"Only around half of ICSs have a Chief Pharmacist," indicating a significant gap in leadership that hampers the pharmacy sector's ability to influence
critical healthcare decision, a report on medicine optimisation by the Public Policy Projects (PPP) highlights.
In PPP's latest report, a notable concern highlighted is the inadequate representation of pharmacy leadership within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) despite the
role of pharmacy being "central in the delivery of system priorities, with pivotal roles in improving population health and tackling inequalities".
In recent years, the role of pharmacy within the NHS has evolved significantly with recent developments including Pharmacy First Services and legislative
amendments that allows pharmacy technicians under PGDs to administer and supply medicines.
Three pharmacy bodies have called on the government to allow pharmacy students access to the NHS learning support fund (LSF) currently available to students
from other healthcare professions.
Calling it "unjust", the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA), and Pharmacy Schools Council (PSC) have
voiced their disappointment over continual exclusion of pharmacy students on clinical placements and asked that pharmacy students are given equal access to the LSF.
The Department of Health and Social Care recently announced a 50 percent increase in travel and accommodation allowances for students in nursing, midwifery,
allied health professions, medical, and dental courses. However, this initiative notably excluded pharmacy students.
Salrook Healthcare, a family-run pharmacies in Chester has sold its two well-established community pharmacies named Westminster Park Pharmacy on Castle Croft
Road and Owen's Chemist on Chester Street. Together, they dispense circa 13,000 items per month.
The business has been owned by the Persaud family since 2014 and was recently brought to the market as a retirement sale. Following a confidential process with
Christie & Co, it has been purchased by Aqib Sheikh, an existing operator with a pharmacy in Walsall, West Midlands. Aqib plans to enhance the business's service
offering and grow his portfolio in the region.
Chloe Yadav (nee Persaud), previous owner of Salrook Healthcare Limited, comments, "As a family, we are delighted to have completed the sale of the business to Aqib.
Whilst we will miss our team who have become like family, it is good to know that the two sites have been acquired by a forward- thinking Pharmacist who will enhance
the offering to the benefit of the patients and the community which they serve. My family and I wish Aqib and the whole team the very best of luck with the future."
Aqib Sheikh, new owner of Salrook Healthcare Limited, comments, "I am delighted to have inherited such a well-run and profitable pair of pharmacy businesses in the
charming city of Chester. I'd like to wish John Persaud the very best with his retirement and look forward to building on the work of the Persaud family."
In a stirring address at the recent conference on Pharmacy at the Westminster Health Forum, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England (CPE),
Alastair Buxton presented a stark assessment of the community pharmacy sector's challenges.
Highlighting years of financial constraints imposed by the NHS and government, Buxton warned of a sector teetering on the edge of survival.
"There have been no years of financial and operational squeezes applied by the NHS and
government to the community pharmacy sector, so as a consequence, there are a lot of pharmacies that are on the on the brink of survival -battling for survival,"
he said.
Buxton underscored the critical and indispensable role of community pharmacies in delivering essential NHS services, from dispensing medications to innovative
initiatives like the Discharge Medicine Service and Contraception Service.
Knights Pharmacy has significantly expanded its footprint in South Wales through its recent acquisition of pharmacies in Abercarn and Cwmcarn from the Evans
Group.
This move marks another strategic expansion for the Redditch-based pharmacy group, bolstered by funding from HSBC UK.
The Abercarn site, which handles approximately 12,000 medication items annually, and the Cwmcarn site, dispensing around 5,000 items, will now operate under the
Knights Pharmacy banner.
This acquisition adds to Knights Pharmacy's growing portfolio, which now spans 49 community sites across England and Wales, a substantial increase from 18 sites
just three years ago.
Prince Charles has praised the "dedication and professionalism of pharmacy staff" at an event held in London to celebrate the work of community pharmacists during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two hundred pharmacists, pharmacy staff and other health service representatives were invited to attend a special reception hosted by His Royal Highness at St James's Palace on Wednesday night (May 4).
According to the National Pharmacy Association, the event was held, in part, to mark the NPA's recent centenary.
In his closing speech, The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the work of pharmacies on the NHS frontline.
He praised "the dedication and professionalism of pharmacy staff" during the Covid-19 pandemic and said: "I very much hope that this evening's event will help, a little bit, to highlight the marvellous work you do in your communities day in and day out."
A recent analysis conducted by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed stark disparities in patient engagement with the Pharmacy First
service across the country, likening the pattern to a 'patchwork quilt'.
It indicated that patients in the highest-performing Integrated Care System (ICS) received seven times more Pharmacy First consultations than those in the
lowest-performing regions.
As of April 21, more than 3,000 CCA member pharmacies had delivered 126,484 Pharmacy First consultations since the programme's launch.
However, the analysis found significant regional variations, with nearly 13,000 consultations completed in the North East and North Cumbria ICS, while only
948 were completed in Gloucestershire ICS.
The CCA calculated that if every ICS had as many consultations as the highest-performing ICS, there would have been an additional 600,000 Pharmacy First
consultations nationwide.
The recent announcement that Royal Mail will be partnering with distance selling pharmacy (DSP) giant pharmacy2U highlights how standards of regulatory
enforcement are being ignored to accommodate the DSP model.
The brunt of these double standards hinges around the levelling down of temperature enforcement standards by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) which demands mapping must be audited from the point of dispensing to the patient.
The MHRA has a well recognised duty to ensure medicines reach patients in a safe condition. The current anomaly appears to turn a blind eye to this step in the
supply chain at the point the wholesaler releases goods to the pharmacy hub.
Equally the training on delivering medicines safely and effectively direct to patients should apply fully to all hubs including DSPs. Why is it that DSPs are being
treated differently to bricks and mortar pharmacies? It's essentially the same patients receiving the same medicines from the same wholesalers.
A further regulatory disparity exists around how parcels must be "tracked and signed for" to be reasonably certain medicines are delivered into the hand of the
intended recipient, as per existing regulations.
Clearly an untracked, unsigned package cannot be guaranteed to finish in the hands of the intended recipient.
There is a very real possibility that such omission could lead to community pharmacy closures which will, in turn, lead to unemployment and a reduction in the
care services. At a time when integrated care systems have just gone live, the removal of vital support services leading to further inequalities is the wrong
message for both providers and patients alike.
In a bid to bolster professional leadership within the pharmacy sector, the four government Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) have embarked on a
significant initiative, forming the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB).
In a recent communication, all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received confirmation of the board members selected by the CPhOs, alongside a note from the
board's appointed chair, who was chosen collectively by the four CPhOs and reports directly to the CPhO for England.
Over three years, the 21-member Board will implement recommendations from the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership's report aimed to enhance
professional fulfillment among pharmacists while simultaneously augmenting patient safety standards.
This announcement also follows with the appointment of Sir Hugh Taylor as its Independent Chair and the appointment of Independent Expert Members who expressed
his delight over the role's "potential to lead and support collaboration across the professions in the UK".
However, the move has been met with cautious optimism from the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), urging the new board to uphold transparency and openness
to garner trust among pharmacists.
The 21st edition of the Pharmacy Business Awards have been postponed due to a dramatic rise in the number of Omicron cases nationwide in recent months.
The in-person event - initially scheduled to be held on February 3 - will now be held on Wednesday March 23 in central London.
The awards dinner hosted by the Asian Media Group - owners of Pharmacy Business - was initially scheduled to be held on February 3.
"Given the uncertainties around Omicron and the impact it could have on our community, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the twenty-first edition
of the Pharmacy Business Awards," an AMG spokesperson said, adding: "We feel this is the best and safest decision for our award winners, guests and partners."
Pharmacy2U has recently acquired LloydsDirect in a confidential deal, bringing together two of the UK's foremost online pharmacies. Over time, both entities
will integrate their operations under the Pharmacy2U brand, the companies said in a joint statement.
The two businesses complement each other effectively, and their teams will now work closely together to uphold the patient-centric approach and service quality
for which both are known individually, the statement added. However, there is currently limited clarity regarding the sale process and its impact on Lloyds staff.
According to NHS Business Services Authority data from PharmData, Pharmacy2U dispensed 1,528,436 items in June 2023, while LloydsDirect, previously owned by
LloydsPharmacy, dispensed 1,142,891 items. This positions them as the top two online prescription pharmacies for items dispensed, with Well.co.uk in third place
at 128,691 items.
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.
Christie & Co, a specialist business property adviser, recently finalised the sale of two pharmacies-one located in Wales and the other in Hampshire.
Sylvia Williams Chemist, a well-performing community pharmacy located on the main high street of the Vale of Glamorgan market town of Cowbridge, has been sold
after an impressive 50 years of ownership.
Dispensing an average of 12,500 items monthly, the business has been owned by Kate Thomas and her family for nearly 50 years. It was put on the market to enable
her retirement and allow her to focus on other interests, the broker said.
The pharmacy has been purchased by Zaid Salih, making it his second pharmacy acquisition.
Jonathan Board, Director - Medical at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, said that Sylvia Williams Chemist attracted a wide range of buyers.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has called for comments and views on the recently launched consultation on selecting the appropriate mode of consultation when assessing a person's needs by pharmacy professionals including pharmacist prescribers.
The guidance note sets out what the pharmacy professional or prescriber, in
agreement with the patient, needs to consider when selecting the mode of consultation - such as face-to-face; video-link, video-chat, or other online platforms;
telephone and online questionnaires - best suited to gaining the information needed to deliver safe and effective pharmacy care.
The principles outlined in the guidance apply to consultations undertaken in all pharmacy settings, including those undertaken by online pharmacy services providers.
"Our plan is to include the contents of this guidance note in the document: 'In practice: Guidance for pharmacist prescribers' when we undertake our next review," said the regulator.
In a recent meeting with the head of the government's HRT Taskforce, Madelaine McTernan, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board members gave a gist on the ongoing medicines supply issues in community pharmacy.
The meeting, which explored possible solutions to end the nationwide shortage of some Hormone Replacement Therapies, took place on Friday (May 20).
Independent contractors Reena Barai and Olivier Picard gave the so-called 'HRT tsar' an overview of the medicines supply issues in community pharmacy and discussed the new Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) which the government introduced in response to the on-going HRT disruption.
Earlier this month, the NPA attended an HRT summit organised by the Department of Health and Social Care, alongside other pharmacy bodies, wholesalers and manufacturers.
Health secretary Sajid Javid and pharmacy minister Maria Caulfield said they would be working collaboratively with manufacturers to meet demand and boost supply.
A recently published report on medicines optimisation highlights the urgent need for transformative changes across all pharmacies to unlock their full
potential in delivering integrated care.
The report by Public Policy Projects (PPP) is first of the four in the series that emphasises the significant benefits that medicines optimisation can bring to
integrated care systems (ICSs).
This includes reducing health inequalities and improving population health.
Pointing to the "untapped opportunity" that medicines optimisation presents for ICSs facing financial challenges, the report underscores the vital role of
pharmacies in enhancing patient outcomes.
The launch of the Pharmacy First services has already demonstrated the essential contribution of pharmacies to the health and care system.
With "medicines being the second highest cost to the NHS," the report recommends ways "to achieve better value for money while improving patient outcomes".
A Company Chemists' Association (CCA) analysis has shown that 'Pharmacy First' service in England could free up 30m+ GP appointments each year.
It has urged the Government and NHS to be even 'bolder in their ambition and go further and faster'.
The recent 'Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care' announced a 'Pharmacy First' service for England, mirroring similar approaches in Scotland and
Wales.
The association has estimated that with the added capability to supply non-prescription medicines and prescribe additional prescription-only medicines, an ambitious
'Pharmacy First' service could free up 30m+ GP appointments annually.
Harnessing community pharmacies to deliver care for minor health conditions will effectively create 11,000 urgent care centres in England.
Since its launch on January 31st, the Pharmacy First service by the Company Chemists Association (CCA) has achieved a significant milestone, completing over
200,000 consultations to date.
This milestone underscores the service's vital role in providing same-day NHS care through community pharmacies across England.
Recent analysis by the CCA has revealed a pressing need to bolster GP referrals, with disparities observed between different Integrated Care System (ICS) areas,
resulting in what's described as a 'postcode lottery' for patients.
CCA Chief Executive, Malcolm Harrison, emphasised the importance of sustained funding for Pharmacy First beyond 2025, ensuring its availability for patients,
community pharmacies, and the wider NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in recent response to the questions asked by members of the House of Lords addressed the concerning trend
of pharmacy closures in rural areas across the UK.
Led by The Bishop of St Albans, inquiries focused on the number of community pharmacies that had ceased operations over the past five years and the ongoing
financial challenges faced by those remaining in rural regions.
Lord Markham, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, provided insights into the stark reality confronting rural communities.
Highlighting data as per Guide to applying the Rural Urban Classification to data (2019-2023) Markham illustrated the significant closure rates of rural
pharmacies compared to the limited number of new openings between 2019 and 2023.
The figures revealed a fluctuating trend over the past five years, indicating a dynamic landscape within rural pharmacy provision.
Despite a 13 per cent increase from last year, less than a quarter (21%) of pharmacy teams recommend Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) as a first line of treatment
for frequent heartburn.
There has been a 4% decrease in pharmacy teams considering 'frequent heartburn' as a condition that occurs more than once a week 8-in-10 said a larger pack size
would be useful to their patients who suffer from frequent heartburn.
Haleon, formerly part of GSK, has recently commissioned research to better understand how pharmacy teams help patients to treat frequent heartburn. Comparing with
data captured last year, there has been a been a +13% increase in the number of pharmacy teams recommending Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) (21% in 2022 vs 8% in
2021).
Nexium Control, the UK's number one heartburn product for 24-hour protection, aims to use this research to provide better support for pharmacists and their teams
and encourage the recommendation of PPIs, where appropriate for frequent heartburn, over other heartburn remedies.
