A married couple who are investing in a pharmacy for the first time have bought Paydens branch in Peterborough for an undisclosed price.
A standard hour community pharmacy with a substantial home delivery service, West Town Pharmacy is located on the outskirts of the city centre and sits on a predominantly residential street, within half a mile of three GP surgeries.
The pharmacy has been operating from a sizeable premises with a large, open plan sales area and has excellent potential to improve its over-the-counter sales, in addition to its strong travel vaccine customer base.
West Town Pharmacy was purchased by Paydens in 2016 as part of a group acquisition and was brought to market because the company realised that geographically it "did not fit" with the group's, mainly Kent-based, portfolio.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) for Salazopyrin EN-Tabs 500 mg due to ongoing shortage of the medicine.
With SSP014 in place from today (November 26), for every prescription one Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant (GR) tablet will be supplied.
This SSP will expire on December 20, 2021, and PSNC will update contractors in case of any change.
PSNC has advised pharmacists to notify the patient's prescriber while supplying in accordance with this SSP.
Besides, the supervising pharmacist should refer back to the prescriber if a non-chewable atorvastatin tablet would not be appropriate for the patient.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) says initial tests of the antibody-based Covid-19 therapy it is developing with US partner Vir suggest the drug is effective against
the Omicron variant.
A GSK statement on Thursday (December 2) said that lab tests and a study on hamsters have demonstrated the sotrovimab antibody cocktail to work against viruses
that were bio-engineered to carry a number of hallmark mutations of the new variant.
The tests are continuing to confirm the results against all of the Omicron mutations, with an update expected by the end of the year, it added.
The antibody is designed to latch on to the spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus, but Omicron has been found to have an unusually high amount of mutations on that protein.
"Sotrovimab was deliberately designed with a mutating virus in mind," said Vir chief executive George Scangos, adding that the drug was targeting a region of the spike protein that was highly unlikely to mutate.
Following concerns raised by the competition watchdog, UK PCR testing provider Randox has improved its terms on cancellations, refunds and liability.
The development is part of the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) ongoing engagement in the PCR tests sector.
The CMA has also sent letters to 25 PCR providers, warning them to review their terms and conditions or risk facing enforcement action. It currently has formal investigations open into two PCR providers, Expert Medicals and Dante Labs.
Randox, one of the largest providers in the sector, has reviewed its its terms and conditions and changed them to:
Give clearer information to customers, in particular on when it will provide PCR tests and resultsImprove notification of customers' legal rights on cancellations and refunds
Remove terms that could suggest customers aren't entitled to compensation if things go wrong
Pharmacy owners can proceed with vaccinating patients who have already scheduled their flu vaccination appointments for September, NHS England has said.
However, as announced earlier, the official rollout of the vaccination service will commence from October.
Pharmacies will receive compensation for conducting appointments in the upcoming month, NHSE stated in a letter addressed to systems, community pharmacies, and
general practices.
"Payment for vaccinations will ordinarily only be made following the service commencement date. However, we understand that some firm commitments and appointments
have already been made, so where this is the case and the patient wishes to receive flu vaccination in September, NHS England will permit payment claims to be
submitted," NHSE said.
Care home residents and staff will be eligible for the vaccine starting Oct. 2, while all other patients will commence receiving their vaccinations on Oct 7.
This news is a significant relief for pharmacy owners, as they won't have to reschedule appointments due to NHSE's one-month service delay.
To help pharmacy owner to better understand the negotiating process, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has published commentary and infographics.
"Our work to negotiate fair funding, as well as changes to NHS pharmacy services, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England is a
crucial part of our role," said CPE.
"Understandably the sector is eagerly awaiting an update on the progress of the current negotiations on the Government's pledge to invest £645m in community
pharmacies and, as part of our ongoing efforts to improve transparency of our work, we have released materials to explain the negotiating process."
Negotiating Team Member Stephen Thomas - who joined the team this year - has written a blog about his experiences.
He has described both the complexity of the process and volume of work undertaken, and recognises the significance of his role on behalf of pharmacy owners across
the country.
Whilst speed is of the essence, even higher on the Negotiating Team's list of priorities is working through a large number of important questions - particularly
around the funding and logistics that need to be put in place.
In the parliamentary drop-in-event hosted by Community Pharmacy England last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned the Health Secretary on the rising
issue of medicines supply.
"Eighteen community pharmacists in my constituency are reporting challenges on medicine supplies. What more is the Minister going to do to get a grip of this
situation?", Mike Amesbury MP for Weaver Vale, who was present at the event last week, asked the Health Secretary.
In his response, the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP said: "We have a long-standing team in the Department focused on medical supplies, which are a continual
issue; as a matter of routine business, there are often challenges in that area."
The Shadow Pharmacy Minister, Karin Smyth MP, also asked: "People across the country rely on local, accessible pharmacies, but whether it is high street closures
or supply problems leading to the absurd situation where women are phoning or visiting multiple pharmacies for a prescribed dose of hormone replacement therapy and
other drugs…They have repeatedly announced plans to expand the role of community pharmacies but have failed to update legislation that could possibly help. … Why
will they not do so?
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is refreshing its Professional Standards for Homecare Services and will be shared for consultation in August to allow
comment and input on the updated content.
The final version is expected to be completed in the autumn.
The standards were originally published in 2013 and are a framework to support teams providing and commissioning homecare services. Homecare medicines services
deliver medication, and any necessary associated care, direct to the patient's home with their consent.
The standards help patients experience a consistent quality of homecare services, irrespective of provider, will protect them from avoidable incidents and help them
get the best outcomes from their medicines.
Jennifer Allen, The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer's Clinical Fellow leading the refresh at RPS said: "It has been 10 years since the first set of Homecare Standards
were published, so it is important that they are reviewed and brought up to date to reflect current service design, medicine pathways and delivery models to ensure
patients receive safe and effective medication supply and associated care."
NHS England has urged the pharmacy owners to continue to voluntarily submit New Medicine Service (NMS) quarterly summary data to the NHS Business Services
Authority (NHSBSA) for Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022/23 (January to March 2023).
Community Pharmacy England have agreed with NHS England that the quarterly returns will continue to be on a voluntary basis, with Q4 (January to March 2023) as the
second quarter to be reported.
It has thanked all the members that submitted NMS quarterly summary data for Quarter 3.
The mandatory requirement to submit this data has been suspended since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"NHS England wants to continue collection of the quarterly returns to provide baseline data to support a long-term evaluation that will be conducted as part of
ongoing work to expand the scope of NMS," said Community Pharmacy England.
Voluntary submissions can be made via the NHSBSA website, where an updated reporting spreadsheet is also available for head offices to use who are able to submit
data on behalf of multiple pharmacies.
Preet Kaur Gill, Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, has paid a recent visit to a community pharmacy in Staffordshire to personally experience
the services it provides to patients, while staying updated on the latest sector developments.
Her visit to Eason's Pharmacy in Tamworth on September 22nd marked her first since assuming new responsibilities for pharmacy policy matters within Labour's health
team. Gill was also joined by a member of the National Pharmacy Association staff.
The Minister received a comprehensive briefing on Eason's Pharmacy from its third-generation owner, Kieran Eason (R). He outlined the NHS services, which include
the New Medicines Service and blood pressure monitoring, and showcased two consultation rooms and an operational dispensary.
"It's great that Preet came to learn firsthand about the challenges we face and the substantial potential of community pharmacies nationwide," Eason said. "As an
independent prescriber, I have the expertise to provide even more convenient care, but the current funding levels severely limit our contribution."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new revised RPS Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services at its annual conference held on
Friday (11 November).
RPS developed the standards through an extensive consultation with the profession, multidisciplinary teams and patients. They are relevant for providers of pharmacy
services in acute, mental health, private, community service, prison, hospice and ambulance settings.
The revised Standards contain two brand new descriptors - research, audit and quality improvement, and inclusion and wellbeing. Updates have been made to the
supporting statements to ensure they reflect current practice and are fit for the future. A new assessment tool has been developed to support organisations either
self-assess or peer-assess against the Standards.
"For the first time the Standards apply UK wide, having gained support from Pharmacy Forum NI, alongside endorsement from The Association of Pharmacy Technicians
UK and other professional groups," RPS said.
AAH Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday (November 15) announced the promotion of its commercial director David Bound to chief executive officer of the company.
In his 10 years in the company, Mr Bound has helped to drive growth across the AAH business, implementing new digital channels for customers, and developing
strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers - drawing on from his vast experience in the healthcare industry, as well as in supply chain, operations,
and trading.
Commenting on his promotion, he said: "I'm delighted to be taking on this role at such a critical time for healthcare. There are many challenges affecting the
industry right now - from inflationary pressures to workforce issues - and I'm looking forward to tackling them head-on alongside my excellent team."
Ceuta Group, a global brand building business providing end-to-end outsourcing services in the health and wellness industry has appointed David Wright as a
non-executive board director.
With extensive experience of leading global consumer healthcare companies, David joins Ceuta Group following five years as CEO/President of global pharmaceutical
company, HRA Pharma and six years as Global Head of Boehringer Ingelheim's consumer business.
During his time at HRA Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim GmBH, David led both companies through substantial organisational and strategy re-design which led to
sustainable growth and profitability.
The company said: "David has a strong belief that combining the right structure, operational priorities and processes, with a strong focus on company culture, are
critical factors in building successful businesses. This approach saw him lead a period of transformation at HRA Pharma resulting in the company's successful
acquisition by Perrigo Company plc."
David will take an active role on the Ceuta Group Board supporting and building the company's strategic vision and priorities. He will also help shape the company's
growth plans on an operational level to ensure Ceuta Group continues to meet client's needs today and into the future.
Lapses in strategies to tackle COVID-19 this year continue to create the perfect conditions for a deadly new variant to emerge, as parts of China witness a
rise in infections, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday (December 2).
The comments by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mark a change in tone just months after he said that the world has never been in a better position
to end the pandemic.
"We are much closer to being able to say that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over, but we're not there yet," Tedros said on Friday.
The global health agency estimates that about 90% of the world's population now has some level of immunity to SARS-COV-2 either due to prior infection or vaccination.
"Gaps in testing … and vaccination are continuing to create the perfect conditions for a new variant of concern to emerge that could cause significant mortality,"
Tedros said.
COVID-19 infections are at record highs in China and have started to rise in parts of Britain after months of decline.
Any prescription for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets x 56 submitted for payment to the NHSBSA for July 2022 will be reimbursed at the new price of
£17.77 not as per the price concession of £13.45 announced in the 4th concessions update published on 29 July 2022, said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee (PSNC).
In July 2022, PSNC received several reports from contractors unable to obtain Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets (56) at the published Drug Tariff price of
£4.24.
Therefore, it submitted a request for a price concession, which was granted and subsequently published but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from the
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that due to the price change mechanism, the reimbursement price for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets has
increased from £4.24 to £17.77 for July 2022.
PSNC said, "Following the price change mechanism rules, for generic drugs (excluding drugs in Category M), a price change up to and including the 8th of the month
takes effect for prescriptions dispensed in that same month. Any price change after the 8th takes place in the following month."
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended the Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets (SSP005) and Lipitor 10mg
chewable tablets (SSP032) to Wednesday, 7 December 2022.
SSP005 for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets was due to expire on 12 August 2022.
DHSC has also updated that SSP032 for Lipitor 10mg chewable tablets was due to expire on 12 August 2022 but the end date has been further extended to Friday 26
August 2022.
SSP005 provides that for every Fluoxetine 10mg tablet originally prescribed, one Fluoxetine 10mg capsule must be supplied:
"Expiry dates of an SSP may be brought forward or extended, and the content may be amended at any time during the life of an SSP. Pharmacists should ensure they
are using the latest version of an SSP before considering the supply of an alternative product," said DHSC.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged pharmacists working in Covid-19 vaccination role to report any concerns about the needles and syringes
supplied with the Moderna Spikevax Bivalent vaccine.
The association has heard reports of bending when vaccinators pierce the top of the vial containing the Covid-19 vaccine doses, needles falling out during manipulation
and appearing to be bent even before removal from the packaging.
PDA has advised its members who are working in a Covid-19 vaccination role "to report any concerns via the Yellow Card medical device reporting system, and to keep up
to date with NHS clinical updates for ongoing information and guidance."
Current advice from the NHS includes sharing of video and poster resources (available on FutureNHS) which have been produced by the supplier to support the
introduction of the new administration needles and syringes for Spikevax Bivalent.
This is following a switch from BD Flu+ 23G x 25mm 1ml syringe combined needle and syringe (CNS) to the Owen Mumford Unifine Safety Retractable Needle 25G x 25mm &
1ml Syringe.
Blackwells Chemist, a community pharmacy in South East London did not meet all the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards.
The pharmacy was inspected on Thursday (01 June) and it was found it did not keep all its records up to date and accurate, particularly its responsible pharmacist
records. Investigation report stated that the principle of Governance and principle of Services, including medicines management was 'not met at all'.
Under the principle Governance, the report stated: "The pharmacy generally manages the risks associated with its services adequately. People using the pharmacy can
provide feedback or raise concerns. And staff generally protect people's personal information well. Team members know what to do to help protect the welfare of a
vulnerable person. The pharmacy has written procedures, but these are not easily accessible to team members to refer to. And they are not regularly updated. So,
they may be less useful to staff, and may not reflect current best practice."
In the inspection it was found that the pharmacy does not always store its medicines properly. It cannot show that it stores all its medicines requiring cold
storage at the appropriate temperatures.
The regulators have added 10 new products to the 'Drugs for which Discount is Not Deducted' (DND) list from Thursday (01 June).
Community Pharmacy England on behalf of its members had made further applications to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS Business Services
Authority (NHSBSA), resulting in the inclusion of 10 new products in the DND.
More than 610 products are granted DND status following checks made by Community Pharmacy England's dispensing & supply team over the past 3 years to ensure fair
reimbursement for our members.
The DND list is updated monthly by the DHSC and includes grouped and individual items. Individual items are separately listed in Part II of the Drug Tariff. Any
items covered by the 'Group Items' heading are not listed again individually in Part II.
"We will continue our work to assess whether other drugs and appliances fulfil the current DND entry requirements under either the 'Group' and 'Individual item'
criteria and make applications to NHSBSA and DHSC, on behalf of our members accordingly," said Community Pharmacy England.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has included Tibolone 2.5mg tablets (Livial) and Prasterone 6.5mg pessaries (Intrarosa) to the list of Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT).
It has updated the June 2023 Drug Tariff (Part XVI) to include these additional HRT medicines for which patients will be able to purchase an HRT PPC.
"HRT is the replacement of female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone in women to control symptoms of the menopause. Some medicines that are converted or break
down into oestrogen, progestogen or androgen hormones are prescribed for relief of menopausal symptoms. For the purposes of the HRT PPC these are included within
this definition of HRT," said DHSC.
