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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended elosulfase alfa for routine use in the NHS for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type 4A (also known as MPS 4A and Morquio A syndrome). Elosulfase alfa, also called Vimizin and made by BioMarin, becomes the first disease modifying treatment recommended by NICE for routine NHS use for people with this rare, severely life-limiting condition. NICE's final draft guidance follows the collection of 'real-world' data from 69 people who received NHS-funded treatment since 2015 as part of a managed access agreement. Clinical trial evidence and data collected as part of the managed access agreement, along with expert clinical opinion, shows some long-term benefits with elosulfase alfa treatment which suggest it slows progression of MPS 4A.

Southwark Crown Court on Thursday sentenced two pharmacists to two years of imprisonment each, suspended for 24 months, after they were found guilty of selling 'industrial' quantities of Class C controlled drugs. Mandip Sidhu (47) of Littleover, Derby and Nabeil Nasr (42) of Cheadle, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing following an investigation by the Criminal Enforcement Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Both Sidhu and Nasr were pharmacists registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council at the time of the offenses, which took place between May 2013 and June 2017. Sidhu was the director of Pharmaceutical Health Limited (PHL) in Derby, while Nasr owned several pharmacies across the North West of England. Sidhu was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each of five counts of supplying Class C drugs and four months for forgery, all to run concurrently and suspended for 24 months. Additionally, she must complete 200 hours of community service for her role in the illegal supply of diazepam, zolpidem, and zopiclone.

The UK government's community diagnostic centre programme, which was first launch in July 2021, is helping cut waiting lists, and speed up diagnoses and treatments for NHS patients. As of November 2023, a total of 6.1 million vital checks have been carried out at community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across England, according to a joint statement released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England. Under the £2.3 billion programme, 141 CDCs have been opened across the country in a variety of settings including shopping centres, university campuses and football stadiums, offering patients a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home. The government has set a target to open 160 CDCs by March 2025, with many expected to open ahead of schedule.

The latest findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2022 by QualityWatch, a joint programme with the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation shed light on concerning disparities faced by ethnic minority communities in the UK healthcare system. Despite strides in cancer care, the survey highlights persistent challenges in easy and equitable access to timely diagnosis and quality communication, particularly for individuals from Mixed, Black, or Asian backgrounds. Key insights from the survey underscored that individuals from ethnic minority groups often require a higher number of interactions with healthcare professionals before receiving a cancer diagnosis. Notably, one in three people from Mixed, Black, or Asian ethnicities needed three or more visits to a GP practice, compared to the average of one in five across the population. These delays in diagnosis can have significant implications for treatment outcomes and overall patient experience. Moreover, the survey revealed concerning trends regarding the quality of communication following a cancer diagnosis among ethnic minority patients.

A pair of pharmacist brothers, who also own a popular restaurant in Kent, have started an innovative initiative 'Jabs with Kebabs' to encourage their community in England to come forward and take their Covid-19 vaccines. Rav and Raj Chopra, who own V's Punjabi Grill, an Indian restaurant in Gravesend, established the walk-in vaccine site after their father, Jagtar Chopra, became unwell with Covid-19 last year. The duo is among thousands to volunteer for the National Health Service (NHS) vaccine programme. Talking to the PA news agency, Raj said he was inspired by the experience of his father, who got infected with the virus and has fully recovered since then. "From a personal point of view, it was very debilitating to see Dad like that," said Raj Chopra. "It got everyone's emotions in play.

To curb the supply issue of HRT medicine, the government has taken a further action by issuing SSPs for Oestrogel, Ovestin cream, Lenzetto transdermal spray and Sandrena gel sachets - with appropriate alternatives. The move aims to allow community pharmacists to supply specified alternatives to the prescribed HRT products without needing to seek authorisation from the clinician who has prescribed the medicine. The regulator said that the availability of Premique Low Dose has impoved 'thanks to SSPs issued on 29 April to restrict dispensing for Oestrogel, Ovestin and Premique Low Dose to three months' supply'. "Since these measures were implemented, further deliveries of all three products have been made, with Premique Low Dose returning to good availability this week. The manufacturers of Oestrogel and Ovestin, as well as suppliers of alternative HRT products, are taking action to increase UK supply." It added, "SSPs restricting prescriptions to a maximum of three months' supply will also be issued for substitute products, as a precautionary measure to ensure the supply of those substitutes is maintained."

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 Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reiterated its call for all pharmacists working at Boots to join the PDA Union to support the collective voice of the profession within the company. It said this would enable PDA to send direct communications to pharmacists working at Boots and keep them up to date with key matters impacting their work life. Currently, the association uses the company communication channels to cascade key information to the non-member pharmacists, however, it fears such measures can be disrupted by management. Besides, having more member pharmacists at Boots would strengthen their "negotiating power", PDA said.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the Health Secretary Sajid Javid's plan to appoint Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) tsar to tackle the medicine shortages. On Sunday (April 24) Sajid Javid told the Mail that he planned to tackle the problem (shortage of HRT medicine) by appointing a new HRT tsar with the role modelled on that of Kate Bingham, who successfully led the government's Covid vaccine taskforce. "The difficulties in accessing HRT medicine have unfairly impacted women's mental health," said RPS President, Professor Claire Anderson. "I look forward to working with this new champion for HRT and the Government on how we can better support women's health, building on the positive move to reduce prescription charges for HRT for women." Anderson also stressed that "the Government should now go further and end unfair prescription charges for patients in England altogether."

The Swiss competition commission (COMCO) has opened an investigation of Novartis over possible unlawful use of a patent to reduce competitive pressure, the Swiss drugmaker confirmed on Thursday, September 15. COMCO conducted an early morning raid on the company on Sept. 13, it said in a statement that did not name Novartis, which subsequently said in its own statement that it was the group under investigation. "The company allegedly attempted to protect its drug for the treatment of skin diseases against competing products by using one of its patents to initiate litigation proceedings," COMCO said in a statement. Novartis said COMCO had started an investigation in collaboration with the European Commission into the assertion of a patent in the broader field of dermatology treatments. "In connection with this investigation, COMCO representatives visited the company headquarters in Basel," it said.

Reena Mehta, consultant pharmacist in the Critical Care team at NHS King's College Hospital, has been announced as chair of the Learning Division for the Intensive Care Society. Mehta took up the post with effect from 8th April, and is the first pharmacist to hold the role of Chair of the Learning Division within the Society. "It is a privilege to be part of the Society and support its life-saving work to enhance our understanding of critical illness and deliver better care to patients," "The intensive care community is made up of multiple professions, each playing a vital role within the critical care team, and I am extremely proud to be the first pharmacist appointed to this important role." In her role as chair of the Learning Division, Mehta will oversee the content of the Society's study days and be responsible for exploring new opportunities for the Intensive Care Society to provide training for our multi professional intensive care community.

The Galien Foundation recently announced the winners of the 2024 Prix Galien UK Awards, with the University of Oxford receiving accolades for its groundbreaking contributions to public sector innovation through the PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC Trials. These trials, spearheaded by Oxford's team of experts, have set a new standard for scientific innovation aimed at improving global health outcomes. Led by University of Oxford, the PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC Trials epitomize a remarkable collaboration aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Whether it's the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and those suffering with long Covid, or the financial pressures of rising living costs, these hard times can affect absolutely anyone's mental health. Mental health problems have worsened across all age-groups in the last few years, from lack of social interaction, unexpected bereavements or the significant impact of a physical injury or long-term illness taking its toll on mental wellbeing - these challenging experiences and situations that we face throughout life leave a big strain on the population. Ultimately, there is an urgent need to reduce rising levels of mental ill-health in our society. As a pharmacist with 25 years' experience in healthcare, I feel I have an obligation to my patients to support them with their healthcare needs, and mental health should be treated just the same as physical health. Despite efforts to improve NHS mental health services, patients may still not be receiving the appropriate immediate care as they are often provided with online counselling or an App for long-term support (online support introduced since the pandemic). Community pharmacists are in a unique position to be advocates for patients with mental illness as they are the healthcare professionals' patients see most often. This is a good opportunity for pharmacists to speak to patients face-to-face and give them advice in a more practical way rather than potentially waiting weeks for an GP appointment.

A bout 15 to 30 per cent of the UK population suffers from hay fever and there has been a definite increase in the number of moderate to severe hay fever sufferers, with sufferers experiencing more frequent and longer seasons. And now that the government has announced its plans for the easing of lockdown, community pharmacists can expect to see many more of their patients presenting with more severe symptoms than usual, as there will be more opportunities to spend time outside and be exposed to higher levels of pollen. Symptoms Common symptoms include sneezing, a runny stuffed up nose, itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion and a general stuffed up feeling in the nose and throat. Some experience itching around the face and mouth, with an itchy palette, and burning sensation in the throat. Headaches and wheezing can also occur, as well as an overall achy feeling, or build-up of pressure in the facial area. The sinus area can become painful and constant nose blowing can leave sufferers with skin irritation. This can lead to tiredness and affect sleep, which in turn reduces energy.

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.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) on Monday alerted the Health and Social Care Committee that medicines shortages have increased and are "around double what they were a year ago." BGMA chief executive Mark Samuels told the committee that they have been highlighting the medicine shortage risk to ministers since July 2021 and the association is "very concerned" about the current situation. "We've been monitoring it for several years now, and as you saw in the written evidence, shortages have increased. They're around double what they were a year ago. We have them at 101 shortages in February this year," said Samuels. Dr Rick Greville, director of distribution and supply at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), highlighted that the problem of drug shortages in the UK is a "long-standing issue" and the scarcity of certain medications "continues to be challenging".

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)'s decision to withdraw gluten free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease across Leeds and Calderdale has disappointed Coeliac UK. In a statement released on Thursday, the charity, which provides support and advice to those living with the disease, has raised "grave concerns" about the decision, warning that it will have a detrimental impact on the coeliac community. The policy is currently implemented across the ICB's other places including Bradford district and Craven, Kirklees and Wakefield district, preventing coeliac patients from accessing gluten free bread and flour mix on prescription. NHS West Yorkshire ICB wants to align its gluten free prescribing guidelines across its five places. But the charity is worried that the additional cost of gluten free staple products will poses a real challenge to maintaining the gluten-free diet, which is the only treatment for the condition.

When faced with the unfortunate situation of medical malpractice, it's understandable that you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the next steps. One crucial aspect that often gets overlooked in the turmoil is the importance of timely filing a medical malpractice claim. Delaying this process can have significant negative consequences on your ability to secure justice and compensation. Here's why you shouldn't delay in filing a medical malpractice claim. A Crucial Step in Seeking Justice When faced with legal challenges, finding the right lawyer is paramount. Your choice of legal representation can significantly impact the outcome of your case and your overall experience throughout the legal process. Begin by identifying lawyers with expertise in your specific legal issue, whether it's personal injury, family law, or business disputes. Conduct thorough research, read client reviews, and seek recommendations from trusted sources to narrow down your options. Meet with potential attorneys for consultations to assess their experience, communication style, and commitment to your case. Whether you are looking for a Scranton Medical Malpractice Lawyer or in any other place, look for a lawyer who not only has the necessary skills and knowledge but also demonstrates empathy, transparency, and a genuine dedication to advocating for your rights. By investing time and effort into finding the right lawyer, you set the foundation for a strong legal strategy and increase your chances of a favorable resolution.

A Labour Party analysis of NHS trust figures has revealed that around 148,000 people died last year while waiting for treatment in England. This is more than double the figure recorded in 2017/18, which stood at around 60,000 deaths. It even surpasses the mortality rate observed in 2021, during the peak of the Covid pandemic. The Labour Party obtained the data through a freedom of information request sent to every NHS trust in England. Out of the 169 acute and community trusts contacted, 80 responded. The total number of deaths reported by the respondents was 61,396. Extrapolating this figure to all trusts would suggest a total of 148,227 deaths.