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The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reacted to the chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) for Wales's offer for community pharmacy contractors, offering a funding uplift for community pharmacy on the condition of an increase in pay for some staff by at least the amount currently being imposed upon NHS employees. The PDA has expressed a mixed reaction to the intervention being attempted by the Welsh government. "It is unusual for a government to be so closely involved in the pay of their suppliers' employees and those at some community pharmacy employers have a contractual right to a pay review at times of year that may not synchronize with the government's financial cycle, so this initiative may have different impacts at different employers," said the association. "In addition, the PDA negotiates pay at the largest two community pharmacy employers and works alongside other trade unions that organise other pharmacy workers. This government intervention must not disrupt or attempt to bypass those processes."

In a bid to amplify the role of pharmacists in clinical services and vaccination programs, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration with Aston University. This initiative, funded by Innovate UK Business Connect, aims to explore the feasibility and impact of integrating additional healthcare interventions within community pharmacies. "The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) research project represents an exciting opportunity to advance the role of pharmacists in patient care," remarked Alison Jones, Director of Policy at PDA. "This project will be an important part of that evolution, supporting individual pharmacists to have more opportunities to practice and so develop more fulfilling careers." Led by the PDA and Aston University, the project will commence imminently, focusing on the Priory Community Pharmacy in Dudley.

Paydens Pharmacy Group, one of the first multiple pharmacies to adopt hub and spoke model last year, revealed that the move has resulted in significant time savings in store. Centralising dispensing of repeat prescriptions relieves pressure in pharmacy branches and releases time to deliver revenue generating services, the group said. The group created a hub in Maidstone, Kent, to service its highest dispensing branches. The hub uses Centred Solution's FLOWRx Hub Auto to dispense their original pack repeat prescriptions. The group put in the first FLOWRx Hub production line in spring 2022 and then added in a second line in the autumn as they increased production and moved more stores to the hub and spoke model. The innovative solution interfaces with EMIS PMR, Omnicell's Robotic Dispensing System and Universal Logistics Management software as well as Victoria OS ordering software. The hub operation runs during the day Monday to Friday and produces an average of 33,289 packs per week for just under 9,000 patients, leaving plenty of scope to ramp up. The hub is currently dispensing 79.7% of repeat prescription original packs requested by the group's busiest stores.

Increased cooperation between countries is needed to ensure better regulation of online pharmacies, said authors of a new report - 'Online pharmacy operations and distribution of medicines', published by the International Pharmaceutical Federation's (FIP) Community Pharmacy Section. The report presents findings of a global survey of pharmacy organisations covering various aspects, such as type of medicines supplied by these pharmacies in different countries, how the authenticity of online pharmacies can be verified, and the usage of e-prescriptions and shared patient health records. Of the 79 countries responding to the survey, 51 per cent acknowledged that no regulation of online pharmacies exists. A quarter of the respondents reported cases of irresponsible self-medication by consumers who had purchased medicines through online pharmacies. A lack of regulation creates "an avenue for illegal pharmacies and may impact the overall quality of medicines and services offered to consumers," authors of the report said. Lars-Åke Söderlund, immediate past president of FIP's Community Pharmacy Section and co-editor of the report, said that the pandemic has increased preference for online services, including in the pharmacy sector.

Despite the government's announcement on lifting most Covid-19 related restrictions from next Thursday (January 27), people working in community pharmacies will be required to adhere to the UK Health Security Agency's infection prevention control (IPC) guidance. The ambit the guidance, which aims to protect everyone against the infection, also covers GP practices, dental practices and optometry practices, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee said in an update. The negotiators also urged community pharmacy teams to encourage patients to wear a face covering while vising pharmacy to keep staff and other patients safe. Prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday (January 19) that Covid-19 restrictions re-imposed in England last month would be lifted by from next Thursday (January 27).

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is gearing up to conduct a vital Pharmacy Advice Audit, calling on pharmacy owners and their teams to help measure the increasing reliance on pharmacies within communities. With years of financial strains impacting the sector, despite the much-needed £645 million recovery plan funding, the sector finds itself on the edge. The launch of Pharmacy First sparked a notable surge in people seeking advice from community pharmacies, both within and beyond the funded service, as revealed by recent sector polling. To accurately assess this trend and advocate for sustainable funding, CPE is initiating an audit to gather data crucial for showcasing the extent of unfunded care provided by community pharmacies. Scheduled to commence this week, the Pharmacy Advice Audit will entail pharmacy teams documenting informal healthcare advice dispensed over a single day.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on Tuesday (June 30) renamed itself as Community Pharmacy England, promising a "strengthened commitment" to champion and engage with the sector. "The name Community Pharmacy England better reflects the breadth of work that we do to both represent and support community pharmacies in England. We are their champion," the pharmacy negotiator said. Explaining that the rebranding exercise was in line with proposals put forward by the Review Steering Group (RSG), it said the rebrand was part of its Transforming Pharmacy Representation (TAPR) work and that it would signal the beginning of a "new engagement strategy" to build stronger relationships with pharmacy owners. "Becoming Community Pharmacy England is much more than a name change or a new logo, it is a driver for cultural change across our organisation. "Our members want us to be more authoritative, representative, and influential, and rebranding gives us a clearer and stronger voice, helping us to better speak out for community pharmacy."

In an oral parliamentary debate on community pharmacy held on Monday (20 March), the government was asked for an indication of 'how much it would cost to make the best use of community pharmacies'. A number of Peers at the House of Lords spoke out in support of pharmacies, while others asked when would the government address the current crisis in the sector. Kicking off the session, Baroness Hodgson asked the responding minister, Lord Evans, about recent pharmacy closures as well as underfunding. She asked whether the government would 'enter into discussions with PSNC to look at introducing a fairly funded pharmacy first service as soon as possible which will help relieve the work load on GPs'. The minister responded: "We have already introduced and funded a range of service in community pharmacy that make use of the clinical skills of pharmacy teams… we continue to discuss with PSNC how the government can best support the sector to provide support to patients." The House of Lords oral questions session was opened by Baroness Hodgson on behalf of Baroness Cumberlege as follows: "To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for making the best use of community pharmacies".

In response to new research that revealed inequality in menopause support with 51 per cent of women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, Holland & Barrett, the UK's leading health and wellness retailer, has decided to continue its menopause campaign work to make "every menopause matter". A quarter of women (26 per cent) from minority ethnic communities say they find it difficult to access menopause support relevant to their specific backgrounds. Alongside support from Olympian and menopause campaigner, Michelle Griffith Robinson and expert, Meera Bhogal, the retailer is launching several new initiatives to make its information and support on menopause more inclusive by offering more diverse and personalised advice and content, tailored to different needs. Almost a third (31 per cent) believe being able to speak to a female healthcare professional of the same ethnicity as them would have made a difference to their menopause experience. Fifteen per cent go as far as saying that communicating in their native language would have made a positive difference. Based on these findings, Holland and Barrett is the first retailer to launch a free, multi-language menopause online consultation service. The service will see trained H&B menopause advisors offering guidance and symptom support in multiple languages, starting with Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Punjabi.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has emphasised that the community pharmacy sector must be involved right from the start in all local planning meetings pertaining to the roll-out of vaccine services in potential future pandemics. This includes crucial discussions regarding supply logistics and resource allocation, lawyers representing the NPA told COVID-19 public inquiry hearing. Chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, the independent public inquiry is examining the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and lessons for the future. The NPA has been designated as a 'core participant' in Module 4 (vaccines) of the inquiry, which considers various issues related to vaccine development and rollout, as well as Module 3 (healthcare). During the hearing on September 13, NPA lawyers outlined three key areas the association says must be improved in future pandemic vaccination programs, including properly utilising existing primary care expertise, better planning and engagement, and improved access to information for community pharmacists.

Any prescription for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets x 56 submitted for payment to the NHSBSA for July 2022 will be reimbursed at the new price of £17.77 not as per the price concession of £13.45 announced in the 4th concessions update published on 29 July 2022, said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). In July 2022, PSNC received several reports from contractors unable to obtain Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets (56) at the published Drug Tariff price of £4.24. Therefore, it submitted a request for a price concession, which was granted and subsequently published but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that due to the price change mechanism, the reimbursement price for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets has increased from £4.24 to £17.77 for July 2022. PSNC said, "Following the price change mechanism rules, for generic drugs (excluding drugs in Category M), a price change up to and including the 8th of the month takes effect for prescriptions dispensed in that same month. Any price change after the 8th takes place in the following month."

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has developed a webtool to help community pharmacy contractors estimate the impact on their payments under the new discount deduction system. The calculator aims to illustrate the changes to discount deduction that a pharmacy could experience during the transition to the new arrangements from October 2022 to January 2024, when the new system will be fully in place. PSNC's calculator requires contractors to input information about their individual pharmacy dispensing mix (i.e. split of reimbursement by appliances, brands and generics) to provide an estimate for the level of impact the new discount deduction system will have. "The impact on individual pharmacies cannot be estimated without using dispensing mix data, meaning that any estimates which do not take this into account will not be reliable," said PSNC. For years many contractors have been frustrated by how discount is applied to their accounts and have often raised concerns about the blanket nature of its application to PSNC.

Drug addiction poses a serious challenge since it impacts one's physical and mental health. However, the good news is that individuals who complete a drug rehabilitation program can overcome this problem. If you are interested in providing rehab services, there are a couple of things you should know. Read on to learn how to operate a rehabilitation clinic flawlessly. KNOW THE NEEDS OF YOUR CLIENTS The main purpose of drug rehab is to help different people overcome addictions. It is designed to heal the body and mind from the negative effects of addiction. It also teaches the affected individuals to learn to live without using substances. Therefore, your first step is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each client to formulate a personalized treatment plan. Everyone has unique needs in their recovery journey. Your rehab program can start with detox which is designed to rid the body of substances, although it does not treat addiction. The person affected undergoes different therapies during treatment. Therapy helps them deal with the issues that cause substance abuse and teach them healthier ways of life. Various therapies will be applied throughout the entire treatment process. Therefore, you must choose a suitable therapy for each individual. For instance, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy are the most common.

Addiction is a complex disease that can be difficult to overcome. Many people don't realize how serious addiction is and often don't seek treatment until it's too late. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it's important to learn as much as you can about the treatment process. This blog post will discuss six vital things that you should know about addiction treatment. RESEARCH THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TREATMENTS AVAILABLE One of the first things you should do when considering addiction treatment is to research the different types of treatments available. There are many different approaches to treating addiction, and it's important to find one that will work best for you or your loved one. Some common types of addiction treatments include 12-step programs, cognitive-behavioral therapy, detoxification, and medication-assisted treatment. The addiction treatment service providers behind Safe Harbor Treatment Center suggest that you should also consider the length of treatment, as some programs are more intensive than others. It's important to remember that no two people are the same, so what works for one person may not work for another. It's important to find a treatment that will address the underlying causes of addiction and help the individual to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned of multi-million financial hit for community pharmacies, while the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has renewed its calls for urgent financial support amid a looming energy bill crisis. NPA board member, Olivier Picard, this week shared a screenshot of his estimated electricity bill on WhatsApp groups. Upon expiration of his current arrangements, in October, his electricity bill could rise from its current £1,821 for one pharmacy to an estimated £6,914 - a near fourfold increase. Piccard said: "This is an eye-watering rise in costs for my own pharmacies and adds to the intense financial pressure we're already under. My standing charges will multiply by 10 and the overall cost to each pharmacy amounts to about £5,000." His comments come just ahead of an NPA-commissioned report into pharmacy inflation which will provide an analysis of inflationary costs pressing on the community pharmacy sector, from utilities and workforce to medicines purchasing.

As part of its centenary celebrations, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised more than eleven thousand pounds for mental health charity Mind. A total of £11,583 was raised for Mind and the Association continues to encourage members to support the charity. The NPA marked its 100th birthday in 2021 and partnered with Mind in England and Wales, and equivalent charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland - SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and Inspire Wellbeing - to raise awareness of pharmacy services for people with mental health problems and to generate funds for the work of these charities. The NPA held set-piece events, such as sponsored walks, and pharmacists, colleagues and their families and friends were encouraged to organise their own activities. Chief executive of the NPA, Mark Lyonette, said: "I was delighted to be at our sponsored walk in St Albans, home of our head office, last year. This and other fundraising events all underlined the message that community pharmacies are concerned with the wellbeing of the whole person - mind as well as body."

Department of Health of Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that the Dexcom One Transmitter will be added to Part IXA of the March 2023 Drug Tariff. "Previously, patients were advised to obtain the free-of-charge Dexcom One transmitters directly from the pharmacies, without a prescription, as the original Drug Tariff application for the transmitter was unsuccessful," said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) It has raised concerns with DHSC and Dexcom that these distribution arrangements for transmitters are unacceptable because they result in extra unfunded activity for community pharmacies. Both, DHSC and Dexcom acted upon these concerns by agreeing to add the Dexcom One transmitter to the Drug Tariff from March 2023. At the same time, Dexcom One CGM System (containing 1 sensor, 1 sensor applicator, 1 transmitter) will also be added to the March Drug Tariff.

LloydsPharmacy has offered three per cent increase in base pay backdated to 1 April for its store pharmacists, the union of Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDAU) who represented them has announced. "We are pleased to announce that following a consultation of its members, the PDAU has informed the company that agreement can be reached on the company's latest offer, made in July 2022," said the PDAU. The offer made by the company also includes introduction of an overtime rate of 1.5 times basic pay for each hour worked after contracted hours. This will run for a trial period and be reviewed as part of the next pay round. "All pharmacists will receive an initial £1,000 payment under the proposed LTIP scheme, paid in April 2024. This will be to all in the bargaining unit and will not be dependent on meeting any criteria such as targets," said PDAU.

Margaret MacRury has stepped down from her role as superintendent director for the Rowlands Pharmacy, which has a community pharmacy network in England,Scotland and Wales with more than 450 branches. MacRury, who served the role for a decade, will step down next month to focus on the pharmacy contract developments taking place in Scotland, Rowlands said in a statement. She will start her new role in February 2022. With MacRury leaving the position, Stephen Thomas, currently her deputy, will take up the role of superintendent for Rowlands. He has been with the multiple for nearly 18 years and has worked side-by-side with MacRury for the last decade. MacRury stated: "I know Stephen will continue that commitment to protecting patients and promoting the pharmacy sector.