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A member of the English Pharmacy Board and RPS Assembly, Sharon Isobel Tait Buckle (also known as Sibby) has been elected unopposed as the treasurer of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). Sibby takes over the role from Andre Yeung, whose tenure ended in June 2022. Sibby was first elected to the English board in 2012 and is the first woman to hold the post since RPS became the professional leadership body in 2010. She is already part of the Finance and Investment Committee, where RPS budgets, pensions, assets, financial priorities and performance, reserves and investment policies are scrutinised and agreed. Commenting on her new role, Buckle said: "I want to build on the great contribution made by our previous Treasurer. Over the next two years of my tenure I will monitor and challenge our financial performance, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG), investment strategy and performance and our financial governance.

The NHS is facing a range of long term challenges which needs to be countered with prevention, enhance personalised care and sustainable performance, health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday (March 8). In his speech on healthcare reform at the Royal College of Physicians in London, he said: "We face some long-term challenges: how to keep the NHS focused on delivery while futureproofing it for changing demographics and disease; how to meet rising patient expectations and address the injustices of widespread disparities; and how to deal with an unsustainable financial trajectory while backing the brilliant people who work in health and care." Javid emphasised on three key points for healthcare reform - prevention, personalisation and performance. He said, prevention is not just about building a 'national hospital service' but a true 'National Health Service'.

Pharmacist Support, a charity centred on bolstering pharmacist well-being, has launched the 'ACTNow' campaign 2023, aimed at promoting and supporting the health and overall wellbeing of pharmacists. This campaign is launched following the successful 2022 initiative, which heightened awareness about wellbeing in the pharmacy profession. Launched in May 2020 in response to COVID-19 challenges, ACTNow has transformed into a dynamic platform fostering positive workplace culture, teamwork, and individual well-being, Pharmacist Support has said. Its primary goals are to inspire individuals and teams in the profession to prioritise their well-being, support colleagues, and proactively foster a healthier work environment. Pharmacist Support emphasised that the 2023 ACTNow campaign will continue to prioritise fostering a positive workplace culture. "This year, the campaign will provide individuals, pharmacy teams, and employers with essential tools, resources, and strategies to effectively support colleagues dealing with distress, all while cultivating a growth-oriented mindset within their teams," the charity firm said.

Too many unreasonable demands placed on pharmacists by employers affect their health and wellbeing at work, a stress and wellbeing survey conducted by The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union revealed. The survey, conducted during Autumn 2021, covered views of over 2,000 pharmacists employed by big multiples - Lloyds, Boots, and Well. This survey used questions developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which enabled the union to understand more about stress and wellbeing in three of the largest community pharmacy multiples. Analysing the survey, the PDA said that some pharmacists working for each of the three employers highlighted "unachievable targets, unrealistic time pressures, and most worrying of all reported numerous instances of bullying and harassment." An overwhelming majority of the respondents reflected personal sacrifices made by the pharmacists to ensure patient services are not impacted by the poor conditions and environments in some pharmacies.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United Kingdom, affecting nearly 50,000 men yearly. Combined with the challenges faced across healthcare during COVID-19, new figures show that prostate cancer accounts for a third of cancers not treated due to the pandemic, with 14,000 'missing patients' believed to have not undergone treatment since April 2020. It is more urgent than ever that men are encouraged to get checked, as any set-backs in diagnosis can reduce the pathways available, in turn affecting health outcomes. Community pharmacy teams play a crucial role in signposting the help available for men who may be concerned about their health. Therefore, it is vital that pharmacy teams have access to the information they need to correctly direct men to seek prostate cancer guidance. By maximising the trusted relationship between patients and their pharmacists, more can be done to identify the warning signs, helping men to get an earlier diagnosis.

PHOENIX UK and the British Heart Foundation has joined hands for a charity partnership to continue the ongoing commitment of improving heart health across the UK. The PHOENIX team have set the donation goal of £20,000 by June 2023 and are set to take on a range of exciting challenges over the course of the next year, such as a Tough Mudder and the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, all in a bid to raise funds for the heart health charity. Nigel Swift, Managing Director of Rowlands, PHOENIX UK's largest community pharmacy member organisation, commented: "We are thrilled to be partnering with The British Heart Foundation. Its lifesaving research perfectly aligns with our mission across PHOENIX UK - to enable more people to live happy and healthy lives - and so we look forward to raising vital funds and supporting the excellent work of the charity." Hayley Gough, Community Relationship Manager at The British Heart Foundation, added, "It's fantastic to see the team at PHOENIX UK commit to raising so much money for The British Heart Foundation. We can't wait to see all that they achieve and are so grateful for their fundraising efforts."

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has issued a new policy statement which encourages a "life-course" approach to vaccination by pharmacists. In the statement, published on September 27, FIP backed expansion of vaccine schedules and strategies so that patients of all age groups could be vaccinated throughout their entire lifespan, from infancy to old age. A life-course approach in public health and healthcare focuses on an individual's health and well-being, including vaccination, administered throughout their entire lifespan, from infancy to old age. FIP urged governments and policymakers to eliminate regulatory barriers, enabling pharmacists to prescribe and administer all relevant vaccines throughout the life-course. Additionally, FIP recommended that policymakers develop remuneration models for pharmacies to deliver sustainable life-course vaccination services within the private and public sectors.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will introduce new arrangements for the setting of Drug Tariff Category A reimbursement prices from April 2024. Driven by ministers, DHSC's decision aims to equalise access to margin on Category A medicines and it's part of a series of drug reimbursement reforms proposed by the department following a public consultation in 2019. Currently, prices of medicines in Category A are subject to monthly adjustment. From 1 April 2024, these will be updated quarterly based on sales and volume data obtained by DHSC under the Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018. The transition will conclude in July 2025 when the reimbursement prices will be exclusively determined by the new method. Advance notice for contractors regarding the 'new arrangements' has been outlined on the NHSBSA website. However, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) did not support the introduction of the changes at this time as pharmacies are currently grappling with "wider challenges" and there is uncertainty about the potential impact of these changes on the already "turbulent" medicines supply chain

The Professional Pharmacists Association (PDA) has demanded efforts to secure greater support and recognition for community pharmacists from governmental bodies. In its written evidence provided to the Health and Social Care select committee's pharmacy inquiry, the PDA raised concerns about the well-being of pharmacists, specifically for those who belong to minority ethnic groups and race and are subjected to bullying, harassment, and ill-treatment. The association highlighted issues in the workplace that impact pharmacists' health and well-being, including chronic understaffing, sub-standard working environments, an absence of protected training time, and experiences of racism, violence, and abuse. Parallel to the PDA's advocacy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is intensifying calls for prioritising workforce wellbeing within the pharmacy domain. Stressing the pivotal role of workforce retention in addressing current challenges, RPS emphasises the need for robust support mechanisms and equitable access to mental health services.

Independent charity group, Pharmacist Support has appointed five new trustees to its board - David Downham, Karen Harrowing, Mohammed Hussain, Mala Khiroya, and Alison Scowcroft, for a term of three years. The new recruits will join the existing Board members Anita Cawley, Catherine Harper, Paul Johnson, Steve Lutener, Esther Sadler-Williams, Mark Sweeney and Sarah Willis. Harrowing, Downham and Hussain have begun their 3-year term in January 2022, while Scowcroft and Khiroya would join the board in June. The new appointments are in line with the Charity's plans, announced last year, to enhance its volunteer schemes. "Since the launch of the charity's new strategy in January 2020, the profession has been faced with many new challenges. We are really proud of the work we have done in the last few years to address some of these challenges," said Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt.

A pharmacist based in the East Midlands of England plans to run 150 kilometres during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to raise funds for an international food charity. Shahid Akhtar from Rainworth, Nottinghamshire started running five kilometres each day from March 23 "from about an hour before sunset and the time I can break my fast." So far, the 50-year-old locum pharmacist who used "to own and run a community pharmacy not so long ago", has managed to run 55 kilometres and has already raised a total of £2,173 for the cause. By the end of Ramadan, Shahid aims to exceed his personal target of raising £2,500 to help feed children around the world. He says the money raised through him will go towards providing school meals for children and young people in neglected communities around the world through Charity Right. Shahid will run everyday without consuming any food or water before, during, or immediately after the race. Having never run whilst fasting before, he thinks this will be an "interesting new experience" for him.

The NHS Confederation has urged the government to reconsider its 'living with Covid' plan and introduce mitigating actions that will help avoid further critical incidents being declared at the NHS front-line. The organisation said the high rates of Covid is having a major impact on the delivery of health services and slowing down efforts to reduce large waiting lists, noting that the country has been in the grip of another spike in Covid cases resulting from the Omicron BA.2 variant. With more than 20,000 patients now in hospital with Covid (or who have Covid but are in hospital for other reasons) and high staff absences, NHS is facing huge operational challenges, harming efforts to reduce waiting times in other areas, it said.

The pharmacy chain has already announced plans to permanently close hundreds of its branches across the UK to consolidate its portfolio of 2,200 stores to 1,900. Two of its branches in North Wales will be closed next year, with its site in Rhos on Sea set to close its doors in March 2024 and the shop in Colywn Bay the following month. In a statement obtained by The Sun, Clwyd West MP David Jones has branded the closures "hugely bad news for the local community". He added that it is not "a case of simple shop closures," but "another body blow for the local retail economy." The Station Road shopping centre, where the Colwyn Bay store is located, has already seen the closure of several other prominent stores, including WHSmith, the MP stated. The closure of two Boots stores will leave many people "extremely worried as to how they will be able to obtain essential medicines," he added.

The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has undertaken an inquiry into prevention and has published its first report of the series which focuses on vaccination. It has announced ten workstreams that will form the basis of inquiry, of which vaccination is one. HSCC said: "The UK has long been one of the world leaders on vaccination - one of the most successful and cost-effective preventative tools available. However, if challenges around uptake and bureaucratic processes in clinical trial set-up are not addressed, there is a very real risk that the UK's position as a global leader could be lost. This cannot be allowed to happen and in this report we set out some of the steps that we think will make a difference." It recommended a more flexible delivery model making use of a wider range of healthcare professionals. "The NHSE vaccination and immunisation strategy must have a strong focus on tackling practical challenges that limit vaccination access, make best use of a wider array of professionals, empower local leaders to pursue ways of addressing uptake in their own areas, and to set out guidance and examples of best practice around how voices other than NHSE can communicate important messaging around vaccination programmes," it suggested.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), professional membership body for pharmacists and pharmacy, has published its manifesto for the general election, highlighting key issues facing the next government after the election on July 4. Local candidates are urged to recognise and support the vital role pharmacists play in supporting people's health. The RPS teams are gearing up to influence government policy in various crucial areas. Their key asks include: Ensuring Secure Patient Access to Medicines Supporting a Better-Connected NHS Enhancing Accessible Prescribing in Local Communities Maximizing Health Improvement through Locally Accessible Pharmacy Teams Supporting the Workforce to Deliver Patient Care Unlocking the Potential of New Advances in Medicines Supporting the UK's Global Position in Science and Research Acknowledging the efforts of pharmacists and their teams, Professor Claire Anderson, President of the RPS, noted that they are "working incredibly hard to maintain patient access to care amid workforce challenges, medicines shortages and financial pressures."

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has announced that he will step down as deputy chief medical officer (DCMO) for England at the end of March to take up a new role at the University of Nottingham. He joined Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on secondment from the university in 2017, and will soon return to be the pro-vice-chancellor for Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Professor Van-Tam said: "My time as DCMO have been the most challenging of my professional career, especially the Covid response. We all wish Covid had never happened. Notwithstanding, it has been the greatest privilege of my professional career to have served the people of the UK during this time. "I want to pay tribute to Professor Chris Whitty, the CMO team, my fellow scientists, public health professionals and clinicians whose support, wisdom and energy has been inspiring. "I will continue to work until the end of March and look forward to the next challenge." As the DCMO for Health Protection, he has played key roles in various incidents, including domestic outbreaks of MERS and monkeypox, 2017 to 2018 influenza season and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the coronavirus pandemic many people found themselves working from home, and this has continued to some extent in many businesses. A change in working environment can bring challenges, one of which can be joint pain and discomfort. Imagine you have gone from a busy office environment, meeting in boardrooms and visiting the canteen for a coffee, to working at home on your dining room table, walking several feet to get a cup of tea and sitting back down again, this change in surroundings can have an impact on your joints. Community pharmacists can be a source of knowledge to help individuals that may be suffering from joint complaints, this may be from the above scenario or just general aches and pains that come from an office based role. Firstly, it's important for us to know the effects of sitting down at a desk all day (not a scenario I'm sure many community pharmacists experience daily): Back pain - is one of the most common complaints. This can be caused by bad posture while sitting too high, too low, or hunched over. While this may present as just a soreness or discomfort, if not rectified and/or accessed this can lead to some serious health issues such as spinal compression, sciatica or spinal stenosis.

Health Education England (HEE) has developed funded training offers for community pharmacists, including locums aiming to become independent prescribers. Almost 3000 independent prescribing training places will be available to pharmacists from March 2023. This training enables pharmacists to support patients from diagnosis to prescribing, and to provide advice and follow-up - while also helping them to feel confident and prepared for the new challenges of their role. Courses will be available between April 2023 and March 2024, with several universities offering multiple dates for cohort intakes. Start dates will depend on the university provider. Training will enable the provision of new models of care: supporting patients from diagnosis to prescribing, providing advice and follow-up, and preparing pharmacists to provide clinical care, as pharmacy services become more widespread within emerging clinical pathways.

he British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has voted Pete Kelly, managing director of Accord UK, to become its new chair. He replaces Peter Ballard, who has completed his second tenure as the association's chair and will now serve a further year as vice-chair. Pete leads the UK operations of Accord, one of the largest generic and biosimilar manufacturers in Europe. In the UK, the company currently supplies a fifth of all generic medicines. Mark Samuels, chief executive of BGMA, said: "We are very fortunate to have someone of Pete's experience and leadership qualities to take on the mantle of chair of the association. The industry faces a challenging period on many fronts, and Pete's input will be invaluable. "I would also like to record my enormous gratitude to Peter Ballard, our out-going Chair who has been an incredible servant to the association over many, many years. He will continue for another year as vice-chair, and we are pleased to have his continuing advice."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is playing a vital role in helping pharmacists who are dealing with stress at the workplace. It launched its new awareness factsheet 'It's Time to Address Stress' last week. The factsheet looks at the causes and symptoms of stress in the workplace and provides advice on ways pharmacists can access support and improve working conditions. The association said that it recognises the well-being services offered by employers and specialist charities such as the PDA's charity partner Pharmacist Support play an important part in helping pharmacists who may be experiencing stress. However, the PDA is also committed to working with members to challenge employers to provide well workplaces and to help them to make real impact changes. This can be done by addressing the causes of stress and fulfilling their responsibilities to their employees. It added: "Under the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required by law to protect employees from harm. Their legal obligations include identifying hazards and risks and implementing ways to reduce or eliminate them. The PDA's new factsheet highlights the importance of employers recognising the hazards causing stress as the health and safety issues they are."