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The result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI), have been published with an overall pass rate of 80 per cent. A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment. This summer's pass rate has fallen to 80 per cent compared with the 82 per cent pass rate for the summer 2021 registration assessment, and the 61 per cent pass rate for the Autumn 2021 registration assessment. GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said: "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. "However, we appreciate that the June registration assessment was a difficult and stressful experience for many - and we are extremely sorry about the problems faced by a number of candidates on the day. "For those who did not pass, there is a guide on our website [PDF 255 KB] outlining all the options that may be available, such as provisional registration and the right to appeal. There are also links to organisations and resources that can provide support with mental health and wellbeing.

Out of the 2,805 students who sat for the common registration assessment test for pharmacists this June, approximately 2,150 have passed the exam, according to the General Pharmaceutical Council. It assesses pharmacy graduates' knowledge and skills to ensure safe and effective practice as pharmacists. This year, the pass rate was 77 per cent, slightly lower than the 80 per cent pass rate in June 2022, where 2,147 out of 2,697 candidates cleared the assessment, GPhC data showed. The exam comprises a written assessment testing pharmaceutical science and pharmacy practice knowledge and a practical assessment evaluating clinical skills and patient-facing competencies. Eligible candidates must complete an accredited pharmacy degree program and meet GPhC requirements. The assessment is conducted jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. "The assessment is a primary method for testing trainees' ability to apply knowledge and make professional judgments in pharmacy practice," said Mark Voce, Director of Education and Standards, GPhC. "This is crucial in assuring patients and the public that they are in safe hands."

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the final price concessions for June 2023, following a discussion by Community Pharmacy England regarding medicine pricing issues reported by pharmacy owners (its members). A price concession only applies for the month it is granted; any prices agreed for concessions requested late in the month will roll over into the following month. Community Pharmacy England encouraged pharmacies to report any problems obtaining a Part VIII product at or below the stated Drug Tariff price, using the online feedback form on the Community Pharmacy England website along with full details of the supplier and price paid for any products sourced above the Drug Tariff price. The association will investigate the extent of the problem and, if appropriate, discuss the issue with DHSC.

Nottinghamshire Police have released a CCTV image of a man over the theft of £1,400 worth of cosmetic products from a Boots store on Sunday (18 June). Police have made appeal they would like to speak to the man in the CCTV image to in connection with the theft from a Boots store in St Peter's Retail Park, Mansfield. On Sunday (18 June) boxes of eye serum were stolen from the store at around 10.35am. Officers would like to trace the man pictured as they continue with their inquiries into the theft. Police Constable Beth Richards, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. Offences of this sort can have a hugely detrimental impact on retailers and wider communities. "We have carried out initial inquiries but are now asking the public to assist us in identifying who this person might be - as he could help aid our investigation.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory (MHRA) and Genomics England to launch a brand-new genetic research resource, known as a 'biobank' on Thursday (June 01) to tackle the issue of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs). Biobank will help to better understand how a patient's genetic makeup can impact the safety of their medicines. "The Yellow Card biobank, which will contain genetic data and patient samples, will operate alongside the MHRA's Yellow Card reporting site for suspected side effects and adverse incidents involving medicines and medical devices," said MHRA. The biobank pilot will officially begin on 1 June 2023 with participant recruitment commencing later this year, on 1 September. The sequencing of participants' genetic material will begin in Spring 2024, with initial research findings from the pilot due to be published in 2025. Genomics England will be supporting the MHRA with sequencing and storage of genetic material through use of their well-established and secure infrastructure.

Eighty-one per cent of the National Pharmacy Association cohort of trainee pharmacists passed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s common registration assessment which took place in June. The NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists helped students prepare for the assessment with study days and mock exams. Celebrating the success of trainee pharmacists, it said: "The 81 per cent NPA pass rate reflected the comprehensive blended learning experience delivered by the NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists and that we were able to resume face-to-face study days for this cohort after the restrictions of lockdowns." Last month, the GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists with an overall pass rate of 80 per cent. A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 300mg and 600mg tablets on Wednesday (14 June). It has notified that the Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 300mg tablets will be out of stock from late June 2023 until mid-July 2023 and Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 600mg tablets are out of stock until mid-July 2023. However, generic oxcarbazepine 300mg and 600mg tablets remain available and will be able to support increased demand. "Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 150mg tablets and generic oxcarbazepine 150mg tablets remain available but cannot support the increase in demand," said DHSC. "Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 60mg/ml oral suspension remains available but cannot meet an increase in demand."

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Clomifene (Clomid) 50mg tablets on Monday (5 June). It said: "Sanofi will be out of stock of clomifene (Clomid) 50mg tablets from w/c 12 June 2023 until w/c 18 September 2023." "Generic clomifene 50mg tablets remain available from Wockhardt who are able to partially uplift supplies until the end of July 2023. Unlicensed supplies of clomifene 50mg tablets may be sourced, lead times vary. Alternative medicines for use in infertility remain available," it added. The specialist importers- Orifam and Target Healthcare have confirmed to DHSC they can source unlicensed clomifene 50mg tablets. "If there is currently no listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems an EPS prescription for unlicensed clomifene 50mg tablets cannot be issued," said Community Pharmacy England.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is encouraging people to come forward for their first and/ or second dose of the Covid vaccine before the free offer ends on Friday (30 June). The NHS's world-leading vaccination programme has so far delivered over 146 million Covid jabs. Building on the success of autumn and spring booster programmes, a seasonal, targeted vaccination offer will remain open for those most at risk, in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: "As we live with Covid without restrictions on our freedoms, it is right that we move towards a more targeted vaccination offer that prioritises those most at risk, so we can focus our efforts on cutting waiting lists for NHS treatment - one of the Prime Minister's top five priorities. As the offer for any adult to get a Covid vaccine comes to an end on 30 June, I would urge those who have not yet come forward to choose to have the first and second Covid vaccine. It takes minutes to get your jab and thousands of sites are open across England." This year's spring booster programme continues to gather pace, with over two million eligible people receiving their vital top-up dose.

The General Pharmaceutical Council has apologised for severe delays and disruptions during the June foundation registration assessment at five test centres in England on Wednesday (June 29). The pharmacy regulator said it has since "contacted the candidates affected via email to apologise for the disruption and the extra worry this will have caused. "We will also be issuing our usual survey for all candidates so we can hear directly from them about their experiences and have also asked candidates to get in touch if they would like individual advice." GPhC admitted that the worse sufferers were the candidates at a test centre in Nottingham "where the delay was severe and candidates were only able to start Paper 1 in the late afternoon". Extremely sorry In a statement, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said: "We are extremely sorry for the severe delays experienced by candidates in Nottingham today. This is completely unacceptable, and we fully appreciate the significant stress and disruption this must have caused for them in such a high-stakes assessment.

This year has been another turbulent year for the UK pharmacy sector. The sector continues to undergo significant transformations, driven by evolving healthcare needs, regulatory shifts, and economic pressures. For pharmacy owners, staying abreast of these trends is crucial to navigating the challenges and seizing opportunities. IQVIA, a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence, delves into the key issues, challenges, and developments shaping the sector, drawing insights from the latest industry data and reports, supported with data released by NHS England (NHSE). The community pharmacy landscape remains unsettled, with disruptive market dynamics at play. The decline in the number of pharmacies, particularly within the Managed Chains channel, underscores the volatility of the market. The number of active pharmacy contractors in England has dropped significantly, with more closures than openings each month, exacerbated by the exit of Lloyds Pharmacy from the UK market which completed at the end of 2023. In the year ending June 2024, there was a net closure of 440 sites within NHSE which equates to a 4% decline in available pharmacies1. The increase in closures from June 2023 was driven by the closures of Lloyds in Sainsburys and the ongoing divestment of the Boots estate.

Kent and Medway prescribe the highest number of semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepeptide - drugs that are commonly used for treating type 2 diabetes, weight loss, or both - in the UK, according to recent research by Click Pharmacy. Called GLP-1 agonists, these drugs mimic the effects of the GLP-1 hormone, which is released by the body after eating. This hormone slows digestion, stimulates insulin release, and inhibits glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar, making GLP-1 agonists effective treatments for diabetes and weight management. The online pharmacy's research reveals that Kent and Medway prescribed the most of these drugs in the month of June 2024, with 6,326 prescriptions. Other NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) with high prescription rates included: Black Country and West Birmingham (5,019) Hampshire, Southampton, and Isle of Wight (4,960) Birmingham and Solihull (4,775) North Central London (4,528) North East London (3,557) North West London (3,498) Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (2,973) Coventry and Warwickshire (2,912) Norfolk and Waveny (2,575) Brighton and Hove topped the list for prescribing Wegovy, a weight-loss drug containing semaglutide, with 35 prescriptions made out in June alone.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published its latest quarterly report on medicines used in mental health in England, specifically those used to treat anxiety, depression, psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dementia. Data from April to June 2024 show that 800,000 central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and ADHD drugs were prescribed to 230,000 identified patients. Both prescribing and dispensing of ADHD drugs continue to rise, with a 4.8 per cent increase in prescribed items and a 4.7 per cent rise in identified patients compared to the previous quarter. CNS stimulants and ADHD medications saw the largest increase in costs among the five drug categories, rising by 6.4 per cent to £36 million. The report reveals a modest increase in the prescribing of antidepressants, with 23 million antidepressant items prescribed to an estimated 6.9 million identified patients between April and June 2024. This represents a small increase of 1.5 per cent for prescribed items and a less than one per cent rise in identified patients compared to the previous quarter.

Access to pharmacy care has significantly declined over the past two years, particularly in the most deprived communities, due to a rising number of pharmacy closures and reduced opening hours. A new report released by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) indicates a net loss of almost 64,000 pharmacy weekly opening hours between September 2022 and June 2024, equivalent to 3.4 million hours of pharmacy access per year. Of the total hours lost, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) were due to pharmacy closures, while 38 per cent resulted from reduced opening hours. According to the CCA report, England has lost over 1,200 pharmacies since 2015, largely attributed to NHS funding cuts. Years of flat funding have also forced many businesses to reduce opening hours to 'balance the books.' Out of the 10,487 pharmacies that were trading in June 2024, over a quarter had reduced their opening hours in the previous 18 months.

There is a state of "emergency" across the community pharmacy sector, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned. The organisation is holding a day of protest action, called 'One Day to #SaveOurPharmacies', on 20 June to draw attention to the sector's growing crisis. During the protest, pharmacy teams across the UK are expected to take a range of symbolic actions - such as turning the lights out for a period, asking their staff to wear black, blacking out windows, using the day to engage with patients, inviting parliamentary candidates and using #saveourpharmacies on social media - signifying dark times for the beleaguered community pharmacy sector, the NPA said. The organisation decided to choose 20 June for the protest as it marks the day from which the average pharmacy across the four nations will be "lossmaking overall."

Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature. The discovery was made by Dr. Russell Jones, an assistant professor at McGill's Goodman Cancer Centre and the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and postdoctoral fellow Erika Pearce, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. They discovered that the widely prescribed diabetes treatment metformin increases the efficiency of the immune system's T-cells, which in turn makes cancer and virus-fighting vaccines more effective.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has written to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) to highlight several important points regarding their proposed "day of action" on 20 June 2024. The NPA describes this initiative as a response to the "emergency across the community pharmacy sector." In a letter addressed to NPA Chair Nick Kaye and Chief Executive Paul Rees, the PDA's director of pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst stressed the need for NPA members to consider their obligations to staff and patients before participating in the planned actions. He stated, "We are supportive of a new contractual framework for the community pharmacy sector." "However, any actions taken must ensure the safety of patients and the operational integrity of pharmacies." The PDA's letter also expressed concerns over the safety and operational impact of the proposed symbolic gestures, including turning off lights and blacking out windows.

The latest NHS data showed that 487,432 individuals in England were diagnosed with dementia in June, the highest since the start of the pandemic. Although dementia diagnosis rates have reached 65 per cent, the NHS still aims to meet its target of diagnosing 66.7 per cent of the estimated total number of people living with a form of the disease. NHS stated that their staff across the country are actively assessing care home residents to identify more individuals who may have dementia. Dr. Jeremy Isaacs, National Clinical Director for Dementia at NHS England, praised the efforts of NHS staff in increasing diagnosis rates but acknowledged that more work is needed. "Getting a diagnosis of dementia is the first step in supporting people, with a wide range of NHS services able to help.

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The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has called for an evidence-based approach to hub and spoke dispensing proposals, stating that it is vital to back the changes based on robust data and lived experience of pharmacy businesses. Community pharmacy contractors need to to respond to a Department of Health and Social Care initiated consultation on the hub-and-spoke dispensing models by June 8. Malcolm Harrison, CEO of the CCA, said: "I am very concerned by both the number and scale of the assumptions contained within the impact assessment, which are unlikely to come to fruition. "The impact Assessment also makes predictions on a yet un-born market, stretching 10 years into the future. Hub and spoke technologies do have the potential to enable new dispensing models in the future if new commissioning can support a change in operations. I would caution against firm predictions about likely benefits without stronger commitments to enablers of change."