In a recent announcement the government has mandated frontline NHS staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, keeping people working in community pharmacies out of this purview.
In its response to the announcement, General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has urged "pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to get Covid-19 and flu vaccinations at
the earliest opportunity, unless they are medically exempt."
GPhC, which regulates pharmacists and other staff in community pharmacies, said that vaccinated healthcare workers can better protect their family, colleagues and patients.
During the government consultation on making Covid-19 jab a condition of deployment for frontline health and care workers in England, GPhC had said: "Getting vaccinated is clearly something that should be done by all pharmacy professionals, although we do not support making vaccination a mandatory legal requirement."
Gisela Abbam today (March 14) officially succeeded Nigel Clarke as new chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). She was appointed in mid-Feruary.
The council paid tribute to its outgoing chair for his major contribution to pharmacy regulation and his focus on patient safety for the past eight years on the role.
During his tenure Clarke has overseen significant changes to how the GPhC regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies to help drive improvements in
professional practice and protect patient safety.
Chief executive of the GPhC, Duncan Rudkin, said: "I would like to pay tribute to Nigel for everything he has done to support continuous improvement and assure the
quality and safety of pharmacy for the benefit of patients and the public.
The Community Pharmacy Workforce Development Group (CPWDG) has called upon policymakers to take action in response to the 2022 Community Pharmacy Workforce
survey for England, which revealed a significant workforce reduction.
The survey found a steady decrease in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy support staff from 2017 to 2022,
with no signs of a slowdown. In response, it presented four recommendations to the Government and the NHS, aimed at ensuring that the sector can effectively adapt
to the evolving needs of patients.
CPWDG's findings indicate that vacancy rates are on the rise, reaching nearly 25 per cent, or 1 in 4 roles, in certain regions, accompanied by a noticeable shift
in working patterns.
Pharmacists from BAME backgrounds still face higher levels of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and career obstacles compared to their white
counterparts, the Pharmacy Workforce Race Equality Standard (PWRES) report has revealed. Published by NHSE England, this report underscores the persistent
presence of inequality, emphasising the crucial need for all stakeholders in the pharmacy sector to prioritise addressing these issues.
The PWRES report indicates that pharmacy team members of Black ethnic backgrounds are less likely to perceive equal opportunities for career advancement or
promotion within their trust. Additionally, female pharmacy team members from BAME backgrounds report higher incidents of personal discrimination in the
workplace. The report also highlights an overrepresentation of pharmacy technicians from BAME backgrounds in lower-paid roles.
"It is shocking and unacceptable to see that across all indicators the BME staff experience is worse than their white counterparts," said Tase Oputu, Chair
of RPS in England.
Acknowledging publication of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland's new professional vision for the future of pharmacy in Scotland - Pharmacy 2030, a Parliamentary Motion has been lodged in the Scottish Parliament.
The vision, produced in collaboration with the National Pharmacy Technician Group Scotland, expects all pharmacists in a patient-facing role to become independent prescribers by 2030.
The motion recognised the aim of the publication that by 2030 pharmacy teams will work together, using their expertise to make the best use of medicines and, will take a person-centred approach, providing care holistically rather than by clinical condition.
It highlighted the important role that RPS would play by working with partners across health and social care to turn this vision into a reality.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has announced that the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, David Webb will be among the keynote speakers at the
Pharmacy Odyssey Conference on 13 October.
He and other special guests will discuss the future of community pharmacy within the NHS, during a day of insight and practical advice for pharmacy teams.
The NPA promises expert opinion on the current pressures in the sector and a thorough exploration of the long-term picture.
NPA Director of Membership, Simon Tebbutt, explains: "With the NPA centenary in 2021 behind us, this will be a foray into the future - mapping the coming decade,
and next half-century - as well as covering the many challenges of the present time."
The theme of the conference, to be held online and sponsored by Novo Nordisk, is Pharmacy Odyssey: Services, Supply and Sustainability.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new revised RPS Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services at its annual conference held on
Friday (11 November).
RPS developed the standards through an extensive consultation with the profession, multidisciplinary teams and patients. They are relevant for providers of pharmacy
services in acute, mental health, private, community service, prison, hospice and ambulance settings.
The revised Standards contain two brand new descriptors - research, audit and quality improvement, and inclusion and wellbeing. Updates have been made to the
supporting statements to ensure they reflect current practice and are fit for the future. A new assessment tool has been developed to support organisations either
self-assess or peer-assess against the Standards.
"For the first time the Standards apply UK wide, having gained support from Pharmacy Forum NI, alongside endorsement from The Association of Pharmacy Technicians
UK and other professional groups," RPS said.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DSHC) has launched a consultation to seek views on changes to pharmacy supervision, which is being considered as
part of the Primary Care Recovery Plan.
Plans set out in the consultation include making better use of pharmacies, improving access to primary care and maximising the contribution of pharmacy
professionals across healthcare.
In the consultation, the DSHC has set out proposals to amend the Medicines Act 1968 and The Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
The proposals aim to allow pharmacists to authorise registered pharmacy technicians to carry out the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and supply of
pharmacy and prescription only medicines in their absence. Currently, these services can only be carried out by, or under the supervision of, a pharmacist.
In a bid to bolster professional leadership within the pharmacy sector, the four government Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) have embarked on a
significant initiative, forming the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB).
In a recent communication, all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received confirmation of the board members selected by the CPhOs, alongside a note from the
board's appointed chair, who was chosen collectively by the four CPhOs and reports directly to the CPhO for England.
Over three years, the 21-member Board will implement recommendations from the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership's report aimed to enhance
professional fulfillment among pharmacists while simultaneously augmenting patient safety standards.
This announcement also follows with the appointment of Sir Hugh Taylor as its Independent Chair and the appointment of Independent Expert Members who expressed
his delight over the role's "potential to lead and support collaboration across the professions in the UK".
However, the move has been met with cautious optimism from the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), urging the new board to uphold transparency and openness
to garner trust among pharmacists.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published new reports on racism and other inequalities in pharmacy, following a series of virtual equality
roundtables.
This council organised its second equality roundtable on 18 September 2023, focussing on the topic of 'Language Barriers and Health Inequalities', and a follow-up
roundtable on 'Racism in Pharmacy: Accountability Counts' on 10 October 2023.
A wide range of pharmacy-related organisations, patient groups, equality groups, providers of translation services and software, individual pharmacists, pharmacy
technicians and wider teams from different sectors and settings attended the events.
GPhC chair, Gisela Abbam thanked speakers and attendees for listening and contributing to the important discussions around racism and language barriers, which she
said are "not purely a pharmacy problem, nor a health problem", but a "much broader" system problem.
"It is important we acknowledge that, and do what we can to tackle racism and barriers wherever we find them," she added.
The consequences of NHS workforce crisis is not limited to general practice, community pharmacies are also suffering, commented Community Pharmacy England
after the General Medical Council (GMC) published a report on Friday (23 June) which warned of the burnout in the workforce.
The report calls for urgent actions to break a 'vicious cycle' of unmanageable workloads, dissatisfaction and burnout that is causing UK doctors to take steps to
quit.
Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said: "The GMC's report is yet another clear signal of the scale of the mounting the NHS workforce crisis, and this is not limited
to general practice: community pharmacies are also suffering the consequences of it."
"Pharmacy teams are overstretched, feeling immense pressures, and dealing with significantly increased workloads. Pharmacy owners are also finding it impossible to
make ends meet, not least given the rising staffing costs which are being driven up by workforce issues.
Findings show the number of doctors who reported working beyond their rostered hours on a weekly basis rose from 59% in 2021 to 70% in 2022, and 42% said they felt
unable to cope with their workload each week (up from 30% in 2021). Just half said they were satisfied in their work, down from 70% in 2021.
In a move to make healthcare more accessible, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced plans to empower pharmacy technicians, dental
therapists, and hygienists with enhanced authority following two public consultations run by the government in 2023.
Revealed by Primary Care Minister Andrea Leadsom on Thursday 28th March, this strategic decision promises to usher in "a faster, simpler, and fairer access to
primary care" by granting pharmacy professionals "the ability to both supply and administer medications".
Based on the public consultations that garnered widespread support, with 97% backing the empowerment of dental hygienists and therapists and 84% favouring similar
rights for pharmacy technicians, the new reform is aimed to cut through bureaucratic red tape and bolster efficiency in patient care.
Dental hygienists and therapists, under the proposed change, will be empowered to administer select medications, including pain relief and fluoride, without the
need for dentist approval.
Those of us who work in community pharmacy know there is a workforce crisis created in large measure by PCNs actively recruiting pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians from our sector. It is welcome, if long overdue, that this has now been officially acknowledged in a report commissioned by the English Health Secretary.
PCN hiring 'exacerbates pharmacist shortage' says DH-commissioned report, which states such recruitment has "on occasion exacerbated the problem of a general
shortage of pharmacists" which has compounded "the problem of community pharmacy closures."
We have been telling the government this for years only to be told "problem? What problem?"- but now that Steve Barclay has his own official report sitting on his
desk, he and NHSE cannot continue in denial mode. The facts are there for all to see. Time to act. No more dithering, delay or indifference. You asked if there was
a problem and you have been told there is.
In the absence of a holistic workforce strategy and cross-sector career pathways, PCNs poaching from community pharmacy is a zero sum game adding nothing to
improving patient care.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) brought together a wide range of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy organisations from across Scotland at
the Scottish Parliament on Monday (3 October) to support people living with disabilities.
The meeting was chaired by Jeremy Balfour MSP, Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Cross-Party Group on Disability, and the meeting was also attended by the Chief
Pharmaceutical Officer Alison Strath.
Attendees of the meeting committed to bold actions to support people living with seen and unseen disabilities to work in pharmacy.
Last year, a survey of RPS members identified that living with a disability was considered to be the biggest barrier to working in pharmacy.
This year, RPS is running a disability in pharmacy awareness campaign, to highlight some of the barriers and challenges raised by RPS members and to work with
stakeholders across pharmacy to overcome these. Yesterday's conversation at the Scottish Parliament was a significant step in achieving this.
The government has unveiled its much awaited 'NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan' to tackle the staff shortage in the pharmacy sector. The plan set out an ambition
to increase the training places for pharmacists to around 5,000 places by 2031/32.
David Webb, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, in his open letter to pharmacy professionals said: "The NHS LTWP sets out how we can build on changes,
addressing the changing needs of patients over the next 15 years, by closing the current workforce shortfall through funding for increased education and training
places and a comprehensive retention strategy."
The plan commits to expand training places for pharmacists by 29% to around 4,300 by 2028/29 and Grow the number of pharmacy technicians in future years.
"The development of independent prescribing as part of initial education and training is a gamechanger for pharmacists, patients and the NHS, with
approximately 2,800 newly registered pharmacist independent prescribers due to join the workforce every year from September 2026," said Webb.
"This will be transformational for all pharmacy teams, creating improved access and quality of care for patients and, importantly, a more flexible workforce with
skills that are equally applicable in all pharmacy settings, enabling multi-professional clinical teams to work in new ways."
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Fitness to Practise Committee has removed a pharmacy technician from Register after been found guilty of possessing
'indecent photographs of a child'.
Graeme Arthur, a pharmacy technician first registered with GPhC on 1 September 2019, under the registration number 5039154, was found guilty at Peterlee
Magistrate's Court in August 2022. He received an 18-month Community Order, and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 5 years, He was also ordered to
undertake a period of rehabilitation activity for 40 days.
In the remote video linking hearing held on 2 - 3 May, the Fitness to Practise Committee found Arthur's fitness to practise to be currently impaired on grounds of
protection of the public and in the wider public interest of declaring and upholding the Standards of the profession and maintaining public confidence in the
reputation of the profession.
The committee considers this to be a serious conviction for an offence which has included possession of the most serious category of images of sexual abuse of
children. It said: "Although Mr Arthur had no direct contact with the children concerned, the nature of the abuse is that it thrives on the demand from those
who search for and view the images online. As such, children come to actual harm indirectly through the activity of someone viewing and possession of images of
sexual abuse."
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has decided to increase the renewal fees of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy premises
by 7.5% from April 2024.
The pharmacy technician's renewal fee will see an increase by £9 from £121 to £130, pharmacists fees from £257 to £276, and pharmacy premises from £365 to £392.
The following decision came even despite the renewal fees being frozen for individual registrants since 2019 and for pharmacy premises since 2021.
This move was facilitated through cost savings measures like using financial reserves and downsizing to a smaller office.
However, the council confirmed that the fee hike is due to higher rates of inflation, increase in utility bills and supplier costs.
Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive and Registrar of the GPhC, said: "We know that these are challenging times and that this increase will come as unwelcome
news to those we regulate. But to be effective in our role of protecting the public we need to make sure the fees we charge cover the cost of regulation
going forward."
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has produced a new resource to support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are providing pharmacy services to
children and young people with gender incongruence or dysphoria.
It emphasises that pharmacy teams providing such services need to adhere to the standard process of clinical assessment and care provision they have been trained
to take as healthcare professionals.
The starting point is that pharmacy professionals must provide compassionate, inclusive and person-centred care, within the current relevant legal and regulatory
context.
"It's essential that all patients have access to appropriate, high-quality and respectful healthcare, free from discrimination or bias," the GPhC noted
A judicial review claim launched by the British Medical Association (BMA) against the General Medical Council (GMC) has parallelly intensified Pharmacists'
Defence Association's (PDA) scrutiny over the use of the term 'pharmacy professionals'.
PDA has criticised the evolving definition of 'pharmacy professionals,' and the potential risks to patient safety amidst regulatory ambiguity as part of "a far
wider agenda."
Concerns stem from what the PDA perceives as a blurring of distinctions between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as "attempted homogenisation" by bodies like
the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), NHS, and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
Raising similar issue as the BMA against the GMC over its use of 'medical professionals for doctors and Medical Associate Professions (MAPs), Mark Koizol,
Chairman of the PDA has said:
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged its member - employed pharmacists and locum pharmacists to share their view on UK Commission on Pharmacy
Professional Leadership report.
The four government Chief Pharmacists have published their commission's proposal for how pharmacy leadership may develop in the UK.
The association 'strongly' believes that just as it was the members of the profession that established their previous pharmacist professional leadership bodies, so
it is for pharmacists to determine if they agree with these proposals and to decide what arrangements they want in future.
"As an organisation that has exclusively in its membership the employed and locum pharmacists in the UK, the PDA wants to ensure that it can reflect the views of
frontline pharmacists in any future discussions and decisions that could impact upon their careers.
Pharmacists are encouraged to read the report, to consider its content and then ensure they respond to the forthcoming communication from the PDA."
The commission report says that existing leadership bodies have "relatively low levels of membership" but does not provide details. It has also stated that it has
received submissions to its consultation from many pharmacy organisations.