The minimum Covid-19 self-isolation period in England will be cut to five days from seven if someone tests negative twice, health secretary Sajid Javid said on Thursday (January 13) - a move that could reduce staffing disruption in businesses and infrastructure.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has fuelled a spike in Covid-19 cases to record highs in Britain, and the surge has cause major disruption to the staffing of hospitals, schools and transport as staff have to self-isolate.
"We've made the decision to reduce the minimum self-isolation period to five full days in England," Javid told parliament.
"From Monday, people can test twice before they go, leaving isolation at the start of day six."
The government had previously reduced isolation period to seven days from 10 days to people in England who get a negative result on a rapid lateral flow test two days in a row.
The regulators have reduced the notice periods for change to supplementary opening hours for community pharmacy contractors from 1 October 2022.
Following the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC)'s discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England as part of
Year 4 negotiations, it has been agreed that the required notice periods for changes to supplementary opening hours will reduce to five weeks.
Community pharmacy contractors who want to change their supplementary opening hours are required by their terms of service to notify NHS England.
"If a contractor wants to increase supplementary opening hours at the pharmacy, this can be done with no notice - but notification of the change must still be
given to NHS England," said PSNC.
"To decrease supplementary opening hours at the pharmacy, at least five weeks' notice must be given to NHS England prior to implementing the change."
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Considering the shortage of Fluoxetine 10mg tablets, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended the serious shortage protocol (SSP) for the medicine to February 11, 2022.
Earlier the SSP for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets was set to expire on November 12.
Extension of the transition period will enable use of No Cheaper Stock Obtainable (NCSO) endorsement and use of EPS tokens to claim for supplies made in accordance
with SSPs.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has accepted that either the new 'SSP' or existing 'NCSO' endorsement for any SSP claims can be submitted using electronic prescriptions (EPS) tokens of FP10 paper prescriptions, during the period.
Superdrug Online Doctors has made travelling easy ahead of Easter by introducing jet lag 'melatonin' tablets into its travel services portfolio to help those
taking long haul flights.
The company has seen an 287 per cent increase in demand for its travel services and products. Malaria treatment is up by 272 per cent, gut health products up by
317 per cent, jet lag melatonin tablets increasing by 900 per cent since launch and Period Delay services which offer more choice when it comes to the timing of
Periods up by 195 per cent year-on-year.
Dr Sara Kayat, Superdrug's medical ambassador, comments: "Jet lag is a temporary sleep problem that affects people who travel across different time zones. It can
occur when your internal clock, the function that lets your body know when to stay awake and when to sleep, is disrupted by a new time zone and puts your internal
clock out of sync. Melatonin is a hormone we produce to help regulate our sleep cycles, and a synthetic version can be taken in the short term to manage jet lag."
The government has earmarked £200 million to enhance NHS resilience and expedite patient care during the upcoming winter season. This extra amount will
bolster the health service during its busiest period, while protecting elective care so we can keep cutting waiting lists, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.
On August 13, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary met with clinical leaders and NHS Chiefs to strategise and refine planning for urgent and
emergency care, while prioritising the preservation of waiting list targets for the upcoming winter season.
"Patients can be reassured that I will always back the NHS, so that those who most need help and support will get the care they need," Sunak said. "Winter is
the most challenging time for the health service, which is why we've been planning for it all year - with huge government investment to fund new ambulances, beds
and virtual wards."
"This £200 million investment, assured by the Department of Health and Social Care as new and additional funding, should aid NHS leaders in their preparations and
mitigation for what will be a seriously difficult winter period," said Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of NHS Confederation. "The priority now is swift allocation
of funding to local systems for optimal utilisation."
The VAT penalties regime has had substantial changes with effect from 01 January 2023 and it is important for community pharmacy business owners to take note as
this is a crucial cash inflow for most. Below we explore the changes that will impact all VAT registered community pharmacy businesses.
Old regime
Prior to 01 January 2023, VAT registered businesses that failed to file their VAT returns or pay any VAT liabilities would be subject to the default surcharge regime.
There would be no surcharge for NIL or repayment VAT returns which would apply to most community pharmacy businesses.
New regime
For VAT periods starting on or after 01 January 2023, the default surcharge will be replaced by a new VAT penalties and interest regime if you submit your VAT returns
late or pay your VAT liability late.
If you pay your VAT monthly or quarterly, the deadline for filing your VAT return and paying any VAT liabilities is one calendar month and 7 days after the end of
the respective period. For example, if you are filing the VAT return for the month or quarter ended 30 June 2022, the deadline for filing will be 07 August 2022.
The liability must also be paid and cleared by that date.
All companies must send their accounts to Companies House each year. Recent evidence suggests that UK companies are increasingly struggling to file their
accounts on time, with around 213,000 private companies reportedly missing their deadline in 2019-2020, resulting in over £93 million of penalties being issued.
Over a fifth of companies that filed their accounts late that year had also filed late in the previous year.
Under the Companies Act 2006 ("the Act"), the deadline for private companies to file their annual accounts is nine months from the end of the accounting reference
period. There are slightly different rules for filing your first set of annual accounts and if these cover a period of more than 12 months, you must deliver them to
Companies House within 21 months of the date of incorporation or 3 months from the accounting reference date, whichever is longer.
Not filing your accounts at Companies House in a timely manner is also a criminal offence (under section 451 of the Act) and directors can be personally fined in the
criminal courts. It is likely to come as a shock to most company directors who receive a summons to attend the Magistrates' Court in Cardiff for a criminal
prosecution, particularly directors in larger pharmacy companies where directors are often detached from the preparation of accounts and senior financial staff and
accountants are instructed to take care of such matters.
The menopause is a natural aging process, whereby a woman's oestrogen level drops thus disrupting periods until they eventually stop.
A woman is said to be in the menopause when her periods have stopped for 12 months. The age when this usually occurs is between 45-55 but symptoms can begin prior
to this. Symptoms vary and not all women experience them all.
They include hot flushes, vaginal dryness, joint and muscle pain, insomnia, reduced libido, urinary problems such as bladder weakness or Urinary Tract Infections
(UTIs), but this list is not exhaustive.
Up to a third of women declare that the menopause affects their quality of life. It is obvious that such physical changes can have an effect on ones well-being.
Women going through the menopause are at increased risk of developing depression, low self-esteem and problems with concentration (often called brain fog).
There are lots of misconceptions in the public and workplace around menopause as it is a little discussed topic. Did you know 45 per cent of women feel their
menopause symptoms have had a negative impact on their work and 47 per cent of women have said that they won't tell their employer if they need to take a day-off
from work because of menopausal symptoms?
So, with women making up nearly half of the UKs workforce, have you thought about what support your workplace offers for you? And if you are an employer, what could
you be doing to support your colleagues who need help during this time?
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has revealed it has received 25 whistleblowing disclosures between April 2021 and March 2022.
The pharmacy regulator said, in its annual report, that it has concluded enquiries on 22 disclosures so far with a further three still under review.
"We also concluded two qualifying disclosures that were raised during the previous reporting period," it said, adding: "The action GPhC took included a full
investigation through established fitness to practise processes and follow-up action through its inspection network.
"The former can result in any available outcome throughout the fitness to practise process. The latter can include guidance, a follow-up visit or an unexpected
inspection."
12 concerns were investigated and concluded with no further action. Three were signposted to another organisation. The remaining seven cases were concluded by
sharing information with inspection colleagues for follow up action.
Of the two concerns from the previous reporting period, one was concluded with no further action and the other remains under investigation.
WBA, Boots parent company revealed the results for its fourth quarter of the financial year, showing three months to August 2023.
The reports published on 12 October show the loss of at least $1bn following a net loss of $3.1bn on an annual basis. This marks a decrease compared to a profit
of $4.3bn in the previous financial year.
The loss was attributed in part to a $5.5 billion after-tax charge related to opioid claims and litigation during the period, as well as the comparison against a
$2.5 billion after-tax gain from the company's investments in Village MD and Shields Health Solutions in the same period last year.
Ginger Graham, WBA's Interim Chief Executive spoke about the company's performance and its dedication to their customers and patients.
Pharmacists with 'relevant experience in a pharmacy setting' can enroll for accredited independent prescribing course, as the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has decided to scrap the requirement of spending at least two years on the register and having previous experience in a specified clinical or therapeutic area before enrolling for the course.
The GPhC Council meeting held on Thursday instead proposed that applicants must have "relevant experience in a pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand
and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber." This experience and awareness will act as the basis of their prescribing practice whilst training.
The regulator noted that the majority of stakeholder organisations, including the Chief Pharmaceutical Officers, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the statutory education bodies, were in favour of removing the requirement in a consultation on the topic.
They highlighted that a specific two-year period was not in itself a robust indication of whether an individual was ready to become a prescriber.
They also highlighted that the rapidly developing roles in the profession meant more pharmacists were likely to gain the necessary experience more quickly than in the past. A smaller number of organisations and a larger minority of individuals were opposed, citing that a specific two-year period gave pharmacists the time they needed to develop experience and confidence before being ready to enrol on a course.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is asking independents to vote 'yes' to reform of pharmacy representation in England as a three-week voting period opens on Friday, May 27.
The NPA is also calling on PSNC to complete unfinished business and present 'the compelling case for change' that the Review Steering Group was unable to deliver.
The Associations says it is "on balance" and with some degree of reluctance supporting an affirmative vote, because the benefits marginally outweigh the several valid arguments for a "no" vote.
NPA chief executive, Mark Lyonette, said on Thursday (May 19): "After much deliberation and engagement with members, we are recommending our members vote yes, because the alternatives are either the flawed status quo or a further period of uncertainty for the sector, with months or even years of introspection to come. There is no guarantee that going back to the drawing board, particularly with the same actors, would bring about a better outcome.
Boots witnessed a 'record-breaking' performance for beauty driving retail sales with a growth of 16 per cent in the three months to 28 February 2023.
The beauty category delivered a record January, and premium beauty saw its biggest ever sales week in December. Skincare reported three consecutive weeks of record
sales in December driven by the 'expert skincare' category in which brands including No7, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe and Eucerin proved popular.
Boots beauty transformation strategy continued with 19 new beauty halls opened in Q2 and the 170th store to receive a beauty makeover opening at Westfield White City
post-period end. Boots now stocks over 500 big name and cult beauty brands and exclusively sells the UK's leading skincare brand, No7.
The business reported its eighth consecutive quarter of market share growth with gains across all categories, led by beauty - the stand-out performer of the quarter.
Footfall, basket size and the number of Advantage Card customers all increased, as more people chose to shop at Boots. The Christmas period was particularly strong
with retail sales in the five weeks to 31 December up 17.4% and outperforming the market.
Boots further expanded its value offering in the quarter, announcing its biggest ever savings as part of its continued focus on the affordability of life's essentials.
This included the addition of 60 new products to the Boots Everyday label as well as the extension of its Price Advantage scheme, which has to date resulted in £30
million of customer savings and now includes discounts on over 800 products every month.
The States of Guernsey have urged Islanders to plan ahead for their medication needs ahead of the upcoming Easter weekend. With a reduced number of
pharmacies expected to be open during the holiday, residents are being asked to arrange for their repeat prescriptions well in advance.
Alternatively, the government body announced that residents can opt to wait until after the Easter period if they already have an ample supply of medication at home.
This proactive measure aims to provide support to pharmacies and their staff, particularly during a period where demand for healthcare services may be heightened.
The UK has witnessed a nearly 50 percent increase in pharmacy closures this year compared to the same period in 2023, which was already considered the
worst year in recent memory.
A new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 177 pharmacies closed their doors between January and April 2024, compared to 116 in the
same period last year. This is the equivalent of 10 local pharmacies shutting down every week.
Analysis of NHS figures by the NPA showed that 403 pharmacies closed their doors last year, nearly five times higher than the number that closed in 2022.
Since 2017, over 1,400 pharmacies have shut down across the UK.
Rising costs and declining real terms funding have led to the fastest rate of closures in decades, said the NPA, highlighting that "real terms funding has
decreased by 40 per cent over the last decade."
About eighty-five percent of all women suffer from PMS or PMDD at some point in their lives. Premenstrual Syndrome is a dreadful condition that precedes your period and causes uncomfortable symptoms like backaches and cramps. Luckily, there are a number of tried remedies to live happier with PMS.
Depression, cramps, and headaches are some of the symptoms that mark the onset of the "Oh So Dreadful" days as most women associate with. These are the days when women suffer from Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS. It has become such a common term these days that it needs no introduction. Premenstrual Syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that affect women during the week preceding the start of their period.
In an open letter to pharmacy colleagues, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) praised the work being done by them over this "extremely busy period."
Expressing gratitude towards pharmacists RPS said "Patients rely on you and we are so proud of the work you are doing."
It said the incredible work of pharmacists, in all settings, have ensured that patients have access to medicines and advice during the pandemic.
Calling pharmacists an integral part of the profession, RPS said they not only prescribe and advise the public, but also play a key role in teaching future pharmacists, developing new medicines, running and supporting clinical trials.
Pregnancy is a period when women need to take care of themselves more than ever. An expectant woman always puts the interest of her child first which inadvertently means taking good care..
