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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) on Thursday (February 2) called for the government to scrap its plans to raise the repayment rates for drugmakers, to avoid possible setbacks in the sector. Drugmakers that are part of the government's voluntary scheme agreement, which makes branded medicines affordable for people, are required to pay a part of their drug revenue to the government. The Department of Health and Social Care plans to raise the revenue clawback rate to 27.5 per cent from 24.5 per cent. The country's ongoing attempt to raise rates is likely to send the "worst possible signal" to global investors and boardrooms, said the ABPI. "Hiking these clawbacks to such uncompetitive levels risks undermining the UK's offer to global life sciences companies," Richard Torbett, chief executive of the ABPI, said in a statement. Pharmaceuticals giants AbbVie and Eli Lilly withdrew from the UK's voluntary drug pricing agreement in January after the repayment rates surged to 26.5 per cent.

Shares in GSK, Sanofi, Haleon and Pfizer began to recover on Friday (Aug 12) after the companies said that nothing material had changed regarding US litigation focused on heartburn drug Zantac. The companies' share prices had fallen sharply last week on investor concern about the litigation over potential cancer-causing impurities that prompted the drug's withdrawal from markets in 2019 and 2020. More than 2,000 Zantac-related legal cases have been filed in the United States, analysts say, with the first trial beginning this month. The prospect of impending Zantac litigation is not new. Among other disclosures, recently listed Haleon had highlighted the risk of such lawsuits in its prospectus. GSK, Sanofi, Pfizer and Haleon have lost a combined $39 billion from their market value over the past week in the absence of any other particular catalyst, according to Barclays analysts.

Lack of appropriate funding is making survival a massive challenge for community pharmacy, a sector relied upon as a vital support system by both primary and secondary care in England. The Telegraph newspaper ran a story on Monday (August 22) which highlighted the dire straits community pharmacy finds itself in. Seasoned pharmacist Ian Strachan told the paper: "Our four pharmacies were the only point of call that was open (during Covid). We were there every single day, even when the virus was prevalent and people were dying." Describing the current situation, he said: "What is happening is we're facing a system that's just not working at all in our favour." Strachan says the issue is that pharmacists are "just not getting the help we need to be able to do this job properly". The sector is hugely dependent on funding from the NHS. The government had agreed in 2019 to set £2.6bn as annual funding for the sector. However, according to a report from EY that amount was already down £200m on the 2016 levels of government funding. "We've been starved of appropriate funding since 2016," Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies told The Telegraph. "It looks grim for businesses. The fees pharmacists get are going nowhere, but now, there's higher utility bills, higher staff fees and higher drug costs."

You work hard for your money, so you should make sure that when something terrible happens - like a car accident or a fire in your home - you're fully compensated. That's where insurance comes in. But sometimes, the premiums for good coverage can be expensive. So how do you get the best deal on insurance without compromising your peace of mind? It all starts with knowing how to haggle. Insurance companies are always looking for new customers and want to make as much profit as possible on each one. That means they're often willing to negotiate on price. But you have to know what to say and how to say it. Here are a few tips. DEFINE WHAT YOU WANT IN MIND The first step is to understand what you want from your insurance policy. What kind of coverage do you need? How much are you willing to pay? When you know the answers to these questions, it's easier to start negotiating with insurers. This precise information will also help you during the application process. Many insurance companies will ask you questions about your needs. The more specific you can be, the better your chance of getting a policy that meets your needs without breaking your budget.

Locate a Locum's analysis has found that there has been around 14 per cent rise in rate of locum pharmacists in a year. The report said: "Post-covid locum pharmacist rates remain at an all-time high because of a variety of internal and external factors, including continued strong local and regional demand for pharmacist services, which is more acute in some areas, and some persistent last-minute or unplanned booking activity among pharmacies." The study is based on an analysis of more than 30,000 locum pharmacist shifts booked on the Locate a Locum platform between April 1 and June 30 this year and compared with the same period in 2021. "Locum pharmacy rates are a hot topic within the industry and this interest looks likely to continue, particularly given our latest analysis of rising prices and our assessment that if current market conditions persist, they will continue to increase into 2023," said Locate a Locum founder and chief executive Jonathan Clarke.

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has announced an immediate intervention worth over £5.3m in value, and a commitment to progress wider reform arrangements in collaboration with the Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) to support pharmacies to deal with the ongoing pressure. The Minister and Department are 'very aware of the pressures facing community pharmacies'. They discussed the situation with CPNI representatives at a meeting last week. The scale of the unprecedented budgetary pressures and uncertainty currently facing the Department were spelt out. The Department said: "Notwithstanding these pressures, CPNI were informed that a support package for their sector was being finalised. This package includes immediate interventions worth over £5.3m in value, plus a commitment to progress wider reform arrangements in collaboration with CPNI." Recently, the CPNI highlighted that community pharmacists have issued a stark warning that shortages and skyrocketing prices of many medicines could result in pharmacies being unable to supply important prescription medicines to patients.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has published a positioning paper which sets out the objectives that need to be delivered through the next Voluntary Pricing and Access Scheme (VPAS) on Thursday (15 June). The paper details how a financially sustainable VPAS can support widened medicines access to patients. VPAS is an agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). The scheme aims to limit increases in spending on branded medicines to no more than 2% per year via a rebate system which is charged on companies' sales revenues. Two years ago, the rate was 5.1% but for 2023 it has soared to 26.5%. Last year, the association had raised concerns over the rise in the VPAS rate for 2023 to 26.5 per cent. "The rocketing rate is in large part due to the growth in spend in on-patent medicines since 2019. Looking at the four completed years of the current VPAS scheme, data shows that the average annual growth rate for on-patent medicine sales value from 2019-22 was 18% compared to just 2% for off-patent products," said the association.

"Discussions must involve the government on behalf of NHS Scotland, CPS on behalf of the owners, and the PDA as the pharmacists' representative," it said. The association believes that there is a need for discussion and decision-making that listens to and balances the rights and responsibilities of both employers and workers, to generate benefits for individuals, organisations, and society. It added: "Even though Scotland provides the most generous community pharmacy settlement in the UK, recent reports suggest it is not enough for pharmacy owners with CPS's rejection of the latest funding proposal in May. Though the Scottish government found an extra £20M to ease pressures related to medicines price increases, an overall agreement has still not been reached." "The UK-wide chains may be doing less well in the parts of their networks covered by the Westminster government's contract, but the taxpayers and government of Scotland need to be given reassurance that they are in no way subsidising funding shortfalls in England's pharmacy contract." Recently, when LloydsPharmacy's Scotland branches recently came on the market, they appear to have been sold exclusively to existing contractors, including the UK-wide multiple, Rowlands Pharmacy, who have acquired 30 of them. Other small and medium-sized Scottish pharmacy chains have apparently been able to double in size overnight by acquiring branches.

Well Pharmacy has announced that the bookings for the flu vaccine later this year are now open. This is earlier than usual and gives people the best chance to prepare for flu season, knowing that their vaccine can be done as soon as possible when the season starts. Appointments for the flu jab can be booked for a date later this year. The price for the private service is £17.99, but jabs for people eligible on the NHS will be free. Well Pharmacy stresses that it is important that people remain flu savvy and protect themselves and others. Free NHS flu jabs will be available to those over 65 in England and Wales currently, and to people eligible in a clinical risk group.

Stone Pharmacy in Barnsley, South Yorkshire has been sold to existing operator, Livesey Healthcare, which owns another pharmacy in East Lancashire for an undisclosed price. Stone Pharmacy is a well-established, 100-hour community pharmacy that is run under full management with a locum Pharmacist, and dispenses an average of 22,000 items per month. The business adjoins Garland House surgery in the South Yorkshire village of Darfield, which is circa six miles east of Barnsley and circa 14 miles north of Sheffield. The pharmacy has been owned by experienced operators, Khuram Akhtar and Mohammed Ali, trading as MEDS2U Ltd, for the last seven years, and was recently brought to market to allow the pair to pursue new ventures both in and out of community pharmacy. Khuram Akhtar, former owner of Stone Pharmacy, commented: "The business at Stone Pharmacy has been a fantastic enterprise for many years for us, with limited competition and a position central to the local community we have always enjoyed the support of the nearby population and are pleased that it is now in the hands of experienced operators who can build on that foundation with the expansion of new services.

The NHS claims that it's been able to save taxpayers £1.2 billion in just three years by procuring hundreds of hospital medicines at a better price. The adoption of cheaper versions of a single drug - adalimumab - which is used to treat more than 45,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis, has accounted for about one third of the savings. After the exclusive patent on the drug - originally known as its brand name Humira - expired in 2018, the NHS struck cost-saving deals to bulk-buy generic versions, which have the same quality, safety and efficacy of a branded one. Since then, tens of millions of pounds have been saved by buying cheaper generic versions of other medicines for conditions ranging from severe skin infections to aggressive blood cancers. Four in five medicines prescribed in the NHS are now non-branded, helping the NHS to achieve significant savings while ensuring the continuity of high-quality patient care. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "Smart deals by the NHS mean patients are getting the best medicines and taxpayers are getting best value.

Pharmacy contractors will no longer need to print and submit a paper copy of their completed FP34C declaration made through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal when submitting their paper prescription bundle to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). Instead, from August 2022 (for July 2022 prescriptions), NHSBSA will post out a paper Account Identifier Document along with the red separators and pharmacy address labels each month. "The Account Identifier Document should be placed alongside the paper prescription bundle before it is dispatched for payment to the relevant pricing division of NHSBSA," said PSNC. With the help of Account Identifier Document, NHSBSA will be able to easily identify the pharmacy that has submitted the prescription bundle, which will help to speed up prescription processing. "If the Account Identifier Document is lost or misplaced, contractors will still be able to download and print another copy from MYS. The July 2022 Drug Tariff will be updated to reflect this change."

Microplates are an important part of many laboratory experiments. They are often used to measure the results of a process or to test a product. When working with microplates, it is important to use the right closure and sealing method to ensure accurate results. This article will discuss the different types of closures and seals available, as well as how to choose the right one for your needs. HEAT SEALING METHOD One of the most common methods for sealing microplates is the heat seal method. This method uses a heating element to melt the top layer of the plate, which then bonds to the bottom layer. Heat sealing is a quick and easy way to seal a microplate, and it is often used for plates that will be stored for long periods. For this reason, heat sealing is the preferred method for sealing storage plates. Heat sealing is also one of the most cost-effective methods for sealing microplates. If you are interested to learn more about heat sealing, you may be surprised to find that there are many pieces of heat sealing equipment for sale at a very reasonable price. You just need to take the time to find the right one for your needs. As much as possible, choose the one with adjustable temperature settings so you can find the perfect heat for your microplates. More often than not, 225 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for heat sealing.

NHS England has secured a deal for 'Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring' device which will help type 1 diabetes patients to keep track of their glucose levels at all times without having to scan or take a finger prick test. Once the patients receive their starter pack - which will include information on the product and usage, a sensor and transmitter - from the hospital or GP surgery, they can go to the community pharmacy for their repeat prescription. The wearable arm gadget sends information to a mobile app and allows diabetes patients to keep track of their glucose levels. "Traditionally, continuous glucose monitors are more expensive than their flash monitor counterparts - which record glucose levels by scanning a sensor - but thanks to the NHS agreeing on a new cost-effective deal with manufacturers DEXCOM, they will now be available for NHS patients on prescription at a similar price," said NHS. Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring, uses a sensor no bigger than a bottle cap that attaches to the arm for up to 10 days and measures glucose levels from just under the skin. The wider rollout of the technology will help diabetes patients manage their condition better - reducing hospitalisations and associated diabetic illnesses which will ultimately ease pressure off the NHS. Karen Baxter, vice president, UK & Ireland, Benelux, France and Spain at Dexcom: "The addition of Dexcom ONE to the NHS England drug tariff is enormous progress towards improving the choice of diabetes tech, providing an alternative to burdensome finger pricks and scanning.

Top 10 bone marrow transplant hospitals in India are dedicated to providing treatment to both domestic and international medical tourists at reasonable prices.

A report released by the Independent Commission has blamed Brexit supply issues for medicine shortages. NHS is forced to pay extortionate prices to fulfil the demand for vital antibiotics, anti-depressants, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) drugs. The report highlights the impact of affected medicine supply issues on community pharmacies and patients. Janet Morrison, the chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, backed the report and said that the "medicine shortages and market instability appear to be as bad as they have ever been". She also explained how the Ukraine conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and broader economic instability also play a major factor in the situation.

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.

Drug shortages have become a global issue, with many countries struggling to maintain a consistent supply of common medications, including antidepressants, immunosuppressants and drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and ADHD. Earlier last month, the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA), the trade body for off-patent medicines, warned that 111 products were facing supply problems, the highest on record in the UK, and more than double the number recorded at the start of 2022. More than half of products affected (55) are branded generic drugs, which represent 10 per cent of prescription products used in the UK. The trade body blamed the escalating rebate rate of the government's voluntary scheme for branded medicine pricing and access (VPAS) for these shortages, but Brexit is also cited as another reason for the problem.

Recently launched generic version of Apixaban by Teva UK is said to bring savings to the NHS drug bill while making sure patients get the medicine they need. The generic apixaban is available for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), with one or more risk factors, such as prior stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and prevention of recurrent DVT and PE in adults. Previously there was only a 'branded' product available, but Castleford-based Teva UK succeeded in invalidating the apixaban patent and SPC (supplementary protection certificate) in the UK High Court and so is now able to launch its own 'generic' version - which will bring savings for the NHS while making sure patients get the medicine they need. "We've always said that we stand up for the patient", said Kim Innes, General Manager of Teva UK and Ireland. "The launch of generic apixaban emphasises Teva's commitment to doing the right thing by putting patients at the heart of everything we do by giving them and the NHS access to affordable treatments." Apixaban is an anticoagulant which directly inhibits factor X (factor Xa), inhibiting thrombin formation and the development of thrombi (blood clots). For at-risk patients, such as those with, or at risk for DVT, or NVAF, the risk of stroke related to blood clots forming in the body and traveling to the brain is a serious concern. Each year, DVT affects around 1 person in every 1,000 in the UK and if left untreated, about 1 in 10 people with a DVT will develop a PE.

The new deal struck by the NHS will enable provision of a life-saving treatment for babies and young children who suffer with a rare and fatal genetic disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The revolutionary gene therapy treatment, known by its brand name Libmeldy, is used to treat MLD, which causes severe damage to the child's nervous system and organs, leading to a life expectancy of just five to eight years. Having a reported list price of more than £2.8 million, it is the most expensive drug in the world, but can now be offered to young patients on the NHS in England after the health service negotiated a significant confidential discount. the drug works by removing the patient's stem cells and replacing the faulty gene that causes MLD before then re-injecting the treated cells into the patient. The most common form of MLD usually develops in babies younger than 30 months and can cause loss of sight, speech and hearing, as well as difficulty moving, brain impairment, seizures, and eventually death.