nicorandil 20mg tablets (60 tablets): £9.30 Pregabalin 75mg capsules (56 capsules): £1.54 The revised prices will be applicable to prescriptions submitted for payment during the dispensing month of May 2024, and do not apply to June 2024 prescriptions, the CPE noted.

In response to concerns raised by pharmacy owners, the government has decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service from 20 to 15 clinical pathways. The ability of pharmacy owners to achieve the thresholds for the monthly Pharmacy First payments has been a topic of great concern. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has been actively discussing this issue over the last few weeks with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. Ministers have now decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 15, CPE announced today (July 31). Commenting on this decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England said: "We are pleased that Ministers have listened to our concerns and acted quickly to make an adjustment so soon after coming into office."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reported growing concerns among its members regarding their safety at work as the far-right, anti-immigration riots escalate across the UK. "We have received calls from members who are concerned about their safety at work and feel vulnerable in communities where the violence and disorder are taking place," the organisation told Pharmacy Business. The PDA also reported that some hospital outpatient departments and GP surgeries were forced to close their doors to allow staff to get home safely, which may impact services to patients. In light of these challenges, the PDA is calling on employers to ensure that they are adequately communicating with pharmacists in locations at risk of conflict and to prioritise the health and safety of staff and patients. "We are aware that pharmacists and their teams working in areas where this criminal activity is taking place are feeling vulnerable but that they also want to ensure that their communities are safe and have access to the vital services pharmacies provide.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced adjustments to the reimbursement rates for several Aptamil products dispensed earlier this year, following a pricing error that left pharmacies out of pocket. The changes, which apply to products dispensed between January and April 2024, come after Community Pharmacy England (CPE) raised concerns about discrepancies in the pricing data used by the NHS. The issue stemmed from recent price increases by Nutricia Ltd, the manufacturer of Aptamil, which were not reflected in the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d). To address the shortfall, the DHSC has retrospectively increased the reimbursement prices for the following Aptamil products: - Aptamil Anti-Reflux powder (800g): From £14.29 to £16.08 - Aptamil Comfort milk (800g): From £14.29 to £16.08 - Aptamil First milk powder (200ml): From £0.92 to £1.06 - Aptamil Follow On milk (200ml): From £0.92 to £1.06 - Aptamil Lactose Free powder (400g): From £7.70 to £8.39 These changes, effective from January 2024, are intended to ensure that pharmacies are appropriately reimbursed for the cost of these products.

In recent years, the healthcare sector has seen a significant transformation driven by the rapid advancement of technology. From improved patient care to streamlined administrative processes, technology has become an indispensable part of modern healthcare. As medical facilities worldwide embrace these innovations, it's essential to understand why the sector leans so heavily on advanced technological solutions. Below are seven key reasons illustrating the crucial role of technology in healthcare. Enhanced Radiology Workflows Advancements in technology have revolutionized radiology workflows, making the process more efficient and accurate. Digital imaging technologies, such as PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) and RIS (Radiology Information Systems), allow for the seamless storage, retrieval, and sharing of medical images. The specialists AbbaDox say that this reduces the time needed to diagnose and treat patients, significantly improving the overall efficiency of radiology departments. Additionally, AI-powered tools can assist radiologists by highlighting potential areas of concern within images, ensuring that abnormalities are not overlooked. These improvements contribute to faster, more accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.

The University of Oxford's Centre for Research Equity (CfRE) has entered into a historic partnership with the Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D) Division in Northern Ireland to advance health equity across the region and ensure everyone benefits from healthcare advancements. Unveiled during an event at Parliament Buildings in Stormont Estate on Wednesday, this groundbreaking partnership makes Northern Ireland the first UK region to partner with CfRE. Supported by the Department of Health Northern Ireland and key health and social care agencies, the partnership aims to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities through collaborative research. Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, highlighted that this new partnership represents "a significant step forward in efforts to address health inequalities" in the region. "By bringing together leading experts and resources from across sectors, we can work towards conducting research that truly benefits all of our communities," he said.

The Government has been forced to intervene formally 50 times in the past two years to authorise the use of alternative drugs because of serious medicine shortages hitting patients, new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has found today. 78 per cent of all Serious Shortage Protocols, produced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) due to medicine shortages, were issued in 2022/24 - more than three times the rate in the previous two years. The NPA, which represents independent community pharmacies in the UK, is warning that shortages are leading to pharmacists having to increasingly turn patients needing vital medication away. Analysis by the NPA of the NHS's Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) issued to pharmacies and other providers over the last five years has found that: The number of SSPs issued in the last two years is 3.5 times higher than in the previous two years.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has alerted pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy owners via email regarding new emergency legislation governing the prescribing and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones, commonly known as 'puberty blockers', for children and young people under 18 in England, Wales, and Scotland. The regulations apply to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, used to suppress puberty as part of treating gender incongruence or gender dysphoria in individuals under 18. Effective from 3 June 2024, new private prescriptions for GnRH analogues from prescribers in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland who are not UK registered are banned from being dispensed in Great Britain for patients under 18. The emergency ban on these medicines will remain in effect until September 3, 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced on 29 May, stating that the action has been taken to address risks to "patient safety."

At the Future of Britain Conference 2024, the newly appointed Secretary of Health and Social Care, (DHSC) Wes Streeting, stated that "Labour's DNA is in the NHS". He also called for a long-term approach to reform the broken health sector and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to steer the healthcare system towards sustainability and growth. Hosted by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and My Life My Say today, Tuesday, 9, Streeting discussed the plans to fix the healthcare system and role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in "making the right choices" by bringing in three essential shifts in the healthcare. Criticising the previous Conservative administration for leaving "massive burning deck issues" due to constant reshuffling within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Streeting lamented that this "instability" and "indecisions" have made comprehensive reform even more pressing. Drawing inspiration from Chancellor Rachel Reeves' speech on economic growth, Streeting stressed the interconnectedness of health and economic prosperity.

New amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations will soon allow registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). Laid before Parliament at the end of May, the legislative changes will come into effect from June 26, 2024, the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) announced today. The introduction of this new legislation follows an announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) earlier this year. The regulatory adjustments provide the legal framework for pharmacy technicians to engage in the supply and administration of medicines under PGDs in the course of their professional practice. However, there will be no immediate change in the provision of community pharmacy services, the CPE noted

Pharmacies across Northern Ireland are in financial turmoil, reporting that they are dispensing prescription medicines at a loss due to inadequate reimbursement from the Department of Health (DoH). This crisis has led to the closure of almost a dozen pharmacies over the past 18 months, with many others struggling to stay open. Siobhan McNulty, who runs Melvin Pharmacy in Garrison, County Fermanagh, described the dire situation. "We're dispensing medicines at a loss," she said. "The reimbursement rates don't match the cost of the drugs, and we're left to cover the gap." McNulty relies on sales of non-pharmaceutical products to keep her business running.

Laganside Crown Court, on Friday, sentenced Gerard Cullinan, a 48-year-old pharmacist and Director of Castlereagh Pharmacy Ltd in East Belfast, for unlawfully supplying controlled prescription medicines, including co-codamol and fentanyl, and for failing to maintain controlled drugs registers. Cullinan was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, and his pharmacy was fined £8,000. The sentencing follows an investigation by the Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG), which uncovered that Cullinan's pharmacy on Castlereagh Road had illegally supplied over 300,000 co-codamol tablets between January 2017 and June 2020. Additionally, the MRG investigation identified significant breaches in record-keeping for Class A controlled drugs such as fentanyl, tapentadol, methylphenidate, morphine, and oxycodone. "It is a serious criminal offence to sell or supply prescription only medicines without a prescription," said Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer at the MRG, who led the investigation.

The National Health Service(NHS) has reported a record number of attendances at Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments and emergency admissions for any June, reflecting significant pressure on healthcare services amidst hot weather and recent strikes by junior doctors. Last month, hospitals across the UK handled over 2.29 million A&E attendances and more than 536,884 emergency admissions, marking increases of 3.1 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively compared to the previous year. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, acknowledged the strain on frontline teams: "Frontline teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard under significant pressure to provide the best care they can for patients."