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The Department of Health and Social Care have retrospectively granted a concessionary price for Isocarboxazid 10mg tablets for the months of May and June 2021. While the reimbursement price had previously been £217.75, a concessionary price of £249.10 has now been granted. The NHS Business Services Authority confirmed that payment for the difference - £31.35 for every pack of 56 claimed - will be adjusted accordingly for the mentionedtime period where contractors have submitted claims in those months. This adjustment will be paid on 31 December 2021 in the next Schedule of Payments.

The price concession for Atorvastatin 80mg has been increased to £3.91 from the previously set £3.45 for prescriptions dispensed in July, the Community Pharmacy England has said. The Department of Health and Social Care additionally introduced a concession price of £3.38 for Atorvastatin 20mg. "In July, our Dispensing and Supply Team experienced an unusually high influx of reports from pharmacies struggling to acquire Atorvastatin 80mg tablets at the listed Drug Tariff price," said CPE. CPE requested a price concession early in the month. However, after extended discussions, an agreement on the price wasn't reached. Consequently, on July 31st, the DHSC imposed a concession of £3.45. Addressing enduring pharmacy concerns over the pricing, CPE intensified advocacy with DHSC. This endeavour resulted in the revision of the Atorvastatin 80mg tablet concession price to £3.91 for prescriptions submitted and dispensed in July. According to CPE, this adjusted price sufficiently covers costs as reported by the majority of pharmacy owners. However, DHSC has refrained from modifying concessionary prices for the other two requested lines by CPE. DHSC communicated that their team's data collection for July, employing real-time sales and volume data, was incongruent with the adjustment of these prices, CPE further said.

Achieving the community pharmacy vision necessitates legal adjustments and additional funding beyond recent boosts, the pharmacy vision document published by Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund has revealed. It says community pharmacies in England must adapt to changing population needs amidst unprecedented health and care challenges. Commissioned by Community Pharmacy England, the report titled 'A Vision for Community Pharmacy', published on Sept. 19, is a result of almost a year of research and extensive consultation with the sector and wider stakeholders, advocating for community pharmacy. The think tanks detail a shift in the community pharmacy sector, highlighting how pharmacies can contribute to crucial policy objectives regarding population health, prevention, and the increasing demand in primary care. "The health and care needs of the population are evolving, and pharmacies in England, like all components of the health and care system, must adjust to address these changes," said Helen Buckingham, Director of Strategy at Nuffield Trust.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published the Drug Tariff Category M price list for July which reflects an increase in reimbursement level of approximately £5m per quarter. An adjustment of -£23.8m was announced, in light of the results of the margin survey (latest result up until end of December 2022), and the phasing down of the additional £100m agreed across years 4 and 5 as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework and uplifts for underlying market prices (between January - March 2023). Community Pharmacy England has agreed the adjustments based on the analysis of margin delivery and on current projections for 2023/24. It said: "The objectives are to ensure full delivery of agreed margin and smooth delivery as much as possible. As always, the impact on individual pharmacies will vary depending on dispensing mix."

Responding to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report that indicated that NHS England's Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) needs improvements, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has expressed concerns that the plan may not adequately address the needs of GPs. Published in June 2023, the workforce plan estimated that the NHS's health workforce will need to grow from 1.4m full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in 2021-22 to between 2.3m and 2.4m FTE workers in 2036-37, an increase of 65 per cent to 72 per cent. However, the NAO report highlighted that the workforce modelling has significant weaknesses, including a complex design; manual adjustments; optimistic future assumptions and limited public communication of their uncertainty; and modelling outputs that could not be fully replicated. To improve the modelling, the report recommended exploring the uncertainty of these assumptions and considering potential outcomes if they do not materialize as expected. Additionally, it suggested including full integration of the different parts of the modelling pipeline to minimise manual adjustments.

CMS released a report about 2020 payment adjustments for participants in MIPS 2018, which reflect a high number of successful clinicians because of the lower performance threshold.

And keep an eye on cardiology coding guidelines, as well, to ensure your claims on track. The 2017 CPT® code set introduced plenty of changes for cardiology. Let's take a quick tour of updates to your most relied on codes. Don't overlook this moderate sedation update The need to report moderate sedation separately impacts numerous cardiology services - pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion and removal and vascular services, to name a few. This adjustment is a challenge for many cardiology coders.

The command over medical billing services cannot come without experience and the right expertise in the industry. It is a tip for medical practices to outsource the billing process to professionals for higher optimization and performance.

Once the initial fear and anxiety around the COVID-19 pandemic passed, a new normal in the healthcare workforce world emerged. By now you've likely returned to work in some capacity. Maybe you now work remotely (Work from Home, or the new shorthand, WFH) and will do so for a while. Maybe you've recently returned to work under social distancing and protective face cover/mask constraints. Either way, the effects of COVID-19 loom for the long haul. Sit back, adjust your face mask, and learn how to adapt and thrive in the new world of healthcare workforce and provider recruitment.

MIPS eligible clinicians! Do you know if you report MIPS 2021 as per the proper guidelines, you can earn up to 5% incentives and even qualify for a bonus pool worth $500 million?

MIPS 2020 feedback is available for review by CMS. Clinicians can even ask for a targeted review in case of any error in the points or payment adjustments.

The Equality Act (which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act in 2010) is often cited as a reason for supplying medicines in a compliance aid. This is a complex piece of legislation, but, in essence, provides a statutory duty on businesses to make "reasonable adjustments" in relation to the service that they provide to take into account any relevant disability of a service-users. This statutory obligation might include the provision of a compliance aid where a patient would be at a "substantial disadvantage" without. However, the need to provide medicines in a compliance aid under the Equality Act needs careful consideration and is a balancing exercise. The NHS Terms of Service for community pharmacies in England state that medicines should be provided in original packs save in certain circumstances, which include because of patient needs.

CMS extends the deadline for MIPS 2020 targeted review to help eligible clinicians check their data, score, payment adjustments, and apply for reweighting in case of any effect.

A Orthodontic treatment should be carried out by qualified professionals round this time five years ago there was a surge in the reporting of people performing DIY orthodontics on themselves in their own homes. Mainstream media reported that video tutorials had emerged online with instructions on using small elastic bands to adjust teeth positions. What followed were some horrendous pictures of irreparable damage to people's teeth and gums. The trend escalated to a point where in 2017, the American Dental Association revealed that 13 per cent of patients had tried some kind of DIY teeth straightening appliance that had backfired. Now, we are seeing the situation further evolve, with private companies offering DIY orthodontic treatment under the term 'direct-to-consumer' orthodontics. The Oral Health Foundation is becoming increasingly concerned with the rise of the DIY orthodontic market and the potential harmful consequences it could have for millions of consumers.

RPS Scotland has partnered with charity organisation Marie Curie for an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament this week to highlight Daffodil Standards and the crucial contribution of community pharmacies to palliative and end-of-life care. The exhibition is being sponsored by Jeremy Balfour MSP. Community pharmacies offer vital assistance by providing guidance on medication adjustments and side effects, RPS Scotland said in a statement. They are easily accessible without the need for an appointment, providing essential support and reassurance to families in times of need. The Daffodil Standards, which is jointly developed by RPS and Marie Curie, drive continuous improvement in end-of-life and bereavement support within community pharmacies, benefiting terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers. These standards align with the RCGP/Marie Curie guidelines for general practice introduced in 2019. Since its May launch, over 450 pharmacies throughout Great Britain, including more than 30 in Scotland, have implemented these principles, the statement said.

Leaders from across the pharmacy sector and trade bodies dwelled on the challenges faced by the pharmacists at the Sigma Conference held on Sunday (2 October). "If the cost of carrying out regulation is higher than the benefits, it's time for all the bodies to sit together and talk on what can be adjusted accordingly," said Salim Jetha, Chairman, Avicenna. Jetha highlighted the challenges faced by the independent pharmacy and also raised the concern about the 'level playing field' for pharmacists compared to GPs. He said: "GPs get paid for energy cost, premises cost, the staffing cost. We don't get paid for that. So don't be misled by saying we are being exactly the same. Yes, on paper we are, but in reality we are not. I think also the rules of engagement are different." He called for better collaboration with GPs, and urged PSNC and other trade bodies to ensure a level playing field. Janet Morrison, CEO, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee(PSNC), warned that the pressure in the sector is building up to a 'breaking point'.

Novartis on Wednesday (February 1) predicted that core operating income would grow in a "mid single digit" percentage range in 2023 following stagnation last year, as the Swiss drugmaker prepares to spin off its Sandoz generics business. Full-year core operating income was broadly flat at $16.7 billion, it said in a statement, coming in slightly below market expectations of $16.8 billion. Adjusted for overall negative currency effects, group sales in 2022 advanced 4 per cent to $50.5 billion as gains from heart failure drug Entresto and multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Kesimpta were partly offset by competition from cheap generic copies of established MS drug Gilenya. Novartis said it was on track to spin off its generics unit Sandoz in the second half of the year as part of its effort to sharpen its focus on its patented prescription medicines. Analysts have welcomed a programme unveiled in 2022 to trim costs and cut 8,000 jobs and plans to focus on fewer therapy areas and drug technologies. But the market has been underwhelmed by prospects for medium-term growth from new drugs.

There are many reasons why people choose to go vegan. For some, it's a matter of ethics, while others believe that veganism is the healthiest way to live. Whatever the reason, there are many benefits to be had by making the switch to a vegan lifestyle. Here are six of the most important ones: 1. YOU'LL LOSE WEIGHT If you're carrying around a few extra pounds, going vegan is a great way to shed them. A vegan diet is naturally lower in calories than one that includes meat and dairy, so you'll likely find yourself eating less without even trying. And since plant-based foods are typically packed with fiber, you'll feel full and satisfied after meals, without the need to overeat. You can do some research if you visit www.veganfitguide.com or by reading various online resources. Keep in mind that you may not lose weight immediately, as your body will need time to adjust to the new way of eating. But once it does, the pounds should start coming off. Additionally, since a vegan diet is typically rich in nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you're likely to get all the vitamins and minerals you need, without having to take supplements.

The opinions of pharmacists on the ketogenic diet can vary greatly. Some believe that it is a potentially effective and safe way to lose weight, while others are more skeptical about its ability to promote sustainable health benefits over the long term. Ultimately, the success of the ketogenic diet will depend on each individual's unique circumstances and personal goals, so it is important to consult with a medical professional before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle. 1. KETO DIET IS CONSIDERED A GOOD WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT Some people find that the ketogenic diet can boost their energy levels and help them lose weight quickly, while others feel that they are more easily able to stick to this diet as it allows them to eat a wider variety of foods. Many people find that the ketogenic way of eating prevents cravings and helps them avoid unhealthy food choices, which can be an important factor in weight loss success. So if you are starting your ketogenic diet journey, it is important to seek out the advice of a medical professional who can help you create an individualized plan that will support your specific goals. It's also important to track your progress regularly and monitor how you are feeling so that you can make any necessary adjustments along the way.

Community Pharmacy England has published new guidance to help members to complete the 2022/23 Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPTK). The Toolkit is used to make a pharmacy's information governance (IG) declaration and the deadline is Friday (30 June). Community Pharmacy England collaborated with the NHS DSPTK team to keep the workload associated with Toolkit completion manageable whilst maintaining the appropriate data security protections. Key differences in this year's Toolkit include- improvements to the Toolkit's layout; improvements to the question wording and pharmacy-specific tips; and the Toolkit displays the answers submitted by the pharmacy in the previous submission for various questions, allowing pharmacy owners to simply confirm that the information remains accurate and adjust this if necessary. The NHS Parent Organisation Code (POC) headquarters (HQ) batch submission feature also continues to enable to allow pharmacy owners (that own three or more pharmacies) to complete a single submission for all their premises.