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The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) will be hosting a Parliamentary drop-in event for MPs on Monday (14 November). "The event will last for roughly two hours, during which MPs will have the opportunity to drop-in and have their blood pressure measured by a fully qualified pharmacist," said the committee. It added: "This event will be a great opportunity to talk to MPs from across the political spectrum about the incredible work pharmacies are doing up and down the country, to demonstrate the Hypertension Case-Finding Service and to discuss the frontline role pharmacists play in delivering vital services and free, expert advice." The other community pharmacy bodies, including the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) will also be present on the day, providing the sector with a valuable chance to present a united front on the big issues facing contractors throughout the country.

Eighty-one per cent of the National Pharmacy Association cohort of trainee pharmacists passed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s common registration assessment which took place in June. The NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists helped students prepare for the assessment with study days and mock exams. Celebrating the success of trainee pharmacists, it said: "The 81 per cent NPA pass rate reflected the comprehensive blended learning experience delivered by the NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists and that we were able to resume face-to-face study days for this cohort after the restrictions of lockdowns." Last month, the GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists with an overall pass rate of 80 per cent. A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.

The European Commission is prepared to rewrite European Union law on medicines to ensure stable supply of generic and life-saving medicines in Northern Ireland. In a press statement issued on Friday (Dec 17), the commission said it put forward a package of measures to ensure the continued long-term supply of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. In the context of the Northern Ireland Protocol, this means that the same medicines will continue to be available at the same time across the United Kingdom. Commenting on the news, policy manager at the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) Helga Mangion said: "We are encouraged by the EU's statement on medicines availability in Northern Ireland, though of course we await the final outcome of the negotiations. We have been talking to the government, the MHRA and other stakeholders about these issues for months, highlighting the concerns of our members in Northern Ireland."