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Community pharmacies were responsible for dispensing over 99 per cent of items in 2022/23, revealed General Pharmaceutical Services for Northern Ireland, Annual Statistics 2022/23 published on Thursday (29 June). While the remaining one per cent dispensed by appliance contractors and dispensing doctors. According to the statistics, on average, each community pharmacy dispensed over 84,000 items in 2022/23, witnessing a growth of over 3 per cent on the previous year to 44.6 million in 2022/23, which is the highest level of dispensing recorded. This equated to BSO processing 2.1 million prescription forms per month, on average, throughout the year, representing a 4 per cent increase on the just over 2.0m processed each month last year. The total ingredient cost over the year was £486.9 million. This was an increase of approaching 7 per cent on the previous year, which was around double the percentage increase in the number of items dispensed. The annual ingredient cost total has fluctuated since the beginning of the series but was over 18 per cent higher in 2022/23 than in 2013/14.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has commenced a consultation on allowing pharmacists to dispense prescription medicines in original packaging. The consultation, closing on December 13, 2021, proposes changes to the Human Medicines Regulations (HMRs). It would allow pharmacists to dispense more or less than the 10 per cent of the prescribed quantity in original packs, except where this would affect the patient's clinical treatment. The change would not apply to controlled drugs. The second proposed change is to supply sodium valproate in original packaging regardless of the conditions set around Original Pack Dispensing (OPD). Currently, contractors have to supply the exact quantity prescribed, unless certain exceptions apply.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has issued a revised guidance for the dispensing of controlled drugs in instalments on 19 September that has been declared as a bank holiday for Her Majesty The Queen's state funeral. PSNC said: "Many instalment prescriptions have already been issued in advance of the upcoming Bank Holiday. Where they contain the Home Office approved wording "Please dispense instalments due on pharmacy closed days on a prior suitable day" then you will need to plan to make these supplies at an appropriate time. This wording would also permit the supply of the initial dose of a prescription starting on the Bank Holiday Monday where the date of the signature is before this." However, PSNC is aware that not all prescriptions will contain such a direction to support the supply, in advance, of a dose for Monday 19 September where the supplying pharmacy is closed. "We recognise that this client group are often vulnerable with multi-morbidities and that the risk to them may be significant. You should therefore exercise your professional discretion in determining when to make an instalment supply for the Bank Holiday Monday. Make the care of the patient your first priority and consider the potential impact of both making the supply in advance and of not making the supply in your decision making process. The exceptional circumstances that led to the Bank Holiday and its short notice may inform your decision."

Lo's Pharmacy, a Yorkshire-based pharmacy chain is adopting a new approach to hub and spoke in a first of a kind model to be used in the UK. The pharmacy will centralise its repeat prescription dispensing service for original packs with the support of its medication wholesaler. The independent group, which has 25 NHS community pharmacies across Yorkshire, will install Centred Solution's Automated FLOWRx Hub product at its central dispensing facility in Wath-Upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire. But unlike other FLOWRx customers, who pick packs from a robotic dispensing system or internal warehouse, Lo's Pharmacy will receive patient-specific flow totes directly from their wholesaler which can then be processed by their hub. This workflow has not been used anywhere else in the country until now and it is a revolutionary approach to hub and spoke dispensing, showing what can be achieved when key players decide to collaborate. It further demonstrates that there are range of variations of hub and spoke models available and accessible to independent and multiple community pharmacies across the UK.

Pharmacists can dispense Paracetamol 120mg suppositories in accordance with the prescription, as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that sufficient stocks are available to meet normal demand. This means the Serious Shortage Protocol - SSP033 - for Paracetamol 120mg suppositories has now expired since 26 August 2022. Top tips for SSP claims NHSBSA advise that contractors must follow the specific endorsement guidance issued with each SSP and endorsements should be clear and unambiguous - NHSBSA processing staff must be able to determine what has been supplied. NHSBSA have published information on common SSP endorsing errors they see when processing claims. Any paper prescriptions with SSP claims need to be placed in the red separator provided by the NHSBSA. Although an SSP cannot be used outside its period of validity, claims can be submitted up to three calendar months after expiry or withdrawal of the SSP to help manage any owings for other items issued on the same prescription form. For example, for SSP033 Paracetamol 120mg suppositories, which expires at 23.59pm on Friday 26 August 2022, the NHSBSA would continue to look for the "SSP" endorsement on prescriptions for Paracetamol 120mg suppositories that are submitted with the August batch (submitted by 5 September), September batch (submitted by 5 October) and October batch (submitted by 5 November).

Pharmacy2U has recently acquired LloydsDirect in a confidential deal, bringing together two of the UK's foremost online pharmacies. Over time, both entities will integrate their operations under the Pharmacy2U brand, the companies said in a joint statement. The two businesses complement each other effectively, and their teams will now work closely together to uphold the patient-centric approach and service quality for which both are known individually, the statement added. However, there is currently limited clarity regarding the sale process and its impact on Lloyds staff. According to NHS Business Services Authority data from PharmData, Pharmacy2U dispensed 1,528,436 items in June 2023, while LloydsDirect, previously owned by LloydsPharmacy, dispensed 1,142,891 items. This positions them as the top two online prescription pharmacies for items dispensed, with Well.co.uk in third place at 128,691 items.

People are advised to be prepared and order their repeat prescriptions in time so that they don't run out of their routine medicines over the Christmas and New Year break when services are likely to be busier than normal. As GP practices will be closed over the bank holidays and only some pharmacies will remain open, local NHS leaders have urged patients to plan ahead to avoid making last-minute requests for collecting repeat prescriptions, which can add avoidable pressure for doctors, pharmacies, and other NHS services. Sati Ubhi, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, have cautioned patients that running out of their usual medication can have serious consequences. "By ordering medicines as soon as possible, it allows enough time for it to be processed and dispensed and helps avoid a last-minute rush," she told Fenland Citizen.

Jhoots Group, a West Midlands based independent community pharmacy chain, has unveiled plans to expand its digital services after securing a funding worth £8.23m from HSBC bank. The new money will allow the groups branches to offer a digital platform for customers to request prescriptions online, enabling the implementation of a hub and spoke dispensing system to automate prescription deliveries. The innovation aims to reduce the burden of manual processes on pharmacists, allowing staff to use their time efficiently and support the NHS by offering vaccines and minor ailment medicine services. San Jhooty, chief operating officer at Jhoots Group, said: "When faced with the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, primary and community services came together to support the community and each other.

The Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP), for Estradot 50mcg patches will expire at 23.59pm on Friday 24 February 2023. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that sufficient stock of Estradot 50mcg patches are now available to meet normal demand. "After 24th February, any prescriptions for Estradot 50mcg patches must be dispensed in accordance with the prescription, and SSP048 will no longer be valid for use," said DHSC. Top tips for SSP claims by PSNC: Where available, use the claim amend facility on the PMR system to rectify any incorrect EPS claims already submitted this month. For any supplies made in accordance with SSPs, check that the correct number of patient charges are collected and declared on the end of month FP34C submission. NHSBSA advise that contractors must follow the specific endorsement guidance issued with each SSP and endorsements should be clear and unambiguous - NHSBSA processing staff must be able to determine what has been supplied. NHSBSA have published information on common SSP endorsing errors they see when processing claims.

Online pharmacy PillTime has taken a step to boost its prescription growth by implementing new Patient Medication Record (PMR) system Titan in its state-of-the-art premises. PillTime moved to new, expanded 26,000sqft premises in Cribbs Causeway on the edge of Bristol earlier this year, where it has also installed state-of-the-art robotics in a bid to significantly enhance future productivity and capacity. Teething problems over Easter weekend saw PillTime struggling to seamlessly integrate all the new systems and processes while physically moving premises which affected service delivery and customer support. However, CEO Leighton Humphreys was supported by Tariq Muhammad, CEO of Invatech Health, who is a former community pharmacist and has worked with independent pharmacies around the UK as well as larger online businesses, to integrate Titan into their workflows. Alongside integration work, Muhammad and his team supported PillTime with necessary design, governance and pharmacy expertise as the company struggled to meet its usual high standards for dispensing medicines to patients.

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.

Since 1990, Glendale Pharmacy in Wooler, Northumberland, has been under the ownership of Andrew Booth, who recently decided to sell it to pursue a well-earned retirement. According to Christie & Co, the community pharmacy has been acquired by Jagraj Randeva, who owns a small portfolio of pharmacies in Ashington and Newcastle upon Tyne. Jagraj was particularly drawn to this pharmacy because of its advantageous, unchallenged location and its strong historical performance. Located near the Cheviot Hills and 17 miles south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Glendale Pharmacy dispenses an average of 6,600 items per month. Karl Clezy, Director - Pharmacy at Christie & Co, noted that Glendale Pharmacy has seen an improvement in its trading performance since the start of the marketing process, increasing its prescription numbers and providing more additional/enhanced services.