Group items tagged

Three leading healthcare bodies in Scotland have called for action to reduce the environmental impact caused by medicine prescribing. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland have all urged policymakers to enable a more sustainable approach to prescribing. This includes prioritising the introduction of electronic prescribing across the NHS, introducing the requirement for an environmental impact in NHS medicines procurement and improving the availability of data about the environmental impact of medicines. "We call on Scottish government, including the chief medical officer, to enable the delivery of a realistic medicine approach to prescribing by developing a supportive infrastructure for green social prescribing across Scotland," said the healthcare professionals in a joint statement. They have called on the pharmaceutical industry to make information about the environmental impact of medicines readily available in a standardised data format.

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has expressed its interest to support pharmacists impacted with the latest announcement of the closure of Tesco pharmacies. "Tesco have followed ASDA and LloydsPharmacy (at Sainsbury's) to announce cost cutting changes to their stores, impacting hundreds of jobs," the association said. The PDA's interests in the announcement relate to the planned closure of eight in-store Tesco pharmacies and the impact of those closures upon pharmacists, however the union is of course concerned for all those impacted. The PDA Union will support individual PDA members impacted by the decision so that they are aware of, and can exercise, their rights at work in relation to this situation. Paul Day, PDA Union Director said, "In addition to the immediate impact on pharmacists employed at the stores marked for closure, this is the third instance in just twelve days of reductions in the overall access to a pharmacy for NHS patients. We expect those who represent communities to be concerned about the loss of a key part of their local NHS service."

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.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland hosted an event celebrating the collaborative work of the health professions and policy makers in Scotland on reducing the environmental harm from prescribing and medicines use. To share priorities for the Scottish Government, Alpana Mair, Head of Effective Therapeutics and Prescribing spoke and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch appeared virtually. Gillian MacKay MSP, Scottish Greens spokesperson for Health and Social Care also joined in-person. Medicines account for around 25% of the NHS's carbon emissions and have an ecological impact when they enter our wastewater system or our rivers and oceans. Tackling the impact of prescribing will be a key part of meeting the ambition of a net zero NHS Scotland by 2040 at the latest. Together, RCGP Scotland and RPS have held two roundtable events on sustainable prescribing, and in June 2022, released a joint statement calling for a wide range of actions, which was signed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the College of Radiographers, Royal College of Nursing, Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Continuing the work of RPS at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, the event aims to mark an opportunity for health professionals and decision makers alike to join a global movement of sustainability in healthcare, and pledge to continue the important work of cutting the climate impact of medicine use while maintaining the highest level of patient care and safety.

Consumer health company Haleon, formerly known as GSK, claims that pain's emotional and life impact has grown by nearly 25 per cent in the past decade. The company has launched a campaign #ListenToPain to personalise patients' pain management through a series of practical tools and resources. The campaign was introduced on 28 September which focused on enabling the HCPs to maximise their time with patients and understand their pain experience - providing them with an effective treatment plan. The new data has been obtained through the fifth edition of the Haleon Pain Index (HPI). This social study measured the impact of individuals' everyday lives, their health, their feelings, their emotions, motivations and behaviours. They have spoken to more than 87,000 people around the world since their first edition in 2014 - HPI 1 (The State of Pain), which later progressed over the years from HPI 2 (Impact of Pain) in 2017, then HPI 3 (Managing Pain) in 2018, to HPI 4 (Treatment Journey), and finally HPI 5 (Pain and Inclusivity) in 2023.

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) to host a Parliamentary drop-in event in July to brief MPs and Peers about the ongoing medicines supply chain issues that are negatively affecting pharmacies and their patients across the country. CPE's Pressures Survey earlier this year highlighted the extent of both the operational and financial impacts of medicines supply issues on pharmacy businesses, therefore it has continued to hear from both pharmacy owners and others about the problems. The event aims to ensure that MPs understand the problems and their impact on pharmacies. Peter Dowd MP is hosting the event, joined by representatives from Community Pharmacy England, the Nuffield Trust, patient groups and more. The event will also be another opportunity to talk to MPs from across the political spectrum about the very serious situation that community pharmacies still find themselves in and the need for further investment in the sector. Janet Morrison OBE, Chief executive of Community Pharmacy England said: "The results of our Pressures Survey earlier this year showed just how much supply issues are continuing to negatively impact pharmacy businesses and all those who work in them. The survey found that almost all pharmacy owners (97%) are facing significant increases in wholesaler and medicine supply issues, with 71% saying this was leading to delays in prescriptions being issued.

Erection problems are common conditions that can affect adult men of any age. General awareness about erection problems has grown in recent years, and men's partners and society at-large generally view it as a common condition. Indeed, 75% of men and their partners agree that they are a normal part of life for a man. But despite progress to normalise the condition, the research points to the fact that men still feel responsible for erection problems. The survey's key findings underscore the multi-faceted social pressure men feel to perform socially, professionally, emotionally, and sexually. 90% of men feel expected to provide financial support, 80%+ feel they should be in control of their feelings, and 92% think it is expected of them to perform in bed. Despite erection problems being commonplace, expectations about sexual performance complicate the situation and make a major impact on the lives of those it affects. When men are confronted with erection problems, 60% expressed feeling disappointed. This disappointment, combined with the difficulty that 1 in 3 men have spoken about it, has a strong impact on well-being. 36% of men feel their mental health has been impacted by erection problems and leads to a feeling of guilt, and 74% of men feel responsible for difficulties in achieving or maintaining an erection.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is supporting pharmacists in England whose employment has been impacted by the creation of new NHS structures. As a result of the 2022 Health and Care Act, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) were established in England, and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were closed on 1 July 2022. Each of the ICSs includes two key parts: an Integrated Care Board (ICB) and an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP). The association said: "The previous structures in England, established by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, originally had over 200 clinical commissioning groups. This number had reduced over recent years via mergers." "However, this latest shift to just 42 commissioning entities means a significant change to significantly larger geographies and populations covered by each ICS. Although each ICS and its activity can be subdivided into 'places', and within places into 'neighbourhoods', it is at the ICS level that the employer is formed." "Whereas CCGs previously employed many local health professionals, including pharmacists, the new arrangements mean that ICBs are now that employer. The PDA is supporting members who have contacted its Service Centre about the impact of these changes."

The recent industrial action by junior doctors and hospital dental trainees, which is considered the longest strike in NHS history, caused a significant impact on the NHS services. Data published by NHS England showed that 113,779 inpatient and outpatient appointments were rescheduled due to the strike, which began on Wednesday 3 January at 7.00am and finished at 7.00am on Tuesday 9 January. Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the health service, but 25,446 staff remained absent from work at the peak of the last week's latest action. The ongoing dispute between junior doctors and government over the 2022/23 pay award has disrupted more than one million hospital appointments so far. The junior doctors' strike in December 2023 impacted 86,329 hospital appointments, and their previous action in October saw over 86,000 appointments cancelled.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have been tasked to evaluate the impact, safety and effectiveness of the Pharmacy First service, which was launched across England in January 2024. They have been awarded £2.4million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to generate evidence on the new service that allows pharmacies to provide advice and treatment for seven common conditions without the need for a GP appointment. After consultation, if necessary, a community pharmacist can supply some prescription-only medicines to treat earache, sore throat, sinusitis, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites or uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. The LSHTM researcher team will be working together with experts at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Universities of Oxford, Manchester and Nottingham on the project. Dr Rebecca Glover, assistant professor in Antimicrobial Resistance at LSHTM, who will lead the three-year project, said they will evaluate "Pharmacy First's impact on GPs and the wider NHS, pharmacy services and patients."

Visual Impact acts by assisting its followers to build muscle without adding any fat in the process.

Impacts of Caffeine on Workout? It improves fitness performance? Helps in weight lose results? Read on to find out how caffeine affects you and improves your athletic performance

Laser Tattoo Removal - Factors That May Have an Impact of The Costs - Laser Skin Care by Osama Naeem

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges co-hosted the NHS Education for Scotland annual virtual conference to discuss the environmental impact of prescribing. One of the conclusions drawn from the conference on Thursday (April 28) stressed on environmentally sustainable prescribing should be embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate health care education. Delegates at the session said they or their teams needed more education. They also needed more information and resources when prescribing to be able to consider environmental issues. Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health at NHS Highland, told the session: "There's a lot of work to be done to reduce carbon emissions. The NHS has identified the use of metered-dose inhalers as its second biggest cause of carbon emissions as the propellant gases have significant global warming potential.

A report released by the Independent Commission has blamed Brexit supply issues for medicine shortages. NHS is forced to pay extortionate prices to fulfil the demand for vital antibiotics, anti-depressants, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) drugs. The report highlights the impact of affected medicine supply issues on community pharmacies and patients. Janet Morrison, the chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, backed the report and said that the "medicine shortages and market instability appear to be as bad as they have ever been". She also explained how the Ukraine conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and broader economic instability also play a major factor in the situation.

The result from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)'s survey showed that pharmacists witnessed 'the cost of living is having an impact on whether people can afford prescription medicines in England'. RPS has long campaigned to remove prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England because they create a financial barrier to patients receiving the medicines needed to keep them well. The charge currently stands at £9.35 per item prescrib9ed and an annual rise usually occurs in April. Prescriptions are free for people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. One in two pharmacists who responded to the survey said they've seen an increase in the last six months in patients asking them which medicines on their prescription they can 'do without' due to affordability issues. One in two pharmacists had seen a rise in people not collecting their prescription, whilst two out of three pharmacists reported an increase in being asked if there was a cheaper, over-the-counter substitute for the medicine they had been prescribed.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) highlighted the role played by community pharmacies during pandemic to provide urgent care and vital support to people with long-term medical conditions at its opening remark in the Covid-19 public inquiry held on Tuesday (28 February). NPA is the core participant in the Covid-19 public inquiry. lawyer Brian Stanton made an opening statement on the NPA's behalf which focused on three areas- health inequalities and the needs of vulnerable patients; the impact of medicine shortages and medicine price increases and the challenge that community pharmacy faced in responding to the pandemic and maintaining patient services following long-term under investment. Stanton said: "The UK's community pharmacies were on the frontline of efforts to limit the impact of coronavirus and to keep people well, and as well as handling a massive increase in demand for healthcare advice and medicines, they also continued to provide urgent care and vital support to people with long-term medical conditions. "However, there are now very many at risk of closure during to underfunding and when the Inquiry comes to consider its recommendations the NPA would encourage you [the presiding judge] to think about how resilience can be built into future plans." The statement included a compelling account of the commitment typical of so many pharmacies during the pandemic - from husband and wife Pete and Sukhi Johal, both NPA members and pharmacists, who co-own Calow Pharmacy in Chesterfield.

A recent report by the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has shed light on ongoing supply challenges in England's generic medicines market, revealing significant issues impacting patient care. The report highlights significant challenges faced in supply of medicines as currently, 51.72 per cent of generics in short supply lack licensed alternatives, posing substantial hurdles to ensuring continuous patient care. Additionally, 39.08 per cent of affected generics are branded, indicating widespread disruptions across the market. A notable 26.44 per cent of generics experiencing shortages have been affected for over six months, highlighting persistent difficulties in supply chain management. The report indicates that 0.15 per cent of generic medicine presentations listed in the Drug Tariff are currently facing supply issues, impacting accessibility nationwide.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPHC), Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), Company Chemists Association (CCA), Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), and Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) have released a joint statement in response to the far-right riots across the UK. They emphasised their united stance, declaring zero tolerance for racism towards colleagues or the public in any form. The joint statement reads: "We are shocked and saddened by the violent public disorder events in recent days. "We acknowledge how all sectors of the pharmacy profession may be impacted and recognise the challenges that this level of overt aggression can have on people's ability or willingness to live their daily lives. "The pharmacy workforce deserves peace and safety, not fear and harm. We stand united in having a zero tolerance of racism towards our colleagues or the public in whatever form it takes." Meanwhile, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has expressed concerns that protests and violent disorder in various towns and cities across England may impact the ability of community pharmacies to operate.