The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has republished a three-year-old report which underscores the vital role of community pharmacists and pharmacy t
echnicians in a 'modern NHS' amid speculations that the government is set to announce plans to enhance the role of community pharmacy teams.
PDA's 2019 report which "took three year to compile" highlighted significant empirical evidence and made recommendations to develop the roles of both community
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the skill mix required to meet patients' needs.
It examined in detail the role of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy.
The PDA still that pressure on the NHS can be managed much more effectively through the better use of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In the community
pharmacy setting, it is evident that if the further development of the pharmacist's role is to be facilitated and pharmacists are to become more patient facing in
the future, an extended role and greater responsibility for pharmacy technicians is not only desirable, but ultimately it is essential.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has commissioned Professor David Taylor of University College London to investigate the implications of all-time high
inflation rates on community pharmacies in the UK.
Professor Taylor's will assess rates of inflation affecting community pharmacy across the UK, using public data sources whilst examining inflated costs in the
context of the current five year contractual framework in England (2019-2024).
He would review the EY (Ernst & Young) report into pharmacy funding, to identify whether current inflationary pressures could change any of the findings and
consider the policy implications and impacts of inflationary pressures, including pharmacy's ability to prepare for a more clinically focused future and maintain
current core services.
NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette said: "Inflationary pressures are eating into the limited funds provided by the NHS for pharmacy services. We believe the real
level of inflation for pharmacy businesses could be higher than the CPI inflation rate, which itself is at a 40 year high. Staff and locum costs in the sector as
well as medicines costs have risen dramatically.
The Pharmacist' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)'s
plan to ensure a more robust, fair and positive experience for trainees, provisionally registered and potential pharmacists who will be sitting the November 2022
assessment.
"Many candidates at the latest (June 2022) assessment experienced significant delays, technical issues, inadequate invigilation, and disturbances in test centres
around the UK as the newly appointed company BTL ran the high-stakes pharmacist examinations for the first time. The next online exam is due in November 2022 and the
PDA welcome proposed improvements to be introduced before that sitting," said the association.
For some, provisional registration was the accepted response from the GPhC, but for others, such as potential pharmacists who did not want the provisional role,
those unable to find a suitable provisional post, or some that did not meet the criteria for provisional registration, they found themselves in financial
difficulties through no fault of their own, having reasonably expected to have joined the register in the Summer.
Nasal endoscopy is used to examine and diagnose conditions affecting the nose and sinuses. It involves the use of a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope to provide a detailed view of the nasal cavity.
The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has warned that England's 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) may need to allocate an extra £37 million
from their budgets annually for the next five years due to the spiralling tax rates.
The government's Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS) rebate rate increased more than five-fold in the past two years, the BGMA said
in its white paper released on Monday (October 30).
The report, conducted by consultancy firm Conclusio in consultation with local NHS leaders, examined the potential effects of the VPAS on ICB budgets.
BGMA said that due to the elevated VPAS rate, each ICB in England will experience significant increases in expenses for branded generics and biosimilars
annually - a consequence of reduced competition.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England and the Royal College of General Practitioners have published recommendations for the roll-out and success of the
GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS).
These recommendations follow a workshop with stakeholders from pharmacy, general practice and representative bodies, examining ways to maximise the potential of the service and meet growing demand on the health service.
The workshop report made five recommendations:
The NHS England and Improvement should provide additional investment in local system support and resources to drive the CPCS implementation and uptake between
general practice and community pharmacy.
National representative bodies should work with NHS E&I to develop national and local engagement and streamline communication plans for CPCS referral pathway.
Focus on expanding the role of community pharmacists in the management of minor illness.
Evaluation of CPCS service and its impacts on general practice workload, patient outcomes and health inequalities.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has appointed communications agency to lead a review into how it can develop and strengthen member participation.
"We've appointed communications consultancy Luther Pendragon to carry out an independent review of the participation of members and of our communications
concerning decisions we take on behalf of the profession through our Governance boards," the Society said in a statement on Tuesday (May 10).
It added that review would examine how RPS members, elected members and stakeholders can feel engaged, informed and empowered to influence decisions about RPS policy and understand why decisions around organisational policy have been taken on their behalf by elected representatives.
It will also ensure RPS decision-making processes are open and transparent with an emphasis on evidence-based decision making, and recommend ways elected members are enabled to be publicly accountable for decisions taken by the organisation at Board and Assembly level.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Professor Parastou Donyai as chief scientist. She will take up the role in June.
Parastou is a pharmacist with a PhD in pharmacy. She also has a postgraduate diploma in Psychological Research Methods as well as a degree in Psychology.
She is currently a professor of Social & Cognitive Pharmacy at the University of Reading and her research examines the psychology of medication use, discontinuation
and decision-making processes.
Prior to this, Parastou also spent more than five years as a senior lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Kingston University and St. George's University of London. Her
longstanding research interest includes continuing professional development in pharmacy.
Commenting on her appointment, Parastou said: "It is a real privilege for me to be the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's next chief scientist.
"As a pharmacist, scientist and academic, I look forward to working with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's members and key stakeholders to uphold the value of
science across the breadth of our profession."
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has been appointed as a core participant in the Covid-19 public inquiry.
The independent public inquiry has been set up to examine the UK's response to and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and learn lessons to shape preparations for
future pandemics. It is chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge.
The NPA and RPS will be part of Module 3, which covers the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare systems across the United Kingdom. The preliminary hearing for that
module takes place on Tuesday 28 February.
This will give the association an opportunity to make opening and closing statements, consider evidence provided to the Inquiry and propose questions to be asked by
the Inquiry of witnesses.
NPA chief executive, Mark Lyonette, said: "This is an historic opportunity to place on record the achievements of community pharmacy during the pandemic and to ensure
that the inquiry's recommendations are based in the practical realities faced by health workers such as our members.
While Northern Irish business groups has welcomed the certainty a new EU-UK deal on post-Brexit trade rules for the region provided, the pharmaceutical
industry too has expressed cautious optimism.
In his speech on the Windsor Framework on Monday (February 28) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the agreement "delivers a landmark settlement on medicines".
"From now on, drugs approved for use by the UK's medicines regulator will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland," he
announced.
The National Pharmacy Association's Northern Ireland manager Anne McAlister expressed a sense of cautious optimism.
She said: "While the devil may yet be in the detail, the Windsor Framework would appear to be good news for pharmacies in Northern Ireland. It seems to address
the main concerns we have expressed about medicines supplies to NI, but we want to examine the small print to ensure the new arrangements meet the needs of our
members and the patients they serve.
In response to a Scottish government consultation, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called for continued investment to develop community pharmacy teams and create additional capacity in existing services.
The consultation examines different ways patients access healthcare services in Scotland and focuses on sources of healthcare other than GPs that exist in the community.
The inquiry was discussed with NPA policy leads across the UK, NPA Scottish members and other Scottish pharmacy stakeholder organisations.
The NPA stated that services delivered during the pandemic has proven the importance of Scotland's 1,258 community pharmacies, and believes additional capacity for existing pharmacy services, and expansion of pharmacy Public Health Services is possible with continued investment from the government.
A new NHS-funded training course on clinical examination skills has been announced by Health Education England (HEE) for 10,000 community pharmacists.
The training will be provided by CliniSkills and be coordinated by HEE with the Pharmacy Integration Programme at NHS England.
With pre-registration now open to all community pharmacists, the programme will be available from 17th April 2023 and will until March 2024.
It will be delivered online, with optional face-to-face attendance for pharmacists who would find this beneficial.
Pharmacists will be required to complete a module on history taking and identification of serious conditions and can then choose from four optional modules,
which cover the following themes: dermatology; cardiology; paediatrics; and ear, nose and throat.
The training is designed to be complementary to the independent prescribing training and can be completed prior to or after an independent prescribing training
course. It is open to all community pharmacists including those that work part time and locums.
Recent NHS data sheds light on the evolving landscape of fit note certification, indicating a gradual expansion of roles beyond traditional medical
practitioners to pharmacists and nurses.
This uptake in numbers coincides with the Department of Work and Pensions's (DWP) call for evidence in relation to fit note reform which will remain open
till 8 July 2024.
According to figures published by NHS Digital, during the nine-month period from April 2023 to December 2023, pharmacists certified a significant number of
fit notes.
Approximately 1.4 per cent of fit notes of the 8 million were issued by pharmacists while the rest were issued by the GP surgeries reflecting the impact
following legislative amendments in July 2022, which extended certification authority to pharmacists, nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists.
In June 2022, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) advised pharmacists not to sign fit notes where the required therapeutic, diagnostic, or examination
skills lie outside their scope of competence.
The association remarked that healthcare professionals needed mandatory training under the Health Education England before they are fit to issue fitness notes
to the public.
In a bid to address the ongoing deficit in staff in the UK's healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS) has entered into a new workforce agreement
with India.
According to media reports, the healthcare service plans to hire 2,000 doctors from India on a fast-track basis to alleviate this pressing issue.
It is learned that the NHS has set up training centres across many Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Delhi, Gurugram, Indore, Mysore, Chennai,
and Calicut to provide postgraduate training for the first batch of doctors.
Post their training period (which ranges from six to 12 months), these doctors will be deployed at hospitals across Britain. They will also be exempted from the
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination that is otherwise mandatory for practising in the country.
In a new study, men who took phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), such as Viagra (sildenafil; Pfizer), for treatment of erectile dysfunction, were found to be 18 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to those who did not take the drugs.
The results of the population-based cohort study were published in Neurology on 7 February 2024.
Researchers at University of Oxford examined IQVIA Medical Research Data UK records of 269,725 men, who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction between
January 2000 and March 2017.
None of the participants had any memory or thinking problems at the start of the study and they were followed for an average of 5.1 years.
During the study, 749 out of 1,119 participants taking erectile dysfunction drugs developed Alzheimer's disease.
Dental care is often seen as a routine part of our healthcare regimen, but its significance cannot be overstated. The health of our teeth and gums affects
not just our oral well-being but also our overall health and quality of life. This is especially true when we consider the impact of dental health on the entire
family. In this blog post, we will delve into the importance of proper dental care for every member of the family and explore the benefits it brings.
Understanding Dental Health
Understanding dental health is fundamental to appreciating the importance of proper dental care. Professionals at newsmilelife.com explain how dental care involves
a spectrum of practices dedicated to preserving the well-being of our teeth, gums, and overall oral health. This encompasses consistent brushing and flossing,
regular dental examinations, professional cleanings, and addressing any dental concerns that emerge. These routines and interventions collectively contribute
to a healthy mouth, preventing common dental problems and promoting optimal oral hygiene for individuals and families alike.
The final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry has been published today, bringing to light a devastating chapter in the history of the UK's healthcare system.
The inquiry, which was launched by former Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017, examined how contaminated blood products infected over 30,000 NHS patients with
deadly viruses, including HIV and Hepatitis C, between the 1970s and 1990s.
Following the publication of the report, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a formal apology on behalf of successive governments, acknowledging the state's
significant failings.
He stated that he finds it "impossible to comprehend" how victims felt when injected with deadly diseases through no fault of their own.
"Not possible for pharmacists to check whether prescriptions issued from overseas registered prescribers have been issued in a similarly safe and effective
way," the new Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) Karin Smyth said during a recent parliamentary written response.
At a recent session on Monday, July 29th, at the House of Commons, MP Cat Smith raised an important question directed at the Secretary of State for Health and
Social Care.
Smith, who represents Lancaster and Wyre, and has been an MP continually since 7 May 2015, inquired about whether the Department of Health and Social Care had
conducted a comparative assessment of the UK's stance on prescribing puberty blockers for treating gender incongruence in comparison to other European countries.
Responding to the questions, MP Karin Smyth emphasised on the significance of the Cass Review and described it as one of the most thorough examinations
conducted across the globe on gender identity services for children and young people.
Healthcare professionals in the UK are being advised to avoid prescribing the migraine and antiseizure medication topiramate, commonly known by the brand
name Topamax, to women and girls unless they fulfil the requirements of a Pregnancy Prevention Programme.
This guidance follows new safety measures introduced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following a major safety review, which
highlighted a potential increased risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities in children exposed to topiramate during pregnancy.
The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) evaluated studies that examined the risks associated with using topiramate during pregnancy. These studies indicated that
children born to mothers who took topiramate during pregnancy had an approximately 2 to 3 times higher risk of intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders,
and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Based on CHM's recommendations, the MHRA now advises that topiramate should not be prescribed for treating epilepsy during pregnancy unless there is no suitable
alternative.