A second Global Covid-19 Summit will be held virtually next month for countries to discuss efforts to end the pandemic and prepare for future health threats, according to a joint statement on Monday (April18).
"The emergence and spread of new variants, like Omicron, have reinforced the need for a strategy aimed at controlling Covid-19 worldwide," the White House said in a news release with the Group of Seven and Group of 20 nations.
The announcement comes amid a surge of Covid-19 cases around the world prompted by easily transmissible variants of the virus.
China's most populous city, Shanghai, is trying to return to normal after a nearly three-week shutdown, which, along with wider China curbs, are taking a toll on the world's No. 2 economy.
The summit will build on efforts and commitments made at the first global summit in September, including getting more people vaccinated, sending tests and treatments to highest-risk populations, expanding protections to health care workers and generating financing for pandemic preparedness, the statement said.
Global demand for Pfizer's oral Covid-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid has been unexpectedly low due to complicated eligibility requirements, reduced testing, and potential for drug interactions, according to a media report.
Demand also has been hampered by the perception that Omicron infections are not that severe.
Paxlovid was expected to be a major tool in the fight against Covid after it reduced hospitalizations or deaths in high-risk patients by around 90 per cent in a clinical trial.
Thousands of people still die from Covid-19 every week, even as global infections are far off their peak. And there are only a few proven antiviral treatments, of which Paxlovid is the most attractive. The others are Merck & Co's far less effective rival pill molnupiravir, and Gilead Sciences' intravenous remdesivir.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is playing a vital role in helping pharmacists who are dealing with stress at the workplace. It launched its new
awareness factsheet 'It's Time to Address Stress' last week.
The factsheet looks at the causes and symptoms of stress in the workplace and provides advice on ways pharmacists can access support and improve working conditions.
The association said that it recognises the well-being services offered by employers and specialist charities such as the PDA's charity partner Pharmacist Support
play an important part in helping pharmacists who may be experiencing stress.
However, the PDA is also committed to working with members to challenge employers to provide well workplaces and to help them to make real impact changes. This can
be done by addressing the causes of stress and fulfilling their responsibilities to their employees.
It added: "Under the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required by law to protect employees from harm. Their legal obligations include identifying hazards and risks and implementing ways to reduce or eliminate them. The PDA's new factsheet highlights the importance of employers recognising the hazards causing stress as the health and safety issues they are."
NHS England is set to roll out a new test this week that will help doctors to spot a rare form of eye cancer in babies in the womb.
The NHS test developed at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, identifies the risk of developing retinoblastoma in babies that can be monitored
and treated sooner - increasing the chance of saving their eyesight and potentially their lives.
The new non-invasive test can detect changes in the genes in DNA and is likely to identify around 50 infants with retinoblastoma each year, in the latest example
of the NHS harnessing the power of genomics to diagnose and treat patients faster and more effectively.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis (NIPD) also means parents can be informed early in pregnancy if their child is at risk.
"The blood sample test is taken from the mother before birth and tested and analysed for mutations, which can determine with almost 100 per cent accuracy if the baby will develop retinoblastoma," the NHS said.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s diagnostic advisory committee has recommended the use of HM-JACKarc or OC-Sensor quantitative faecal
immunochemical tests (FIT) in a draft guidance release for consultation on Wednesday (5 July).
Under existing NICE guidance, FIT was already offered to some people presenting to primary care with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer, while others were
immediately referred on the suspected cancer pathway.
The new draft guidance will now see everyone receive a FIT.
A sample is sent in the post to a laboratory where the amount of blood in the faeces is measured. The results are usually available within a week and people with
10 or more micrograms of haemoglobin in their faeces should then be referred for further investigation.
Further assessment using colonoscopy, or CT colonography, is required to diagnose cancer.
The tests cost between £4 and £5 per sample, and can correctly identify about 9 out of 10 people with colorectal cancer.
The committee agreed it is important that GPs can refer people for colonoscopy without a positive FIT result if they think it is necessary and where symptoms persist.
The institute believes that the recommendation of the tests should reduce the number of unnecessary colonoscopies, thus freeing up appointments for more non-urgent
referrals. This should lead to 50% fewer referrals for urgent colonoscopies being made by GPs in primary care settings each year.
In a recent survey of 2,000 UK adults, 34 per cent preferred consulting pharmacists for health advice after researching symptoms, while for those surveyed
specifically from Wales, this figure increased to 35 per cent, according to 2San - a global supplier of healthcare products and solutions.
The survey said women had a higher tendency, with 39 per cent seeking their pharmacist's guidance compared to 29 per cent of men surveyed.
According to the survey findings, over one-fifth of people in the UK are turning to pharmacists instead of their primary care physician or doctor for guidance
and advice with medical symptoms.
"With more than 38 million patients in the UK waiting more than two weeks for a GP appointment, it is unsurprising that 34 per cent of people surveyed asked a
pharmacist for advice over their primary care physician/doctor in the last 12 months," 2san said.
In Wales, over a third of people prefer their community pharmacist for support and advice, while those aged 65 and above still tend to consult their primary care
physician.
The Department of Health and Social Care aims to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, thereby enabling pharmacy technicians to provide and administer
specific medicines through a patient group direction. In line with this initiative, the Department introduced a six-week consultation to assess whether registered
pharmacy technicians should be authorised to dispense medicines using a PGD.
The proposals, backed by all four Home Nations, apply exclusively to registered pharmacy technicians. Meanwhile, this coverage will extend to include pharmacy
technicians in Northern Ireland upon their achievement of registered professional status.
"The proposed statutory instrument, presently applicable in England, Scotland, and Wales would offer 'clear benefits,' especially in areas such as vaccination
and the provision of oral contraception and EHC," the DHSC said.
According to the Department, facilitating registered pharmacy technicians to execute PGDs might amplify their workload, yet it could simultaneously enhance
overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness for pharmacy teams by optimising the utilisation of skill diversity.
Deviating from the initial schedule to kick off the flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in October, the NHS England has announced that the autumn
vaccination drive will commence sooner than expected in England, starting on September 11. This decision was taken as a precaution in response to a new Covid-19
variant.
The precautionary measure is being taken as the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency examined the variant BA.2.86, which was first
detected in the UK on Friday, August 18, 2023, the NHSE said on Aug. 30.
While NHS England had previously announced that vaccinations for both NHS programmes would begin on October 2 for residents of older adult care homes, appointments
for other eligible groups were scheduled for the following week, starting on October 7. This decision prompted community pharmacy leaders to denounce the delayed
start of the flu service as 'unacceptable'.
Has the government in England learned nothing from the Covid-19 pandemic? Nigel Swift, Managing Director of Rowlands Pharmacy, part of Numark, the UK's
largest pharmacy membership association, asks reflecting on the disorderly launch of this year's flu and Covid booster vaccination program as evidence to the
contrary.
"Community pharmacies play a crucial role in ensuring eligible individuals can easily access their free NHS flu and Covid vaccinations," Swift said, adding that
delivering this essential service necessitates pharmacy staff allocating time for preparation and appointment scheduling.
"Just a few weeks ago, NHSE informed us that the vaccination program would be postponed until October, prompting pharmacies to plan accordingly and notify
patients," he said. "However, NHSE has now reversed its decision and set the program to commence on Sept. 11. Pharmacy recommended an earlier start, but NHSE opted
for a delay instead, resulting in avoidable problems."
On Aug. 30, NHSE announced plans to move up the start of the autumn vaccination drive in England to September 11, deviating from the initial October schedule,
citing concerns about a new Covid-19 variant.
Digital pharmacy app Charac has raised over £1 million in debt and equity, bringing total funding to date for the London-based startup to £2.5m.
Pharmacy Business understands while the majority of the new finance, worth about £1.2 million, comes from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) coffer, the
remainder is put forward by a number of individual pharmacy businesses.
The pharmacy sector is in a state of crisis, experiencing nearly two closures per week over the past two years, Charac said in a statement.
According to data from the NHS Business Services Authority, there are now only 11,026 community pharmacies in England, the lowest number since 2015. The current
crisis is attributed to escalating operational costs, a shortage of staff, and diminished government financial support.
The government has launched a consultation into radically changing the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines (known as the Statutory Scheme).
The consultation comes as delicate negotiations for replacing the alternative Voluntary Scheme are underway, potentially undermining these talks, while also further
damaging industry confidence in the UK as a viable place to research, launch and supply medicine.
The government proposals seek to hold average revenue clawback rates under the Statutory Scheme at historic highs of between 21-27%, compared to the pre-pandemic
averages of 9.4% for the Statutory Scheme (2019-2021), and 6.88% for the Voluntary Scheme (2014-2021). The accompanying cost-benefit analysis ignores any negative
impact this may have on medicine supply and wrongly claims it will boost investment.
The consultation comes on the heels of government data last week showing UK life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 47% between 2021 and 2022, down
by £900m year on year. This large fall in investment coincided with a rise in the main UK clawback rate under the Voluntary Scheme from 5% to 15%, and led to the
UK falling from 2nd to 9th out of 18 comparator countries for life sciences FDI in 2022. The Voluntary Scheme clawback rate now sits at a record 26.5% in 2023.
Following Community Pharmacy England's Parliamentary drop-in event on medicines supply issues last week, several MPs have since raised questions to the Health
Secretary during a Health Questions session on July 18th.
According to CPE, MPs from all Parties displayed great engagement with the current pressures facing community pharmacies, particularly regarding medicines supply
issues.
During last week's event, Mike Amesbury, the MP for Weaver Vale, was present and directed a question to the Health Secretary: "Eighteen community pharmacists in my
constituency are reporting challenges with medicine supplies. What further actions will the Minister take to address and resolve this situation effectively?"
In response, Health Secretary Steve Barclay MP stated, "We have a dedicated team in the Department that focuses on medical supplies, which are an ongoing concern.
Challenges in this area are a routine part of our business."
RPS Scotland has partnered with charity organisation Marie Curie for an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament this week to highlight Daffodil Standards and
the crucial contribution of community pharmacies to palliative and end-of-life care. The exhibition is being sponsored by Jeremy Balfour MSP.
Community pharmacies offer vital assistance by providing guidance on medication adjustments and side effects, RPS Scotland said in a statement. They are easily
accessible without the need for an appointment, providing essential support and reassurance to families in times of need.
The Daffodil Standards, which is jointly developed by RPS and Marie Curie, drive continuous improvement in end-of-life and bereavement support within community
pharmacies, benefiting terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers. These standards align with the RCGP/Marie Curie guidelines for general practice
introduced in 2019.
Since its May launch, over 450 pharmacies throughout Great Britain, including more than 30 in Scotland, have implemented these principles, the statement said.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the marketing authorisation of Adtralza, a dermatological solution developed
by Danish specialist LEO Pharma. This injectable solution contains 300 mg of tralokinumab in a 2 mL pre-filled pen and will be available for tralokinumab patients
in the UK from early 2024.
Tralokinumab is indicated for treating moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adult and adolescent patients aged 12 and older who require systemic therapy, Leo
Pharma said in a statement. It is a fully human monoclonal antibody developed to specifically bind to and inhibit the IL-13 cytokine. Previously, it was available
in a 150 mg in 1 mL pre-filled syringe.
According to Leo Pharma, the 300 mg tralokinumab in a 2 mL pre-filled pen offers a streamlined administration for both patients and prescribers. It begins with an
initial 600 mg dose in two injections, followed by a single 300 mg maintenance dose administered every other week.
"We're pleased that this simplified administration method for tralokinumab will soon benefit eligible atopic dermatitis patients in the UK. It aligns with our
commitment to elevate the standard of care and support for individuals with skin conditions," said Leanne Walsh, Vice President and General Manager of UK and
Ireland at LEO Pharma.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has upheld the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) findings against two pharmaceutical manufacturers who
consistently overcharged hydrocortisone tablets for over a decade.
Auden/Actavis UK's pricing for the critical medicine 'hydrocortisone' from 2008 to 2018 constituted an abuse of their dominant market position, leading to fines
nearing £130 million, CMA said in a statement. "These companies increased the price of this crucial medicine by over 10,000 per cent, soaring from 70p to £72 within
that period. These are the highest ever CMA penalties upheld by the Tribunal," the CMA said.
In July 2021, the CMA imposed fines exceeding £265 million on hydrocortisone manufacturers Auden Mckenzie and Actavis UK, which acquired Auden's business in 2015
and subsequently became Accord-UK. The fines were imposed for abuse of dominance and collusion by both the parent companies and potential competitors.
The recent verdict, announced on September 18, comes five weeks after the Tribunal supported the CMA's decision in a separate case regarding the pricing of medicines
supplied to the NHS. In that prior case, fines amounted to £84 million.
Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim said on Thursday (Aug 17) it would conduct three late-stage studies for its obesity drug candidate after it showed up to
19 per cent weight loss after 46 weeks in a mid-stage trial.
The private company plans to start enrollments for the trial of the drug, survodutide, which it co-invented with Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma, before
the end of the year.
The trials will evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy, Boehringer said, and added that it would provide further details on the studies before initiation.
Boehringer and Zealand are among global drugmakers racing to grab a share of the potential $100 billion market for obesity treatments within a decade.
Survodutide works by mimicking a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which suppresses appetite, as well as imitating another gut hormone called
glucagon that helps break down fat.
Six pharmacists based in Scotland were acknowledged by the profession this week during a celebratory event held at the home of Scottish pharmacy, the RPS
building on Melville Street, Edinburgh.
Four pharmacists have been officially conferred with Fellowships of RPS for their significant contributions to the practice of pharmacy. The recipients are:
Richard Lowrie
Lynn Morrison
Deborah Steven
Audrey Thompson
Two pharmacists, Katherine Davidson and Emily Kennedy, have attained accreditation as consultant pharmacists. This designation is granted in recognition of their
demonstrated expertise at a senior level, spanning clinical practice, leadership, research, and education, RPS said in a statement.
Whether it's the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and those suffering with long Covid, or the financial pressures of rising living costs, these hard times
can affect absolutely anyone's mental health.
Mental health problems have worsened across all age-groups in the last few years, from lack of social interaction, unexpected bereavements or the significant impact
of a physical injury or long-term illness taking its toll on mental wellbeing - these challenging experiences and situations that we face throughout life leave a
big strain on the population.
Ultimately, there is an urgent need to reduce rising levels of mental ill-health in our society. As a pharmacist with 25 years' experience in healthcare, I feel I
have an obligation to my patients to support them with their healthcare needs, and mental health should be treated just the same as physical health.
Despite efforts to improve NHS mental health services, patients may still not be receiving the appropriate immediate care as they are often provided with online
counselling or an App for long-term support (online support introduced since the pandemic).
Community pharmacists are in a unique position to be advocates for patients with mental illness as they are the healthcare professionals' patients see most often.
This is a good opportunity for pharmacists to speak to patients face-to-face and give them advice in a more practical way rather than potentially waiting weeks for
an GP appointment.
The GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (GP CPCS) is also delivering 'unexpected' insights to help transform patient care and facilitate integrated
working between pharmacists and GPs across Greater Manchester.
Since April 2021, almost 14,000 appointments have been referred using the GP CPCS across the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership - a figure that
is growing as its success gathers pace and they continue to support practices to increase referral activity.
Joshua Nolan, a pharmacist at Internet Pharmacy in Heywood, one of the first in the area to join the referral service, said: "The number of patients we're seeing
from GP CPCS has been building consistently month-on-month. On average we see around 50 patients, but recently we recorded 53 in just one week."
The pharmacist, who has been practising for six years and is also an independent prescriber, believes the GP CPCS has helped bring about more awareness to the
clinical services community pharmacy can offer.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) will launch a new influencing campaign to build wider political support for community pharmacies
this week.
The campaign aims to ensure that MPs and Peers across Parliament understand the risks to pharmacy services that the current pressures on the sector are causing.
In a Parliamentary event held today (Tuesday 15 November) MPs and Peers heard from PSNC, LPC and other pharmacy bodies about the current situation.
PSNC briefed them on the urgent need for action to address the pressures on the sector.
The committee will be working with LPCs and contractors to organise a series of pharmacy visits for key Parliamentarians including Minsters, Committee and APPG
Members.
This is happening alongside work to develop a new vision and strategy for the community pharmacy sector, all of which is part of PSNC's strategy to lay the
ground for future CPCF negotiations.
