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Nine in ten people surveyed by Ipsos on behalf on NHS positively rated the advice they received from their local pharmacies. The results from Ipsos found that the vast majority of patients (91%) who had used a community pharmacy in the previous year for advice about medicines, a health problem or injury, or what health service they should use said they received good advice. The research comes as more than 11,000 pharmacies in England can now access training to spot signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumours earlier when they are easier to treat. Thorrun Govind, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board, said: "Community pharmacists are working exceptionally hard to make sure that the public gets the right advice at the right time. This new data shows the public appreciate both the accessibility and quality of advice they receive from community pharmacists. "I am delighted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working with the NHS to deliver professional development for community pharmacists to further enhance their clinical consultation skills.

In a recent survey of 2,000 UK adults, 34 per cent preferred consulting pharmacists for health advice after researching symptoms, while for those surveyed specifically from Wales, this figure increased to 35 per cent, according to 2San - a global supplier of healthcare products and solutions. The survey said women had a higher tendency, with 39 per cent seeking their pharmacist's guidance compared to 29 per cent of men surveyed. According to the survey findings, over one-fifth of people in the UK are turning to pharmacists instead of their primary care physician or doctor for guidance and advice with medical symptoms. "With more than 38 million patients in the UK waiting more than two weeks for a GP appointment, it is unsurprising that 34 per cent of people surveyed asked a pharmacist for advice over their primary care physician/doctor in the last 12 months," 2san said. In Wales, over a third of people prefer their community pharmacist for support and advice, while those aged 65 and above still tend to consult their primary care physician.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is encouraging community pharmacy contractors and their teams to take part in the negotiator's latest Pharmacy Advice Audit. The audit has been extended but results must be submitted by 23.59 on Friday (March 11). Under the audit, pharmacy teams need to record information about the informal healthcare advice that they give in a single day, which would provide a critical check on how people continue to rely on community pharmacies. The results of the audit will provide key evidence for use in funding discussions with the government and the NHS. Last year's Advice Audit highlighted the scale of the informal consultations that took place in pharmacies during the pandemic, and helped the PSNC to persuade MPs to support the case for Covid-19 costs.

Asda Ramsgate pharmacy worker Claire Twyman saved life of a regular patient Rose Doyle by giving her a timely advice to visit A&E after spotting a blood clot on her leg. Doyle (75) spent five days in Margate Hospital, and after recovering she called in at the store to thank Twyman for her quick-thinking actions. She handed her a thank-you note which read: "Thank you for making me go to A&E. You may have saved my life, so thank you once again I am really grateful." Twyman, who has worked at the store for nine years, said: "I was just happy that I was able to help her and give her that advice, which made a difference. It could have been a lot worse if she'd left it. I'm so glad she's okay. "Rose came over to the pharmacy for advice on her leg. I looked down and told her it was really swollen, and then asked to look at her foot. I thought straightaway that it was a thrombosis, a blood clot. Her toes were very white, but I didn't want to alarm her."

ECG has launched a new 'simple and straightforward' Patient Group Direction (PGD) service for pharmacists working in primary care, together with a service which offers direct access to an NHS Consultant for medical advice to offer robust safeguarding as and when needed. Taking on more clinical services with the PGDs can feel daunting and a big responsibility for healthcare professionals. ECG's new medical advice service (for anyone purchasing their PGDs) will offer pharmacists the opportunity to call and speak to a clinical member of the ECG team who will triage the calls and support them. If required, the call will be connected to an experienced NHS Consultant to offer immediate medical advice. The service will start with a Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30hrs provision with an option to increase to 24 /7 for those working out of hours. This is inclusive in the PGD pricing offer. ECG has been the market leader in providing vaccination training to pharmacists since 2004, providing robust knowledge and clinical skills to enable pharmacists to develop their private and NHS commissioned vaccination services (such as flu and covid). By developing their close working relationship with all of the multiples, many smaller chains, membership groups and independents over the years, ECG has continued to further consolidate their 'one stop shop' approach to supporting the sector. ECG wants to offer this sector choices in the level of guidance and support that the individual healthcare professionals feel they need to offer safe care to patients.

The Department of Health (DoH) Northern Ireland is reminding the public to think Pharmacy First this winter to stay well and reduce demands on other parts of their health service. Under this new advanced service, a local pharmacy can provide treatment and advice on a range of health conditions including common colds, stomach upsets, ear aches, diarrhoea, head lice, mouth ulcers and thrush. Pharmacies will also directly provide emergency contraception and advice and treatment for uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) for women aged 16 to 64 years without the need for a GP appointment, the department said. Further the public are informed that 42 community pharmacies across the country will be providing a sore throat service this winter, involving advice, testing for infection and treatment, if necessary.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has shared materials to help community pharmacy in communicating relevant advice to people during this heatwave. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a heat-health alert for the next few days. It has also published a beat the heat poster, along with its heatwave guidance, which could be used in pharmacies to raise awareness. "During this heatwave, the public may turn to community pharmacy teams for advice about staying well during the hot weather or to seek assistance when feeling unwell because of the heat," PSNC said. It has previously developed materials that may be used by community pharmacy teams to communicate relevant messages contained in the Heatwave Plan for England and the NHS website guidance on how to cope in hot weather.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is encouraging community pharmacy contractors to participate in its third Pharmacy Advice Audit due to be held in the week commencing Monday (January 31). The audit is aimed to demonstrate how pharmacies support their communities every day and assist PSNC in gathering evidence for use in the funding discussions with the government and the NHS. It said that last year's Advice Audit provided compelling evidence for use in negotiations with the government and helped in persuading MPs to support the case for Covid-19 costs. PSNC said: "We would therefore be very grateful to anyone able to take part in this year's audit."

Nearly 70 years ago the UK Government recognised the imbalance of power between commercial landlords and tenants and passed the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the Act), giving most commercial tenants a right of security of tenure. What is security of tenure? The Act grants tenants of business premises (so this would include pharmacy tenants) the right when the fixed term of their lease has ended to remain in occupation of the premises and the right to apply for the grant of a new lease. The landlord can only object to the grant of the new lease of the premises to the tenant, and therefore regain possession of the property on certain grounds set out in the Act. The parties to a lease can contract outside the provisions of the Act and where this is the case, a tenant would not have security of tenure. Most landlords will insist on no security of tenure where a lease is granted for a short term. As pharmacy leases have tended to be granted for longer terms (usually between 10 and 15 years) pharmacy tenants often have security of tenure. The Act sets out strict procedures which need to be followed to both contract outside the provisions of security of tenure and also to exercise the security of tenure rights granted by the Act. Pharmacists should take legal advice before agreeing to a pharmacy lease being excluded from the Act, and also at the end of their lease term whether or not they have security of tenure. If the lease is contracted outside of the Act, advice should be sought on agreeing new lease terms, if the pharmacist wishes to remain, as there will be no right to do so beyond the end of the lease term. If the lease is protected by the security of tenure provisions of the Act, advice should still be sought, as the Act prescribes a formal notice procedure that both the landlord and tenant must adhere to, before a new lease can be granted.

Will Quince, MP for Colchester and Health Minister visited Rowlands pharmacy on Friday (20 January) in Nayland Road in his constituency. The important role played by pharmacies in providing NHS care, support, and advice helping the local community to live healthier lives and manage long-term conditions were discussed among the pharmacy teams. Mr Quince said: "Community pharmacy is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring people in Colchester have convenient walk-in access to the healthcare support and advice they need. Pharmacies are not simply places to collect prescriptions, they provide a wide range of services and are the third pillar of access to primary care alongside GPs and A&E. I would urge people to think pharmacy first if they have a minor ailment; need advice on taking their medication; want to stop smoking or want to check their blood pressure."

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).

Dentistry is one of the most important yet underappreciated professions in the world. Without dental professionals, our teeth would fall out, we wouldn't be able to eat correctly, and our overall health would suffer. That's why ensuring you're doing everything possible to succeed in dentistry is crucial. And one of the best ways to do that is to listen to the advice of those who have come before you. If you are looking for some great tips on how to make it in the world of dentistry, then you have come to the right place. Here are four pieces of advice that will help you succeed. ATTEND A REPUTABLE DENTISTRY SCHOOL To be a great dentist, you must start with an excellent education. And that means attending a reputable dentistry school. There are many different schools, so it's essential to do your research and find one that is right for you, and this article gives an example of a dentistry course program overview. Consider things like accreditation, curriculum, clinical experience, and more when deciding. Additionally, it's important to note that you don't necessarily need to attend the most expensive school to get an excellent education. There are many affordable schools out there that can provide you with everything you need to succeed.

After you've had surgery, it's normal to feel a little anxious about the recovery process. But there are some things you can do to help make sure everything goes smoothly. Here are four important pieces of postoperative advice that will help you heal quickly and avoid any complications. Follow these tips and you'll be on your way to a full recovery in no time. FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR'S ORDERS No matter how minor the operation, following your doctor's orders after surgery is essential to a speedy and successful recovery. Doing the right things like following a balanced diet, taking the recommended amount of medications, and avoiding strenuous activity can help minimize complications, reduce pain, and speed up healing. Furthermore, consistent follow-up visits with your doctor and timely scheduling of any necessary tests ensure that any post-operative problems are addressed in their early stages when they are easiest to treat. The people behind www.alamoplasticsurgery.com note that failing to take your doctor's instructions seriously can have a significant impact on your overall recovery time, jeopardize the long-term outcome of your treatment, or even lead to additional procedures. To ensure you make the most out of your surgery experience - listen to what your doctor has to say! GET PLENTY OF REST Getting a full night's rest after the surgery is key to a successful recovery. During recovery, your body is working overtime to heal and repair itself, so by getting plenty of rest, you'll give it the best opportunity to do this. Not only that - research has shown that getting lots of sleep may help support important bodily functions related to healing such as immune response and inflammation control. Listen to your doctor's advice post-surgery and make sure you get enough sleep - providing your body with the downtime it needs will ultimately speed up the healing process and help ensure you get back on your feet soon. When it comes to recovering from surgery,

Usually as we head into winter, we can all predict what our patients will be asking us about. But, just like the rest of the year has been like no other in community pharmacy, I'd expect this winter to be different too. This will present us with challenges, but also some great opportunities too. One shift we have seen over the last seven months of Covid is that more and more people in the community are turning to their pharmacy for help, support and advice. With our doors remaining open throughout the height of the pandemic, we've established ourselves firmly at the heart of local healthcare - a trend I'd expect to see continue over the winter, especially now that a second wave, it seems, is upon us. I think there's three different types of patients who we'll be seeing this winter coming to us for help and advice. First, we'll see those with a simple winter illness - for example, a common cold. For these patients our advice will be focused around self-care and home treatments. There is a wide range of products that we can recommend in the pharmacy from decongestants to combination products such as Night Nurse and nasal sprays.

There are many reasons why people might need help with their dental problems. Maybe they don't have insurance, or maybe they just don't have the money to go to a dentist. In these cases, the pharmacy can be a great option. Pharmacists can provide a variety of services that can help people with their dental problems, including over-the-counter medications and advice on how to take care of teeth and gums. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the ways that pharmacies can help you take care of your teeth! So, whether you have a toothache, cavities, or bad breath, a pharmacy can be a great place to turn. 1) OVER-COUNTER MEDICATIONS One of the most common services that pharmacies provide is the sale of over-the-counter medications. These medications are designed to be taken for short periods of time and can help with a variety of dental problems. For example, if you have a toothache, you can buy an antiseptic rinse or analgesic gel that can help relieve the pain. If you have bad breath, you can buy mouthwash or breath fresheners that will help mask the odor. And if you have cavities, you can purchase fluoride rinses or gels that can help with decay prevention. If you are worried about the cost of dentists, these medications can be a great way to get the relief you need without breaking the bank. However, it doesn't mean that you should neglect regular dental visits! 2) PROVIDE YOU WITH EDUCATION Another way pharmacy can help you with your dental problems is through advice and education. Pharmacists are trained to provide general information on oral hygiene and health and can help you make educated decisions about which products to buy. They can also provide recommendations on how often you should brush and floss your teeth, as well as advice on diet and lifestyle choices that can help prevent dental problems. In addition, some pharmacies may even have an oral health specialist on staff who can answer any questions you might have about your teeth or gums

Medical Doctors or hospital nurses require professional approach and actions whenever they give advice or perform operation to cure a patient's disease or give advice. However if you have been hurt unintentionally by a medical professional it is important to consult with New Jersey Medical Malpractice Lawyers and discuss your situation for legal actions to fight for your rights.

Britain's booster programme for Covid-19 vaccinations is set to be expanded following advice from scientists. The government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said today (November 15) that all healthy adults aged 40-49 should be offered a booster, six months after their second dose. Previously, the booster programme was limited to those aged 50 and over, and the clinically vulnerable. So far, some 12.6 million people have had a booster dose. The latest advice comes after the UK Health Security Agency released data from a real-world study which found the booster gave over 90 per cent protection against symptomatic Covid-19 for people aged 50 years and older.

Boots UK in association with Macmillan Cancer Support and the NHS has launched a Palliative Care Service in its pharmacies to provide easy access to vital medicines and specialist pharmacist advice and support to patients. As part of the new service, Boots has created a list of recommended medicines most used by terminally ill patients. It has committed to maintain stock of these medicines, or formulary, at over 2,000 of its pharmacies with an NHS contract. To further support the launch of the new service, all 4,200 Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists (BMIP) have received additional training on palliative care, including a range of cancer-related advice and side effects of medication. Marc Donovan, chief pharmacist at Boots said: "Discussing end-of-life care is never easy, but it is very important. At this extremely difficult time for patients and their families and carers, ease of access to medicines and support can make a big difference.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised booster vaccination to be offered this autumn (2023) for those at higher risk of severe Covid-19 in its interim advice to government on the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme for 2023. The JCVI also advised that for a smaller group of people, such as those who are older and those who are immunosuppressed, an extra booster vaccine dose in the spring should also be planned for. Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of Covid-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said: "The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to reduce severe disease across the population, while helping to protect the NHS. That is why we have advised planning for further booster vaccines for persons at higher risk of serious illness through an autumn booster programme later this year. We will very shortly also provide final advice on a spring booster programme for those at greatest risk."

More than half of people (52%) do not feel confident in treating backache and less than half (44%) uses community pharmacists' advice as their first step on self-treatable conditions, a self-care attitudes 2022 survey has revealed. PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, surveyed over 2,000 adults across the UK about their attitudes towards self-care and access to health services. According to the survey, the public is in favour of self-care but many people lack the confidence and knowledge to care for the most common self-treatable conditions including backaches, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation. Four in five respondents (79%) said that people should take more responsibility for their own health and three-quarters (73%) believe that the NHS should make self-treatment easier. Behaviours around the current use of pharmacy varied - with less than half (44%) using community pharmacists as their first step in in getting advice on self-treatable conditions - but longer term attitudes were encouraging, with 69% supporting the idea of GPs being able to make referrals to pharmacists. Respondents also supported expanding the role of pharmacists so that their skills can be better utilised.