Since 1990, Glendale Pharmacy in Wooler, Northumberland, has been under the ownership of Andrew Booth, who recently decided to sell it to pursue a
well-earned retirement.
According to Christie & Co, the community pharmacy has been acquired by Jagraj Randeva, who owns a small portfolio of pharmacies in Ashington and Newcastle
upon Tyne.
Jagraj was particularly drawn to this pharmacy because of its advantageous, unchallenged location and its strong historical performance.
Located near the Cheviot Hills and 17 miles south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Glendale Pharmacy dispenses an average of 6,600 items per month.
Karl Clezy, Director - Pharmacy at Christie & Co, noted that Glendale Pharmacy has seen an improvement in its trading performance since the start of the
marketing process, increasing its prescription numbers and providing more additional/enhanced services.
The National Health Services England (NHSE) is poised to revolutionise diabetes management with the introduction of the 'artificial pancreas', also known
as the Hybrid Closed Loop system, to treat type 1 diabetes. This pioneering initiative, endorsed by the National Institute of Health Care and Excellence (NICE),
represents a global first in healthcare innovation.
With 269,095 individuals grappling with type 1 diabetes in England, the Hybrid Closed Loop system is set to cater to tens of thousands of children and adults across
the nation.
This cutting-edge device operates by seamlessly monitoring blood glucose levels and autonomously adjusting insulin dosage through a pump, by eliminating the need
for regular insulin injections.
Furthermore, it holds the promise of averting life-threatening hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemia episodes, mitigating significant risks associated with the condition.
To facilitate the identification of beneficiaries, NHSE has allocated a substantial sum of £2.5 million, ensuring that those who could benefit from this innovative
solution receive the necessary support.
Well Pharmacy's parent company, Bestway Group, announced on Wednesday (20 March) that it recorded a five per cent growth in revenues to £4.74 billion for
the year ending June 2023, alongside a pre-tax profit of £420.9 million.
During the year, the company also completed acquisition of Lexon UK Holdings, a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler serving over 3,000 retail pharmacy customers
across the UK and Eire.
Furthermore, the Group completed the construction of two cement plants in Pakistan, bringing its total cement manufacturing capacity to 15.3 million tonnes per
annum.
Sir Anwar Pervez OBE, founder and chairman of Bestway Group, expressed optimism about the new business year and said: "The Group has continued on its growth
trajectory in 2023 and we are confident that our businesses will continue to gain share within their respective markets during 2024."
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), emphasising on the recruitment and retention of NHS
pharmacists.
It has urged the PRB to help the NHS achieve two important objectives - ensuring that pharmacists can achieve well-rewarded and the service is viewed as an a
ppealing alternative by student pharmacists.
The PDA suggested that for the NHS to remain competitive, the PRB should focus its pay approach on employees within Bands 5-8 this year.
It recognised that the last recommendation from the PRB was a "flat rate increase" and it left those working in the above-mentioned bands feeling "unhappy",
which led to the CSP taking strike action over pay for the first time in their history.
