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Panadol launched a new purpose-led brand idea as part of a multi-channel campaign across Great Britain and Ireland. With nine out of 10 people suffering "everyday pain" and 65% of people saying they can't be happy when they are in pain[1], globally, the campaign reiterates the brand's commitment to holistic pain management by focusing on the acute pain recovery journey. Rooted in deep consumer understanding, the campaign idea celebrates that never-talked-about moment of realisation when you start to feel the release from pain. The new brand idea will bring to life the emotional transformation that those suffering from acute pain undergo, emphasising the role that Panadol can play in alleviating their pain. The Panadol campaign follows a period of strong sales growth for the brand, outperforming the category's own expansion by more than double[2]. This has been driven by shoppers who are searching for fast and effective pain relief products, such as Panadol's hero variants, including Panadol Extra Advance Tablets (paracetamol, caffeine), which has seen its growth almost doubled[3], as well as Panadol Advance Tablets (paracetamol) and Panadol Extra Advance Tablets. Monica Michalopoulou, GBI Marketing Director, said: "After two years of pandemic restrictions, now more than ever, people want to get back to their normal lives and to the people they love. But with pain preventing many of us from connecting with those we love or from doing the things we enjoy the most, we want to help consumers by understanding their pain journey and reassuring them on the treatments we can provide. This "Release" moment is so important for pain sufferers, and we hope our new brand campaign can shine a light on the role that Panadol can play in pain relief".

Health authorities in India have said that Biological E's Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax can be administered as a booster dose in people who have taken the country's other two main shots, Covaxin and AstraZeneca's Covishield, from Friday (Aug 12). Corbevax will be available to over 18s as precautionary booster six months after a second dose, the health ministry said in an August 8 letter to state authorities. Covishield is produced for the Indian market by the Serum Institute of India under licence from AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech makes Covaxin. India has so far administered more than 2 billion Covid vaccine shots, including 113 million boosters, all of which have so far been of the same vaccine as the recipient's first two doses. The government says about 89 per cent of Indians above the age of 12 have had two doses.

Shares in GSK, Sanofi, Haleon and Pfizer began to recover on Friday (Aug 12) after the companies said that nothing material had changed regarding US litigation focused on heartburn drug Zantac. The companies' share prices had fallen sharply last week on investor concern about the litigation over potential cancer-causing impurities that prompted the drug's withdrawal from markets in 2019 and 2020. More than 2,000 Zantac-related legal cases have been filed in the United States, analysts say, with the first trial beginning this month. The prospect of impending Zantac litigation is not new. Among other disclosures, recently listed Haleon had highlighted the risk of such lawsuits in its prospectus. GSK, Sanofi, Pfizer and Haleon have lost a combined $39 billion from their market value over the past week in the absence of any other particular catalyst, according to Barclays analysts.

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."

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, the nation's figurehead and a towering presence on the world stage for seven decades, died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday aged 96. "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," the new king, her eldest son Charles, said. "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world," the 73-year-old said in a statement. The news has stunned and deeply saddened community pharmacy in Britain. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) issued a statement to say it "has been very saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. "At this time of national mourning, we join the rest of the country in sending our thoughts and condolences to the royal family."

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, health secretary Steve Barclay stated that he has asked his officials within DHSC to look at a "pharmacy first" approach to alleviate pressures on A&E departments in order to avoid the widely predicted NHS winter crisis. On the face of it, this a welcome if long overdue recognition that community pharmacy is an essential part of our national healthcare infrastructure alongside our GP and A&E colleagues. But let's not get carried away - we have had lots of praise from politicians in the past which have not then been backed by firm commitments for a sustainable future for the network. Could this be a turning point? I hope so, but I am not confident it will be. I fear this may turn out to be another emergency stop-gap measure which does nothing to secure the long-term viability of the sector in England. The role of community pharmacy during the recent Covid pandemic demonstrated clearly how important we are to ensure people have easy access to essential healthcare support, advice and services. The NHS winter crisis can only be avoided or at least mitigated if the potential of the community pharmacy network to provide more patient care services is unlocked and that Barclay requires you to end pharmacy funding austerity and start investing. The Treasury will no doubt say there is no more money, but what then the alternative other than a NHS winter crisis? And, of course, treating people in secondary care settings is far more costly than community pharmacy based interventions.

In his maiden speech delivered to community pharmacy since becoming new minister with responsibility for the sector, Will Quince MP said he's determined to be "your champion" and "voice in government". Addressing delegates on Wednesday (Oct 12) as chief guest at the 22nd Pharmacy Business Awards in central London, he praised community pharmacy for delivering 25 million Covid-19 vaccines, five million flu jabs, 200 million lateral flow testing kits and millions of medicines throughout the pandemic. "These local efforts became the national success story," he told over 600 attendees at a gala dinner held at the iconic Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel overlooking the Houses of Parliament. 'We need you now' Quince, who was appointed minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care on 7 September 2022, added: "Just as we needed you in the pandemic, we need you now," highlighting the vital role of community pharmacy in realising the secretary of state (Thérèse Coffey)'s vision, particularly in regard to her much talked about 'Plan for Patients'.

The Mentholatum Company is shaking up the dry eye market with a clinically proven, world-leading advanced dry eye relief formulation. Rohto Dry Aid relieves EIGHT symptoms of dry eye and helps hydrate, protect and restore the tear film. Elvy Mardjono, senior brand manager for Rohto Dry Aid, says: "Rohto Dry Aid, with its Tearshield Technology™ acts fast, is non-blurry and delivers soothing relief for up to 12 hours." Rohto Dry Aid's Tearshield Technology™ formulation is kind to the eyes and designed to mimic the properties of the natural tear film, providing the protection and hydration required to tackle dry spots and restore all layers of the natural tear film.

Health authorities in India have launched an inquiry into an allegation that a local pharmaceutical regulator, in return for a bribe, helped switch samples of cough syrups that the World Health Organization (WHO) had linked to the deaths of children in Gambia before the samples were tested at an Indian laboratory, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency. In an April 29 letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Haryana state reviewed by the news agency, a lawyer named Yashpal accused the state's drug controller, Manmohan Taneja, of taking a bribe of 50 million rupees (£481,600 approx.) from local manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals to help it switch the samples before an Indian government laboratory tested them. Maiden's factory is based in Haryana state. Reuters points out that it was unable to independently establish that any bribes were paid. Taneja did not respond to phone calls, messages or emails seeking comment. Maiden did not respond to requests for comment. The WHO said it had no knowledge of the allegation. Yashpal - who like some Indians uses only one name - did not say in the letter where he got the information, or provide evidence for his claim about the syrups made by Maiden. Reuters was unable to independently establish that any bribes were paid.

The World Health Organization called for caution on Tuesday (May 16) in using artificial intelligence for public healthcare, saying data used by AI to reach decisions could be biased or misused. The WHO said it was enthusiastic about the potential of AI but had concerns over how it will be used to improve access to health information, as a decision-support tool and to improve diagnostic care. The WHO said in a statement the data used to train AI may be biased and generate misleading or inaccurate information and the models can be misused to generate disinformation. It was "imperative" to assess the risks of using generated large language model tools (LLMs), like ChatGPT, to protect and promote human wellbeing and protect public health, the U.N. health body said.

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.

An experimental Alzheimer's drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a late-stage trial, the company said on Wednesday, providing what experts say is the strongest evidence yet that removing sticky amyloid plaques from the brain benefits patients with the fatal disease. Lilly's drug, donanemab, met all goals of the trial, the company said. It slowed progression of Alzheimer's by 35% compared to a placebo in 1,182 people with early-stage disease whose brains had deposits of two key Alzheimer's proteins, beta amyloid as well as intermediate levels of tau, a protein linked with disease progression and brain cell death. The study also evaluated the drug in 552 patients with high levels of tau and found that when both groups were combined, donanemab slowed progression by 29% based on a commonly used scale of dementia progression known as the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR-SB). Using that scale, experts said Lilly's findings were roughly on par with Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, which reduced cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer's in a study published last year. The results drove Lilly's shares to a record high, up more than 6% at $429.85. Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mayo Clinic, said Lilly's trial is the third to show removing amyloid from the brain slows progression of the disease, which could put to rest some lingering doubts about the benefits of drugs in the class and the amyloid-lowering theory. "It's modest, but I think it's real," he said of the benefit, "and I think it's clinically meaningful." Dr. Erik Musiek, a Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said the efficacy looks as good or better than lecanemab.

Diabetes drugs that also promote weight loss such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, becoming a darling of celebrities and investors, are being studied to tackle some of the most difficult-to-treat brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Diabetes regimens, from Ozempic to old mainstays like insulin and metformin, appear to address several different aspects of the metabolic system implicated in Alzheimer's disease, including a protein called amyloid and inflammation, researchers say. The hope is that improving glucose utilisation and tamping down inflammation in the entire body - including the brain - could slow progression of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Several scientists interviewed by Reuters news agency pointed to mounting research supporting testing diabetes drugs against neurodegenerative diseases. Results are years away and success uncertain. But interest has been buoyed by recent positive data on Alzheimer's drugs developed by Eisai with partner Biogen and by Eli Lilly demonstrating that removing sticky amyloid plaques accumulated in the brain can slow cognition decline caused by the fatal mind-wasting disease. Those successes followed decades of futility that had left many questioning the validity of the amyloid theory behind most experimental Alzheimer's drugs.

Pfizer's plan to sell its Haleon stake is not a surprise, the consumer health company's finance chief Tobias Hestler told Reuters on Wednesday (3 May). London-listed Haleon was carved out as an independent company in July and comprises consumer health assets once owned by GSK and Pfizer. Pfizer, which has a 32% stake in the maker of Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers, told the Financial Times on Tuesday that it intends to offload that stake in a "slow and methodical" manner within months. Hestler said Pfizer has long been clear about its intention to sell off the stake, suggesting that the reason the potential of the selloff has gained traction is because the selling window opens around the time that Haleon's results are announced. "This will happen every quarter from now until they're sold off…this is just what's expected," he said, adding: "If I get a courtesy call the evening before they do it then that would be nice, but they don't even have to do that." Shares of the world's biggest standalone consumer health business were down more than 3% in early trading.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) to host a Parliamentary drop-in event in July to brief MPs and Peers about the ongoing medicines supply chain issues that are negatively affecting pharmacies and their patients across the country. CPE's Pressures Survey earlier this year highlighted the extent of both the operational and financial impacts of medicines supply issues on pharmacy businesses, therefore it has continued to hear from both pharmacy owners and others about the problems. The event aims to ensure that MPs understand the problems and their impact on pharmacies. Peter Dowd MP is hosting the event, joined by representatives from Community Pharmacy England, the Nuffield Trust, patient groups and more. The event will also be another opportunity to talk to MPs from across the political spectrum about the very serious situation that community pharmacies still find themselves in and the need for further investment in the sector. Janet Morrison OBE, Chief executive of Community Pharmacy England said: "The results of our Pressures Survey earlier this year showed just how much supply issues are continuing to negatively impact pharmacy businesses and all those who work in them. The survey found that almost all pharmacy owners (97%) are facing significant increases in wholesaler and medicine supply issues, with 71% saying this was leading to delays in prescriptions being issued.

Charac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, has secured £1 million strategic investment from the Royal Mail Group, enabling its time-saving platform to assist more local pharmacies and patients across the UK to easily manage their prescriptions and consultations online. The company said this new money will enable it to leverage strong levels of trust that pharmacists enjoy within the communities they serve in and will ensure pharmacies remain a cornerstone of vibrant high streets and an invaluable provider of frontline healthcare products and services, including vitally needed consultations. Charac says it is aiming to sign up over 1,000 UK pharmacies in the next 12 months by expanding its geographic footprint beyond current cities, including London, Manchester and Birmingham, and targeting small multiple and independent pharmacies, accounting for almost 40 per cent of the UK's community pharmacy network. The announcement also sees the addition of Stefan Kulik, a managing director at Royal Mail, to the Charac board. Stefan is responsible for leading Royal Mail's expansion into the healthcare industry and brings a breadth of experience, having previously worked in healthcare with companies including Johnson & Johnson.

England's chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) David Webb has promised his "wholehearted support" for the community pharmacy sector at the board meeting of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on 28 June in St Albans. After hearing the CPhO at the meeting, NPA chair, Andrew Lane, later declared: "David is someone we can do business with." Webb thus listed his priorities as head of profession: integration of independent prescribing as part of pharmacy practice by 2026; promotion of inclusive pharmacy practice for all pharmacy professionals; assurance of post-registration practice; developing the role of pharmacy technicians; support for Integrated Care Systems and Primary Care Network pharmacy teams (including community pharmacy); medicines optimisation; and strengthening of professional leadership for community pharmacy. He also reported that NHS England had recently increased its team of regional pharmacy integration leads from seven to 14, creating seven new senior posts. Webb told NPA board members: "I want sincerely to thank community pharmacy teams for everything they are doing and to say that you have my wholehearted support. I believe in the importance of community pharmacy and will listen and engage as I've already demonstrated.

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Tuesday (June 28) scrapped the plan to sell its UK high street pharmacy chain saying no third party was able to make an adequate offer due to the turmoil in global financial markets. Walgreens' move to call off the sale comes as private equity bidders Apollo Global and TDR faced headwinds in raising financing for the deal, as banks were wary of underwriting large chunks of the financing due to tough market conditions. Boots was initially valued at as much as £8bn with the auction process being led by Goldman Sachs. Global economic uncertainty and rising inflation have triggered a spike in interest rates as central banks have rushed to take action in the most widespread tightening of monetary policy for more than two decades, making deal financing costlier and harder to access. Walgreens had put its Boots UK business up for sale after announcing a strategic review in January as the second-largest US pharmacy chain renewed its focus on domestic healthcare. The company said the decision to retain Boots and No7 Beauty Company was also underpinned by their ongoing strong performance.

Boris Johnson has picked Steve Barclay as the new health secretary following the resignation of Sajid Javid, who stepped down on July 5 after saying he had lost faith in prime minister's leadership. Barclay - who had served as chief of staff of the prime minister since February 2022 - was previously a junior health minister in 2018, responsible for NHS workforce and finance, before serving as Brexit secretary, chief secretary to the Treasury, and chancellor of the duchy. He is the fourth health secretary after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid in the past five years. In a statement on his appointment, Barclay said it was "an honour" to be take up the position, adding: "Our NHS and social care staff have showed us time and again - throughout the pandemic and beyond - what it means to work with compassion and dedication to transform lives. "This government is investing more than ever before in our NHS and care services to beat the Covid-19 backlogs, recruit 50,000 more nurses, reform social care and ensure patients across the country can access the care they need."

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has developed two new resources- Keeping patients safe being open and honest and Pharmacy team toolkit - learning from incidents, to help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians fulfil the duty of candour - the professional responsibility to be open and honest with patients if/when something goes wrong. The new resources bring together relevant existing policy, standards, and previous statements on the professional obligations of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, with respect to candour. It also emphasises that the duty of candour is not an add on - it's a fundamental part of pharmacy professional practice. The responsibility to be open and honest applies even in difficult or challenging times and it's essential that professionals do the right thing for patients, their families and carers. Saying sorry meaningfully when things go wrong is vital for everyone involved. Given the link with issues around liability and indemnity, the National Pharmacy Association and the Pharmacists' Defence Association - as leading providers of professional indemnity - have also contributed to the new resources and highlighted the importance of openness and transparency in this context.