In its response to a Freedom of Information Request (FOI), the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has confirmed a net decrease of 101 pharmacies
in England - with 371 closures and 270 new contracts. Meanwhile, the General Pharmaceutical Council data projected a drop of 43 registered pharmacies in England,
Wales, and Scotland for the year ending March 31, 2023, compared to the preceding period.
The data, released by business advisor Christie & Co in its annual pharmacy market review on Sept. 5, revealed a total of 14,328 pharmacies across all four UK
country regions as of March 31, 2023, indicating a 0.3 per cent decrease from the previous year. Corporate operators experienced a net reduction of 249 pharmacies,
while the total number of independent operators remained consistent with 2022.
According to the study, the corporate sector saw the most substantial shift, with a 13.7 per cent reduction in businesses operating 300 or more pharmacies.
Following closely, groups managing 11 to 15 pharmacies experienced a 5.6 per cent decrease. Christie & Co attributed this shift in group size to operators
acquiring additional pharmacies through corporate disposal opportunities throughout the year.
The NHS staff delivered more than 25 million checks for patients' which is almost 2 million more than before the pandemic.
There has been an increase of almost 50 per cent between August to July as compared to a decade ago.
In 2013, the figures saw 11 million life-saving tests and checks being conducted by NHS staff in the same period.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive applauded the hard work of staff for delivering two more million tests and checks in the last year.
She said: "NHS campaigns encouraging people to come forward with worrying signs are having a hugely positive effect, with thousands more patients getting
checked - so as ever, if you have any health concerns, please do get checked - it could save your life".
Winter pressures are already mounting on NHS staff ahead of December, with high levels of demand in hospitals due to a significant increase in cases of
norovirus infection.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus which spreads through contaminated food, water or surfaces and causes vomiting and diarrhea.
New NHS figures revealed that an average of 351 people were hospitalised with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms every day last week in England, almost triple the
number during the same period last winter, which was 126.
The number of children in hospital with the virus was also higher last week (13) compared the same week last year (an average of just three), according to the
weekly winter update published by the health service on 30 November.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on Thursday (4 December) announced a new strategic partnership with the Bank of England to protect small
businesses from the risks associated with accepting counterfeit banknotes.
Cash is still the number one customer payment method for 25 per cent of small high street businesses, and cash payments are expected to increase during the
festive period, according to FSB.
By becoming a Strategic Partner of the Bank of England's Banknote Checking Scheme, the organisation is trying to help its members become aware of the use of
counterfeit notes, which has reputational and financial impacts.
The FSB is encouraging its members to sign up to the Scheme, which offers training materials to staff so they can identify a counterfeit note at point of sale
and know what to do with it, as well as stay up to date with best practice and bank note developments.
Community pharmacy representatives and MPs from across all political parties discussed the impact of winter pressures on pharmacies in England during a
parliamentary drop-in event held on Tuesday (5 December).
As many as 34 MPs attended the event, including Bradford South MP Judith Cummins, who hosted the event.
Members of the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) Policy Team and LPC leaders briefed the politicians about the current winter pressures that all NHS community
pharmacies are grappling with, and asked them to help get more support.
CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison said: "Community pharmacies play an active role to support their patients throughout the winter period, but the sector needs
fair and proper funding to enable its vital services to be delivered in the long term. This event came at a key moment for the sector as we work towards
implementing the Pharmacy First service and negotiations begin for the 2024/25 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF).
Long waiting times for National Health Service (NHS) care are leaving people too sick to work in the UK, which is affecting the country's economy.
One in three people missed work in 2022 due to delays in accessing NHS care, revealed a new survey by Pollsters Savanta.
The market research consultancy surveyed 2,235 people in the UK this month on behalf of the Liberal Democrats.
According to the survey results, 19 per cent of the participants could not go to work as they were waiting for a GP appointment.
While 15 per cent of the respondents had to take a long period off work while they waited for treatment or surgery, 12 per cent missed work as they waited for
emergency dental treatments.
Overall, 36 per cent of those surveyed had missed at least some work because of difficulty getting NHS care.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published the full text of the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth (VPAG).
The 2024 VPAG agreement text sets out the detailed terms of the agreement reached between DHSC, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry (ABPI) to support patient access to medicines, the financial sustainability of the NHS and the UK life sciences sector.
The new voluntary scheme will come into force on 1 January 2024, following expiry of the 2019 Voluntary Scheme and shall remain in force for a period of five years,
until 31 December 2028.
Manufacturers or suppliers of branded medicines to the NHS have been given time till 15 January 2024 to decide whether to join the new 2024 Voluntary Scheme, or
default to the updated Statutory Scheme.
Nexium Control, the UK's number one selling heartburn product for 24-hour protection1, has commissioned research to explore consumer attitudes to heartburn
awareness of the different products on the market in Great Britain and Ireland (1,500 UK and 500 IE respondents). The research found that 53% of respondents
usually opt for short-acting treatments to heartburn2, despite longer-acting products being able to provide relief over a 24-hour period.
The research from Nexium Control revealed that 54% of people surveyed wished there was a product that managed symptoms for longer3, with 55% of respondents
agreeing that short-acting treatments only last a maximum of five hours4. To help their patients understand there are longer-acting options available,
pharmacists can provide information and guidance on treatments, such as proton pump inhibitors like Nexium Control.
Shorter-acting products, which shoppers often reach for, work by either neutralising the acid already in the stomach or by forming a layer that floats to the
top of the stomach, stopping acid rising into the food pipe. Double action treatments which utilise both methods are also available. Containing esomeprazole,
Nexium Control reduces the production of stomach acid for up to 24-hour protection with just one pill, treating the cause and symptoms of heartburn - allowing
time for the oesophagus to recover from the acid irritation.
Dementia is an extremely deceptive disease that develops slowly and may go unnoticed in people, said NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch, while
urging people to look out for the vital warning signs of this condition among family and friends over Christmas.
Common early symptoms of dementia may include emotional change, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word,
being confused about time and place, the health service has cautioned.
An increasing number of people have been diagnosed with dementia in England since the start of the pandemic, following a drive by the NHS England to increase
diagnosis rates.
In November 2023, NHS staff diagnosed 463,797 people aged over 65 with dementia, up more than 41,000 compared to the same period last year, according to the
figures revealed by the health service.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) says the pharmacy regulator should maintain a two-year post qualification eligibility criteria, in addition to
the qualitative measures being introduced which would be in the best interest of patient safety, before a pharmacist is allowed to commence an IP course.
The association was responding to an announcement by the GPhC's move to scrap the two year requirement for Independent Prescribing (IP) course.
"The PDA accepts that the qualitative approach could mean greater individual consideration of potential IP course candidates and the two-year measure could have
sometimes been a blunt tool. However, the PDA is already seeing cases of patient harm and allegations around fitness to practice arising from IP," the association
said.
The association also said that it supports individual pharmacists with near misses, as well as actual incidents, giving the organisation possibly the most
comprehensive understanding of risk.
Frontline pharmacists also recognise these issues and in a survey of over 1,000 pharmacists undertaken by the PDA in late 2021, of those who had 2+ years'
experience of practice and who were already independent prescribers, 90 per cent said the qualifying period should be two years or more.
he British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has voted Pete Kelly, managing director of Accord UK, to become its new chair.
He replaces Peter Ballard, who has completed his second tenure as the association's chair and will now serve a further year as vice-chair.
Pete leads the UK operations of Accord, one of the largest generic and biosimilar manufacturers in Europe. In the UK, the company currently supplies a fifth of
all generic medicines.
Mark Samuels, chief executive of BGMA, said: "We are very fortunate to have someone of Pete's experience and leadership qualities to take on the mantle of chair
of the association. The industry faces a challenging period on many fronts, and Pete's input will be invaluable.
"I would also like to record my enormous gratitude to Peter Ballard, our out-going Chair who has been an incredible servant to the association over many, many years.
He will continue for another year as vice-chair, and we are pleased to have his continuing advice."
In what's seen as a major step forward for the treatment of schizophrenia, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised a
new Johnson & Johnson drug in Britain.
Byannli is a six-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP6M) and is the first long-acting injectable schizophrenia treatment which offers patients the potential for up to
six months of symptom control and a reduction in their risk of relapse with only two doses a year.
It is a long-acting injectable that works by dissolving and entering the bloodstream slowly, due to its extremely low water solubility, resulting in continuous
absorption of paliperidone palmitate over a six-month period.
"Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disorder, and antipsychotic medication plays an important role in its treatment. However, many people with the illness
experience relapses which are often caused by poor adherence to oral medication," said Prof David Taylor, director of Pharmacy and Pathology at the Maudsley Hospital.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a public consultation on plans to reclassify a locally-applied hormone replacement
therapy product to treat the cause and relieve the symptoms of vaginal atrophy.
The MHRA is proposing that Gina 10 microgram vaginal tablets, containing oestradiol, be made available over the counter as a "self care" product, under the
supervision of a pharmacist.
The Commission on Human Medicines too has advised that the application by Novo Nordisk, which is used to treat vaginal dryness, caused by oestrogen deficiency in
postmenopausal women, can be made available as a pharmacy (P) medicine.
The MHRA has been asking GPs, pharmacists and members of the public for their opinions on whether the tablets can be made available to women aged 50 and over who
have not had a period for at least a year.
If the reclassification goes ahead, pharmacists will be given training materials and a checklist to help them supply the medicine safely.
Alitam Group, the 100-plus pharmacy store consolidation, has appointed Bharti Patel, the former group executive director of Avicenna to its executive board.
Patel, who was part of the leadership team at Avicenna until late 2021, brings with her a wealth of experience covering pharmaceuticals, multiple retail and independent pharmacy, homecare and NHS primary and secondary care.
In her early career, she worked at Lloyds Pharmacy, where she rose from a prescription medicines buyer to director of procurement over a period of eight years.
She is known in the industry for her strong leadership, commercial acumen and ability to create opportunities for innovation and strategic partnerships.
Alitam founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo said in a statement that Patel's appointment will further strengthen the group's ability to deliver its transformative multi-billion-pound 'Pharmacy of the Future' concept.
McKesson UK's CEO Toby Anderson has stepped down from the role with immediate effect after over three years with the company.
Toby joined McKesson UK as CEO in September 2018 moving from health & beauty retailer A.S. Watson Group, where he spent 12 years in various roles. As CEO Asia
and Eastern Europe, Toby was responsible for a rapidly growing business with more than 3,300 stores - including 1,500 pharmacies.
Prior to that Toby spent 11 years in a number of senior roles with J. Sainsbury, the second largest grocery retailer in the UK, his last role being Head of Online.
Dominik Meüser from AURELIUS Group said: "We are extremely grateful for the commitment Toby has demonstrated over the years to help us achieve the McKesson vision of becoming the UK's leading healthcare organisation. His leadership, during a period of great uncertainty, has given us the solid foundations we can now build on
to deliver sustained success in the future.
Pfizer has recalled all stocks of Accupro - including 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 40mg film-coated tablets - as a precautionary measure due to the identification of a
nitrosamine above the acceptable limit.
"Following testing, N-nitroso-quinapril, has been observed at a level above the acceptable limit. Nitrosamines may increase the risk of cancer if people are
exposed to them above acceptable levels and over long periods of time. The recall is at pharmacy and wholesaler level," the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committees (PSNC) reported.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said: "All strengths of quinapril (Accupro) tablets have been recalled with a resupply date to be confirmed. Pfizer
are the sole supplier of quinapril tablets in the UK. Alternative ACE inhibitors remain available and can support an uplift in demand."
Community pharmacy workforce is in a fragile condition and faced a shortfall of 3,000 pharmacists in England over a period of five years, a recent research conducted by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed.
It noted that over the last five years, the net growth of community pharmacists in England a year stood at 733. This is much lower than the required average growth of 1,025, based on data reported by the Health Education England workforce survey from 2021.
Acknowledging the discrepancies in the data calculation, the paper published by the association has used "the best available data" to highlight recent changes to the community pharmacy workforce in England.
The report noted that despite an increase in the number of pharmacists, many contractors reported an increase in pharmacist vacancies. They also reported a significant increase in locum hourly pay rates, indicating demand exceeds supply.
The NHS England and Improvement has announced the emergency provisions introduced during pandemic to provide flexible opening hours for pharmacy contractors end today.
The flexibilities were enacted in March 2020 when changes to the Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services and Emergency Declaration) Directions 2020 were made following a declaration of emergency at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since March 2020, the flexibilities have permitted temporary opening hours and closures during a specified period due to a genuine Covid-19 related emergency. NHS
England and Improvement has advised pharmacy contractors that the emergency declaration will not be extended further and will expire on 31 March 2022.
Pharmacy contractors will therefore no longer have the option to close pharmacies within their agreed contracted hours with the NHS.
A pharmacist in a leading independent pharmacy chain shares his myth-busting Ramadan advice on managing health and the use of medication while fasting.
While the holy month means total fasting in terms of oral consumption, it's still ok, says Ifti Khan, superintendent pharmacist at Well Pharmacy, to have
vaccinations and blood tests and to use eye drops or other medical items that are not ingested through the mouth.
It's also important for people to keep taking their prescribed medication over the Ramadan period. Anyone who is concerned should speak to their pharmacist about
whether they can take their medicine at different times, as stopping it could have serious consequences.
Mr Khan, who will be observing Ramadan himself, said: "Confusion can sometimes arise when it comes to medication and managing health conditions whilst fasting",
adding it is important for patients to keep managing health during Ramadan.
Having injections or vaccinations is fine, as are blood tests, using eye or ear drops, and using anything that patients don't consume orally - so nicotine and other
transdermal patches, pessaries and dialysis, for example. It's also ok to eat and drink as a result of a condition which causes forgetfulness.
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) has appointed David Vanns as its non-executive Chairman following the retirement of its long serving
Chair Peter Cattee. Vanns will take up the role from April 2023.
Cattee, one of the co-founders of AIMp took up the role as its Chairman in 2000. He is also a non-CCA representative on the PSNC. Despite retiring as chairman Cattee
will remain on the AIMp board.
Commenting on his retirement Cattee said: "It's been my great good fortune to work with almost all of the owners of pharmacy groups throughout England, Scotland and
Wales over the years and many other talented people throughout the sector. It's been during a period of increasing consolidation, something which our own business
has reflected, and the original founders and Board members Yakub Patel, Kirit Patel, Steve Williams and David Vanns have all been instrumental in shaping pharmacy
negotiations to better reflect the views of our natural constituency - pharmacy group owners.
A spokesperson for AIMp said: "We thank Peter for his services and dedication to AIMp throughout the years. Our organisation has grown to be a diverse and dynamic
organisation representing and supporting pharmacy groups of all sizes, small and large. Our main identity and what unites us in AIMp, irrespective of the size of
the pharmacy group, is being Independents, and we are very proud of our identity. We look forward to continuing our work in representing and supporting our members
in the best way possible."
