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Charac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, and Positive Solutions, the fastest growing pharmacy IT provider in the UK, have agreed on a collaboration to support community pharmacies through new integrated technology platform - MyHealthHub. The tech platform aims to give pharmacies a powerful and compelling tool to both help retain and attract new patients. The app will also allow the over 7,200 independent high street pharmacies which are lacking a digital footprint to compete with larger online pharmacies by providing them with an online presence. The long-term strategic partnership brings together Charac's innovative approach to patient relationship management and Positive Solutions trusted expertise in digital solutions for pharmacy. With Positive Solutions' Analyst PMR used daily by 16,000 pharmacy team members to process over 87 million scripts and 180 million items, the collaboration will help transform patient engagement and continue driving service business to pharmacies across the UK using a new innovative, integrative technology platform, MyHealthHub. MyHealthHub will not only integrate with Analyst PMR, but also forms part of an entire new technology ecosystem from Positive Solutions, the Hx platform and will be entirely interoperable.

Pharmacy Business will be hosting their annual awards event in the pharmacy calendar with a glittering ceremony to celebrate the very best of community pharmacy. The 23rd edition of the Pharmacy Business Awards will be on Wednesday 4 October 2023 in central London. The awards attract the biggest names in pharmacy, with heads of pharmacy organisations, CEOs of leading manufacturers and wholesalers, health officials and government ministers in attendance. We look forward to bringing together the shining lights of community pharmacy, who show the nation the unique services they continue to provide. REASONS TO ATTEND Understand what the ambitions of the NHS and PSNC are for the future of community pharmacy Understand why its important to develop a wider range of health services Learn how others are achieving this and what the benefits can be Learn what the benefits of embracing technological innovations are Hear what others are doing and what the benefits are to their business Network with and learn from your peers in community pharmacy WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Pharmacy owners Pharmacy managers Other pharmacy stakeholders Exciting news! Pharmacy Business Awards 2023 are just around the corner!

Using innovation and technology is the best way for pharmacies to boost income and ensure efficiency in services, said tech-savvy independent prescriber and community pharmacy contractor Amish Patel. Patel has invested heavily in technological refurbishment at his pharmacy and installed the first dispensing robot of its type in the UK. Highlighting the downward trend in pharmacies' income, he said: "We know for the last five years plus, pharmacy income, pharmacy services - they have just been reducing… "We are still very heavily dependent on dispensing, and dispensing fees, and profit margins with the supply chain they have been ever reducing. "This (using technology) has been a new way of generating new income. But again, just to highlight it is just enjoyment of pushing the boundaries what I can do personally."

Bristol-based Titan PMR, a technology firm specialising in PMR systems for community pharmacies, is set to roll out an innovative platform named 'Titanverse,' that it claims will redefine pharmacy management, offering comprehensive solutions extending beyond prescription management. This new platform takes a versatile approach, efficiently managing all facets of pharmacy operations, from high-level management down to daily tasks, according to top company officials. "Our aim is to reshape pharmacies into genuine health hubs, providing advanced services and harnessing state-of-the-art technologies," said Tariq Muhammad, CEO of Titan PMR. "Titanverse, our latest offering, is positioned to ignite this transformation, revolutionising clinical services in the same way its predecessor revolutionised dispensing. With Titanverse, we have the vehicle to drive this vision forward, placing pharmacies at the forefront of primary care in the future." Titanverse adopts a Teams approach, catering to pharmacies with multiple locations or specific focuses. It furnishes real-time analytics and employs a color-coded rating system for swift performance evaluation. Moreover, the platform eases operations by enabling task delegation, encompassing clinical checks and dispensing, all while backing private services with adaptable templates and workflows.

Omnicell Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicell - an American healthcare technology company, has signed an agreement with the shareholders of Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited to acquire Hub and Spoke Innovations. Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited is distributor of the Pharmaself24 prescription collection kiosk in Great Britain. The move will complement Omnicell's total solution technology portfolio for retail pharmacy in the UK, including a pack-pick dispensing robot, automated MDS filling machine and eMAR solution, thereby helping pharmacies to improve workflows and offer a 24/7 access to medications and patient care. It will also help community pharmacies achieve their goals, as they increasingly look at ways to make their businesses more efficient and free up staff to offer more pharmaceutical care and services to patients. In short, the deal would enable Omnicell to offer a wider range of digital technologies to streamline retail pharmacy operations, allowing pharmacists to spend more time with patients and focus on value-added, revenue-generating healthcare services, such as vaccinations.

Day Lewis Pharmacy has enlisted Locate a Locum, a Belfast-based healthcare technology innovator, to deploy and manage a digital solution aimed at enhancing locum staffing and management across its 267-pharmacy network. "We sought a faster, user-friendly system for instant locum bookings, particularly for last-minute shifts," said Sam Patel, Executive Director at Day Lewis Pharmacy. "This tool improves communication between potential locums and our coordinators, creating more opportunities to attract talent from across the country. Our customers are our priority, and ensuring they have access to staff and advice when needed is our main focus." Locate a Locum will implement a cloud-based digital solution across the Day Lewis Pharmacy estate, allowing locums to securely search, manage, request, and receive payment for shifts, Day Lewis said in a statement. This platform enables locum staff to manage their work diaries, location preferences, and commitments, promoting balanced work-life planning. "The Locate a Locum platform allows for swift, complete payments to our locums and offers them instant booking, eliminating the need for shift confirmation wait times," Patel added. "In a dynamic market with rising demand for pharmacy services, this platform is a game-changer, driving growth and unlocking potential."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales that outlines a plan focusing on what can be achieved by end of 2025. The society has urged people to share their views by responding to the consultation on four key themes which were already set out in Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales -enhancing patient experience; developing the pharmacy workforce; seamless pharmaceutical care; and harnessing innovation and technology. "We want to hear from as many of you as possible. It is important that the aims for pharmacy over the next three years are right. So please take a look at the draft 2025 goals, the proposed activity and measures and complete our consultation response form by 11 September," said RPS. "We have been proud to continue to manage this important ambition for Wales, working on behalf of the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee and with colleagues from all over Wales. Over 300 of you have already contributed to our face to face and virtual engagement sessions we held over the past three months and we thank you for your valuable input.

Titan PMR, a pioneer of cutting pharmacy technology has set up additional new team of 12 staff to cater for a deluge of independent pharmacists investing in new businesses. The company is utilising the opportunity that is underway as large chains look to sell off or close their community pharmacies, offering an opportunity for pharmacists looking to provide efficient dispensing and additional services. In January this year Lloyds Pharmacy, which was bought by a private equity firm in 2022, announced plans to close all its 237 branches inside Sainsbury's stores over the course of 2023. Currently, more than 5,500 of around 14,000 registered pharmacy premises across the UK are owned by corporates and supermarkets. Titan PMR - an innovative, cloud-based system which manages end-to-end pharmacy workflow - has become the preferred software platform especially amongst first time buyers who are keen to offer new services to patients. The new team at the Bristol-based company, hired to support this sector, sees its total workforce growing to more than 50 staff.

Positive Solutions is set to launch its new, innovative, cloud-based medicines management system - HxCare which will be showcased in October at the Care Show. HxCare will be free of charge to community pharmacies signing up to the HxCare Affiliate Programme (HxCAP) making it an ideal platform to support existing care home business and attract new ones. The cloud-based medicines management system aims to digitise workflows, reduce errors and free up care providers to spend more time delivering care to their residents. Designed to be truly mobile, HxCare will be tablet based and has been developed by working closely with both care homes across the sector and their pharmacy partners who relish the prospect of an eMAR solution that integrates into their Analyst PMR. It is one of five new products being launched by Positive Solutions on the Hx platform this year. HxConsult is already live supporting pharmacies looking to maximise their service revenue. HxIntel will deliver real-time dashboards, reports and insights into the performance of pharmacy businesses of all sizes. My Health Hub will revolutionise patient pharmacy relationships whilst HxDispense is set to be the ultimate next generation PMR system. This modular, cloud-based interoperable ecosystem takes healthcare technology to a new level.

Former superintendent pharmacist and National Pharmacy Association (NPA) director, Phil Galt, has been appointed the new UK managing director for pharmacy software supplier Cegedim Rx. The position was previously held by Adam Dennett, who resigned after a successful ten-year tenure to pursue a new career outside healthcare, the company said. Cegedim Rx, the pharmacy entity of Cegedim Healthcare Solutions UK, announced the new appointment this month (April 5). Tristan de Foucher, head of European operations for Cegedim Group, said: "Adam has been a force of nature in this business for the past 10 years. Under his leadership, the team has continuously and successfully invested in and driven product innovation to stay ahead of the ever-changing demands placed upon community pharmacy." Galt has over 20 years of experience as a qualified pharmacist and a successful business leader. He has worked extensively in community pharmacy, focusing on both care delivery and technology implementation.

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the government's action of publishing 'AI Regulation White Paper' which will regulate the artificial intelligence (AI) system used in pharmacy on Wednesday (29 March). The Association had raised concerns about the risk of patient harm due to inappropriate use of so-called AI to include that seen in some of the pharmacy systems undertaking clinical checks. For some time, it has been receiving concerns from practicing pharmacists describing examples of the potentially detrimental impact of automation and online pharmacy provision on patient safety and pharmacy practice. As a result, it raised these concerns with regulators, Chief Pharmaceutical Officers, and parliamentarians in all four nations of the UK to urge action. It said: "This is required not only to protect patients, but also the frontline pharmacists who could be blamed for potential harm caused by inappropriate use of so called 'AI' systems implemented by their employer." The PDA therefore, welcomes the announcement from the UK government that they intend to strengthen regulation of such technology, empowering existing regulators to come up with tailored, context-specific approaches that suit the way AI is actually being used in their sectors; this will include pharmacy.

One evening whilst I was watching TV, my phone pinged with an all too familiar WhatsApp alert with a message preview saying "Can you help". I recognised the name as one of our Titan pharmacy customers who was clearly in a state of panic. I replied offering my assistance and asked him what was up. What followed over the next 24 hours was an interesting case study of how innovative technology can genuinely solve real challenges in pharmacies. Mr P (let's call him that) had booked a locum to cover in his dispensary on the next day so he could focus on his vaccination service. The problem - his locum had just called to cancel his booking (no reason given) and now he had no cover. Meanwhile, he was fully booked with back to back appointments and could not cancel them. He had phoned round his usual network of pharmacists and no one was available at short notice. He was asking if there was anything that Titan could do to reduce his workload and said he had heard about Titan's artificial intelligence module. Unfortunately, Titan. X had not been installed at this site and was not an option at this late stage. Equally, Titan's digital workflow cannot be circumvented so there was no way steps could be taken out of the process.

Healthcare has a strong relationship with technology. The modern structure of hospitals and medical facilities cannot function without the progress of technology. It is important to acknowledge the impact of technology to ensure that priority is given to the constant maintenance of innovation. Here are a few ways to understand how healthcare and technology operate together. TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS KEEPING UP WITH MEDICAL DEMANDS Healthcare has become increasingly dependent upon technology throughout the years. There is an almost infinite amount of equipment and machinery that is used on a day-to-day basis to help facilitate the care of patients. One aspect that needs to be acknowledged is the prevalence of smart technology within the hospital and healthcare spaces. Technology is being innovated, and it is only a matter of time until hospitals see such advancements be applied more often, as funding increases alongside the development of new machinery and equipment. These include the inclusion of artificial intelligence in order to assist and supplement healthcare professionals to do a better and more efficient job, providing better care for patients. Of course, such technology will need to follow trends of other industries first to ensure its safe use and application when dealing with patients.

Technological innovation has touched our lives in immeasurable ways, from city infrastructure to personal entertainment and beyond. Even our health and conditions have been improved by the right tech innovations; contact lenses were one such innovation, having been safely pioneered as recently as the 19th century. But there are more recent developments which could change the lives of contact lens users forever; what are they? Smart Touch Contact Lenses While Smart Touch lenses are a relatively simple innovation, it is often the simple innovations that have the most fundamental impact on contact lens users. Smart Touch lenses are a new type of contact lens produced with a breathable material to promote eye health throughout the day. The key innovation lies in the packaging; Smart Touch contact lenses are provided in a bespoke blister packaging solution that delivers the lenses face-up. This ensures that the user never needs to touch the inner surface of the lens, keeping it hygienic and allowing for quick, unobtrusive application. These contact lenses provide innovative solutions for lens-wearers, and represent the power of slight technological improvements to existing products.

The life cycle management company, Pharmanovia, has appointed Nivedita Valentine as associate vice president of Product Innovation. Ms Valentine will oversee the company's product innovation operations and decision-making as Pharmanovia continues to focus efforts on both, identifying new prospects to enhance lifecycle management of its brands through incremental innovation. She will report to interim chief scientific officer Stephen Deacon and help bridge unmet patient needs with the help of novel therapies, originating both from in-house development and through partnerships. Ms Valentine currently holds positions on the value-added medicines committee within Medicines for Europe and the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) Task Force on Drug Repurposing Guidebook. Pharmanovia CEO Dr James Burt commented: "Digitalisation and utilising the latest technological innovation are notable areas of acceleration within the pharma industry and Nivedita's appointment will ensure iconic brands will continue to be improved, supported, and used sustainably.

As we take look back over the past year and reflect on what we have achieved, it's also important that we look ahead to new challenges and opportunities that may arise in 2023. We have seen remarkable innovation across the industry in 2022, from big break throughs in treatment and improvements to patient outcomes, to how the industry is working with big data and technology. But it's fair to say that these achievements came paired with just as many challenges including a continued talent shortage, hangovers from the pandemic, increasing pressures to innovate and ongoing macroeconomic challenges. As we head into 2023, I expect these existing challenges to continue alongside new ones, but I also anticipate more opportunities to present themselves. At Pharamanovia, we predict that the key trends set to catalyse the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in 2023 include break through innovations, technology, big data, sustainability, ongoing policy changes and a shift in investment due to inflation. Utilising big data and tech Technology has been recognised as one of the industry's biggest tools for many years, and I don't expect to see the pace of how we use technology in healthcare and pharma to slow down any time soon. In 2023, I expect that we will see further automation in the way we work, with an increase in digital engagement and healthcare providers leveraging remote access further.

The new 'How to Involve and Engage Patients on Digital Health Tech Innovation' learning module has been created specifically to support the development and delivery of patient-centric technologies, at a time of critical digital transformation in the NHS. The foundation level module will be freely available at www.orcha-digitalhealthacademy.com and on the Health Education England NHS Learning Hub (learninghub.nhs.uk). No training previously exists on conducting effective patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE), leading to wasted resource on unsuitable technologies at a time when the healthcare system simply cannot afford it. The module aims to educate innovators who are creating new technology, and the clinicians who are prescribing these solutions. Crucially, the module also provides valuable support to the 500 NHS clinicians who are on the Clinical Entrepreneur Programme. The module is an introduction to the first evidence-based framework for PPIE, launched by the University of Plymouth, the AHSN Network (the national voice of the 15 academic health science networks in England) and Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland. It helps to fast-track learning for the EnACT principles described in the framework, outlining how to involve patients in product innovation and critical issues such as data privacy, intellectual property, inclusivity, reimbursement, useability, and recruitment of patients.

The government on Wednesday (March 2) announced an investment of £260 million to support research, development and manufacturing of new drugs, devices and diagnostics. Of the total funding, up to £200m has been allocated for research to better access NHS data through Trusted Research Environments and digital clinical trial services, enabling availability of crucial data with the highest levels of privacy. This will allow the NHS to deliver new life-saving treatments to patients, tackle health inequalities and improve patient care, a government release stated. The remaining £60m will support commercial-scale manufacturing investments by companies at the leading-edge of innovation, from cell and gene therapies and earlier and better diagnostic technologies, to medical devices. The funding for manufacturing investments will be distributed through the new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), following the success of the earlier Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has proposed a new £30 million fund to speed up the adoption of innovative medical technology in the NHS. He confirmed the plan today at the Conservative Party Conference 2023 in Manchester. Mr Barclay said that virtual wards will help healthcare professionals embrace new technology to improve patient care. He said: "It is vital that clinicians have access to the latest technology to save staff time, deliver high-quality care and help cut waiting lists - one of the government's top five priorities. "This investment will see the latest tech innovations rolled out across the NHS. From virtual ward beds to wearable medical devices, patients will be better supported, and we will ease pressures on hospitals this winter. "We're preparing for this winter earlier than ever before including delivering thousands more hospital beds and hundreds of new ambulances."

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Susan Rienow, country president of Pfizer, as its vice president. "As vice president, she will support the president, Pinder Sahota, general manager and corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk UK, in delivering his priorities. These are improving access to medicines, delivering economic growth and helping to find solutions to big societal challenges such as climate change, AMR, and inequalities," said ABPI in a statement. At Pfizer, Susan leads the organisation to bring the power of innovation, data and technology together to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients. She previously led Pfizer UK's vaccines business unit during the Covid-19 pandemic.