The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has advised pharmacies to continue providing rota services on Easter after learning that many pharmacies are
unwilling to provide the services on Easter holidays.
"It is extremely regrettable that community pharmacy representatives have advised that access to rota pharmacies in some parts of Northern Ireland will be reduced
over the Easter holidays," department said.
They have also stated that despite a commitment of recurrent investment, support for new patients assessed by Trusts as requiring blister packs may be restricted.
These actions have the potential to impact on patients and other parts of the Health and Social Care system.
The department has also called the CPNI's demand to increase the funding up to 50 per cent in the sector "unrealistic" in the current financial climate.
It said: "Financial pressures across the entire NI public sector are severe with an extremely challenging health budget anticipated for 2023/24."
"The Department is therefore facing a significant funding gap just to maintain existing services and the whole Health and Social Care system is an extremely
unpredictable and fragile position. The core funding envelope available to community pharmacies in NI has increased by 16% over the past three years."
Women accounted for 62 per cent of GPhC registrants in 2019, according to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Despite representing the majority of pharmacists
in the UK, only 2 per cent of women are pharmacy business owners compared with 13 per cent of men. Also, the majority of senior pharmacy leadership positions are
held by men, with research showing that only 36 per cent of senior pharmacy leaders are women.
Sobha Sharma Kandel, superintendent pharmacist and co-owner of Neem Tree Pharmacy, Abbey Wood, London, quoted these statistics while shedding light on the
representation of female leaders in the field of pharmacy.
So, what is stopping women from reaching leadership positions in the profession? According to Sobha, the barriers hindering female pharmacists from attaining
leadership positions include:
Gender Bias and Stereotypes
Lack of Representation and Role Models
Glass Ceiling and Double Standards
Work-Life Balance Challenges
Imposter Syndrome
Unequal Access to Opportunities
Negotiation and Advocacy Challenges
"There also continue to be gender and ethnicity pay gaps affecting women in pharmacy," said Sobha, who has been advocating for women in pharmacy by being a part
of the Female Pharmacy Leaders Network.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) views the COVID vaccination programme as broadly successful, largely due to the efforts of healthcare workers and
volunteers.
However, it cited some areas that could be improved, notably the early involvement of community pharmacies in planning, operational challenges, and recognising
the role of community pharmacy in addressing vaccine hesitancy and inequalities.
Submitting its evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry, the NPA highlighted that the community pharmacy should have been consulted and involved earlier in the planning
process, considering their two years of experience and expertise in administering annual influenza vaccination programs and the reach and resources of the 14,000
community pharmacies across the UK.
"Instead, community pharmacy was initially given a gap in service role, which failed to fully utilize their experience, expertise and resource," Lawyer Brian
Stanton told the Inquiry on behalf of the NPA during the Module 4 Preliminary Hearing on 22 May.
A recent report by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed a significant disparity in patient engagement with the Pharmacy First service across
the UK.
In response, Santosh Sahu, Founder and CEO at Charac, has emphasised the need for technological reform to address "the interoperability gap between pharmacists
and GPs".
Sahu identified the lack of GP referrals for Pharmacy First consultations as a key issue, attributing it to inadequate IT infrastructure.
He urged the sector to "implement technological reforms to enhance interoperability between pharmacists and GPs, enabling them to share patient records, identify
care pathways, and address health needs more effectively".
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.
Bạn đang muốn mua sản phẩm đệm chống lở loét cho người bệnh trong gia đình nhưng vẫn còn băn khoăn về tác dụng, cách sử dụng, đối tượng cần sử dụng đệm chống loét,… Bài viết dưới đây iMediCare sẽ giúp bạn hiểu rõ hơn về đệm chống loét qua 21 câu hỏi thường gặp nhé.
Sử dụng máy đo huyết áp điện tử hàng ngày để theo dõi huyết áp là lời khuyên của bác sĩ dành cho mọi đối tượng, đặc biệt những người có tiền sử huyết áp, gia đình có tiền sử huyết áp hoặc trên 40 tuổi. Trong khi sử dụng máy đo huyết áp mọi người thường không tránh khỏi nhiều bỡ ngỡ và thắc mắc. Dưới đây bác sĩ sẽ giải đáp những câu hỏi thường gặp về máy đo huyết áp điện tử để bạn tiện theo dõi.
Bệnh viêm bao gân gấp ngón tay là loại bệnh lý phổ biến, gây ra ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng đến sức khỏe của người bệnh nếu như không được kịp thời điều trị. Bệnh này gây ra biến chứng rất nguy hiểm. Hãy cùng iMediCare tìm hiểu nguyên nhân và cách điều trị bệnh viêm bao gân gấp ngón tay qua bài viết dưới đây nhé.
The use of tracking technology for improving healthcare outcomes and patient experience is relatively new. Some medical practices have been using this method to analyze the outcomes, and it has been a success in terms of reducing the communication gap between providers, keeping track of patients' records, and solving interoperability issues.
Ngứa ngáy do dị ứng thời tiết gây ra là một bệnh thường gặp ở thời điểm giao mùa. Đây không phải là một căn bệnh hiếm và ở mức độ nhẹ, bạn hoàn toàn có thể chữa hết bằng những mẹo dân gian mà không cần đến một viên thuốc nào cả.
Medical coding is a rapidly growing field, and students are adopting it as a serious career option. To make things simpler, medical coders bridge the gap between providers and the payers. When you pay a visit to the doctor, the doctor prepares notes about diagnosis and treatment. This information goes out to the medical billing services department where the medical coders convert it into a language understood by the payers.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has stated that the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership lacks the essential transparency, efficiency, and
diligence needed for success, urging a shift in its approach.
The Commission's operational approach hinders its ability to meet the expectations of both the profession and the public, while prioritising government interests
over their needs and preferences, RPS Chief Executive Paul Bennett (R) and President Claire Anderson have jointly said.
In a blog post on September 7, the RPS leaders asserted that the Commission lacks transparency and is progressing slowly in implementing proposals that were published
seven months ago. "Most pharmacy leaders are growing frustrated and increasingly impatient with the Commission's perceived lack of "meaningful progress" in enhancing
leadership within the field," the pair noted.
In June 2022, the four UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) formed an independent Commission with leadership expertise drawn from various domains, both within
and outside of pharmacy, to assess the future of professional leadership. The Pharmacy Minister Neil O'Brien recently revealed that the Commission's costs, funded
by the offices of the CPhOs, amounted to £87,745.
A final review of gender services provided by the NHS has uncovered significant shortcomings, leaving thousands of vulnerable children questioning their
gender identity without adequate support.
The report, led by Dr. Hilary Cass, a prominent consultant paediatrician, highlights the use of unproven treatments and the detrimental impact of the polarized
trans debate on gender care provision.
The investigation, commissioned by NHS England in 2020, focused on the Tavistock and Portman NHS mental health trust's gender identity development services (Gids),
which treated around 9,000 children and young people between 2009 and 2020.
Shockingly, the review found that despite limited evidence of effectiveness and potential health risks, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were routinely
administered.
Dr. Cass emphasized that the "rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or
psychosocial health. The effect on cognitive and psychosexual development remains unknown."