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NHS England and NHS Improvement published on May 26 the findings of the Fuller 'stocktake' - setting out how primary care can work with partners across health and care to best meet the needs of their local communities. Dr Claire Fuller's report lays emphasis on the essential role of primary care and the potential of integrated neighbourhood teams in reducing the burden of ill health and tackling health inequities. It commends community pharmacy for keeping "its doors open to the public throughout" the pandemic whilst being "among the most recognisable of a multitude of dedicated staff delivering care around the clock in every neighbourhood in the country". The report highlights "recruitment and retention challenges across the wider primary care workforce" including in community pharmacy. Stressing the importance of community pharmacy teams in urgent care and prevention, including early diagnosis of cancers, the report points out that pharmacists could play "a more active role in signposting eligible people to screening and supporting early diagnosis, building on a number of successful pilots such as those from the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme".

Increased demand and shortages of lateral flow tests are pushing staff at pharmacies to bear the brunt from frustrated customers who are unable to get their free lateral flow tests, Daily Mail reported. Some Britons claimed that they have been unable to get lateral flow tests at their local pharmacies for up to a fortnight while some pharmacies were forced to put up sign warning stating they have run out of free tests. Given the patchy supply of test kits, pharmacy bosses warned that staff are facing 'unfair' and 'abusive' behaviour by customers, the newspaper reported.Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMP), told the newspaper: "Up until yesterday the supply to pharmacies was still patchy. The past few days the situation has not improved. "Pharmacies are having to put up with a lot of abuse and aggressive behaviours by members of the public because of this situation which is unfair. "The demand is still very high now because the governments guidelines put a lot of emphasis on testing as a key out of self isolation, so naturally as Omicron cases are high people are reliant on tests to get on with daily life."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association has helped its members to secure around £196,000 last year from employers who treated pharmacists badly or breached their rights in some way. The association strives to help members to resolve workplace disputes quickly, locally, and amicably, however some cases need escalation into the legal system, it said. It helps pharmacists to understand and exercise their rights in case unfair treatment occurs to them. Though no employee expects to be treated badly, this is the reality for some pharmacists, the PDA stated.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a public consultation on plans to reclassify a locally-applied hormone replacement therapy product to treat the cause and relieve the symptoms of vaginal atrophy. The MHRA is proposing that Gina 10 microgram vaginal tablets, containing oestradiol, be made available over the counter as a "self care" product, under the supervision of a pharmacist. The Commission on Human Medicines too has advised that the application by Novo Nordisk, which is used to treat vaginal dryness, caused by oestrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women, can be made available as a pharmacy (P) medicine. The MHRA has been asking GPs, pharmacists and members of the public for their opinions on whether the tablets can be made available to women aged 50 and over who have not had a period for at least a year. If the reclassification goes ahead, pharmacists will be given training materials and a checklist to help them supply the medicine safely.

A Boots UK branch store in Hinckley town centre closed 'until further notice' as there was 'no pharmacist available' to work on Monday (May 9). A local news report said: "The sign on the door reads: "Unfortunately, we are unable to open until further notice. We are working hard to get this rectified. "We apologise for the inconvenience. Hearing care appointments please wait here to be greeted."" LeicestershireLive reported a patient saying that their appointment for a hearing aid check had been postponed until Tuesday. It added: "The customer was surprised to be told by staff that the store had to close as there was no pharmacist available."

Numark is set to launch a large-scale broadcast campaign to promote its Hey Pharmacist repeat prescription service on May 22. The new campaign introduces, 'Repeat prescriptions. Made simple,' with a set of three TV adverts that feature three different heightened-reality scenarios. In each advert, the hero discovers they have forgotten to order their repeat prescription at a less than ideal time but thanks to Hey Pharmacist, a few taps later their problems are solved. The adverts highlight how managing your repeat prescriptions has never been quicker or simpler in a tongue-in-cheek, comedic tone. The campaign - which incorporates national broadcast and SkyAdSmart TV alongside digital, social, and in-store campaigns across England - promotes the Hey Pharmacist app which provides Numark members in England with an end-to-end online repeat prescription proposition, helping them deliver a best-in-class digital capability which highlights the benefits for patients who choose to collect their medication from their local Numark pharmacy. Jeremy Meader, managing director of Numark, commented: "It is very exciting to see our first TV campaign go live. The creative does a brilliant job in bringing to life the benefits of Hey Pharmacist, highlighting how easy and effortless managing prescriptions can be. We look forward to assisting more everyday heroes and supporting our members in showcasing this exciting digital proposition to a larger audience."

The Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s analysis on permanent closures of community pharmacies in England showed that there has been a net loss of 670 pharmacies between 2015 and 2022. The analysis highlighted that 37 per cent of permanent closures of pharmacies and GP practices have occurred in the 20 per cent most deprived parts of England. Current trends indicate that primary care 'cold spots' could soon emerge - areas where there is significantly reduced or inadequate access to a pharmacy or a GP. The CCA's analysis shows that some of the most deprived neighbourhoods concentrated in the North West, the West Midlands and Yorkshire have faced the highest losses of local pharmacies and GP practices since 2015. It demonstrates that the trend of permanent closures amongst pharmacies and GP practices is worsening. Moreover, this burden is likely to be felt unevenly with permanent closures occurring disproportionately in areas of high deprivation. Without action, deprived communities, where need is typically greater, may no longer be able to access the GP and pharmacy services they require.

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has expressed its interest to support pharmacists impacted with the latest announcement of the closure of Tesco pharmacies. "Tesco have followed ASDA and LloydsPharmacy (at Sainsbury's) to announce cost cutting changes to their stores, impacting hundreds of jobs," the association said. The PDA's interests in the announcement relate to the planned closure of eight in-store Tesco pharmacies and the impact of those closures upon pharmacists, however the union is of course concerned for all those impacted. The PDA Union will support individual PDA members impacted by the decision so that they are aware of, and can exercise, their rights at work in relation to this situation. Paul Day, PDA Union Director said, "In addition to the immediate impact on pharmacists employed at the stores marked for closure, this is the third instance in just twelve days of reductions in the overall access to a pharmacy for NHS patients. We expect those who represent communities to be concerned about the loss of a key part of their local NHS service."

A community pharmacist, Viral Doshi was honoured with the British Citizen Award (BCA) on Thursday (26 January) at the Palace of Westminster for transforming his community centre into vaccination hub during Covid-19 pandemic. Viral was presented with his Medal of Honour by Liam Sargeant, Senior Company Communications Manager, from supporters P&G and TV presenter and Patron of the BCA, Nick Knowles, who hosted the event. At the height of the pandemic, Viral obtained approval to transform his community centre into a vaccination hub. Located in the heart of a multi-ethnic population, with social deprivation, surrounded by wards experiencing high rates of Covid-19. His determination to increase uptake and reduce vaccination hesitancy, led to 80,000 vaccinations being administered, the overall highest vaccination uptake in North West London. Viral is a passionate advocate for the role that GP practices and community pharmacies can play in supporting the health agenda. His objective, to provide better choice and access for the community have been fully met and appreciated by patients. His initiatives led to a dramatic increase in the clinical skills, knowledge and services offered by local community pharmacies around a variety of health topics. This enabled pharmacies to adopt a holistic health approach to working with their communities.

Type 1 diabetes patients can monitor their glucose with the newly introduced flash glucose monitors by the NHS. The wearable gadgets with the size of a £2 coin, have a sensor that easily sits on the arm, allowing patients to check their glucose levels with a one-second scan. Eligible patients are currently able to access the monitors on prescription from their local GP or diabetes team, helping them to better manage their blood sugar levels. Everyone living with type 1 diabetes will be eligible for lifechanging flash glucose monitors on the NHS. The NHS Long Term Plan has already helped almost three in five people with Type 1 diabetes to access the monitors that allow people to check their glucose levels more easily and regularly. The change, confirmed today by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), means that everyone in England with the condition will be able to benefit from the convenient technology.

The national pharmacy bodies has created 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign website to give new focus to calls for fair pharmacy funding in England. The newly launched site contains key messages for public, politicians and stakeholders, and hosts campaign resources to be used by pharmacy teams. The pharmacy bodies encourage members of the public and pharmacy teams to show their support for the campaign on social media, as well as signing the petition and contacting their local MPs about fair funding. A further resource in the form of a window poster is being printed and will shortly be mailed out to all community pharmacies in England. It is the latest output of a joint programme of work being coordinated by PSNC, CCA, AIM and the NPA.

Community pharmacies in Cornwall have delivered more than 8000 face-to-face consultations over last 12 months. Walk In Consultation Service (WICS) began 12 months ago when pharmacies in Cornwall started offering face-to-face consultations for a wide range of minor ailments, and NHS treatment as required - the first service of its kind in England. Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Scilly Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) Chief Officer Nick Kaye joined Operations Manager Drew Creek in Parliament recently by invite of Steve Double MP, St Austell and Newquay to meet with Minister for Health Neil O'Brien MP to present the service to them and Senior Civil Servants from DHSC and NHSE with a view to rolling this service out nationally. The data from these consultations show that over 6000 GP appointments were averted as a result of the service being available. After each consultation a record was sent to the patient's GP for information.

YouGov polling commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has revealed that majority of the people responding to the poll said that they would be concern by the pharmacy closure in their locality. The results show the extent of the public backing for a Pharmacy First approach - PSNC has been arguing that a fully-funded service would be beneficial for pharmacies, patients and the wider NHS. The poll witnessed 1,774 adults' participation from England. It showed 68 per cent of people agree that they would find it easier to seek health advice for common conditions, such as skin conditions or indigestion, at a community pharmacy rather than a GP surgery. Only 11 per cent disagreed that this would be easier. While 75 per cent of people agree that they would like to see community pharmacies offering more healthcare services such as treating urinary tract infections or sore throats. Only 6 per cent strongly disagreed with this. When asked how important, if at all, are the services provided by community pharmacies to them, their family, or community, 78 per cent indicted this was very important. Only 14 per cent said this wasn't important. 77 per cent said they would be very concerned if the pharmacy they use most often were to close permanently. Only 19 per cent said they would not be very concerned.

The recruitment of pharmacists in Primary Care Networks (PCNs) has exacerbated a general shortage of pharmacists, revealed an independent review of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) published on Tuesday (4 April). The review, Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, highlighted the impact that the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) roles for pharmacists are having on the community pharmacy sector. "Contracts with national requirements can have unintended consequences when applied to particular circumstances. For instance, the national requirements and funding of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) roles for community pharmacists within PCNs, has on occasion exacerbated the problem of a general shortage of pharmacists, with some now preferring to work within primary care rather than remain in community pharmacies or acute hospitals, compounding the problem of community pharmacy closures and delayed discharges." It set out to consider the oversight and governance of ICS in England and the NHS targets and priorities for which Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are accountable, including those set out in the Government's mandate to NHS England. As part of this work, Hewitt and her team engaged with a wide range of stakeholders representing various local health and social care settings, including LPCs.

PSNC has urged community pharmacy contractors and LPCs to engage with their local MPs on the immense pressures that pharmacies are facing. The organisaiton has also published some new resources to help pharmacists in this regard. "PSNC is deeply aware of the funding crisis affecting the sector and is working hard to increase the pressure on [the] government to act now with an urgent funding uplift. This has included upping investment in influencing activities and working closely with LPCs to take united action," it said. PSNC has last month launched its Four Point Plan to safeguard the future of community pharmacy, setting out how pharmacy could be the solution to a number of problems if, and only if, it is properly funded, resourced and supported. As pressures continue to mount, further briefings now focus solely on the urgent need to resolve the funding squeeze in order to protect existing pharmacy services.

Usually as we head into winter, we can all predict what our patients will be asking us about. But, just like the rest of the year has been like no other in community pharmacy, I'd expect this winter to be different too. This will present us with challenges, but also some great opportunities too. One shift we have seen over the last seven months of Covid is that more and more people in the community are turning to their pharmacy for help, support and advice. With our doors remaining open throughout the height of the pandemic, we've established ourselves firmly at the heart of local healthcare - a trend I'd expect to see continue over the winter, especially now that a second wave, it seems, is upon us. I think there's three different types of patients who we'll be seeing this winter coming to us for help and advice. First, we'll see those with a simple winter illness - for example, a common cold. For these patients our advice will be focused around self-care and home treatments. There is a wide range of products that we can recommend in the pharmacy from decongestants to combination products such as Night Nurse and nasal sprays.

With higher than usual number of cases of scarlet fever, caused by invasive Group A streptococci (iGAS) infections being reported in children across the country, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England David Webb has assured pharmacies of sufficient supply of antibiotics. In a letter, shared by the PDA, Webb also urged the pharmacies to order antibiotic stocks sensibly. "Local pharmacy teams may be experiencing a temporary interruption of supply of some relevant antibiotics due to increased demand. On a national level, sufficient stock exists for the NHS," he said. He said NHS is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and has taken actions to help ensure medicines continue to be available. He explained that the supplies of antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep, particularly phenoxymethylpenicillin presentations, have seen a surge in demand, leading to potential constraints at certain wholesalers and pharmacies,

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has acknowledged the efforts of community pharmacies, wholesalers and procurement teams in securing supply of antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Streptococcus infection in Northern Ireland. "Locally community pharmacies, wholesalers and procurement teams have been working tirelessly to secure stock deliveries into Northern Ireland. The Department acknowledges the immense efforts from all involved," it said. "To put this in context, it is estimated that around one month's worth of stock based on normal demand was exhausted in less than 48 hours last week." "While demand is well in excess of what is usual for this time of year, the system has been working hard to replenish stocks as quickly as possible, as such wholesalers are still receiving and making deliveries, with more scheduled over the coming days."

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep. "Supplies of antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep have seen a surge in demand and may be temporarily in limited supply at certain wholesalers and pharmacies," said DHSC. "Supplies are available with manufacturers, and deliveries into wholesalers and pharmacies are being expedited and are expected in the coming days." If the formulation of antibiotic prescribed is unavailable, DHSC has asked clinicians and local pharmacy teams to consider prescribing an alternative form or strength of the antibiotic where appropriate, ensuring the patient is not intolerant to any of the excipients in the alternative and is counselled on the appropriate dose (and volume) required.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has allowed pharmacists to supply alternative penicillin to treat Strep A. It has issued Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for three penicillin medicines. "The SSPs will help mitigate local supply issues of oral penicillin and allow pharmacists to supply alternative forms of the medicine if they do not have the specific formulation stated on the prescription," said DHSC. SSPs have been issued across the UK for 3 penicillin medicines on Thursday (December 15. "Issuing an SSP allows pharmacists to legally supply a specified alternative medicine, removing the need for the patient to return to the prescriber - which saves time in GP practices and inconvenience for patients." "Demand for penicillin has risen recently as it is used to treat strep A and scarlet fever, and the increased demand means that some pharmacists are experiencing temporary and localised supply issues and may not have the specific formulation listed on the prescription."