The results of the Community Pharmacy IT Group's (CP ITG's) IT arrangements survey revealed that 83 per cent of the respondents support the goal of going
paperless.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) asked community pharmacy teams to complete the survey between late 2021 and October 2022.
The survey was designed to gather information on frontline pharmacy teams' perspectives about community pharmacy IT and their pharmacies' IT arrangements.
It was found that more than half of pharmacies experience at least one IT outage per month (lasting at least one hour). Over 40% reported poor mobile phone signal
and limited internet connectivity options at their pharmacy. 80% agreed that mobile devices would help working within pharmacy, but most reported no laptop and no
tablet device available for use in the pharmacy
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has challenged price concessions imposed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on some
of the medicines.
It has raised concerns on the process for setting price concessions to senior government officials responsible for medicines supply, warning that the system is not
working in the current environment from a community pharmacy contractor perspective.
"When a new government takes over next week, this will be one of several urgent topics being raised by PSNC to new ministers, alongside the fuel price crisis,
inflationary pressures and winter pressures on pharmacy businesses," said PSNC.
The final update to August price concessions was announced yesterday taking the total concessions granted to a record 138 for August. PSNC said: "Of those, 99 were
in line with PSNC requests, but prices for 39 lines were imposed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC): those impositions do not match the purchase
prices reported by contractors and the evidence of market prices which we passed on to DHSC. In particular, the final imposed prices of Apriprazole and Temazepam
tablets has generated a lot of concern amongst contractors due to the large variation between their reimbursement prices and purchase prices during the month of
August."
The American healthcare company, CVS Health, has decided to remove the cold and cough pills containing phenylephrine from the drug stores.
The following decision comes after the health regulator, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines the decongestant is ineffective towards flu if
taken orally.
However, when ingested in pill or tablet form, this ingredient fails to reach its destination from the stomach to the nasal passages.
CVS Health spokesperson told USA Today, "We are removing a small number of oral decongestant products that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient
from CVS Pharmacy stores but will continue offering many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs."
They almost run more than 9,000 stores in the US whereas their rival, Walgreens has not yet taken the step to remove over-the-counter medications from their shelves.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has suggested Estradiol patch as an alternative for patients who use 1 pump of Oestrogel daily.
DHSC has updated Annex A of SSP022 and SSP023 for Oestrogel Pump-Pack 0.06 per cent gel to include a dose conversion to a specific alternative Estradiol patch.
Previously, only dose conversions for patients using 2 to 4 pumps daily were included in Annex A of SSP022 and SSP023.
Separately, the supporting guidance for three SSPs which allow quantity restriction have been updated to reflect the requirement to endorse the reduced quantity
supplied in accordance with these SSPs.
SSP019 - Oestrogel pump-pack 0.06% gel
SSP020 - Ovestin 1mg cream
SSP021 - Premique low dose 0.3mg/1.5mg modified release tablets
"When endorsing an SSP for a reduced quantity, contractors must ensure that the correct SSP number is endorsed along with the product name and the reduced
quantity supplied in accordance with the SSP," said PSNC.
NICE has recommended use of tucatinib as an option to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread in people who have already tried 2 or more anti-HER2
treatments.
The move is set to benefit around 400 people with advanced breast cancer.
Tucatinib works by blocking a specific area of the HER2 gene in cancer cells, which stops the cells from growing and spreading. The medicine is taken as two 150 mg
tablets twice daily along with anti-cancer medicines trastuzumab and capecitabine.
Helen Knight, programme director in the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: "Unfortunately there is no cure for breast cancer that has spread to
other parts of the body. There is also a lack of additional anti‑HER2 treatments which can postpone the need for chemotherapy, especially for people whose cancer has spread to their brain because their treatment options are even more limited.
Maxwellia has appointed Ian Adamson as strategic advisor to shape the next phase of pharmacy medicine launches - a process which involves identifying and converting suitable prescription only medicines into versions people can choose to buy under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Ian brings over 30 years' international consumer health and personal care experience to the Maxwellia team. He is currently an advisor to the board of the UK
independent pharmacy chain Day Lewis plc, an advisor to the board of Spanish healthcare company ReVa Europe S.L and board advisor to East Midlands Pharmaceuticals
Ltd.
Prior to this Ian was Chief Commercial Officer and a main board director at SSL International plc (prior to its sale to Reckitt Benckiser) with responsibility for a $1bn portfolio of brands, which included Durex and Scholl.
Ian's appointment follows the landmark reclassification of the progestogen only pill by the MHRA, a change spearheaded by Maxwellia, and the company's subsequent
launch of its first product Lovima in July 2021; and the current MHRA public consultation on the reclassification of Maxwellia's new pharmacy brand, Aquiette 2.5mg Tablets (Oxybutynin Hydrochloride) for the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms which are not adequately controlled by bladder training alone.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has introduced a new prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which
is said to benefit around 400,000 women who suffer from negative symptoms of the menopause in England.
PPC will be rolled-out from 1 April and it reduce the HRT costs to less than £20 a year. Women prescribed HRT - the main treatment for menopause symptoms - will
have access to a new scheme enabling access to a year's worth of menopause prescription items for the cost of two single prescription charges (currently £18.70).
As part of commitments to reduce the cost of HRT for menopausal women, the prescription PPC will be valid for 12 months. It can be used against a list of HRT
prescription items, and a patient can use this against an unlimited number of HRT items, such as patches, tablets and topical preparations. There will be no limit
to how many times the certificate can be used while it is valid.
"The introduction of the certificate delivers one of our year one priorities for the Women's Health Strategy for England. Published last summer, the strategy sets
out an ambitious new agenda for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls and to improve how the health and care system listens to women. Menopause was
announced as a priority area within the strategy," said DHSC.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has confirmed that the recall of blood pressure drugs amlodipine and olmesartan by the Food and Drug Administration is
only for the US market and will not have any impact in the UK.
MHRA also clarified that the manufacturer of these drugs, Macleod Pharmaceuticals, does not supply amlodipine medicines in the UK.
It was published online in both the Daily Record and Daily Express on the morning of Monday, March 21, that the drugs had been recalled in the US by the FDA due to
deviations from standard manufacturing protocols by the manufacturer.
RPS intervened to ensure the articles were edited to make clear that this is not an issue in the UK after confirmation from the MHRA. Amlodipine tablets from Macleod
Pharmaceuticals aren't available for wholesale distribution in the UK.
The Medicine and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recalled all pholcodine-containing medicines from the UK pharmacy due to concerns of its
potential to cause a severe allergic reaction in some people having general anaesthesia for surgery.
The decision was made following the conclusion of a review of post-marketing safety data by the MHRA. The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has considered the
evidence of an increased risk of the very rare event of anaphylaxis when exposed to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) and advised that pholcodine-containing
medicines should be withdrawn.
MHRA has advised pharmacists to consider recommending appropriate treatment alternatives for patients who present with a new dry cough or who are currently taking
pholcodine.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) President Professor Claire Anderson said: "If you are taking a cough medicine (including tablets and syrups), check the packaging,
label or Patient Information Leaflet to see if pholcodine is a listed ingredient - if it is, and you have any questions, you can talk to your pharmacist who can
suggest a different medicine suitable for you.
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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has urged the government to amend medicines legislation to allow pharmacists to make minor amendments to a prescription
without any protocol being needed.
RPS wants to see a change in the law that makes the whole process of supply of medicines easier and quicker, enabling pharmacists to use their knowledge and expertise
in medicines to better support patients.
"At present a prescription can only be changed by a prescriber, which causes unnecessary workload for GPs and delays for patients," said RPS.
RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "We want to see all pharmacists across the UK able to supply a different quantity, strength or formulation of a medicine
(for example changing capsules to tablets) when required, to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and the need for an SSP to be developed, signed and authorised by a
Minister. In effect it would mean that pharmacists can help patients straight away - it would future proof the problem to some degree.
From over-the-counter flu tablets to crucial antibiotics and antidepressants, medicines are running scarce in UK pharmacies this year, causing concerns among
patients, the government, and the wider pharma industry.
Drug shortages have accelerated over the past year due to a clutch of problems including the after-effects of the pandemic on supply chains, the war in Ukraine,
and soaring input costs weighing on manufacturers. More recently, a sudden spike in respiratory infections - another by-product of Covid-19 that neither pharma
companies nor the government were able to predict - has deepened the crisis, with 70 commonly taken drugs out of stock in Britain as of February.
The problem is not unique to the UK. In a recent survey of groups representing pharmacies in 29 European countries, three quarters said shortages were worse this
winter than a year ago, with a quarter reporting more than 600 drugs in short supply. The US is also facing significant shortages of popular prescription drugs like
amoxicillin and Adderall, an ADHD medication.
To some extent, the current disruption is laying bare wider challenges facing the industry for several years that were only exacerbated by the pandemic.
The over-reliance on foreign suppliers for most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is one of them. This model has left companies more susceptible to supply
shocks, which have in turn increased in frequency and severity due to pandemic lockdowns, the war in Ukraine and other issues such as the shortage of shipping
containers.
Pharma's long and opaque supply chains, alongside regulatory complexities, also mean it is taking longer for drugmakers to reconfigure manufacturing and distribution
in times of additional need.
American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has received marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for its
medication Etrasimod, marketed as Velsipity, used to treat people with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and ulcers (sores) in the lining of the large intestine (colon)
and rectum.
The approved recommended dose for Velsipity is one 2 mg tablet to be taken once daily. For the first three days, it is advised to take the medication with food,
and subsequently, it can be taken daily either with or without food.
According to the regulator, the approval of the medication is based on evidence from two clinical studies, which showed that 26 per cent of patients taking
etrasimod achieved clinical remission after 12 weeks of treatment compared with 11 per cent of those receiving placebo. The studies included more than 740
patients aged 16 years and over for whom standard treatment or other treatments did not work well enough or could not be used.
A drug dealer who was operating as an "unlicensed chemist" and selling prescription drugs online has been jailed for six years, according to Essex Police.
The convict, identified as 49-year-old Christopher Depp, aka David Jones, was supplying a range of drugs from his home to "vulnerable people" using the postal
service, local police revealed on Friday (February 16).
Police conducted a search operation at his address in Wood Street, Chelmsford, in July last year and found more than 50,000 pills and tablets of varying types,
stashed in toolboxes and spaces around the property.
To process the large-scale sale and shipping of controlled drugs across the UK, Depp had set up a room in his property as an office space.
He promoted the sale of medications through various social media platforms and messaging applications, and accepted payment from his large customer base
using "fraudulently obtained" bank accounts.
Indian multinational pharmaceutical company, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has made its entry into the UK consumer health market with the launch of an
over-the-counter allergy medication.
Histallay (Fexofenadine Hydrochloride 120 mg tablets) is the company's first general sale list (GSL) product introduced in the UK market.
Previously classified as a Prescription Only Medicine (POM), Dr. Reddy's Fexofenadine 120 mg is now available without prescription, under the brand
name 'Histallay'.
This allows people with allergic seasonal rhinitis (hay fever) to get direct access to the product via retail outlets such as pharmacies and supermarkets
in the UK.
More than 500,000 women in England have benefitted from cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since the launch of the HRT prescription prepayment
certificates (PPC) on 1 April last year, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
HRT is the main treatment for negative menopause symptoms that can impact all areas of a woman's life.
Introduced as part of the government's Women's Health Strategy, which made menopause a priority area, the HRT PPC reduced prescription costs to just £19.30 per
year, helping patients save hundreds of pounds in prescription charges.
The DHSC has confirmed that more than £11 million was saved by women using the PPC in the last nine months.
Using the HRT PPC, patients can get a range of HRT items, including patches, tablets, and topical preparations at reduced prices, and they can use it many times
as needed throughout the year.
As whooping cough cases rise sharply across the UK, the NHS has reactivated the serious shortage protocols (SSPs) for clarithromycin - a commonly prescribed
antibiotic to treat this bacterial infection.
Pharmacy bodies had recently warned that community pharmacies were struggling to obtain source clarithromycin for patients.
Two SSPs, covering clarithromycin 125mg/5mL and 250mg/5mL oral suspensions, were reactivated on 22 May 2024, and extended until 21 June 2024.
These protocols state that for every 5mL of clarithromycin 125mg/5mL oral suspension, pharmacy contractors must supply 2.5mL of clarithromycin 250mg/5mL oral
suspension; and for every 5mL of clarithromycin 250mg/5mL oral suspension, one clarithromycin 250mg tablet must be supplied.
The SSPs apply to cross-border prescriptions, both NHS and private.
Laganside Crown Court, on Friday, sentenced Gerard Cullinan, a 48-year-old pharmacist and Director of Castlereagh Pharmacy Ltd in East Belfast, for
unlawfully supplying controlled prescription medicines, including co-codamol and fentanyl, and for failing to maintain controlled drugs registers.
Cullinan was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, and his pharmacy was fined £8,000.
The sentencing follows an investigation by the Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG), which uncovered that Cullinan's pharmacy on Castlereagh
Road had illegally supplied over 300,000 co-codamol tablets between January 2017 and June 2020.
Additionally, the MRG investigation identified significant breaches in record-keeping for Class A controlled drugs such as fentanyl, tapentadol, methylphenidate,
morphine, and oxycodone.
"It is a serious criminal offence to sell or supply prescription only medicines without a prescription," said Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer at
the MRG, who led the investigation.
Being healthier and improving the success of treatment is much more (and perhaps much simpler) than applying the latest medical device technology, tablets, smartphones, video conferencing and social media.
Everyone has alternatives.
We are predisposed to select alternatives based on the similarity of our friends and colleagues to ourselves. It used to be called "Keeping up with the Joneses".
A business developer searching for a solution to improve patient care, will be influenced by the fact that her friends and colleagues at work all have an iPhone, or an Android, or a Blackberry and sometimes all 3.
