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ECG has launched a new 'simple and straightforward' Patient Group Direction (PGD) service for pharmacists working in primary care, together with a service which offers direct access to an NHS Consultant for medical advice to offer robust safeguarding as and when needed. Taking on more clinical services with the PGDs can feel daunting and a big responsibility for healthcare professionals. ECG's new medical advice service (for anyone purchasing their PGDs) will offer pharmacists the opportunity to call and speak to a clinical member of the ECG team who will triage the calls and support them. If required, the call will be connected to an experienced NHS Consultant to offer immediate medical advice. The service will start with a Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30hrs provision with an option to increase to 24 /7 for those working out of hours. This is inclusive in the PGD pricing offer. ECG has been the market leader in providing vaccination training to pharmacists since 2004, providing robust knowledge and clinical skills to enable pharmacists to develop their private and NHS commissioned vaccination services (such as flu and covid). By developing their close working relationship with all of the multiples, many smaller chains, membership groups and independents over the years, ECG has continued to further consolidate their 'one stop shop' approach to supporting the sector. ECG wants to offer this sector choices in the level of guidance and support that the individual healthcare professionals feel they need to offer safe care to patients.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised 'no one should stop taking valproate without advice from their healthcare professional.' The latest data on the use of valproate in England revealed that in the last 6 months the number of pregnant women prescribed valproate in a 6-month period has fallen from 68 women in April to September 2018, to 17 women in October 2021 to March 2022. In light of concerns that the current regulatory requirements for safe use are not being consistently followed, the MHRA conducted a review of the available data and asked for advice from the independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM). "The CHM has advised that no one under the age of 55 should be initiated on valproate unless two specialists independently consider and document that there is no other effective or tolerated treatment," said MHRA. "Where possible, existing patients should be switched to another treatment unless two specialists independently consider and document that there is no other effective or tolerated treatment or the risks do not apply."

The trade bodies and four largest pharmacy chains in England, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, warning that the sector needs urgent investment for sustainability. The letter from AIMp, CCA, NPA, PSNC, Boots UK, Lloyds Pharmacy, Well, and Phoenix UK, warned that the 30 per cent real terms funding cuts that pharmacies have faced over the past seven years have left many businesses in a cashflow crisis. The letter said that the government is facing a choice over the future of the country's 11,000+ community pharmacies, with permanent closures likely and medicines supply at risk if no urgent action is taken. "If the funding situation is not addressed, the sector is likely to move rapidly towards many permanent closures of pharmacies." The organisations say that once these closures start, they will be hard to stop, as the sector is now so fragile other pharmacies would struggle to pick up the slack.

Suffering a brain injury is no easy thing. The plurality of potential symptoms meets with the potential long-term effects to create a poor prognosis for many unfortunate enough to experience them. But new technological leaps could pave the way to a better quality of life. What is a Brain Injury? The above question might seem a simple one, with a simple answer. But brain injuries are by no means simple, and by no means simply defined. There are two major categories under which a brain injury can fall: hypoxic and traumatic. Of civil brain injury claims in the UK, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the most common - with 95% of claims revolving around some form of traumatic injury or incident. TBIs are brain injuries suffered as a result of a specific or direct injury. The brain is damaged through direct contact or the transfer of force. A direct strike to the head is in an assault or a serious fall might compromise the cranium, sending shockwaves of energy through the brain and potentially crushing the skull into the cranial cavity. Alternatively, a car accident or sudden stop might see the brain bashed against the occipital bone, causing internal trauma and intracranial hypertension. Hypoxic brain injuries refer specifically to injuries caused as a result of loss of blood or oxygen to the head. These injuries reflect birth injuries that might lead to cerebral palsy, or serious medical events that might alter the brain's response to stimuli. How are Brain Injuries Diagnosed and Treated? While the potential causes of a brain injury are plain to see, diagnosing a brain injury is not as straightforward. There are immediate symptoms that can indicate brain injury, such as the 'fencing response' which can indicate a severe rotational brain injury. Conscious patients might also exhibit difficulty speaking, remembering key pieces of information or responding to any stimuli.

Women who are trying to conceive should stop vaping as it may affect fertility, a study by the women's health firm Hertility has suggested. Analysis of blood samples from more than 8000 women revealed that vapers and smokers have lower levels of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), which indicates how many eggs women have left in their ovaries. Across all age groups, AMH levels were found to be lower in people who vaped than non-vapers, suggesting that vaping could accelerate age-related decline in egg reserve. Concerningly, the report revealed that one in five British women vape while trying to get pregnant, with a significant portion also engaging in other lifestyle "vices" such as alcohol, drugs and smoking.

Women accounted for 62 per cent of GPhC registrants in 2019, according to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Despite representing the majority of pharmacists in the UK, only 2 per cent of women are pharmacy business owners compared with 13 per cent of men. Also, the majority of senior pharmacy leadership positions are held by men, with research showing that only 36 per cent of senior pharmacy leaders are women. Sobha Sharma Kandel, superintendent pharmacist and co-owner of Neem Tree Pharmacy, Abbey Wood, London, quoted these statistics while shedding light on the representation of female leaders in the field of pharmacy. So, what is stopping women from reaching leadership positions in the profession? According to Sobha, the barriers hindering female pharmacists from attaining leadership positions include: Gender Bias and Stereotypes Lack of Representation and Role Models Glass Ceiling and Double Standards Work-Life Balance Challenges Imposter Syndrome Unequal Access to Opportunities Negotiation and Advocacy Challenges "There also continue to be gender and ethnicity pay gaps affecting women in pharmacy," said Sobha, who has been advocating for women in pharmacy by being a part of the Female Pharmacy Leaders Network.

Online vape store GoSmokeFree analysed data from NHS Stop Smoking Service in England from April to September 2023 to determine the number of individuals in each of the nine UK regions who reported successfully quitting smoking after setting a quit date. The findings showed that the South East has the highest number of successful quitters, with 1,226 smokers per 100,000 reporting to have given it up. The Isle of Wight is the most successful area to quit smoking in the South East with 3,124 people quitting per 100,000 smokers. Of the 4,294 individuals who set a quit date in this region, 803 admitted to not being able to achieve their target. A spokesperson from the online retailer noted that overcoming nicotine withdrawals and mental challenges can be exceptionally difficult when attempting to quit smoking.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reclassified codeine linctus, a medicine used for the treatment of dry cough, from a pharmacy-only medicine (P) to a prescription-only medicine (POM) owing to the risk of dependence, addiction, and overdose. This implies that the dry cough syrup, which is also known as codeine oral solution, can only be dispensed upon the submission of a prescription at a pharmacy, rather than being accessible over the counter upon request. Patients are cautioned that as an opioid medicine, codeine can be addictive, and the risk of addiction may increase, particularly with prolonged use over an extended period. According to the medicines regulator, codeine is converted into morphine by the liver enzyme CYP2D6. In individuals identified as ultra-rapid metabolizers, this conversion from codeine to morphine occurs at a faster rate than in others. "If you want to stop taking it and have been taking codeine linctus for a long time, then it is important to reduce the amount you take slowly with the help of your prescriber," the agency said in its drug safety update issued on Tuesday, 20 February.

NHS England on Monday (19 February) unveiled a new multichannel campaign to inform the public about the additional services offered at their local pharmacy under the recently launched Pharmacy First service. The extended service allows patients to get treatment and medicines from their local pharmacy for seven common conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, without needing to see a GP. As part of its 'Help Us, Help You' campaign, NHS England has started running adverts across on-demand TV services, radio, bus stops and billboards as well as social media, encouraging people to use their high street pharmacies for treatment of these common illnesses.

In a decisive move highlighting the financial strain faced by community pharmacies, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) submitted a £108 million invoice to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) today (16 May). According to the NPA, this substantial sum represents the amount that pharmacies in England personally covered for the dispensing of NHS medicines last month, as a result of inadequate funding. "The £108m figure is an average monthly figure based on the loss to pharmacy incomes over the past decade," it said. The association believes that mass closures can be prevented only when the government stops expecting pharmacies to subsidise the cost of delivering NHS care. NPA chief executive Paul Rees, said: "The soaring costs of dispensing medicine coupled with declining real terms funding has led to community pharmacies in England having to subsidise the dispensing of drugs to the tune of £108m a month.

Well Pharmacy, the UK's largest independent pharmacy chain, recently announced the opening of a new store inside WHSmith's flagship airside location at Birmingham Airport. This expansion is part of Well Pharmacy's ongoing collaboration with WHSmith, the global travel retailer. Situated within the departure lounge of Birmingham Airport, the biggest and busiest airport in the Midlands and the seventh largest in the UK, the new pharmacy will offer travelers a wide range of pharmacy products and expert healthcare services. The new pharmacy complements WHSmith's extensive selection of health and beauty items, travel essentials, food-to-go, and tech products. Andrew Caplan, chief retail officer at Well Pharmacy, expressed enthusiasm about the continued partnership. "Well Pharmacy are delighted to continue to work in partnership with WHSmith in providing a one stop shop for all travellers' needs," he stated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Thursday regarding falsified semaglutide medications used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity in select countries. This WHO Medical Product Alert addresses three falsified batches of the specific brand Ozempic that were detected in Brazil (October 2023), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (October 2023), and the United States (December 2023). These falsified semaglutide products were distributed through the regulated supply chain. Novo Nordisk, the genuine manufacturer of Ozempic, confirmed that the three products mentioned in the alert are falsified and were not produced by the company. Healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public are advised to remain vigilant regarding these falsified batches of medicines. Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, urged stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report them to relevant authorities.

A candidiasis is a common bacterial infection and the effect of the fungus is called candida albicans, which can be normally found in small amounts within the vagina. The acidic environment inside the vagina prevents yeast from growing.

Vaginal yeast home remedies, how to stop that infection fast.

Food awareness organisation ProVeg International has started a petition to 'stop the veggie burger ban' after the European Parliament's proposal to ban the use of words including 'burger' and 'sausage' to describe vegetarian and vegan products.

Aside from having an unsightly pot-belly, one of the absolute worst signs that you've been overindulging and have put on too much weight is the development of excess fat on your face. The very appearance of it seems to detract from your original, youthful good looks and you look almost like a different person. Well, since you've found this page, the time for feeling sorry for yourself and making excuses stops now. This article will walk you through some of the very best tips on how to lose weight from your face, and help you to transform your face back to its former youthful and toned state.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced relaxation in HIPAA rules for covered entities and business associates who participate in good faith in the COVID-19 testing site operation. It doesn't stop there, but HIPAA penalties won't apply to covered healthcare providers for practicing telehealth medicine using third-party applications such as Skype or Facebook Messenger

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced relaxation in HIPAA rules for covered entities and business associates who participate in good faith in the COVID-19 testing site operation.

Provision of free lateral flow tests could end in the UK, and prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to make the big announcement within weeks, The Sunday Times has reported. The report said that in future free test kits could be provided only in high-risk settings such as care homes, hospitals and schools, and to people with symptoms, and contact tracing by NHS Test and Trace is also expected to be scaled back. The newspaper quoted a senior Whitehall source as saying: "I don't think we are in a world where we can continue to hand out free lateral flow tests to everybody. "It's likely we will move to a scenario where there is less testing, but we have a capacity to ramp it up if necessary." It added that more than £6 billion of public money has already been spent on mass testing. Separately, Dr Clive Dix, former chairman of the country's vaccine task force said that Covid-19 should now be treated as a flu, and mass vaccination campaigns should end after the booster shots in the UK.

Bristol-based Titan PMR, a technology firm specialising in PMR systems for community pharmacies, is set to roll out an innovative platform named 'Titanverse,' that it claims will redefine pharmacy management, offering comprehensive solutions extending beyond prescription management. This new platform takes a versatile approach, efficiently managing all facets of pharmacy operations, from high-level management down to daily tasks, according to top company officials. "Our aim is to reshape pharmacies into genuine health hubs, providing advanced services and harnessing state-of-the-art technologies," said Tariq Muhammad, CEO of Titan PMR. "Titanverse, our latest offering, is positioned to ignite this transformation, revolutionising clinical services in the same way its predecessor revolutionised dispensing. With Titanverse, we have the vehicle to drive this vision forward, placing pharmacies at the forefront of primary care in the future." Titanverse adopts a Teams approach, catering to pharmacies with multiple locations or specific focuses. It furnishes real-time analytics and employs a color-coded rating system for swift performance evaluation. Moreover, the platform eases operations by enabling task delegation, encompassing clinical checks and dispensing, all while backing private services with adaptable templates and workflows.

For many people who suffer from joint pain, the weather can be a big factor in their pain. While joint pain can be caused by many different things, such as arthritis, injuries, and age, the weather can aggravate and worsen the pain. Several studies have been conducted over the last several years; however, no concrete evidence supports one theory vs. another. That said, let's take a closer look at how weather affects joint pain and what you can do to minimize the discomfort. How Weather Affects Joint Pain It might seem like an old wives' tale, but there is actually some science behind how weather affects joint pain. Temperature Changes The temperature outside can majorly affect how much joint pain you experience. When temperatures drop, your body will get stiffer and more painful joints as the air around them gets colder. During hot days, the air humidity outside may cause swelling and increased inflammation in your joints which could lead to more pain. Pressure Changes Just like a barometer measures changes in atmospheric pressure, so does your body. Pressure changes due to shifts in the atmosphere can affect joint pain because pressure changes directly impact your joints' lubrication levels. When pressure drops and becomes low enough, it can cause extra friction between bones connected by tendons or muscles, resulting in more pain than usual.

The UK government's proposal to introduce a tobacco and vapes bill received support from the public to create the first 'smokefree generation'. The historic law to ban the sale of tobacco products to children aged 14 and younger from legally being sold cigarettes in England. King Charles delivered his first speech as monarch at the state opening of Parliament on Tuesday, 7 November. The monarch announced the introduction of the "tobacco and vapes bill" in his speech, and it read: "My Government will introduce legislation to create a smoke-free generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged 14 or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children."