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Labour MP Barry Gardiner has raised concerns that the £645 million cash injection announced by the government for community pharmacy is, in effect, 'frozen funding' for the next two years. Speaking on Tuesday (May 9) on the BBC's Politics Live, Gardiner said funding for community pharmacies "was cut before 2015, then it was frozen and now the latest announcement says that it's going to be frozen for a further two years." He said with a current national contract, which already represented a 25 per cent funding cut in real terms, it was not appropriate to ask for community pharmacy "to take on more work" without adequate support. "I heard the prime minister earlier this morning (May 9) on TV saying 'we are investing more in pharmacies'. "No you are not. You just concluded a contract that says for the next two years it will be absolutely flatlined." He added that "there will be no more money" for community pharmacy and that steeply rising costs due to inflation were "eating into that contract's health". Gardiner said community pharmacists "do a phenomenal job" but regretted that from a total of just 11,000, some 700 pharmacies have been lost due to funding cuts.

Men, it's time to start paying attention to anti-aging procedures! While you may not be as worried about wrinkles and fine lines as your female counterparts, that doesn't mean you can neglect your skin. There are a number of unconventional procedures out there that can help keep you looking young and handsome for years to come. In this blog post, we will discuss four of the most popular unconventional procedures for men interested in anti-aging. WHAT ARE ANTI-AGING PROCEDURES? Anti-aging procedures are any type of cosmetic procedure that is used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. These procedures can be invasive, like facelifts, or non-invasive, like Botox injections. There are a number of different anti-aging procedures available, and new ones are being developed all the time. The most important thing to remember when considering any type of anti-aging procedure is that you should always consult with a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon before moving forward. This is the only way to ensure that you are getting the best possible treatment for your needs.

Living with diabetes can be managed by proper medication. However, you may have questions regarding the medications available to you. Here, we will take a closer look at two medications, Ozempic and Saxenda, so that you can see how these medications can impact your health. A CLOSER LOOK AT DIABETES Diabetes can be divided into two categories, type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder and is commonly diagnosed in children. Individuals with T1D require lifelong insulin treatment to manage their diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed later in life due to genetics, lifestyle, and other risk factors. Unlike T1D, there are numerous treatment options other than insulin therapy to manage type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONISTS A common drug class used to treat type 2 diabetes is glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. GLP-1 receptor agonists work by lowering blood glucose and slowing gastric emptying. Benefits of using a GLP-1 receptor agonist include: weight loss, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) benefits, lowering A1C values, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) benefits with little risk of hypoglycemia. Common GLP-1 receptor agonist side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and injection site reactions. GLP-1 receptor agonists should not be used in patients with a personal or a family history of medullary thyroid cancer.

Rising chronic illnesses and an aging population are threatening to bankrupt the National Health Service, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said on October 11. Streeting announced a substantial £1.1 billion injection to strengthen the NHS with the goal of clearing the backlog and introducing additional clinics on evenings and weekends. The frontbencher outlined a reform agenda to ensure NHS is back on its head for the future of healthcare in the UK. Streeting said that a Labour government will not waste "money we don't have"- instead aims to revolutionise the NHS by shifting its focus from hospitals to communities. "Our emphasis is on transitioning from an analogue to a digital framework and prioritising prevention over sickness-oriented healthcare," he noted.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reminded healthcare professionals that use of systemic (oral and injectable) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac is contraindicated in the last trimester of pregnancy (after 28 weeks of pregnancy). It has advised that patients who are unsure whether pain relief medicine they are taking is an anti-inflammatory (NSAID), to speak to doctor, midwife, or pharmacist. Some non-prescription pain relief medicines may contain more than one active drug, therefore it is important to read the box or the leaflet provided with the medicine to see if it contains an NSAID like ibuprofen. The use of any non-prescription medicine for the management of pain during pregnancy should be for the shortest possible time at the lowest possible dose, suggested MHRA.

A diabetes medicine, Mounjaro, has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to treat overweight patients. The weight loss medication originally developed for Type 2 diabetes is now accessible to individuals aged 18 and over who are dealing with obesity and weight-related health issues. The active ingredient, tirzepatide, works by making the patient feel fuller and reducing food cravings. The injection helps individuals lose 20 per cent of their body weight, and are advised to follow a reduced-calorie diet and increase physical activity simultaneously. Although it is not authorised to use on the NHS as yet but future approvals can be predicted.

A community pharmacist was applauded for his 'quick-thinking' action in treating a Co Down woman with a fatal bee sting. Joan Johnson, from Moira, was stung on her scalp in her home garden. After the bite, she noticed allergic reactions on her neck and ears with severe itching and redness. However, she was advised to visit her local pharmacy by the GP where the pharmacist, Stephen Joyce, quickly administered life-saving antihistamine and an adrenaline injection while an ambulance was called. Joan hailed the 'treatment' and the 'professionalism' of the whole team for saving her life. "What was just a simple bee-sting, quickly became something very serious. On arrival at the pharmacy on the advice from my GP, I was dealt with very promptly and Stephen was summoned and immediately took control of the situation. "I was given an urgent antihistamine, but quickly started feeling lightheaded and faint. The pharmacy team assisted me to a chair and called an ambulance," she said.

The new deal struck by the NHS will enable provision of a life-saving treatment for babies and young children who suffer with a rare and fatal genetic disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The revolutionary gene therapy treatment, known by its brand name Libmeldy, is used to treat MLD, which causes severe damage to the child's nervous system and organs, leading to a life expectancy of just five to eight years. Having a reported list price of more than £2.8 million, it is the most expensive drug in the world, but can now be offered to young patients on the NHS in England after the health service negotiated a significant confidential discount. the drug works by removing the patient's stem cells and replacing the faulty gene that causes MLD before then re-injecting the treated cells into the patient. The most common form of MLD usually develops in babies younger than 30 months and can cause loss of sight, speech and hearing, as well as difficulty moving, brain impairment, seizures, and eventually death.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has recommended that surgeons working in hospitals with limited or no access to a radiopharmacy department could now use Magtrace and Sentimag as an option to locate sentinel lymph nodes in people with breast cancer. The recommendation in draft NICE medical technology guidance could see a change in NHS standard care for the first time in years. The technology could also mitigate the reliance on radioactive isotope tracers shipped in from outside Great Britain. The magnetic liquid tracer - Magtrace - is a non-radioactive dark brown liquid. It is both a magnetic marker and a visual dye. The Magtrace is injected into the tissue around a tumour. The particles are then absorbed into the lymphatic system, following the route that cancer cells are most likely to take when they spread from the primary tumour and become trapped in sentinel lymph nodes. The Sentimag probe moves over the skin emitting sounds of different pitches as it passes over the Magtrace tracer, in a similar way to a metal detector locating metal in the ground. The nodes often appear dark brown or black in colour, which also helps with identification.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has rejected Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England's proposal on price concessions reform and relief measures to ease pressure on pharmacies. The Committee called the proposal 'insufficient' to meet the sector's needs considering the impact of the current crisis, reflecting on the economic pressures that accelerated through the autumn and winter. The Ministers and other decision-makers have shown their interest in the potential role of community pharmacy, particularly in using a Pharmacy First approach and making use of PGDs and the skills of independent prescribers. But the Committee had made clear to them that without new money this is all a pipedream. "We need an urgent injection of funds into the sector, otherwise we will continue to see a degradation of services and eventual collapse of the network. The Committee is clear that there is no further place for warm words while pharmacy collapses," said PSNC. The Committee reflected that the 5-year CPCF agreement had been based on working together to create the capacity and context necessary to deliver the shift towards greater service delivery. Not only has that capacity-release not happened due to slow progress by Government, but pharmacies have also been burdened with these additional, and insurmountable, challenges.

A pharmacist in a leading independent pharmacy chain shares his myth-busting Ramadan advice on managing health and the use of medication while fasting. While the holy month means total fasting in terms of oral consumption, it's still ok, says Ifti Khan, superintendent pharmacist at Well Pharmacy, to have vaccinations and blood tests and to use eye drops or other medical items that are not ingested through the mouth. It's also important for people to keep taking their prescribed medication over the Ramadan period. Anyone who is concerned should speak to their pharmacist about whether they can take their medicine at different times, as stopping it could have serious consequences. Mr Khan, who will be observing Ramadan himself, said: "Confusion can sometimes arise when it comes to medication and managing health conditions whilst fasting", adding it is important for patients to keep managing health during Ramadan. Having injections or vaccinations is fine, as are blood tests, using eye or ear drops, and using anything that patients don't consume orally - so nicotine and other transdermal patches, pessaries and dialysis, for example. It's also ok to eat and drink as a result of a condition which causes forgetfulness.

The European Union's health regulator on Friday said it had recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for a gene therapy by Australian drugmaker CSL Ltd and partner uniQure N.V. , to treat haemophilia B, a rare bleeding disorder which is caused by genetic anomalies. About one in 40,000 people are affected by the inherited disorder, caused by a gene mutation that hampers the body's ability to make clotting protein factor IX. If approved, the treatment, branded Hemgenix, will be the first gene therapy in the European Union for the condition that is usually treated by regular injections of factor IX, the European Medicines Agency said. CSL had acquired exclusive global rights to Hemgenix in May last year from uniQure N.V.

The Company Chemist Association (CCA) highlighted its concerns around the recruitment of pharmacists into Primary Care Networks as well as the need for additional investment. Commenting on the Ipsos survey findings, the Malcolm Harrison, the Chief executive of the CCA said: "We welcome the findings of the Ipsos survey, confirming that patients value the quality of service and advice community pharmacies routinely provide. "We are very concerned however that this cancer detection pilot, and all other pharmacy services, are at risk if the NHS is not prepared to inject urgently needed funding into the sector." He stated that without substantial investment, "we will see the continued erosion of the service pharmacies can provide." In addition to the need for critical additional funding the association is also calling on the NHS to pause the recruitment of pharmacists into GP surgeries. He said: "Patients are suffering because the demand for pharmacists in England is now significantly greater than that which the existing workforce can deliver."

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined his plans for NHS reform on Friday (21 April), where he also mentioned a desire to see pharmacies take on more workload and pharmacists' clinical skills to be better utilised. In his speech, he also expressed concern at warnings from the pharmacy sector and pharmacy closures. The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) appreciated Shadow Health Secretary's desire to enhance pharmacies' role in primary care reform but also stated that the sector is in urgently needs a funding injection. Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) comment: "We are pleased to see the Shadow Health Secretary recognise the enhanced role that pharmacies should play in primary care reform. Mr Streeting wants to see care brought closer to people's homes and more front doors into the NHS. With 89.2% of the population located within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, pharmacies do just that. They are essential to realising his vision of a 'neighbourhood health service'. Pharmacies could free up over 42m GP appointments annually, including 10m vaccination appointments. Urgent same-day appointments for minor conditions in pharmacies will immediately benefit patients by increasing GP access. The first step is for the Government to immediately commission a fully-funded Pharmacy First service in England.

Hospitals and healthcare providers across the UK have been notified about the shortage of an anti-inflammatory medicine caused by a manufacturing failure. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Friday (3 May) issued a National Patient Safety Alert stating that Erelzi 50mg solution for injection in pre-filled pen will be out of stock from early May until mid-July 2024. "The supply issues have been caused by a manufacturing failure resulting in delays in production and the implementation of global allocations," it said. However, it noted that homecare providers (Alcura, Healthnet and Sciensus) have sufficient stock to supply existing patients until mid/late May 2024. Although Erelzi 50mg pre-filled syringes (PFS) are still available, they cannot support a full increase in demand, the DHSC warned.

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.

Aspire Pharma Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to combating prostate cancer by adding leuprorelin acetate as a branded generic to its oncology portfolio. This move solidifies Aspire's position as a leading specialty generics enterprise. Leuprorelin acetate is a hormone therapy recommended for patients with high-risk localized, locally advanced, and metastatic prostate cancer. It serves as an alternative to surgical castration for locally advanced cases. A pre-filled syringe containing 11.25mg of leuprorelin acetate (equivalent to 10.72 mg leuprorelin) is injected subcutaneously into the abdomen, providing a vital treatment option for patients.

The National Health Services England (NHSE) is poised to revolutionise diabetes management with the introduction of the 'artificial pancreas', also known as the Hybrid Closed Loop system, to treat type 1 diabetes. This pioneering initiative, endorsed by the National Institute of Health Care and Excellence (NICE), represents a global first in healthcare innovation. With 269,095 individuals grappling with type 1 diabetes in England, the Hybrid Closed Loop system is set to cater to tens of thousands of children and adults across the nation. This cutting-edge device operates by seamlessly monitoring blood glucose levels and autonomously adjusting insulin dosage through a pump, by eliminating the need for regular insulin injections. Furthermore, it holds the promise of averting life-threatening hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemia episodes, mitigating significant risks associated with the condition. To facilitate the identification of beneficiaries, NHSE has allocated a substantial sum of £2.5 million, ensuring that those who could benefit from this innovative solution receive the necessary support.

Britain's drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Monday announced that fluoroquinolone antibiotics must only be administered when no other antibiotics are appropriate for use. It elaborated that fluoroquinolones given systemically (by mouth, injection, or inhalation) should only be prescribed "when other recommended antibiotics have failed, will not work due to resistance, or are unsafe to use in an individual patient." Previous regulations on fluoroquinolones stated that this class of antibiotics should not be prescribed for mild to moderate or self-limiting infections, or non-bacterial conditions. Further restrictions have been introduced after receiving reports from patients who have experienced long-lasting or disabling reactions following use of fluoroquinolones, the MHRA revealed. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: "Patient safety is our top priority. We have listened to the experience of patients regarding long-lasting and potentially irreversible adverse reactions following use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, in some cases prescribed for mild-to-moderate infections.

The final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry has been published today, bringing to light a devastating chapter in the history of the UK's healthcare system. The inquiry, which was launched by former Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017, examined how contaminated blood products infected over 30,000 NHS patients with deadly viruses, including HIV and Hepatitis C, between the 1970s and 1990s. Following the publication of the report, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a formal apology on behalf of successive governments, acknowledging the state's significant failings. He stated that he finds it "impossible to comprehend" how victims felt when injected with deadly diseases through no fault of their own.