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Ahead of the launch of UK's first state-of-the-art automated hub for independent community pharmacists, HubRx has announced the appointment of Karl Wooldridge as operations director and Matthew Tollefson as chief financial officer. Karl brings more than 14 years of sector experience to his new role with HubRx. Having begun his career as an independent community pharmacist, Karl has gone on to hold key roles within pharmacy automation, including managing Phoenix Medical Supplies' offsite dispensing service. Commenting on his appointment, Karl said: "I'm delighted to have joined the team. The pandemic has further highlighted the important role pharmacists can play in keeping the nation healthy, not least in the delivery of the latest vaccination programme. The focus is now on pharmacists offering more clinical services, but to be able to achieve that the dispensing burden needs to be reduced. "HubRx is pioneering, our approach will transform community pharmacy. We're investing in cutting-edge technology to create an automated dispensing hub that will create capacity for pharmacists, allow them to grow and expand their skills." Matthew joins from Leeds-based corporate finance firm, Sentio Partners having also held positions with Mazars and Ernst & Young.

Three leading pharmacists - professor Mahendra Patel, Asif Aziz and Ade Williams - have been recognised in Queen Elizabeth's annual New Year's honours list. Professor Patel, an academic pharmacist from West Yorkshire, was awarded an OBE for his "services to pharmacy." He told Pharmacy Business: "I am truly honoured and deeply humbled by this highly prestigious award that I have always believed was more deserving for others. "That's not to say I'm not proud of it - far from it, although for me it's not necessarily about rewards and recognition but more the intricacies of the journey I embark on and the learning and joy that those encounters bring with it. Most recently, Professor Patel - who has had a broad ranging portfolio career spanning community pharmacy, health education and health promotion, academia, and research - has been involved in promoting clinical trials across community pharmacies in the UK. His latest work has seen him act as one of the national leads for the PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC trials, run by Oxford University - both trials seek to pioneer repurposed and new drug treatments in the community to prevent hospitalisation due to Covid-19.

To provide a portable access of Pharmacy Support and Advice Service to pharmacists and technicians, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has launched an 'Associate Pharmacist' subscription. The service, comprising priority news-feed and email alerts, also includes NPA Learn - the association's Learning and Development hub. The offering to associates includes an annual online flu refresher or discounted full face-to-face vaccination training programme. NPA director of membership, Simon Tebbutt, said: "Associate Pharmacist is an offer to individuals, not to pharmacy businesses. We find that many pharmacists and technicians come into contact with NPA resources and like them, experiencing their quality as they move from pharmacy to pharmacy, either as a locum or as part of their career-building.

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals and the Randal Charitable Foundation, has won the Distinguished Alumni Award at Imperial College London's Alumni Awards 2022. The annual awards honour outstanding alumni who have demonstrated sustained excellence in their personal and professional achievements and have made a substantial impact on society. Dr Kotecha, who founded Morningside in 1991, which manufactures and supplies generic and branded medicines to the UK and globally, said: "I'm thrilled to be honoured by the university in this way. "As a child growing up in Leicester my family had very little, but I was fortunate to be given opportunities to gain a good education. After finishing my degree in Newcastle; Professor Steve Ley FRS at Imperial College took a chance in accepting me into his eminent group and this really was the opportunity I needed to forge a career.

RPS Scotland has named Fiona McIntyre as its new Policy and Practice Lead. With a background in hospital pharmacy, McIntyre will be responsible for policy development and professional support at RPS Scotland, and is set to assume her new role in early October. McIntyre will assume a leadership role for specific projects across Great Britain, collaborating with the Policy and Practice Leads in England and Wales, RPS Scotland said in a statement. Her responsibilities include representing pharmacists in working groups and meetings, engaging with pharmacists and pharmacy organisations, and supporting the RPS Director for Scotland. "During my career in NHS Scotland, I have advocated for pharmacy teams whenever possible," said McIntyre. "I am passionate about the profession's role in the safe and effective use of medicines, and I'm privileged to join the RPS. I look forward to promoting pharmacy in Scotland and helping our profession reach its full potential." "I'm pleased that Fiona will be joining the RPS Scotland team as our policy lead," said Laura Wilson, Director for RPS Scotland. "Fiona's experience will be invaluable to the role, and the whole team looks forward to her starting with us in October."

Those of us who work in community pharmacy know there is a workforce crisis created in large measure by PCNs actively recruiting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from our sector. It is welcome, if long overdue, that this has now been officially acknowledged in a report commissioned by the English Health Secretary. PCN hiring 'exacerbates pharmacist shortage' says DH-commissioned report, which states such recruitment has "on occasion exacerbated the problem of a general shortage of pharmacists" which has compounded "the problem of community pharmacy closures." We have been telling the government this for years only to be told "problem? What problem?"- but now that Steve Barclay has his own official report sitting on his desk, he and NHSE cannot continue in denial mode. The facts are there for all to see. Time to act. No more dithering, delay or indifference. You asked if there was a problem and you have been told there is. In the absence of a holistic workforce strategy and cross-sector career pathways, PCNs poaching from community pharmacy is a zero sum game adding nothing to improving patient care.

Boots has welcomed job applications from LloydsPharmacy staff impacted by the news of closure of all its branches located in Sainsbury's before the end of 2023. The company is recruiting for more than 1,500 pharmacy roles nationwide. Vacancies span pharmacy roles at all levels - from Pharmacy Advisors (Dispensers) and Trainee Pharmacists to experienced Pharmacists looking to develop their careers. Sebastian James, Managing Director of Boots UK & ROI, said: "Pharmacies deliver vital healthcare in the heart of communities. News of the closure of LloydsPharmacy branches within Sainsbury's stores will no doubt have an impact on many talented pharmacists as well as their patients. "We have many roles available at Boots and welcome applications from LloydsPharmacy employees affected by the closures. Patients who are worried about their future pharmacy provision can check our store locator online to find out where their nearest Boots store is - our pharmacy team members are ready to help." There are over 2,200 Boots stores across the UK and 85% of the population live within 10 minutes of a Boots store.

A total of 525 candidates have passed the common registration assessment for pharmacists held in November, the regulators GPhC and PSNI have announced on Tuesday. With 937 candidates sitting for the registration assessment, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on 3 November, the pass rate was 56 per cent, down from the 61 per cent for the Autumn 2021. Among the GPhC candidates, 59 per cent were sitting for the first time, 30 per cent for the second time and 8 per cent for the third time. (The break-up was not available for the 3 per cent PSNI candidates.) In comparison, for the June sitting 89 per cent of candidates were sitting for the first time, 7 per cent were sitting for the second time and 4 per cent were sitting for the third time. "We would like to congratulate the successful candidates and we look forward to them joining our register and continuing to the next stage of their career," Duncan Rudkin, GPhC chief executive said.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has partnered with training provider Skills 4 Pharmacy to provide Level 2 and Level 3 pharmacy apprenticeships to its members in England. Skills 4 Pharmacy is an experienced pharmacy apprenticeship training provider dedicated to initiating and developing the careers of pharmacy support staff and technicians. They manage the recruitment of apprentices, as well as their enrolment and training. The apprenticeship package offers a Level 2 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy support worker and Level 3 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy technician. Amerjit Singh, Managing Director at Skills 4 Pharmacy said: "As a member for the last 23 years it is a great honour to be able to work alongside the NPA and promote apprenticeships. "As contractors we are facing challenging times, however I firmly believe that apprenticeship programmes which upskill and empower our workforce are essential for our future survival. Apprenticeships are a great way to build a strong talent pipeline and bring new skills to pharmacies.

Are you interested in a career helping others improve their overall health and wellbeing through nutrition? Becoming a nutritionist is an excellent way to make a positive impact on the lives of your patients. Nutritionists are experts in understanding how food affects our bodies, so they can provide advice on healthy eating habits, dietary requirements for certain medical conditions, and more. However, it takes more than just interest to become a successful nutritionist - there are specific qualifications and experience that you need to have before you can practice as one. In this blog post, we will look at what it entails so that you can start planning your journey toward becoming a certified professional nutritionist. We'll cover the education needed for certification, any licensing or registration requirements necessary for practicing in different states or countries, what kind of skillset potential employers might be looking for when hiring nutritional professionals, and finally some tips on gaining practical experience while working towards full accreditation. So if you are serious about becoming a nutritionist, let's get started! FORMAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS The first step towards becoming a certified professional nutritionist is often completing an accredited program in either dietetics or nutrition. A Bachelor's degree in Nutrition Science, Food Science, and Human Nutrition or Dietetics would be the minimum qualification for entry-level positions as a nutritionist. However, there are many advanced courses available that can take you further in this field such as Master of Nutrition programs and postgraduate degrees.

Jeremy Meader has resigned as managing director of Numark after five years on the job, and having lead the wider PHOENIX group's sales and marketing teams for about eight years. A press release issued on Wednesday (February 1) said Mr Meader "has decided to leave the business to pursue his career outside of the PHOENIX group", the owner of Numark. It said: "PHOENIX thanks Jeremy for his commitment and dedication over the years and wishes him all the best for his professional and private future." Previous to joining PHOENIX, Mr Meader was head of sales at Alliance Healthcare, a role he took up in 2012 after serving GSK's Consumer Healthcare division for over 13 years in various capacity.

Jonathan Burton will receive the 2022 RPS Charter Award for his outstanding work for the Society and the wider profession in promoting the interests of pharmacy. The award will be presented by the President at a future meeting of Fellows and Members to take place at the Society's Edinburgh office on 22nd March 2023. Jonathan's main role is as a practising, patient-facing pharmacist within the community in NHS Forth Valley where he uses his advanced practice skills and independent prescribing qualification to assess and treat acute ENT, dermatology, and respiratory conditions. He was one of the first community pharmacist prescribers in Scotland and has always been at the forefront of innovation and service development. Jonathan has demonstrated outstanding commitment and passion for the pharmacy profession throughout his career. He has excelled as a pharmacist in the Right Medicine Pharmacy group, on local and national committees, in advocacy for the pharmacy profession and as a local and national leader who is highly regarded as an exceptional role model for the profession.

Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland has appointed Vani Manja as its new Country Managing Director and Head of Human Pharma. Manja has been associated with Boehringer Ingelheim for over 11 years, in successful leadership roles in Germany, the United States and most recently as General Manager, India. Her career started as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps which preceded leadership roles at Becton Dickinson and McKinsey. She brings extensive experience of strategy, marketing, sales, business development, people management, and cultural transformation and is passionate about tackling healthcare inequalities and advancing sustainable healthcare. Commenting on her new role, Manja said: "It is with great heart that I bring the spirit of conscious leadership to my new role. I look forward to being fully present and partnering with key stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem in our collective quest to improve health for humans and animals in the UK and Ireland."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged its member - employed pharmacists and locum pharmacists to share their view on UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership report. The four government Chief Pharmacists have published their commission's proposal for how pharmacy leadership may develop in the UK. The association 'strongly' believes that just as it was the members of the profession that established their previous pharmacist professional leadership bodies, so it is for pharmacists to determine if they agree with these proposals and to decide what arrangements they want in future. "As an organisation that has exclusively in its membership the employed and locum pharmacists in the UK, the PDA wants to ensure that it can reflect the views of frontline pharmacists in any future discussions and decisions that could impact upon their careers. Pharmacists are encouraged to read the report, to consider its content and then ensure they respond to the forthcoming communication from the PDA." The commission report says that existing leadership bodies have "relatively low levels of membership" but does not provide details. It has also stated that it has received submissions to its consultation from many pharmacy organisations.

Alitam has announced that it has merged with clinical skills training provider MHRx to upskill UK pharmacists so that its chain of community pharmacies in the UK can diagnose and treat minor medical ailments "quickly and safely". This is a second merger deal announced by the group that has 100-plus pharmacies, just days after its merger with Pharmadoctor to "radically transform the UK and Ireland's community pharmacy sector" into a truly preventative healthcare system. Following the merger with MHRx, Alitam will now be providing a career development platform for its pharmacy teams, which also include nurses and other healthcare professionals. MHRx's training incorporates every aspect of general practice alongside relevant topics including making appropriate patient consultation records in line with NHS guidelines. This, Alitam believes, will allow community pharmacies to carry out formal diagnoses, formulate differential diagnosis plans, and perform full clinical examinations. According to the founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo, mergers such as these will lead to "a healthcare revolution predicated on building the world's first truly preventative healthcare model".

In a mutual agreement with the STADA board, Roger Scarlett-Smith has stepped down from his role as head of UK. The company has assigned the responsibility of UK operation to Rudolf Bär with current responsibilities as cluster head for Mid-Sized European Markets. Scarlett-Smith joined STADA in October 2018 to lead the UK operation upon the retirement of Dieno George. Prior to this, he had enjoyed an illustrious career in the Consumer Healthcare sector, largely with GlaxoSmithKline, for which he held positions including as President North America, President EMEA and Head of Global Categories. Under his leadership, the STADA UK business has grown sales by 50 per cent and profitability has more than doubled. He has reshaped the business to improve efficiency. There has been a marked acceleration of product innovation including key line extensions to the Zoflora disinfectant range as well as the introduction of a salmeterol and fluticasone inhaler in the Rx respiratory sector. Meanwhile, T+R has developed a fine reputation regionally, being voted number 1 regional company last year and winning many national industry awards.

Ceuta Group has appointed Michael Yates as chief operating officer (COO). In his new role, he will focus on the exploration of future acquisitions to support the Group's growth plans and ensure it continues to provide innovative services and unlock new opportunities for its clients. Prior to joining Ceuta Group, Yates was associated with Procter & Gamble (P&G) for more than 25 years. His career started in the UK and progressed through senior commercial and managing director roles across Europe, Africa and Asia. During his time at P&G, Yates gained insight and experience in building brands in the UK and globally. He has broad category experience across food & drink as well as health, wellness and personal care, having worked with brands such as Pringles, Sunny Delight, Oral B, Vicks, Head & Shoulders and Pantene. With extensive international experience, Michael brings client-side knowledge and insight of successfully expanding brands and adapting business models for markets across the globe. His appointment bolsters Ceuta Group's leadership structure and will support the Group's growth plans and delivery of superior client service.

Global consumer healthcare company Haleon has launched a new centre of excellence for a global leader in consumer health which will bring together world leading academics in human behaviour and frontline healthcare professionals including community pharmacists. Unveiled at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress in 'sunny' Seville, Spain on September 20, the Centre will operate as a community of healthcare professionals and specialists in behavioural science, health psychology and the social sciences to solve some of the most pressing everyday health challenges. Named the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) the initiative will be the first major programme for healthcare professionals since the Haleon's launch on July 18 as an independent, global leader in consumer health. The Centre's mission is to support practising health professionals - pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and dental professionals - in serving their patients and communities. Combining science with deep human understanding, CHS will bring expertise in physiology together with human sciences to deliver real world-solutions and tangible interventions, resulting in measurable improvements in health outcomes through sustained behavioural change. The Centre is facilitated by Robert Horne, professor of Behavioural Medicine at UCL School of Pharmacy, who started his career as a practising pharmacist but later chose to become a behavioural scientist when he saw an opportunity to address issues around psycho-social factors that acted as a hindrance in pharmacy practice. Speaking to me in an exclusive three-way conversation alongside Tess Player, the global head of healthcare professional & health influencer marketing at Haleon, on the sidelines of the FIP Congress 2022, Prof Horne expanded on what the Centre was all about and how it would work. "We've got some good ideas, but it's not a pre-filled prescription that we're going to deliver at scale from the start. What Haleon is t

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed James Davies as Director of England. Davies will be joining RPS in January 2023 to drive professional leadership for the pharmacy profession in England, working with and for RPS members. He'll lead on national policy development, professional advocacy and member engagement across England, in partnership with the English Pharmacy Board. Davies said: "It's a privilege to take up this position within the RPS, the professional home of pharmacy. I have been a member of the RPS throughout my pharmacy career, and that has helped me to continually drive excellence in pharmacy practice. I'm excited about delivering the current RPS strategy to ensure that pharmacy is, and continues to be, at the forefront of healthcare. I'm eager to work as part of the team and with the Board, leading and developing opportunities for the profession that improve the lives of patients and the public.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday (17 May). It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams. The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS, professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators. A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer. Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure. "Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported. "It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to deliver high-quality patient care. "This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.