The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in collaboration with Health Education England's Centre for Advancing Practice and the Centre for Pharmacy Post
Graduate Education (CPPE) will provide a pharmacy-specific professional development pathway for advanced pharmacist practice.
Successful completion of the pathway, assured through the RPS Core advanced Pharmacist Curriculum assessment, will result in pharmacists being recognised by RPS
as an advanced pharmacist, along with the awarding of HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice's 'advanced' digital badge, demonstrating the quality assurance of their
advanced practice preparation to patients, families, carers, and other healthcare professionals.
The first participants in a fully funded, supported e-portfolio pathway to recognise advanced pharmacist practice in England will get underway in March 2023
This new programme is an important step in creating a clear postgraduate career structure for pharmacists in England.
The innovative approach provides funding from HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice in 2023-24 for 300 pharmacists in England who are near to, or already practicing at,
an advanced level, to enable them to receive supervision and support in building their RPS Core advanced e-Portfolio from CPPE's pharmacy education supervisors.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published its new 'Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum' to enable professional development towards Advanced pharmacist
practice.
This follows an intensive programme of work undertaken in collaboration with a wide range of UK stakeholders, the society said today (June 27) in a statement.
The Curriculum will equip pharmacists with Advanced leadership, education, and research capabilities which are essential to support, lead and advance the profession
through transformative change so it continues to meet evolving patient and service requirements.
The RPS Core Advanced Curriculum provides the blueprint to develop such individuals by articulating a UK entry-level standard to Advanced pharmacist practice,
relevant to all patient-focussed pharmacist roles and aligned to multi-professional definitions of Advanced practice.
This curriculum completes the core RPS post-registration curricula, creating a seamless post-registration professional development continuum modelled around five
common domains- Person-centred care and collaboration; Professional practice; Leadership and management; Education; and Research.
More than 10,000 pharmacy contractors those have declared their March FP34C submission figures through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by 5 April will
receive earlier advance payments on Monday 11 April, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) announced.
Around 10,700 pharmacy contractors have made their submissions through MYS portal. They will receive their advance payments some 20 days earlier than the normal
payment timetable.
However, due to late submission (after April 5), over 500 contractors will not receive any earlier advance payments in April. These contractors will receive their advance payments on 1 May, in accordance with the normal payment timetable.
From this month, MYS is the only route available to contractors for all monthly FP34C submissions.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) reminded contractors that from this month (for prescriptions dispensed in March), the NHSBSA may apply an administrative deduction of £25 if a prescription bundle is submitted late.
More than 9,300 pharmacy contractors would benefit from earlier advance payment in February, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update.
Contractors who declared their January 2022 FP34C submission figures through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by February 5 will receive earlier advance payments
by today (February 10).
The statistics indicates nearly 2,000 contractors will not receive any earlier advance payment this month, either because their January declarations were submitted late or they used the paper FP34C submission document to make their declaration, PSNC said.
These contractors will receive their advance payments in accordance with the normal payment timetable i.e. on March 1.
The negotiator reminded contractors that from April 2022 MYS will be the only process to make monthly submissions.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) on Wednesday (14 February) launched consultations on two new pioneer curricula defining the clinical capabilities
expected of entry-level advanced pharmacists practising in critical care and mental health.
The advanced pharmacist critical care curriculum and the advanced pharmacist mental health curriculum are supplementary to the RPS core advanced curriculum.
Interested stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the content of the curricula, their feasibility in terms of delivery, their relevance to all countries,
and how these may impact different social groups.
Both consultations will be open until Tuesday 12 March, and members and non-members of RPS can submit their comments via the online form or the word document.
Panadol launched a new purpose-led brand idea as part of a multi-channel campaign across Great Britain and Ireland. With nine out of 10 people suffering
"everyday pain" and 65% of people saying they can't be happy when they are in pain[1], globally, the campaign reiterates the brand's commitment to holistic pain
management by focusing on the acute pain recovery journey.
Rooted in deep consumer understanding, the campaign idea celebrates that never-talked-about moment of realisation when you start to feel the release from pain.
The new brand idea will bring to life the emotional transformation that those suffering from acute pain undergo, emphasising the role that Panadol can play in
alleviating their pain.
The Panadol campaign follows a period of strong sales growth for the brand, outperforming the category's own expansion by more than double[2].
This has been driven by shoppers who are searching for fast and effective pain relief products, such as Panadol's hero variants, including Panadol Extra Advance
Tablets (paracetamol, caffeine), which has seen its growth almost doubled[3], as well as Panadol Advance Tablets (paracetamol) and Panadol Extra Advance Tablets.
Monica Michalopoulou, GBI Marketing Director, said: "After two years of pandemic restrictions, now more than ever, people want to get back to their normal lives
and to the people they love. But with pain preventing many of us from connecting with those we love or from doing the things we enjoy the most, we want to help
consumers by understanding their pain journey and reassuring them on the treatments we can provide. This "Release" moment is so important for pain sufferers, and we hope our new brand campaign can shine a light on the role that Panadol can play in pain relief".
More than 6,000 pharmacy contractors who declared their October 2021 FP34C submission figures by November 5, will have received earlier advance payments on November 11.
The contractors had submitted their claims through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.
All contractors who received payments under the system would have got a letter from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) regarding these payments,PSNC stated.
Approximate 3,000 contractors submitted claims after November 5, and will receive payments as per the normal payment timetable on December 1, it said.
The negotiator encouraged contractors to benefit from earlier advance payments by submitting their monthly declaration through the MYS portal by the 5th of the month.
AstraZeneca on Wednesday (April 5) said a combination of its cancer drugs Imfinzi and Lynparza met the main goal in a late-stage trial in patients with
advanced ovarian cancer.
The drugmaker said treatment with a combination of those drugs, along with chemotherapy and bevacizumab - the existing standard of care - improved progression-free
survival in newly diagnosed patients with advanced ovarian cancer without certain mutations.
Lynparza is jointly developed with U.S.-based Merck & Co as a treatment for breast cancer in early stage with certain mutations. Imfinzi alone, along with
chemotherapy and bevacizumab, did not reach statistical significance in its interim analysis, the drugmaker added.
Philipp Harter, director, Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Evangelische Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Germany and principal investigator for the trial,
said: "DUO-O showcases the power of academia and industry collaboration in advancing new treatment combinations for patients with ovarian cancer. I'm grateful for
the academic cooperative study groups and patients around the world that made this trial possible and look forward to sharing the results with the clinical community."
Susan Galbraith, executive vice president, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "While there has been significant progress for patients with advanced ovarian cancer, an
unmet need still remains. These data from the DUO-O trial provide encouraging evidence for this this Lynparza and Imfinzi combination in patients without tumour
BRCA mutations and reinforce our continued commitment to finding new treatment approaches for these patients. It will be important to understand the key secondary
endpoints as well as data for relevant subgroups."
Patients in Ireland with a specific type of lung cancer can now access Merck's TEPMETKO® (tepotinib) as a second-line treatment option, following its
approval for reimbursement by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Tepotinib is the first treatment approved in Ireland specifically targeting advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mesenchymal-epithelial transition
factor gene (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations.
Previously, the oral MET inhibitor had been approved in the NHS across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Patients with advanced NSCLC with METex14 skipping alterations typically have poorer overall survival rates compared to other NSCLC patients.
According to Merck, tepotinib has shown consistent and durable antitumor activity in this group, as demonstrated in the VISION study, further cementing its role
in clinical practice.
Roisin Molloy, Managing Director of Merck Healthcare in Ireland, said: "This is an important step forward for targeted treatments in Ireland and it is fantastic
news that the HSE has reimbursed tepotinib."
In recent years, the healthcare sector has seen a significant transformation driven by the rapid advancement of technology. From improved patient care to
streamlined administrative processes, technology has become an indispensable part of modern healthcare. As medical facilities worldwide embrace these innovations,
it's essential to understand why the sector leans so heavily on advanced technological solutions. Below are seven key reasons illustrating the crucial role of
technology in healthcare.
Enhanced Radiology Workflows
Advancements in technology have revolutionized radiology workflows, making the process more efficient and accurate. Digital imaging technologies, such as
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) and RIS (Radiology Information Systems), allow for the seamless storage, retrieval, and sharing of medical
images. The specialists AbbaDox say that this reduces the time needed to diagnose and treat patients, significantly improving the overall efficiency of radiology
departments. Additionally, AI-powered tools can assist radiologists by highlighting potential areas of concern within images, ensuring that abnormalities are not
overlooked. These improvements contribute to faster, more accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.
Nearly 9,000 pharmacy contractors benefitted from earlier advance payment in January, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update.
Contractors who declared their December FP34C submission figures (for the dispensed prescriptions) through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by January 6, would have received earlier advance payments on January 12.
Meanwhile, all contractors who made submissions after January 6 or used the FP34C paper document, will receive payments as per the normal payment schedule i.e. on
February 1, 2022.
PSNC encouraged contractors to submit their monthly declaration through the MYS portal by the 5th of the month to avail early payments.
'Tepotinib' has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to patients with a specific gene mutation of advanced
non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The new potentially life-extending drug is available from Thursday (14 April). It has been recommended for routine use across the NHS in England through Project
Orbis, a programme to review and approve promising cancer drugs helping patients access treatments faster.
NICE has published its final appraisal document recommending tepotinib (also known as Tepmetko and produced by company Merck Serono Ltd) as an option for treating
advanced NSCLC with METex14 skipping gene alterations in adults.
People with METex14 skipping alterations of NSCLC make up between 1-2% of all adults with lung cancer in England.
Tepotinib, which requires people to take two tablets once daily, provides a new targeted treatment for adults with METex14 skipping gene alterations. Just over 700
people in England would be eligible to receive tepotinib as either a first or second-line treatment.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has issued a revised guidance for the dispensing of controlled drugs in instalments on 19 September
that has been declared as a bank holiday for Her Majesty The Queen's state funeral.
PSNC said: "Many instalment prescriptions have already been issued in advance of the upcoming Bank Holiday. Where they contain the Home Office approved wording
"Please dispense instalments due on pharmacy closed days on a prior suitable day" then you will need to plan to make these supplies at an appropriate time. This
wording would also permit the supply of the initial dose of a prescription starting on the Bank Holiday Monday where the date of the signature is before this."
However, PSNC is aware that not all prescriptions will contain such a direction to support the supply, in advance, of a dose for Monday 19 September where the
supplying pharmacy is closed.
"We recognise that this client group are often vulnerable with multi-morbidities and that the risk to them may be significant. You should therefore exercise your
professional discretion in determining when to make an instalment supply for the Bank Holiday Monday. Make the care of the patient your first priority and consider
the potential impact of both making the supply in advance and of not making the supply in your decision making process. The exceptional circumstances that led to
the Bank Holiday and its short notice may inform your decision."
The NHS is going to roll out a revolutionary 30-minute treatment for advanced womb cancer for women across England.
The drug, called Dostarlimab, would benefit around 100 women with advanced and often incurable endometrial cancer every year after the NHS agreed early access to the treatment through the Cancer Drugs Fund.
It works by attaching to a specific protein on the surface of the cancer cells, helping the immune system to detect and attack it.
The treatment takes just 30 minutes to administer through the blood stream every three weeks over a 12-week period.
The move is in line with the NHS Long Term Plan which aims to provide the latest cutting-edge treatments and therapies for patients.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Enhertu for people with advance breast cancer.
"There is not enough evidence yet to show how much longer people live with Enhertu compared with trastuzumab emtansine because the clinical trial is still ongoing.
This means the cost-effectiveness estimates are highly uncertain and Enhertu cannot be recommended for routine use in the NHS," said NICE.
The independent appraisal committee concluded that Enhertu could be cost-effective if further evidence from the ongoing trial and from NHS practice can show how much
longer people live with treatment.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: "Today's draft guidance is good news for people with this type of advanced breast cancer, who often
experience severe and debilitating symptoms.
Aspire Pharma Limited has solidified its position as a leading specialty generics enterprise by adding leuprorelin acetate as a branded generic to its
oncology portfolio.
Leuprorelin acetate is hormone therapy recommended for patients with high-risk localised, locally advanced, and metastatic prostate cancer, serving as an
alternative to surgical castration for locally advanced cases.
Used as an alternative to surgical castration for locally advanced prostate cancer, a pre-filled syringe containing 11.25mg of leuprorelin acetate
(equivalent to 10.72 mg leuprorelin) is injected subcutaneously into the abdomen.
The British pharmaceutical company noted that one of its primary objectives is to seek "new investment opportunities" that brings products and companies into
its portfolio, aligning closely with Aspire values and therapeutic focus areas.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with an average of over 52,000 men receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer annually, as per
Prostate Cancer UK.
The University of Oxford's Centre for Research Equity (CfRE) has entered into a historic partnership with the Health and Social Care Research and
Development (HSC R&D) Division in Northern Ireland to advance health equity across the region and ensure everyone benefits from healthcare advancements.
Unveiled during an event at Parliament Buildings in Stormont Estate on Wednesday, this groundbreaking partnership makes Northern Ireland the first UK region
to partner with CfRE.
Supported by the Department of Health Northern Ireland and key health and social care agencies, the partnership aims to improve health outcomes and reduce
disparities through collaborative research.
Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, highlighted that this new partnership represents "a significant step forward in efforts to address health
inequalities" in the region.
"By bringing together leading experts and resources from across sectors, we can work towards conducting research that truly benefits all of our communities," he
said.
Immunogenicity refers to the capacity of a vaccine to provoke an immune response in the body. An effective immune response is characterized by the production
of specific antibodies, activation of immune cells, and the development of immunological memory. The goal is to elicit a durable and robust response that can prevent
or control infections.
Leveraging Viral Vector Technology
Viral vectors serve as essential vehicles for delivering antigenic proteins or genetic material into target cells, triggering an immune response. Biotechnology
companies have been exploring advanced strategies to optimize viral vector design, aiming to enhance immunogenicity and improve vaccine effectiveness.
Vector Selection: The choice of viral vector plays a crucial role in determining immunogenicity. Different viruses have unique properties and characteristics that
can impact immune responses. Biotechnology companies meticulously select viral vectors that possess the desired attributes, such as the ability to infect target cells
efficiently and induce strong immune responses.
Genetic Engineering: advanced genetic engineering techniques are employed to modify viral vectors, tailoring them to specific vaccine requirements. By introducing
specific antigenic proteins or genetic material, researchers can stimulate the immune system to mount a targeted response. This precise manipulation enhances the
vaccine's ability to elicit a robust immune reaction.
Immunomodulatory Elements: Biotechnology companies are incorporating immunomodulatory elements into viral vector designs. These elements can enhance the immune
response by stimulating various components of the immune system, such as antigen-presenting cells and T cells. By activating and priming these immune cells, the
vaccine can generate a more potent and sustained immune response.
Adjuvants: Adjuvants are substances added to vaccines to enhance their immunogenicity. They stimulate and amplify the immune response, improving the
Along with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians in England are now able to perform blood pressure checks as part of the Hypertension Case-Finding Service and
deliver the Smoking Cessation Service (SCS).
The government has amended Drug Tariff and includes the amendments to The Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (Amendment) (England) Directions
2023.
Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said: "The service specifications for both services are currently going through NHS England's publication
process; when these are published PSNC will alert contractors through their normal communication channels. PSNC resources for both of these services are also
currently being updated."