Group items tagged

Community pharmacy is stuck in a vicious circle. Pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate whilst the government is talking about moving care away from hospitals and into the community to focus on preventative care. While the government talks about this vision for the future, the stark reality is that pharmacies are already struggling to meet the current Pharmacy First thresholds. And now we discover that one of the key components that could create capacity in pharmacy to deliver more clinical services has been put on hold…indefinitely. The recently published Darzi review, which was commissioned after the new government came to power to assess the state of the NHS, praised the value of community pharmacies and preventative services. But it recognised the level of pharmacy closures across the country and warned pharmacy access could be 'at risk'. Community pharmacy is ideally placed to deliver the government's vision of preventative care in the community. But let's all be clear, moving preventative services into community pharmacies has, so far, been nowhere near as successful as it could have been due to the current climate pharmacies find themselves in. The Pharmacy First scheme is a testament to this. Just this week it was announced that consultation thresholds for the Pharmacy First scheme have been reduced from 30 consultations to 20. It's the second time in three months that the thresholds have been reduced and it follows an intervention from Community Pharmacy England who wanted to "save many pharmacies from missing out on a vital payment this month." In June alone, 3,269 participating pharmacies failed to meet the threshold - that's almost a third of all community pharmacies in England.

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."

A winter NHS crisis is inevitable unless the government acts now to reverse the worrying decline in community pharmacies. Years of government underfunding could see 3,000 pharmacies in England - around a third of the network - having no option but to shut their doors to patients in the next few years. That figure is based on independent assessments from Ernst & Young and UCL/LSE healthcare professors: it is not scaremongering - it is the reality the country faces. Fifty per cent of pharmacies are already in financial distress because government funding has been falling in real terms since 2019 and that figure is predicted to rise to 75 per cent within the next two years. The government needs to act now and invest in pharmacy or sleepwalk into a healthcare disaster as we have seen with access to dentistry care. Prescription volumes have risen consistently year-on-year by roughly 2 per cent which means fewer pharmacies doing more work and under greater pressure than a decade ago. Ten years ago around 11,200 pharmacies in England were dispensing roughly 79,000 prescriptions; nowadays around 11,500 are dispensing roughly 89,000 prescriptions. The secretary of state recently asked pharmacy to do more to avoid a winter NHS crisis and at the same time said there will be no new money to pay for those additional services. This at a time when the network is in decline with random unplanned pharmacy closures - 640 closures since 2016 - and pharmacy staff face huge workload pressures as prescription demand is increasing year-on-year. The government's approach to pharmacy literally does not add up: the pharmacy contract is not fit-for-purpose now let alone dealing with a NHS winter crisis.

In response to concerns raised by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), ministers have decided to lower the October threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 20. This decision addresses a major worry for pharmacy owners who have struggled to meet the required number of clinical pathways for monthly Pharmacy First payments, especially as the October increase to 30 pathways approached. CPE has been actively engaged in discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England over the past few weeks to address this issue. Commenting on the decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England, said: "It is great that ministers have responded to our concerns about another increase to the Pharmacy First payment threshold: this decision will save many community pharmacies from missing out on a vital payment this month." Morrison added that CPE will continue to monitor service data and, if needed, make further representations to ministers about future months. She also emphasised the need to find a long-term solution, which involves "NHS England marketing Pharmacy First effectively and ensuring that GPs are actively referring people to the service."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is calling on NHS England and its member to pause and reflect before further implementing the pharmacy contraception service. NPA board met on Tuesday (25 April) to discuss the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the board decided that - with the community pharmacy sector at breaking point - it cannot support the immediate roll out of this service. The association believes that with no new funding for the service, and all existing funds in effect already allocated to other pharmacy activity, any payments to the sector for delivery of the oral contraception service will ultimately be clawed back by NHS England. Tweeting after the meeting yesterday, the NPA said: "We can't tell pharmacy owners what they can and can't do. But we can tell them the facts; fact number one is that with no new funding currently available everyone will be a loser from the implementation of this service on the current terms." NPA Vice-Chair Jay Badenhorst added: "We cannot be expected to take on more and more services without the increase in funding necessary to deliver them effectively. Meanwhile, taking on additional work when current workload already exceeds capacity risks impacting negatively on the overall quality of care people experience in pharmacies. We still believe this could, in future, be a great new pharmacy service, but not without the extra funding necessary to deliver it safely and effectively. We want to offer women this extra support, but if it's worth doing it's worth doing properly."

EMIS Pinnacle, the leading Pharmacy First IT supplier, has begun implementing the GP Connect Update Record feature to all community pharmacies in England that use PharmOutcomes. Starting June 28, this new feature was made available for use with the Hypertension case-finding service and the Pharmacy contraception service, as announced by the Community Pharmacy England (CPE). The GP Connect Update Record will enable community pharmacies to securely share "structured" information with GP practices regarding consultations conducted under the Pharmacy First programme, which includes minor illness and clinical pathways, along with Hypertension Case Finding and Pharmacy Contraception services Live testing is underway with EMIS Pinnacle for Pharmacy First minor illness and clinical pathways. There are plans to expand the system in the future to include updates for urgent supply of medicines under the Pharmacy First service. EMIS Pinnacle is the third CPCF IT system supplier to offer this functionality, following Cegedim's Pharmacy Services system and Positive Solutions' HXConsult system.

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.

National pharmacy bodies have expressed their disappointment on the launch date for Tier 1 of the Pharmacy Contraception Service which has been announced by NHS England (NHSE) as '24th April 2023′. Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said that this start date for the service has not been agreed with PSNC and is in direct contradiction of our warning to Ministers that no new or expanded services can be rolled out in 2023/24 unless extra funding is put into community pharmacies. Responding to this announcement, PSNC Chief Executive Janet Morrison said: "This is despite our warning last month that without additional funding, the roll-out of Year 5 additional services and the Pharmacy Quality Scheme is neither feasible nor affordable. Community pharmacies are having to work harder and harder for less money and many are at breaking point. And just this week the results of our 2023 Pharmacy Pressures Survey have confirmed the worsening situation. Clearly our view is not because contractors don't see the benefit of the service. This is a much-anticipated service that could deliver real benefits to patients and community pharmacies are always eager to support public health initiatives. But capacity in the sector is now so stretched that more money is needed to safely resource additional work. We have repeated our concerns to the Department in recent days and reminded them of the potential for a properly funded community pharmacy sector to play a greater role in providing clinical solutions and relieving pressures elsewhere in primary care."

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.

The Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) has rebranded to be known as Community Pharmacy to present a strengthened and unified identity to the local NHS, local government and other stakeholders, as the local voice of community pharmacy. "There are now 58 LPCs in England. The number of LPCs has reduced from 69, with further consolidation expected by April 2024 to a network of 48 local organisations," said Community Pharmacy England. "The changes mean there will be better alignment between LPCs and the 42 NHS Integrated Care Systems in England, who have taken on the responsibility for commissioning pharmaceutical services delegated by NHS England." "This marks a significant milestone, as similar to Community Pharmacy England, LPCs have been undergoing changes to respond to the Review Steering Group (RSG) recommendations on pharmacy representation. The sector voted in favour of the RSG proposals in the summer of 2022, and since then progress has been made on many of the changes at both local and national level as part of the Transforming Pharmacy Representation (TAPR) Programme."

'Community pharmacy is far too important to be allowed to wither away' desc-Thousands of pharmacies took part in the second day of the 'Save Our Pharmacies' protest organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Thursday. Similar to the first day of protest in June, pharmacies carried out several symbolic actions, such as blacking out windows, to warn of the threat of future closures. Meanwhile, NPA chief executive Paul Rees led a delegation of pharmacy leaders to deliver a 350,000-strong petition to No 10 Downing Street, calling for "immediate, fair and sustained funding to safeguard NHS pharmacy services and ensure local pharmacies have a future." The delegation included NPA Chair Nick Kaye; Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England (CPE); Malcolm Harrison, CEO of Company Chemists' Association (CCA), and Gerard Greene, CEO of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI). Steve Race MP, who is the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy, and Sadik Al-Hassan, one of only two pharmacists in the House of Commons, also joined them.

NHS England has commissioned the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to develop guidance that helps community and hospital pharmacy teams across Britain to reduce the impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines on the environment. The RPS said the Greener Pharmacy Guidance will enable pharmacies to self-assess their impact against the standards, benchmark and improve through evidence-based activities and actions. "I'm delighted our strong commitment to helping pharmacy reduce its environmental impact can now be taken to the next level through developing guidance and accreditation for pharmacy teams," RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said. "Medicines account for 25 per cent of carbon emissions within the NHS and this initiative underscores our commitment to promoting sustainable healthcare and supporting the NHS's goal of achieving 'net zero' emissions by 2040." Peter Morgan, medicines assistant director at NHS England, commented: "Pharmacy staff are involved in the purchasing and dispensing of almost every medicine used in the NHS and the new Greener Pharmacy Guidance and Self-accreditation scheme will provide support for pharmacy professionals by outlining clear actions to deliver more environmentally sustainable pharmacy practices." The RPS said the guidance and digital self-assessment toolkit will integrate with carbon calculator tools to help pharmacy teams to measure their carbon footprint, action plan to reduce use of carbon and improve sustainability.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has published its latest Pharmacy Pressures Survey report, highlighting the impact of staffing shortages, underfunding, escalating workload pressures, and extreme stress and burnout. These pressures are affecting not only the personal and professional lives of pharmacy staff but also the quality of patient care. The Pressures Survey 2024: Staffing and Morale Report is based on the views of the owners of over 6,100 pharmacy premises in England and 2,000 pharmacy team members. In the survey, 86 per cent of pharmacy team members reported that staffing shortages have resulted in longer waiting times for patients, impacting timely access to medication and advice. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of pharmacy staff indicated that staffing shortages have led to a reduced ability to offer services or advice to patients in need. Almost all pharmacy staff (92 per cent) stated that they were not coping well and were struggling with their workload.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC)'s 2022 Pharmacy Advice Audit revealed that more than 1.2 million consultations a week - or 65 million a year - are now being carried out by community pharmacy teams in England. This is an increase from 2021, when the audit results suggested that in total pharmacies were providing 58 million consultations per year. PSNC has published the findings of the audit of over 4,000 community pharmacies carried out earlier this year. During the audit, 82,872 informal patient consultations were recorded, with the average pharmacy completing 19 consultations per day. This suggests that more than 1.2 million informal consultations are taking place in community pharmacies in England every week. The audit helped to quantify the number of informal referrals being made to pharmacies by GPs and NHS 111, with 7,774 informal patient referrals into pharmacy coming from these routes; grossed up to a national level that means 117,000 cases per week. These are all referrals that could and should have been made by the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS).

The national pharmacy bodies has created 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign website to give new focus to calls for fair pharmacy funding in England. The newly launched site contains key messages for public, politicians and stakeholders, and hosts campaign resources to be used by pharmacy teams. The pharmacy bodies encourage members of the public and pharmacy teams to show their support for the campaign on social media, as well as signing the petition and contacting their local MPs about fair funding. A further resource in the form of a window poster is being printed and will shortly be mailed out to all community pharmacies in England. It is the latest output of a joint programme of work being coordinated by PSNC, CCA, AIM and the NPA.

A recent report from Healthwatch England has highlighted that while people highly value the accessibility of community pharmacies, both in terms of location and prompt service, they also encounter challenges in getting the most out of their pharmacy care experience. The report titled 'Pharmacy: What People' is based on the research conducted by the organisation in November last year, involving 1,650 people who shared their experiences of pharmacy services in England. It showed the country's notable dependence on community pharmacies, with 72 per cent of respondents saying they have used a community pharmacy in the past three months. Usage of online pharmacies is considerably lower than community pharmacies, with only 18 per cent of individuals having used an online pharmacy in the past three months, according to the report published on Tuesday (30 April).

In response to concerns raised by pharmacy owners, the government has decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service from 20 to 15 clinical pathways. The ability of pharmacy owners to achieve the thresholds for the monthly Pharmacy First payments has been a topic of great concern. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has been actively discussing this issue over the last few weeks with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. Ministers have now decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 15, CPE announced today (July 31). Commenting on this decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England said: "We are pleased that Ministers have listened to our concerns and acted quickly to make an adjustment so soon after coming into office."

To maximise the benefits of the Pharmacy First service for patients, the NHS, and community pharmacies, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has advised the community pharmacists to to establish a robust relationship between community pharmacies and local general practices. The news comes after several reports highlighted issues regarding GP referrals for the seven minor ailment conditions under the Pharmacy First services. According to the reports, many pharmacists claimed that "many GPs in England are not sending patients to them to be treated - and that some are refusing to participate at all in the "groundbreaking" Pharmacy First scheme". In response to foster better relationship with the GPs, CPE has said that strong local collaborations will enable general practice teams to confidently refer patients to the Pharmacy First and other community pharmacy services where appropriate. Moreover, the organisation emphasised implementation of long-term changes in practice will take time. The current focus on integrating GP referrals to Pharmacy First will likely require sustained effort over several months or longer.

A new report from Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has raised alarms about the severe financial challenges plaguing pharmacies across the sector, threatening their ability to provide even the core services for their patients. The findings are based on responses from over 6,100 pharmacy owners and 2,000 pharmacy staff who participated in the recent Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2024. The report reveals that spiralling costs and increased workloads, coupled with a 30 per cent funding cut in real terms since 2015, are putting countless pharmacies at risk of closure. "Nearly 1 in 6 may close within the next year," the report revealed. A vast majority (94 per cent) of pharmacy owners reported that they have seen significant increases in costs, with almost two-thirds (64 per cent) saying they are operating at a loss. Concerningly, these financial pressures are now affecting patient care, as 18 per cent of pharmacy staff reported severe impacts. The survey revealed that most pharmacies are experiencing longer prescription dispensing times (86 per cent), delays in responding to patient inquiries (80 per cent), and less time to spend with patients (79 per cent).

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.