Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

The country as a whole is facing uncertain and challenging times, and for our profession emerging from the second year of the pandemic, the pressures and stresses don't look to be easing up. It is undeniable that the wellbeing of those in our pharmacy family has suffered and many face emotional and psychological challenges in addition to immense workplace pressure. What do we know about the state of wellbeing within the profession? As the profession's independent charity, it is crucial that Pharmacist Support keeps abreast of the changing needs of the profession to enable us to meet the needs of those we are here to help. To do this, each year we collaborate with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to carry out an annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey. The last survey carried out was in the latter part of 2021 but nothing has changed since. And the results provided stark reading. Of the 1,014 responses received, many reported living with 'poor' or 'very poor' mental health and wellbeing. The survey results highlight a continued clear need for mental health and wellbeing support. Within the survey, it was identified that there is a very clear need for independent assistance, with many saying they feel unable to talk to their employers about their mental health issues. The need for our charity has never been clearer.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Dioralyte oral rehydration sachets. "Dioralyte oral rehydration sachets are expected to be in limited supply until late December 2022. St Mark's solution is available as an unlicensed special and can support an uplift in demand," said DHSC. "Kidderminster formula is available as an unlicensed special and can support a partial uplift in demand. As an alternative to the unlicensed specials, the individual components can be purchased from community pharmacies and supermarkets or prescribed, but there have been intermittent supply issues with glucose powder." Diluted apple juice has been reported to be a potential alternative to electrolyte maintenance fluids in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration. 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 St Mark's solution cannot be issued.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has commissioned Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund to develop a new vision and strategic options for community pharmacy. The report is expected to be published in early summer next year, to underpin the future strategy for the sector. It will also support negotiations between PSNC and policymakers as the current five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) comes to an end. Those negotiations will decide what happens after April 2024, and they will be critical to the future of the sector. The development of a compelling vision and an effective strategy for community pharmacy was a key recommendation from the Pharmacy Representation Review Steering Group (RSG). It forms one of the workstreams of the Transforming Pharmacy Representation Programme (TAPR) currently being undertaken by PSNC. But it is also a project that PSNC wants to undertake anyway to help lay the foundations for those crucial upcoming negotiations.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Laura Wilson as Director for Scotland commencing 23rd January 2023. Laura, is currently Policy and Practice Lead for RPS in Scotland. She is accountable for bringing national RPS policy to life for members in Scotland, while contributing to the GB wide professional leadership agenda. She will work closely with the Scottish Pharmacy Board, senior NHS officials and other key stakeholders across the breadth of the pharmacy profession and beyond to ensure pharmacy is on the forefront of healthcare in Scotland. She joins the existing team of RPS Country Directors, which includes Elen Jones, Director for Wales and James Davies, Director for England and will report directly to the Chief Executive. Laura Wilson said: "I am delighted to be appointed Director for Scotland having worked as part of the RPS Scotland team as the policy and practice lead. It will be an honour to continue the fantastic work started by former Director Clare Morrison to bring Pharmacy 2030, our vision for pharmacy in Scotland in the future, to life and supporting pharmacy teams to deliver person centred care.

Proposed changes to a European Union pharmaceuticals law will include stronger obligations for the supply of medicines and earlier notifications of shortages, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said last week (January 17). Kyriakides told a session of the European Parliament that shortages of antibiotics are a growing problem for many European countries. She said the European Commission's proposal to revise the pharmaceuticals legislation is planned for March. "Our objective is and remains to secure access to medicines for all patients in need and to avoid any market disruption of medicines in the EU," Kyriakides said. Shortages of antibiotics have been reported in 26 European countries, the European Medicines Agency says. The unseasonably early upsurge in respiratory infections in Europe this winter and insufficient production capacity are the root causes of the shortages, Kyriakides said. Numerous EU lawmakers speaking at the session said the shortages needed to be tackled urgently. But experts say shortages of essential generic medicines like antibiotics are likely to be recurrent in Europe due to problems in the sector such as the gradual migration of generic manufacturing to Asia.

The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership set up by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales has published its recommendations for the 'future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK' on Monday (6 February). The Commission is co-chaired by Nigel Clarke, Former Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Professor of Medical Education at University College London Medical School. The Commission proposes that closer collaboration between professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups as part of a Pharmacy Leadership Council will enable and support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead. The Council will be set up in 2023 to lead the implementation of the report's vision and recommendations over five years. Commission Co-Chairs, Professor Dame Jane Dacre and Nigel Clarke: "The Commission has set out a collaborative approach to transform pharmacy professional leadership and deliver sustained benefits for patients and the public and pharmacy professionals in the UK.

Over the past two years, the Covid pandemic has resulted in a backlog of elective care within the NHS, with record numbers of patients on waiting lists across the UK. Despite efforts to catch up after the first wave, subsequent waves have put further strain on an already stretched NHS system. This has had a tremendous impact on many patients waiting for routine dermatology appointments and, while every effort has been made to see patients with suspected serious skin cancers within two weeks, this target is not always achieved. With rising waiting times, pharmacists are increasingly the first port of call for patients suffering with a broad range of skin problems. From acne and rosacea, eczema or psoriasis, to changing skin lesions or simple insect bites, pharmacists can give helpful advice, allowing some customers to find quick relief to their skin complaint in mild cases, while directing others to see their GP without delay. Below is some practical advice that pharmacists can give to their customers with commonly encountered skin complaints. Acne Acne is a common skin condition that not only affects teenagers but adults too. It is estimated that up to 40 per cent of women continue to suffer with acne into their adult years. Acne has been linked to an increased incidence of depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation. Patients have reported feeling overlooked and often dismissed in their concerns by health care professionals. Unfortunately, these issues have been further compounded by delays in being seen and treated due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. Pharmacists are well placed to help acne patients choose the right skincare. This should consist of lightweight products, such as gel or milky cleansers, with moisturisers in serum, lotion or light cream preparations. Some acne suitable products are further labelled as non-comedogenic. Oil-based or occlusive preparations are best avoided. There are many good quality, non-comedogenic sun blocks suited

Positive Solutions is set to launch its new, innovative, cloud-based medicines management system - HxCare which will be showcased in October at the Care Show. HxCare will be free of charge to community pharmacies signing up to the HxCare Affiliate Programme (HxCAP) making it an ideal platform to support existing care home business and attract new ones. The cloud-based medicines management system aims to digitise workflows, reduce errors and free up care providers to spend more time delivering care to their residents. Designed to be truly mobile, HxCare will be tablet based and has been developed by working closely with both care homes across the sector and their pharmacy partners who relish the prospect of an eMAR solution that integrates into their Analyst PMR. It is one of five new products being launched by Positive Solutions on the Hx platform this year. HxConsult is already live supporting pharmacies looking to maximise their service revenue. HxIntel will deliver real-time dashboards, reports and insights into the performance of pharmacy businesses of all sizes. My Health Hub will revolutionise patient pharmacy relationships whilst HxDispense is set to be the ultimate next generation PMR system. This modular, cloud-based interoperable ecosystem takes healthcare technology to a new level.

Any prescription for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets x 56 submitted for payment to the NHSBSA for July 2022 will be reimbursed at the new price of £17.77 not as per the price concession of £13.45 announced in the 4th concessions update published on 29 July 2022, said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). In July 2022, PSNC received several reports from contractors unable to obtain Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets (56) at the published Drug Tariff price of £4.24. Therefore, it submitted a request for a price concession, which was granted and subsequently published but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that due to the price change mechanism, the reimbursement price for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets has increased from £4.24 to £17.77 for July 2022. PSNC said, "Following the price change mechanism rules, for generic drugs (excluding drugs in Category M), a price change up to and including the 8th of the month takes effect for prescriptions dispensed in that same month. Any price change after the 8th takes place in the following month."

There has been extensive national media coverage today (August 11) on how medicine shortages have forced patients to visit multiple pharmacies to get their prescriptions filled or return to their GP to be prescribed alternative drugs. These media reports have been based on a survey involving more than 1,500 pharmacists in the UK, in which over a half of those polled said that their patients' health had been put at risk in the last six months. In response to a query from Pharmacy Business, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it monitors the medicines supply chain closely to prevent any shortages and acts swiftly when any issue arises. A DHSC spokesperson told Pharmacy Business: "We take patient safety extremely seriously and we routinely share information about medicine supply issues directly with the NHS so they can put plans in place to reduce the risk of any shortage impacting patients, including offering alternative medication.

Lack of appropriate funding is making survival a massive challenge for community pharmacy, a sector relied upon as a vital support system by both primary and secondary care in England. The Telegraph newspaper ran a story on Monday (August 22) which highlighted the dire straits community pharmacy finds itself in. Seasoned pharmacist Ian Strachan told the paper: "Our four pharmacies were the only point of call that was open (during Covid). We were there every single day, even when the virus was prevalent and people were dying." Describing the current situation, he said: "What is happening is we're facing a system that's just not working at all in our favour." Strachan says the issue is that pharmacists are "just not getting the help we need to be able to do this job properly". The sector is hugely dependent on funding from the NHS. The government had agreed in 2019 to set £2.6bn as annual funding for the sector. However, according to a report from EY that amount was already down £200m on the 2016 levels of government funding. "We've been starved of appropriate funding since 2016," Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies told The Telegraph. "It looks grim for businesses. The fees pharmacists get are going nowhere, but now, there's higher utility bills, higher staff fees and higher drug costs."

The Conservative Party Prime Ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak visited Bassett Pharmacy in Southampton on Wednesday (Aug 24) - the pharmacy that used to be run by his family. During the visit, Sunak is reported to have said that he intends to reform the NHS and achieve value for money from health spending, should he become prime minister. Giving his reaction to the visit, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Mark Lyonette said: "If Rishi Sunak is serious about NHS reform, he would do well to start with a 'pharmacy first' approach to prevention and treatment which has the potential to transform the way people access NHS care. "That can only happen with a sustained increase in funding for our sector, which is facing much harder times now than it ever did when Mr Sunak's parents owned a pharmacy years ago." Earlier in the week, NPA board member Hiten Patel met the former chancellor when he visited West Harrow for a campaign event on August 23. Patel took the opportunity to explain that pharmacies in England are not being properly supported to fulfil their potential within the NHS.

Locate a Locum's analysis has found that there has been around 14 per cent rise in rate of locum pharmacists in a year. The report said: "Post-covid locum pharmacist rates remain at an all-time high because of a variety of internal and external factors, including continued strong local and regional demand for pharmacist services, which is more acute in some areas, and some persistent last-minute or unplanned booking activity among pharmacies." The study is based on an analysis of more than 30,000 locum pharmacist shifts booked on the Locate a Locum platform between April 1 and June 30 this year and compared with the same period in 2021. "Locum pharmacy rates are a hot topic within the industry and this interest looks likely to continue, particularly given our latest analysis of rising prices and our assessment that if current market conditions persist, they will continue to increase into 2023," said Locate a Locum founder and chief executive Jonathan Clarke.

Working in an office environment can be hazardous to your health. From sitting on a chair all day to exposure to harmful chemicals, many potential health hazards can occur in the workplace. While some health hazards are out of your control, there are many things you can do to help prevent them. Here are seven efficient ways to prevent health hazards at the workplace: 1. TAKE HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING Health and safety training is an efficient way to prevent health hazards at the workplace for several reasons. First, it helps employees to be aware of potential hazards in their work environment. This knowledge can then be used to take steps to avoid or control these hazards. Second, health and safety training provides employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to identify and report potential health hazards, especially those working in medical laboratories with frequent exposure to blood, chemicals, and other pathogens. This can help to ensure that any problems are quickly addressed and corrected. Finally, health and safety training helps to create a culture of safety in the workplace. This safety culture can encourage employees to take personal responsibility for their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of their coworkers.

A University College London team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) programme that can identify minute brain anomalies that lead to epileptic seizures. The algorithm, used in the Multicentre Epilepsy Lesion Detection project (MELD) and which reports locations of abnormalities in cases of drug-resistant focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) - a major cause of epilepsy - was developed by a multinational team who used more than 1,000 patient MRI scans from 22 international epilepsy centres. Brain regions known as FCDs have evolved improperly and frequently lead to drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgery is usually used to treat it, however, finding the lesions on an MRI is a constant problem for doctors because MRI scans for FCDs can appear normal. The scientists employed about 300,000 places throughout the brain to quantify cortical properties from the MRI scans, such as how thick or folded the cortex/brain surface was.

The Community Pharmacy England Committee has adopted a new approach to engagement with sector by inviting all pharmacy owners to share their views on pharmacy's finances, pressures and capacity ahead of its meeting in July. It has sought views of pharmacists via short poll by Sunday (2 July) and will have a discussion on the poll results at the meeting before reporting back to the sector afterwards. The key focus for July Committee Meeting will be to make most of £645m for the community pharmacy sector, and also on the ongoing work to make the wider case for more investment in the sector. This new way of working follows association's rebrand on 30th May which signalled the start of its new approach to engagement to help them to build stronger relationships with pharmacy owners. The association hopes this new approach will help them better engage with members and listen to pharmacy's views better.

"Discussions must involve the government on behalf of NHS Scotland, CPS on behalf of the owners, and the PDA as the pharmacists' representative," it said. The association believes that there is a need for discussion and decision-making that listens to and balances the rights and responsibilities of both employers and workers, to generate benefits for individuals, organisations, and society. It added: "Even though Scotland provides the most generous community pharmacy settlement in the UK, recent reports suggest it is not enough for pharmacy owners with CPS's rejection of the latest funding proposal in May. Though the Scottish government found an extra £20M to ease pressures related to medicines price increases, an overall agreement has still not been reached." "The UK-wide chains may be doing less well in the parts of their networks covered by the Westminster government's contract, but the taxpayers and government of Scotland need to be given reassurance that they are in no way subsidising funding shortfalls in England's pharmacy contract." Recently, when LloydsPharmacy's Scotland branches recently came on the market, they appear to have been sold exclusively to existing contractors, including the UK-wide multiple, Rowlands Pharmacy, who have acquired 30 of them. Other small and medium-sized Scottish pharmacy chains have apparently been able to double in size overnight by acquiring branches.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday (17 May). It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams. The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS, professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators. A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer. Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure. "Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported. "It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to deliver high-quality patient care. "This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has implemented a process to roll over certain concessionary prices to the following month. From May 2023, the roll over process will apply to any products where agreement is reached on the final prices granted by DHSC for any price concession requests submitted late in the month (on or after the 23rd of the month) by Community Pharmacy England. Community Pharmacy England said: "As part of the Year 4 & 5 funding settlement for community pharmacy, it was agreed that an urgent review of the price concession setting system would take place." It has been working with DHSC to determine improvements to the price concession system. Community Pharmacy England said: "Pharmacy owners (members) will be able to see the lines that have rolled over on our price concessions page here. Please note any rolled over prices can be adjusted upwards if we receive reports from our members to indicate suppliers' selling prices have increased. The review can be requested at any point during the month."

Community pharmacies are located within the very hotspots of peoples' communities, yet a staggering 720 individual businesses have stopped trading since 2015. It has been called a "national disgrace and a betrayal to the elderly and the vulnerable" by sector leaders. The funding crisis has been compounded by a gruelling 18-24 months post-Covid, both have which have placed immense pressure on the retail pharmacy sector. The population is aging and with this comes patients living with a range of long-term health conditions. Medication regimes are becoming ever more complex and as a result, maintaining prescription and medication adherence services is challenging to say the least. Yet the public feel great warmth towards their local pharmacy businesses, and this positive attitude only increased during the pandemic. In fact, in a recent report launched by Omnicell on the Changing Role of the Pharmacist, a survey of public opinion found that a third (32 per cent) said they perception of their local pharmacy had changed for the better since the start of the pandemic and nearly half (44 per cent) said they are more familiar with their local pharmacy services since the start of COVID. This has meant that the role of the pharmacist has also changed and evolved; in part due to a national need and drive for more patients to be seen and supported clinically by pharmacists. This change of service provider role has slowly been developing over the last couple of years. Pharmacists are currently carrying out 65 million consultations a year - a staggering rise of 44 per cent in the last 24 months alone.