The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) recently announced a valuable addition to their e-library collection: the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines,
authored by renowned experts Mark Horowitz and David Taylor.
Designed to assist pharmacists and clinicians in recognising and appropriately treating withdrawal effects of medications, the guidelines have garnered praise
from industry figures like Peter Pratt, National Speciality Advisor for Mental Health Pharmacy and RPS Fellow.
This initiative responds to the increasing demand for guidance on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medications, providing comprehensive support for
clinicians and patients alike.
Drawing on insights from contributors to The Lancet Psychiatry, the handbook offers step-by-step instructions for tapering antidepressants, benzodiazepines,
gabapentinoids, and z-drugs, along with troubleshooting strategies.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a partnership with the charity Marie Curie to develop professional standards in end of life care for community pharmacy.
Available for pharmacy teams across the UK, the standards will provide a free, evidence-based framework to help community pharmacies self-assess and continuously improve their end of life and bereavement care for patients and carers.
They will enable community pharmacy teams to work together to develop their own practice.
RPS is setting up a professional standard steering group which will have community pharmacy experts, experts within the field of palliative and end of life care,
lay members, and healthcare professionals who interact with community pharmacy.
Elen Jones, director lead for palliative care work at RPS, said: "RPS has a long-term commitment, striving to ensure that people living with life-limiting conditions
who are approaching the end of life have timely access to medicines and clinical support from a skilled pharmacy team.
"The development of these standards, in partnership with Marie Curie, is a crucial step to support community pharmacy teams to undertake simple quality improvement
measures and build upon the care they already provide to this group of patients and carers."
Ninety-six per cent of community pharmacists surveyed in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Workforce Wellbeing survey said they were at 'risk of burnout'.
A higher number of respondents working in community pharmacy (20%) reported not being offered breaks compared to all other sectors (8%) and were more likely to
experience verbal or physical abuse from patients and the public (69% vs an average 44%).
The annual Workforce Wellbeing survey also revealed that 88 per cent of pharmacists surveyed are at high risk of burnout due to winter pressure. Therefore, RPS is
calling for workforce planning for pharmacy to address skill mix and staffing levels so that workloads can be effectively managed.
Top factors causing poor mental health and wellbeing revealed by the survey include inadequate staffing (70%), lack of work/life balance (53%), lack of protected
learning time (48%) and lack of colleague/senior support (47%).
This is the fourth survey RPS has run in partnership with the charity Pharmacist Support on the state of mental health and wellbeing in pharmacy.
The findings demonstrate continued pressure on pharmacists and trainees across the workforce, especially in community pharmacy where 96% of those surveyed said they
were at risk of burnout.
RPS Scotland has partnered with charity organisation Marie Curie for an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament this week to highlight Daffodil Standards and
the crucial contribution of community pharmacies to palliative and end-of-life care. The exhibition is being sponsored by Jeremy Balfour MSP.
Community pharmacies offer vital assistance by providing guidance on medication adjustments and side effects, RPS Scotland said in a statement. They are easily
accessible without the need for an appointment, providing essential support and reassurance to families in times of need.
The Daffodil Standards, which is jointly developed by RPS and Marie Curie, drive continuous improvement in end-of-life and bereavement support within community
pharmacies, benefiting terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers. These standards align with the RCGP/Marie Curie guidelines for general practice
introduced in 2019.
Since its May launch, over 450 pharmacies throughout Great Britain, including more than 30 in Scotland, have implemented these principles, the statement said.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a new professional guidance for prescribing practice on Monday (June 6) which it says will be "for the
benefit of all independent prescribers across the UK".
Based on collaboration with multi-professional stakeholders, the document is a guidance tool for prescribers wanting to expand their prescribing scope of practice.
Commissioned by the Welsh government, the document was developed through an expert group with representatives from many healthcare professions, including from Higher Education institutions, professional bodies, regulatory bodies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education
and Improvement Wales, and representatives from hospital, community and GP practice.
RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It's fantastic to see the growth in prescribing, both across the profession and more widely, to improve patient care.
Recognising the changing practices in healthcare, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has revised and updated its position on the separation of
prescribing and dispensing or administration of a medicine by the same healthcare professional.
It's previous guidance, published in March 2020, restricted prescribing and dispensing by the same healthcare professional only in exceptional circumstances.
The new guidance, jointly developed with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has made prescribing and dispensing of medicines more flexible.
It clarifies that "where there is a risk assessment in place and in the best interests of the patient, the same healthcare professional can be responsible for
the prescribing and dispensing / supply / administration of medicines."
The change in the position statement follows an extensive year-long engagement exercise with medical associations, members, fellows, expert advisory groups,
patient groups and the RPS Country Boards.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has said that multi-buy deals on paracetamol violate the existing voluntary sales guidelines.
The professional body is urging the government to pass legislation that prohibits retailers from making such offers on medicines for pain relief.
They have also sent letters to MP Maria Caulfield who is the Minister for Mental Health and Women's Health.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is requesting to take action on the legislation at the earliest.
The concern raised is that multi-buy offers such as 'buy one get one free' can encourage people to buy and store excess packs, which may lead to accidental
or impulsive overdose.
In a surprising move that has divided the pharmacy profession, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has sanctioned hundreds of pharmacies to allow
patients to self-select certain Pharmacy (P) medicines, a decision met with strong opposition from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) as well as from the
Pharmacy Defense Association (PDA).
In a statement, RPS shared that at a board meeting held on 19th June, they expressed "disappointment" over what they described as a lack of prior consultation
and comprehensive communication from the GPhC regarding the implications of this policy shift.
They argue that allowing patients to self-select certain P medicines could potentially jeopardize established professional guidelines and compromise the role of
pharmacists in ensuring safe medication use.
"Enabled by the General Pharmaceutical Council, we understand that hundreds of pharmacies, from large multiples to small independents, have been approved by the
regulator to enable patients to self-select certain P medicines," the statement said.