There is a state of "emergency" across the community pharmacy sector, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned.
The organisation is holding a day of protest action, called 'One Day to #SaveOurPharmacies', on 20 June to draw attention to the sector's growing crisis.
During the protest, pharmacy teams across the UK are expected to take a range of symbolic actions - such as turning the lights out for a period, asking their
staff to wear black, blacking out windows, using the day to engage with patients, inviting parliamentary candidates and using #saveourpharmacies on social
media - signifying dark times for the beleaguered community pharmacy sector, the NPA said.
The organisation decided to choose 20 June for the protest as it marks the day from which the average pharmacy across the four nations will be "lossmaking
overall."
A judicial review claim launched by the British Medical Association (BMA) against the General Medical Council (GMC) has parallelly intensified Pharmacists'
Defence Association's (PDA) scrutiny over the use of the term 'pharmacy professionals'.
PDA has criticised the evolving definition of 'pharmacy professionals,' and the potential risks to patient safety amidst regulatory ambiguity as part of "a far
wider agenda."
Concerns stem from what the PDA perceives as a blurring of distinctions between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as "attempted homogenisation" by bodies like
the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), NHS, and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
Raising similar issue as the BMA against the GMC over its use of 'medical professionals for doctors and Medical Associate Professions (MAPs), Mark Koizol,
Chairman of the PDA has said:
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) recently announced a valuable addition to their e-library collection: the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines,
authored by renowned experts Mark Horowitz and David Taylor.
Designed to assist pharmacists and clinicians in recognising and appropriately treating withdrawal effects of medications, the guidelines have garnered praise
from industry figures like Peter Pratt, National Speciality Advisor for Mental Health Pharmacy and RPS Fellow.
This initiative responds to the increasing demand for guidance on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medications, providing comprehensive support for
clinicians and patients alike.
Drawing on insights from contributors to The Lancet Psychiatry, the handbook offers step-by-step instructions for tapering antidepressants, benzodiazepines,
gabapentinoids, and z-drugs, along with troubleshooting strategies.
Change is sweeping through Westminster as the newly elected Labour government makes strategic cabinet appointments following their landslide victory in the
general election held on Thursday, July 4.
With Sir Keir Starmer stepping in as the new Prime Minister and Wes Streeting assuming the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care role, the announcement of
Karin Smyth and Stephen Kinnock as health ministers on Monday marked a pivotal moment in Labour's healthcare agenda.
Who is the new Minister of State for Health?
Karin Smyth, the Labour MP for Bristol South, has been appointed as Minister of State for Health.
Smyth has a robust background in healthcare, having served as a shadow spokesperson on health since December 2021.
Her previous roles include Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.
Before her parliamentary career, Smyth worked as an NHS Manager and held a non-executive director position at an NHS Trust.
The renowned health and beauty chain has announced impressive annual sales and profit figures, following the expansion of its British high street estate.
According to a report by The Times, Superdrug's pre-tax profits jumped by 43.6 per cent to £111.6 million in the year ending December 2023 compared to the previous
year.
The company's revenue also experienced significant growth, rising by 11.8 per cent to reach £1.52 billion, marking its third consecutive year of market share growth.
Key factors driving this growth include the opening of 14 new stores across strategic locations such as The Trafford Centre in Manchester and Brent Cross shopping
centre in north London, and the refitting of 45 stores last year.
Additionally, the continued expansion of its cheaper, own-label products, along with exclusive launches from brands like Bioré SPF, Nyx X Barbie, and Billie Eilish
fragrances, significantly contributed to a 4.2 per cent year-on-year increase in Superdrug's sales volume.
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.
Online pharmacy delivery partner Gophr has released new data showing a further drop in pharmacy numbers in England, resulting in a phenomenon they
call 'Pharmacy Deserts'.
Gophr highlighted that a significant portion of the population now lives in 'pharmacy deserts,' referring to the situation where an increasing number of urban
residents struggle to access a shrinking number of pharmacies.
For the second consecutive year, Gophr has analysed the data for its 'Prescription For Pressure' initiative.
The analysis showed that in 2023, pharmacists dispensed 1.18 billion prescriptions across England, marking an increase of 137 million compared to 2022.
The average number of prescriptions per pharmacy stands at 103,380, which equates to 283 a day.
As calculated by Gophr's data experts, pharmacy numbers decreased from 11,522 in 2022 to 11,414 in 2023, reflecting a decline of 108 compared to the previous
year's 'Prescription For Pressure'.
Gophr's data also showed that pharmacy deserts are most prominent in the South East (6,024 people per pharmacy), the East of England (5,327), the South West
(5,284), and the Midlands (4,975).
London, which ranked high last year, fell out of the top four, with 4,759 people per pharmacy.
The National Health Service(NHS) has reported a record number of attendances at Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments and emergency admissions for any
June, reflecting significant pressure on healthcare services amidst hot weather and recent strikes by junior doctors.
Last month, hospitals across the UK handled over 2.29 million A&E attendances and more than 536,884 emergency admissions, marking increases of 3.1 per cent
and 7.2 per cent respectively compared to the previous year.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, acknowledged the strain on frontline teams:
"Frontline teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard under significant pressure to provide the best care they can for patients."
In his address to both Houses of Parliament today (17 July), King Charles III highlighted the new government's commitment to enhancing the National Health
Service (NHS), reducing waiting times, focussing on preventive care, and improving mental health services.
Marking the first State Opening of Parliament under the Labour government, the King unveiled a raft of bills and draft bills, including the Mental Health Bill
and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
King Charles III said: "My government will improve the National Health Service as a service for all, providing care on the basis of need regardless of the ability
to pay.
"It will seek to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision for young people."
Furthermore, the King stated that mental health would be given the same attention and focus as physical health. He announced the introduction of the Mental Health
Bill, which aims to modernise the Mental Health Act to better meet contemporary needs.
"Barcodes are becoming obsolete, so we needed a unique selling point," comments Business Development Manager at Huxley Europe, Richard Wertheimer,
celebrating the relaunch of its HuxQ10 capsules.
Now boasting a rare triple certification, HuxQ10 capsules are Halal approved by Halal Trust, Kosher approval by Rabbi Adler, and certification as vegan.
This milestone marks a significant step for the company, making HuxQ10 accessible to a wider audience.
Coenzyme Q10, or Q10, is a naturally occurring vitamin-like substance in the body, playing a crucial role in mitochondrial biogenetics and ATP production, which
is vital for cellular energy.
It also acts as a powerful antioxidant, capable of regenerating alpha-tocopherol, the active form of vitamin E.
To combat the effects of climate change, the Integrated Care System (ICS) in South East London (SEL) has initiated a pioneering inhaler recycling project.
Supported by NHS England and spanning 20 community pharmacies across the region, the project marks the first nationally-funded pilot of its kind in England,
targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from improperly disposed inhalers.
The project, which commenced at King's College Hospital in February 2024, focuses on the recycling of pressurised metered-dose inhalers.
These inhalers, due to their propellant content, contribute significantly to environmental harm, emitting gases equivalent to driving 71.8 miles in a standard
petrol car.
About eighty-five percent of all women suffer from PMS or PMDD at some point in their lives. Premenstrual Syndrome is a dreadful condition that precedes your period and causes uncomfortable symptoms like backaches and cramps. Luckily, there are a number of tried remedies to live happier with PMS.
Depression, cramps, and headaches are some of the symptoms that mark the onset of the "Oh So Dreadful" days as most women associate with. These are the days when women suffer from Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS. It has become such a common term these days that it needs no introduction. Premenstrual Syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that affect women during the week preceding the start of their period.
Asian Media Group will hold the inaugural Pharmacy Business Diversity Conference on Thursday December 9 - a ground-breaking event exploring and showcasing
diversity and inclusion in the pharmaceutical industry.
The conference, themed 'Change the Ratio', will be be chaired by BBC presenter Clive Myrie and held virtually between 10am and 5pm.
While both both RPS and ABPI are supporting the conference as associate sponsors, Well Pharmacy, the UK's largest independent pharmacy chain, is the headline sponsor
of the event that will have some of Britain's most inspiring leaders and influential diversity and inclusion practitioners.
These leaders will share their knowledge and experience whilst offering tangible steps to positively promote and implement diversity, inclusion and equality in workplace.
Check pharmacy business website for more information.
New data published by NHS England on Thursday (4 January) showed that more than 31.4 million GP appointments (excluding vaccinations) were delivered
in November 2023.
This is four million more than the number recorded in the same month before the pandemic, and is considered the busiest November on record for GP teams.
Compared to the previous month (October 2023), 3.3 per cent more appointments were booked and attended on the same day in November.
Almost seven in ten patients attended their appointments within seven days of booking, an increase of 4.5 per cent from the previous month.
