Group items tagged

Representatives from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) presented their preliminary evidence to the Inquiry, which is examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the UK. The UK COVID-19 Inquiry began on 28 June 2022 to examine the UK's preparedness and response to the pandemic, aiming to draw insights for the future. Its investigations are organised into modules, gathering evidence from witnesses, experts and core participants through a series of corresponding hearings throughout each module. A preliminary Module 3 hearing for its investigation into was held at Dorland House, 121 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6BU on Wednesday 10 April at 10.30am. NPA calls for funding to boost pharmacy resilience Presenting its evidence before the inquiry, the NPA highlighted the unsung contribution of pharmacies nationwide in combatting COVID-19 and maintaining health services throughout the pandemic while calling for funding to create greater resilience in community pharmacies.

Be informed about the vaccines and immunizations your government says is safe. Read this article before getting you or your family the N1H1 or flu shot and many more.

The cancer industry is not on your side. Sign up for this live webcast and get the truth!

Ever seen the commercial for the Power Juicer done by the man known as "The Juice man"?

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised the issue faced by the pharmacy students on returning to in-person assessments while urging the universities to take an empathetic approach in transition of online to in-person exams. It was highlighted by the association that many student members were apprehensive about the return to in-person assessments. This is due to their continuing worry of Covid-19 transmissions and anxiety caused by changing exam formats and procedures. However, with the ease of Covid restrictions, now pharmacy schools are able to decide how exams are conducted but the PDA believes that they should communicate the process to students in advance. "A return to normal university life is considered to be beneficial to student health and well-being. In-person exams are an important part of preparing for students' future trainee assessment examinations, GPhC accreditation for pharmacy schools, and ensuring the integrity of exam results. As future healthcare professionals, face-to-face interaction is also an integral part of the role," said the PDA.

Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a new study has found. The "COV-Boost" study was cited by UK officials when they announced that Pfizer and Moderna were preferred for use in the country's booster campaign, but the data has only been made publicly available now. The study found that six out of the seven boosters examined enhanced immunity after initial vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, while all seven increased immunity when given after two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine. "A third dose will be effective for many of the vaccines we've tested and in many different combinations," Professor Saul Faust, an immunologist at the University of Southampton and the trial's lead, told the media.

A study conducted by Michigan Medicine revealed that individuals who experience type 2 diabetes over an extended period are increasingly prone to experiencing alterations in their brain structure. A group of scientists examined data from 51 middle-aged Pima American Indians who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They employed a set of memory and language assessments known as the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, developed by the National Institutes of Health, alongside MRI scans. These analyses aimed to establish the connection between diabetes, cognitive function, and the composition of the brain. Brain imaging suggested that study participants with longer durations of type 2 diabetes had decreased mean cortical thickness and gray matter volumes, and an increased volume of white matter hyperintensities. The MRI results, researchers say, indicate the negative effects longstanding diabetes may have on brain health outcomes and emphasise the importance of preventing early onset type 2 diabetes.

Deviating from the initial schedule to kick off the flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in October, the NHS England has announced that the autumn vaccination drive will commence sooner than expected in England, starting on September 11. This decision was taken as a precaution in response to a new Covid-19 variant. The precautionary measure is being taken as the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency examined the variant BA.2.86, which was first detected in the UK on Friday, August 18, 2023, the NHSE said on Aug. 30. While NHS England had previously announced that vaccinations for both NHS programmes would begin on October 2 for residents of older adult care homes, appointments for other eligible groups were scheduled for the following week, starting on October 7. This decision prompted community pharmacy leaders to denounce the delayed start of the flu service as 'unacceptable'.

The pharmacy inquiry will explore issues impacting different types of pharmacy, with a particular focus on community, primary care and hospital pharmacy services. It will also consider current challenges around funding, workforce and the digital infrastructure. Planned developments within the profession will enable future pharmacists to be independent prescribers from day one of registration, giving them a greater role within primary care teams. Health and Social Care Committee Chair Steve Brine MP said: "It is clear that pharmacy has a central role to play in the future of the NHS. With a greater focus on personalised and patient-centred healthcare, we will be asking what more must be done to make sure that the profession is in the best shape to meet demand. "Better use of the pharmacy workforce would reduce pressures on general practice and hospitals. However, this will not happen without a planned workforce with the funding, supervision and training to support it. "At the end of the inquiry, the committee will be making recommendations to the government on what action needs to be taken to ensure the potential of pharmacy is realised.

The pharmacy bodies have welcomed Health Select Committee's inquiry into pharmacy services and are calling the community pharmacies to engage fully. On Thursday (8 June), MPs launched a new inquiry to examine the 'readiness of pharmacy services'. At the end of the inquiry, the committee will be making recommendations to the government on what action needs to be taken to ensure the potential of pharmacy is realised. It is currently seeking views and evidence from anyone who can answer any or some of the questions listed here by Thursday 6 July. National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Company Chemists' Association (CCA) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) have confirmed that they will be submitting the written evidence. RPS said it will be submitting written evidence, and if they are called to give oral evidence they'll do so. Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the CCA commented: "We welcome the Health Committee's much-awaited inquiry into pharmacy. Whilst the recent announcement of investment into the sector is welcome, this is new money for new activity. The historic underfunding of community pharmacy remains, and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) continue to directly recruit community pharmacists.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has emphasised that the community pharmacy sector must be involved right from the start in all local planning meetings pertaining to the roll-out of vaccine services in potential future pandemics. This includes crucial discussions regarding supply logistics and resource allocation, lawyers representing the NPA told COVID-19 public inquiry hearing. Chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, the independent public inquiry is examining the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and lessons for the future. The NPA has been designated as a 'core participant' in Module 4 (vaccines) of the inquiry, which considers various issues related to vaccine development and rollout, as well as Module 3 (healthcare). During the hearing on September 13, NPA lawyers outlined three key areas the association says must be improved in future pandemic vaccination programs, including properly utilising existing primary care expertise, better planning and engagement, and improved access to information for community pharmacists.

In many cases, a pharmacy's most valuable asset is its NHS contract. This is what buyers are paying for - the right to provide pharmaceutical services commissioned by the NHS and be reimbursed for the medicines dispensed. However, a pharmacy consists of more than just an NHS contract and when buyers look for a pharmacy to buy, they will also examine these other areas - the pharmacy's customer base, its staff, the property it operates from - to name a few - because these are all also crucial to a successful pharmacy. In this day and age, another important consideration is the pharmacy's intellectual property (IP) i.e. the pharmacy's rights to certain types of information, ideas, and forms of expression. At the most basic level, this includes the trade mark in the name of the pharmacy, because all pharmacies will have a name by which they distinguish themselves from other pharmacies. The more well-known the name, the more valuable this form of IP is - mention 'Boots', for example, and most will have an instant association with the largest pharmaceutical retailer in the UK.

A community pharmacist who supplied a drug addict with "under the counter drugs" has been jailed for 18 months. Dushyant Patel, 67, a London pharmacist with more than 40 years' experience, had supplied class C drugs to a drug user in Norwich for months in 2020. Police identified Patel as a suspect four months after the death of drug user, Alisha Siddiqi, whose body was found at a property in Colossus Way, Costessey, in August 2020. An initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive, but toxicology results later showed she died from an overdose of prescription medication. An analysis of her phone revealed that she had frequent communication with Patel between January and August 2020. Class C drugs sold without prescription There was also communication regarding transactions relating to the sale of prescription drugs including class C drugs, without a prescription, namely Zolpidem and Zopiclone. Patel was identified as a suspect and later charged with drugs offences. He was jailed at Norwich Crown Court in December after a trial in August when he was found guilty of two counts of being concerned in supplying a controlled drug between March and August 2020.

Alitam has announced that it has merged with clinical skills training provider MHRx to upskill UK pharmacists so that its chain of community pharmacies in the UK can diagnose and treat minor medical ailments "quickly and safely". This is a second merger deal announced by the group that has 100-plus pharmacies, just days after its merger with Pharmadoctor to "radically transform the UK and Ireland's community pharmacy sector" into a truly preventative healthcare system. Following the merger with MHRx, Alitam will now be providing a career development platform for its pharmacy teams, which also include nurses and other healthcare professionals. MHRx's training incorporates every aspect of general practice alongside relevant topics including making appropriate patient consultation records in line with NHS guidelines. This, Alitam believes, will allow community pharmacies to carry out formal diagnoses, formulate differential diagnosis plans, and perform full clinical examinations. According to the founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo, mergers such as these will lead to "a healthcare revolution predicated on building the world's first truly preventative healthcare model".

The Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s research has found that between 2015 and 2022 more than 40 per cent of permanent community pharmacy closures took place in the 20 per cent most deprived parts of England. The association has analysed the NHS data and found that between 2015 and 2022, 808 pharmacies closed permanently in England. In that period, only 138 new pharmacies opened - a net loss of 670 community pharmacies. It also examined where permanent closures had taken place. "41% of net permanent closures had taken place in the top 20% most deprived areas in England. Meanwhile, only 9% of net permanent closures took place in the top 20% least deprived areas." Although the latest figures for 2021/22 suggest that the overall rate of closures may be slowing down, the proportion of pharmacies permanently shutting in more deprived areas has only increased. An even larger share of pharmacies that permanently shut in 2021/22 occurred in the most deprived areas compared with the previous fiscal year: 44% of net closures took place within the bottom two IMD deciles.

Former pharmacy minister Steve Brine was on Wednesday (November 2) elected chair of the influential Health and Social Care Committee, the cross-party parliamentary group that scrutinises the work of the Department of Health and Social Care and its associated public bodies. The Conservative MP for Winchester won 253 out of 432 votes beating off four other contenders for the role - Stephen Hammond, Dr Caroline Johnson, Anne Marie Morris and James Morris - in a four-stage election in which MPs voted by ranking candidates in order of preference. Dr Johnson, who was Mr Brine's main challenger, bagged 148 votes in the final round. An election for a new chair of the Health and Social Care Committee was triggered following the resignation of Jeremy Hunt MP who was appointment as chancellor of the exchequer on October 14. Issuing a statement after his election, Mr Brine said: "I welcome the opportunity as chair to continue the calm, measured work of Jeremy Hunt and to examine new solutions to support the NHS to enable it to continue providing the services that we all depend upon."