The result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of
Northern Ireland (PSNI), have been published with an overall pass rate of 80 per cent.
A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.
This summer's pass rate has fallen to 80 per cent compared with the 82 per cent pass rate for the summer 2021 registration assessment, and the 61 per cent pass rate
for the Autumn 2021 registration assessment.
GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said: "We would like to congratulate the successful candidates and we look forward to them joining our register and continuing to
the next stage of their career.
"However, we appreciate that the June registration assessment was a difficult and stressful experience for many - and we are extremely sorry about the problems
faced by a number of candidates on the day.
"For those who did not pass, there is a guide on our website [PDF 255 KB] outlining all the options that may be available, such as provisional registration and
the right to appeal. There are also links to organisations and resources that can provide support with mental health and wellbeing.
Out of the 2,805 students who sat for the common registration assessment test for pharmacists this June, approximately 2,150 have passed the exam, according
to the General Pharmaceutical Council. It assesses pharmacy graduates' knowledge and skills to ensure safe and effective practice as pharmacists.
This year, the pass rate was 77 per cent, slightly lower than the 80 per cent pass rate in June 2022, where 2,147 out of 2,697 candidates cleared the assessment,
GPhC data showed.
The exam comprises a written assessment testing pharmaceutical science and pharmacy practice knowledge and a practical assessment evaluating clinical skills and
patient-facing competencies. Eligible candidates must complete an accredited pharmacy degree program and meet GPhC requirements.
The assessment is conducted jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.
"The assessment is a primary method for testing trainees' ability to apply knowledge and make professional judgments in pharmacy practice," said Mark Voce, Director
of Education and Standards, GPhC. "This is crucial in assuring patients and the public that they are in safe hands."
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the final price concessions for June 2023, following a discussion by Community Pharmacy England
regarding medicine pricing issues reported by pharmacy owners (its members).
A price concession only applies for the month it is granted; any prices agreed for concessions requested late in the month will roll over into the following month.
Community Pharmacy England encouraged pharmacies to report any problems obtaining a Part VIII product at or below the stated Drug Tariff price, using the online
feedback form on the Community Pharmacy England website along with full details of the supplier and price paid for any products sourced above the Drug Tariff price.
The association will investigate the extent of the problem and, if appropriate, discuss the issue with DHSC.
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.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory (MHRA) and Genomics England to launch a brand-new genetic research resource, known as a 'biobank' on Thursday
(June 01) to tackle the issue of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs).
Biobank will help to better understand how a patient's genetic makeup can impact the safety of their medicines.
"The Yellow Card biobank, which will contain genetic data and patient samples, will operate alongside the MHRA's Yellow Card reporting site for suspected side
effects and adverse incidents involving medicines and medical devices," said MHRA.
The biobank pilot will officially begin on 1 June 2023 with participant recruitment commencing later this year, on 1 September. The sequencing of participants'
genetic material will begin in Spring 2024, with initial research findings from the pilot due to be published in 2025. Genomics England will be supporting the
MHRA with sequencing and storage of genetic material through use of their well-established and secure infrastructure.
Eighty-one per cent of the National Pharmacy Association cohort of trainee pharmacists passed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s common registration assessment which took place in June.
The NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists helped students prepare for the assessment with study days and mock exams.
Celebrating the success of trainee pharmacists, it said: "The 81 per cent NPA pass rate reflected the comprehensive blended learning experience delivered by the
NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists and that we were able to resume face-to-face study days for this cohort after the restrictions of lockdowns."
Last month, the GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists with an overall
pass rate of 80 per cent.
A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 300mg and 600mg tablets on
Wednesday (14 June).
It has notified that the Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 300mg tablets will be out of stock from late June 2023 until mid-July 2023 and Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 600mg
tablets are out of stock until mid-July 2023.
However, generic oxcarbazepine 300mg and 600mg tablets remain available and will be able to support increased demand.
"Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 150mg tablets and generic oxcarbazepine 150mg tablets remain available but cannot support the increase in demand," said DHSC.
"Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 60mg/ml oral suspension remains available but cannot meet an increase in demand."
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Clomifene (Clomid) 50mg tablets on Monday (5 June).
It said: "Sanofi will be out of stock of clomifene (Clomid) 50mg tablets from w/c 12 June 2023 until w/c 18 September 2023."
"Generic clomifene 50mg tablets remain available from Wockhardt who are able to partially uplift supplies until the end of July 2023. Unlicensed supplies of
clomifene 50mg tablets may be sourced, lead times vary. Alternative medicines for use in infertility remain available," it added.
The specialist importers- Orifam and Target Healthcare have confirmed to DHSC they can source unlicensed clomifene 50mg tablets.
"If there is currently no listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems an EPS prescription for unlicensed
clomifene 50mg tablets cannot be issued," said Community Pharmacy England.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is encouraging people to come forward for their first and/ or second dose of the Covid vaccine before the free
offer ends on Friday (30 June).
The NHS's world-leading vaccination programme has so far delivered over 146 million Covid jabs.
Building on the success of autumn and spring booster programmes, a seasonal, targeted vaccination offer will remain open for those most at risk, in line with advice
from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: "As we live with Covid without restrictions on our freedoms, it is right that we move towards a more targeted vaccination
offer that prioritises those most at risk, so we can focus our efforts on cutting waiting lists for NHS treatment - one of the Prime Minister's top five priorities.
As the offer for any adult to get a Covid vaccine comes to an end on 30 June, I would urge those who have not yet come forward to choose to have the first and second
Covid vaccine. It takes minutes to get your jab and thousands of sites are open across England."
This year's spring booster programme continues to gather pace, with over two million eligible people receiving their vital top-up dose.
The General Pharmaceutical Council has apologised for severe delays and disruptions during the June foundation registration assessment at five test centres in
England on Wednesday (June 29).
The pharmacy regulator said it has since "contacted the candidates affected via email to apologise for the disruption and the extra worry this will have caused.
"We will also be issuing our usual survey for all candidates so we can hear directly from them about their experiences and have also asked candidates to get in touch
if they would like individual advice."
GPhC admitted that the worse sufferers were the candidates at a test centre in Nottingham "where the delay was severe and candidates were only able to start Paper 1
in the late afternoon".
Extremely sorry
In a statement, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said: "We are extremely sorry for the severe delays experienced by candidates in Nottingham today. This
is completely unacceptable, and we fully appreciate the significant stress and disruption this must have caused for them in such a high-stakes assessment.
There is a state of "emergency" across the community pharmacy sector, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned.
The organisation is holding a day of protest action, called 'One Day to #SaveOurPharmacies', on 20 June to draw attention to the sector's growing crisis.
During the protest, pharmacy teams across the UK are expected to take a range of symbolic actions - such as turning the lights out for a period, asking their
staff to wear black, blacking out windows, using the day to engage with patients, inviting parliamentary candidates and using #saveourpharmacies on social
media - signifying dark times for the beleaguered community pharmacy sector, the NPA said.
The organisation decided to choose 20 June for the protest as it marks the day from which the average pharmacy across the four nations will be "lossmaking
overall."
Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature.
The discovery was made by Dr. Russell Jones, an assistant professor at McGill's Goodman Cancer Centre and the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and postdoctoral fellow Erika Pearce, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. They discovered that the widely prescribed diabetes treatment metformin increases the efficiency of the immune system's T-cells, which in turn makes cancer and virus-fighting vaccines more effective.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has written to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) to highlight several important points regarding their
proposed "day of action" on 20 June 2024.
The NPA describes this initiative as a response to the "emergency across the community pharmacy sector."
In a letter addressed to NPA Chair Nick Kaye and Chief Executive Paul Rees, the PDA's director of pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst stressed the need for NPA members to
consider their obligations to staff and patients before participating in the planned actions.
He stated, "We are supportive of a new contractual framework for the community pharmacy sector."
"However, any actions taken must ensure the safety of patients and the operational integrity of pharmacies."
The PDA's letter also expressed concerns over the safety and operational impact of the proposed symbolic gestures, including turning off lights and blacking out
windows.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has called for an evidence-based approach to hub and spoke dispensing proposals, stating that it is vital to back the changes based on robust data and lived experience of pharmacy businesses.
Community pharmacy contractors need to to respond to a Department of Health and Social Care initiated consultation on the hub-and-spoke dispensing models by June 8.
Malcolm Harrison, CEO of the CCA, said: "I am very concerned by both the number and scale of the assumptions contained within the impact assessment, which are
unlikely to come to fruition.
"The impact Assessment also makes predictions on a yet un-born market, stretching 10 years into the future. Hub and spoke technologies do have the potential to enable new dispensing models in the future if new commissioning can support a change in operations. I would caution against firm predictions about likely benefits without stronger commitments to enablers of change."
A news report suggests the Department of Health and Social Care is aiming to be ready to start charging for Covid-19 tests which are currently free at the end of June.
Britain has been increasingly dependent on rapid testing to try to tackle the more-transmissible Omicron variant, which has spread rapidly through the population but is less severe.
The government has previously said it will end the universal free provision of easy-to-use lateral flow devices (LFDs) at a "later stage", with individuals and businesses bearing the cost.
The Department of Health has declined to say what the tests cost, citing commercial contracts. One source has told the Reuters news agency they can run to £30 for a pack of seven.
Free pick up from pharmacies
The tests have been made freely available to order online or pick up from local pharmacies since April. The UK Health Security Agency said that between December 30 and January 5 more than 8 million LFDs were conducted, the highest weekly figure on record.
Bambuterol 10mg tablet, used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is facing supply disruption as sole supplier of the medicine, Astra Zeneca, is discontinuing its production, according to an update by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The available stock of the medicine is expected to be exhausted by the end of June 2022.
Meanwhile, other oral β2-agonists, which are the preferred route of administration, remain available, DHSC said.
Hundreds of children in England are set to benefit from a treatment for cystic fibrosis - Kaftrio, after the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed an extension to its licence.
With the licence extension, more than 1,300 children in England with cystic fibrosis, aged six to 11, are newly eligible for this treatment, which improves lung function and improves overall quality of life of patients.
Earlier, Kaftrio was only licensed for those aged 12 and above.
British patients were the first in Europe to benefit from Kaftrio, when NHS England secured a landmark deal in June 2020.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "Since NHS staff delivered one of the fastest rollouts of Kaftrio in the world just over a year ago, the lives of thousands of patients with cystic fibrosis have been transformed.
"Innovative treatments like Kaftrio are life-changing for patients and their families, and that is why the NHS has done all it can since we secured the deal for Kaftrio to ensure patients benefit as soon as possible.
The Indian government has suspended manufacturing in over 40 pharmaceutical companies based on a risk-based assessment conducted earlier in the year across 162
firms, according to the data provided by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Parliament on Thursday (Aug. 10).
"Overall, a sum of 143 show-cause notices has been issued," Mandaviya said.
There have been numerous recent incidents involving accusations from foreign countries regarding the contamination of syrups, eye drops, and ointments manufactured
in India. Countries such as the Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon have linked the deaths of 70, 18, and six children, respectively, to cough syrups contaminated in
India.
Licenses for specific products have been either temporarily suspended or fully revoked for an additional 66 companies. In one case, an FIR has been registered,
and in 21 cases, warning letters have been issued following inspections by both the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and State authorities, the Minister
added.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has mandated rigorous testing for cough syrups before export. Starting June 1, any cough syrup must possess a government
laboratory-issued certificate of analysis before being exported, the government said in a notice dated May 22.
Pharmacies lead among the list of 16 'most essential' services required for a neighbourhood, as revealed by the 2023 Community Barometer survey commissioned
by the Association of Convenience Stores.
In June, ACS commissioned Yonder Consulting to conduct a poll surveying the opinions of 1,000 people across the UK. The survey assessed how these individuals value
16 different services in their local area, defined as the region within a 15-minute walk from their homes.
The survey's essential services included pharmacies, post offices, convenience stores, banks, petrol stations, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, specialist food
shops, non-food shops, fast food shops, vape shops, charity shops, pawnbrokers, hairdressers, and gyms or sports facilities.
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