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The Parliamentarians have called the government to urgently consider the short-term funding to stabilise the community pharmacy sector. 39 MPs and Peers from across the political spectrum have signed letters to the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP and raised their growing concern about the pressures facing England's community pharmacies and the risks this poses to patient care and safety. "Steve Barclay MP received correspondence from 23 Opposition MPs, with six Peers also signing a letter. Separately, 9 Conservative MPs also wrote to the Health Secretary and up to 10 others have signalled their intention to write to the relevant Minister," said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). The Parliamentarians acknowledged that pharmacies have the potential to do more to support the NHS and they called for the government to urgently consider a commitment to working with the sector to create a fair and fit for purpose future funding model that ensures sustainability and properly funds pharmacies for what they do. All signatories also called for the introduction of a fairly-funded Pharmacy First service.

It's 2022 and data is everything, isn't it? Advertising, decision-making, you name it, data is behind it. What if an ePharmacy could use its own data as an asset? If you knew that sooner or later, you'll be able to turn your data into a revenue stream, wouldn't that be something? And this is exactly what Convert Group does. Convert Group offers the complete eCommerce SaaS ecosystem that helps ePharmacists and brands grow sales, streamline collaboration, and seize data monetization opportunities. Built for scale, Convert Group's platform leverages automation and offers a unique user experience backed by our leading eCommerce team.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has urged pharmacy contractors to use Manage Your Service (MYS) portal only for all monthly FP34C submissions. To secure access to earlier advance payments on 11 April 2022, the committee has advised pharmacy contractors to submit their claims for NHS pharmaceutical services delivered in March 2022 no later than 5 April 2022. PSNC said: "The Manage Your Service (MYS) portal is now the ONLY route available to contractors for all monthly FP34C submissions. From March 2022, contractors will no longer receive the paper FP34C submission document through the post. However, the NHSBSA will continue to post out red separators for contractors to submit relevant forms each month.

National pharmacy bodies have welcomed two VAT changes related to community pharmacy services announced in the Spring budget on Wednesday (15 March) but were disappointed that the budget brought no further relief for the sector in a crippling funding crisis. It was announced that from 1 May 2023, VAT exemption on healthcare would be extended to include medical services carried out by staff directly supervised by registered pharmacists. The government will also extend zero rate on prescriptions to medicines supplied through Patient Group Directions. This measure will be introduced in autumn 2023. HM Treasury said these measures were being introduced to ensure that the VAT system keeps up with changes to how the NHS operates and how healthcare is delivered across the country. More widely, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised to halve inflation and said that the NHS would soon publish its long-term workforce plan.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged the healthcare professionals to share their views on the consultation on 'how MHRA communicate with healthcare professionals to improve medicines and medical devices' safety'. Through this consultation the agency wants to review its approach to engagement with healthcare professionals to improve the safety of medicines and medical devices. "We want to ensure that healthcare professionals are receiving actionable information and guidance on safe use of medicines and medical devices that they can take into their working practice, providing timely advice to patients," said MHRA. "We need to improve the way we communicate with healthcare professionals. We want to hear from you to enable us to transform how we communicate with you and how we work together on our common goal of greater patient safety."

Choosing the right healthcare certification for your career goals should not be taken lightly. With so many certifications available today, it can feel overwhelming and confusing to decide which one is best suited to your individual needs. Whether you're looking for a promotion at work or want to switch careers, having the correct certification can make all the difference when reaching those goals. Thankfully, with some proper research and advice from experts in the field, you can find the perfect healthcare certification for your career goals - let's dive into how! CONSIDER YOUR CURRENT GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS When choosing a healthcare certification, it's important to consider your current goals and aspirations. Before diving into a program or course, reflect on what you want to get out of the experience - is it increased knowledge and skill set, better job prospects, and advancement opportunities? Even if you aren't currently sure about what type of career you want in healthcare, research different certifications and see which ones would bring you one step closer to achieving those goals. For example, medical coding certification is a must for anyone interested in pursuing a career in medical coding and billing. Think about the best investment of your time and energy, so you can reap the benefits later on down the line. No matter where you're starting from or where you hope to go with your career, there are certifications that provide valuable skills in all areas of healthcare.

After a year-long divestment spree, LloydsPharmacy has entered into liquidation and appointed Turpin Barker Armstrong Accountants to handle the process. In its statement of affairs report, the liquidators confirmed that the pharmacy group owes £293m to 514 creditors. This includes £228m owed to the group's former owner Admenta UK and £50m to Aurelius Crocodile - a holding company that was used to control the pharmacy business. However, creditors are set to lose out on approximately £255m as only about £8.2m can be recovered for preferential creditors and £800,000 for its unsecured creditors, the liquidators said. The healthcare chain was acquired by Aurelius when the investment firm took over its parent company, McKesson UK in 2022 for £477m.

PAGB, the prominent consumer healthcare association, has appointed a new Vice-President following the departure of Richard Holme from PAGB's Board earlier this year. Brian R. Fischel, who currently serves as Regional Director & General Manager for UK and Ireland at Reckitt, is set to take on the new Vice-President role at PAGB. Bringing extensive international experience as Vice-President at UK trade association representing manufacturers of branded over-the-counter medicines, medical devices and food supplements, Fischel has over eight years at Reckitt managing various global health territories. His election in the leadership role in June positions him alongside Bas Vorsteveld, President, and Mike Knowland, Vice President, completing PAGB's executive team. Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, expressed optimism about Brian's appointment, emphasising his alignment with PAGB's strategic objectives.

Hobbs, who joined the company in 2019, navigated it through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and successfully oversaw the acquisition and integration of Lexon in 2023. He will retire from the company at the end of September 2024. "After five years with the company, I am retiring at the end of September to spend time with my wife who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year," Hobbs said. "I wish to extend my personal thanks to our owners, the Bestway Group, for their kindness and understanding of our situation. "It has been a privilege to lead the Well Pharmacy, now Bestway Healthcare organisation. The business is resilient for today and fit to prosper in the long term. When I leave it will be with gratitude and admiration for the 7,500+ people in Bestway Healthcare who are committed to improving the lives of our patients and customers, thank you all."