Boots UK has agreed to grant a five per cent pay increase to its pharmacists following a collaborative agreement with the Pharmacists' Defence
Association (PDA). This raise acknowledges the unique market conditions faced by pharmacists in the community pharmacy sector, Boots UK and PDA said in a
joint statement on Oct. 9.
According to the statement, the pay increase applies to all pharmacists within the PDA Union's bargaining unit, except for those who joined or received a pay
raise after August 2023. Moreover, trainee pharmacists or those not meeting performance standards are not eligible for the raise.
Additionally, pharmacists and store managers will receive a pro-rata, one-time non-consolidated payment of £750 in August 2024. This payment serves as recognition
for their dedication to establishing and providing new core and advanced NHS services, particularly in light of the substantial changes anticipated in the upcoming
year, the joint statement said.
The services include new medicines, hypertension, contraception, and common conditions services in England, the clinical community pharmacy service in Wales, and
the Pharmacy First services in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There were an estimated 408,700 hospital admissions due to smoking in 2022-23, an increase of 4.8 per cent from 389,800 in 2021-22, latest statistics
published by NHS England have shown.
In 2020-21, there were 314,100 admissions attributed to smoking, which was consistent with fewer hospital admissions overall that year, according to the
health service's Statistics on Public Health, 2023 report.
However, smoking-related admissions in each of the past three years remained lower than in 2019-20, prior to the Covid pandemic, when there were 446,400 cases.
Smoking accounted for around one in six (16 per cent) of all hospital admissions for respiratory diseases last year, eight per cent of all admissions for cancers
and seven percent of admissions for cardiovascular diseases.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association has reported an increase in the number of pharmacists calling its advice line to inform about the incidences of violence and intimidation from protesters opposing the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
The association noted that such incidents have become more common with protesters "gaining entry to premises in groups and trying to disrupt Covid-19 vaccinations from taking place."
In many cases, pharmacists, staff, and members of the public have been subjected to verbal threats, causing distress and anxiety among those working to deliver the vaccination programme in a safe environment.
The PDA reminded that employers, having a contract with the NHS for the Covid-19 vaccinations, have a duty to keep their staff safe whilst at work.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards for pharmacy premises also carry a duty to ensure the safety of staff and the public receiving services on those premises.
More than a third of pharmacists who participated in a survey said they have seen an increase in patients declining prescriptions due to the cost in the
last 12 months.
The survey was jointly conducted by the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), extending their support for the
Prescription Charges Coalition (PCC).
Responding to the survey, 90 per cent of pharmacists admitted seeing cases where patients decline all the medicines on a prescription due to cost.
Nearly all respondents said they have seen cases where patients declined some of their prescribed medicines and more than a quarter of them have experienced
such situation often.
They have warned of the impact of prescription charges as patients are denying vital medicines, including those for blood pressure and mental health, inhalers,
antibiotics, pain relief, and statins, which can have potential consequences for the individual's health.
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."
Boots and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union have released a joint statement to confirm that there will be a pay increase for trainee
pharmacists in England and Northern Ireland from April 2024.
From 1 April 2024, the new hourly pay rate for trainee pharmacists working at Boots pharmacies will be £12.69 for Zone A in England/Northern Ireland, £13.79
for Zone B in England and £14.05 for Zone C in England.
"This increase will be applied centrally in the April pay run," said the statement from the Boots and the PDA Union.
Team members can see the new rate of pay in the Benefits Box during the annual enrolment window from 20 February 2024, it added.
In August 2023, pay for trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland was increased to £11.64 per hour for Zone A, £12.77 per hour for Zone B
and £12.88 per hour for Zone C.
The Government has been forced to intervene formally 50 times in the past two years to authorise the use of alternative drugs because of serious medicine
shortages hitting patients, new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has found today.
78 per cent of all Serious Shortage Protocols, produced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) due to medicine shortages, were issued in
2022/24 - more than three times the rate in the previous two years.
The NPA, which represents independent community pharmacies in the UK, is warning that shortages are leading to pharmacists having to increasingly turn
patients needing vital medication away.
Analysis by the NPA of the NHS's Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) issued to pharmacies and other providers over the last five years has found that:
The number of SSPs issued in the last two years is 3.5 times higher than in the previous two years.
The pharmacy market in England has seen a significant transformation in recent years, driven by a trend of large-scale disposals by corporate operators.
Jonathan Board, Director - Pharmacy, Christie & Co, has told Pharmacy Business that several corporate operators are looking to sell off their marginal or
non-performing assets while independent operators are eager to acquire and enhance businesses further.
Due to their scale, corporate operators are compelled to adopt a 'one size fits all' approach.
However, Jonathan believes this puts them at a disadvantage compared to many independent operators who are better positioned to meet local patient and
community needs, delivering a more personalised approach to patient engagement, and a variety of other services
"As such, where corporate disposals have taken place, there has been a steady stream of independent operators eager to take over and develop the businesses
further," he said.
