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To maximise the benefits of the Pharmacy First service for patients, the NHS, and community pharmacies, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has advised the community pharmacists to to establish a robust relationship between community pharmacies and local general practices. The news comes after several reports highlighted issues regarding GP referrals for the seven minor ailment conditions under the Pharmacy First services. According to the reports, many pharmacists claimed that "many GPs in England are not sending patients to them to be treated - and that some are refusing to participate at all in the "groundbreaking" Pharmacy First scheme". In response to foster better relationship with the GPs, CPE has said that strong local collaborations will enable general practice teams to confidently refer patients to the Pharmacy First and other community pharmacy services where appropriate. Moreover, the organisation emphasised implementation of long-term changes in practice will take time. The current focus on integrating GP referrals to Pharmacy First will likely require sustained effort over several months or longer.

Change is sweeping through Westminster as the newly elected Labour government makes strategic cabinet appointments following their landslide victory in the general election held on Thursday, July 4. With Sir Keir Starmer stepping in as the new Prime Minister and Wes Streeting assuming the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care role, the announcement of Karin Smyth and Stephen Kinnock as health ministers on Monday marked a pivotal moment in Labour's healthcare agenda. Who is the new Minister of State for Health? Karin Smyth, the Labour MP for Bristol South, has been appointed as Minister of State for Health. Smyth has a robust background in healthcare, having served as a shadow spokesperson on health since December 2021. Her previous roles include Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. Before her parliamentary career, Smyth worked as an NHS Manager and held a non-executive director position at an NHS Trust.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has increased the rate of discount deduction for generics from 17.52 per cent to 20 per cent. The Drug Tariff for April 2023 will contain changes to the discount deduction arrangements for pharmacy contractors, which will include- all concession lines to be considered as Group Items for Discount Not Deducted i.e. DND or zero discount (ZD) items; and rate of discount deduction for generics to increase from 17.52% to 20% The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and DHSC agreed on the changes for all concession lines to be considered as Group Items for Discount Not Deducted. Therefore from 1 April 2023, a new category will be introduced into Part II of the Drug Tariff 'Drugs for which discount is not deducted'. However, the committee had rejected the changes in the rate of discount deduction for generics. It said, "Following pressure from NHS England, Ministers have now chosen to impose changes to the previously agreed discount deduction arrangements, which come into effect from 1 April, and will be kept under review."

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is pushing ahead with its plans to implement a new drug tariff from April 2024. However, this move has sparked strong opposition from Community Pharmacy England (CPE), raising concerns about its potential impact on pharmacies and patients. Earlier, it was announced that the April drug tariff will include the new 'Retrospective top-up payment for Concessionary prices, which will be applied automatically for the products listed in Part VIIIE each quarter by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), according to the volume the contractor was paid for. However, CPE argued that the government has imposed these "untested" changes without their agreement, and strongly opposed them stating that "no recovery or downward pressure on margin is acceptable given the financial fragility of community pharmacies." Janet Morrison, chief executive of CPE, has voiced strong opposition to these changes, arguing that "any system expecting pharmacies to dispense at a loss" jeopardises the sector's financial stability and compromises patient care.

A further 18 new products have been entered the list of 'Drugs for which Discount is Not Deducted' (DND) in Part II of the Drug Tariff on 1 November, following applications made by the PSNC. This takes the number of products added to the DND list by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the last 18 months to over 400. The latest list of products include Aciclovir 200mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free, Acitretin 25mg capsules and Strattera 4mg/1ml oral solution. The DND list is updated monthly by the DHSC and includes grouped and individual items, the latter being separately listed in Part II of the Drug Tariff. Any items covered by the 'Group Items' heading are not listed again individually in Part II. See here to see a list of all the monthly changes to the DND status of products.

Alliance Healthcare, the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, announced today (December 7) the appointment of Marie Evans as its new managing director. Evans, who is the current commercial and category director of the firm, will report to Juan Guerra, Alliance Healthcare's senior vice president and managing director of International Wholesale. Commenting on the new appointment, Guerra said: "The last 18 months has shown just how important wholesale and distribution is to the NHS and I am so excited to welcome Marie to her new position at this critical time. "Her experience and leadership will be key as we continue to evolve our services in response to the changing needs of pharmacy, the health service, and industry."

The NHS England has introduced a training programme for 1000 staff to broaden their community pharmacy roles, thereby improving patient access to services. Among them, 500 pharmacy staff will be trained to supervise pharmacists during prescription training, while the remaining 500 will provide support for various training, including pre and post-registration programmes for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. According to the NHSE, pharmacist and pharmacy technician roles are rapidly evolving due to healthcare changes and increased demand for clinical services in community pharmacy. "There are 3,000 independent prescribing training spots available for 2023/24. Educational supervision is a crucial part of this to enable the ongoing transformation and skills development of the growing pharmacy workforce." The NHSE-funded training, scheduled to begin next month, will ensure that those involved in educational supervision, including Designated Supervisors (DSs), Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician education supervisors and Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs), can effectively support learners.

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.

A group of 20 MPs from the different political parties, including Dame Priti Patel and Judith Cummins, have written a joint letter to health minister Andrea Leadsom, calling for urgent action to address the pressures faced by community pharmacies. Taking note of rising pharmacy closures, they have highlighted the need for more investment and support from the government. Recent NHS figures showed that around 1,400 pharmacies have closed permanently since October 2016, and many more are withdrawing services or reducing their opening hours, particularly in deprived areas. The MPs have urged the pharmacy minister to commit to making essential changes including a fair and sustainable core funding model, an effective implementation of the Pharmacy First service and an expansion into other clinical service areas.

Good news for patients whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by standard anti-seizure drugs! Next month, NHS England will introduce a cutting-edge laser beam therapy that can prevent seizures in these individuals. Known as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), the advanced treatment targets the part of the brain causing seizures without the need for invasive surgery, the health service said. The new fibre optic laser therapy is being offered at King's College Hospital in London and The Walton Centre in Liverpool. Starting from June, it will be gradually extended to eligible patients across England. Each year, it is expected to benefit up to 50 epilepsy patients in England who are resistant to standard anti-seizure medications. "This groundbreaking new treatment will change the lives of those with severe epilepsy improving quality of life and providing much-needed assurance," said Andrew Stephenson, Minister of State for Health.

Healthcare reform emerged as a cornerstone of the Labour Party's manifesto leading up to the recent general election. A standout pledge was the establishment of a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service, aimed at granting pharmacists independent prescribing rights where clinically suitable. This initiative is seen as a positive step in addressing critical challenges within the National Health Service (NHS). Numark Chairman Harry McQuillan praised Labour's recognition of pharmacists' role in patient care through expanded prescribing rights. "Let's be honest, pharmacists are an underutilised resource within the healthcare system. We possess extensive training and expertise, yet our full potential hasn't always been acknowledged. "By harnessing pharmacists expanded prescribing rights, Labour is acknowledging our significant role in patient care. This initiative aims to recognise our skills and enhance patient care, ensuring quicker access to necessary treatments," he said. However, he pointed out that the concept requires further exploration, as the rights to prescribe are already granted through the recent change to undergraduate training that incorporates prescribing.

After struggling with COVID, Hemant Petal is back to good health, and now he is on a mission to reduce "health inequalities". Speaking at the SIGMA Conference 2023, he spoke about his new role as Clinical Lead, Health Inequalities and Population Health Management, SE Essex Alliance, Essex ICB. "So, my new role is outside pharmacy, nothing to do with pharmacy. But it is important, I feel that I share some of my insights about the work that I'm doing that might benefit you," he said. Elaborating on the role of integrated care boards (ICBs), he said that they are designed to enhance coordination and collaboration across different healthcare providers and settings. The representatives from hospitals, community services, retail and social care meet on a monthly basis to "look at where there are issues to be resolved, perhaps what can be done to improve the healthcare services."

In response to concerns raised by pharmacy owners, the government has decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service from 20 to 15 clinical pathways. The ability of pharmacy owners to achieve the thresholds for the monthly Pharmacy First payments has been a topic of great concern. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has been actively discussing this issue over the last few weeks with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. Ministers have now decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 15, CPE announced today (July 31). Commenting on this decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England said: "We are pleased that Ministers have listened to our concerns and acted quickly to make an adjustment so soon after coming into office."

Any prescription for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets x 56 submitted for payment to the NHSBSA for July 2022 will be reimbursed at the new price of £17.77 not as per the price concession of £13.45 announced in the 4th concessions update published on 29 July 2022, said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). In July 2022, PSNC received several reports from contractors unable to obtain Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets (56) at the published Drug Tariff price of £4.24. Therefore, it submitted a request for a price concession, which was granted and subsequently published but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that due to the price change mechanism, the reimbursement price for Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets has increased from £4.24 to £17.77 for July 2022. PSNC said, "Following the price change mechanism rules, for generic drugs (excluding drugs in Category M), a price change up to and including the 8th of the month takes effect for prescriptions dispensed in that same month. Any price change after the 8th takes place in the following month."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Wales and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) co-hosted a drop-in session to inform members of the Senedd (MSs) about the action taken by pharmacists to make medicines use more sustainable. At a 'drop-in' session the ABPI, RPS members and staff had the opportunity to speak to a number of MSs from all political parties. "With medicines accounting for around 25 per cent of the NHS carbon emissions, conversations were based around the key recommendations to reverse this from the RPS' policies on sustainability," said RPS. The three key themes emphasised in all discussions were- the need to educate the public and change behaviours to avoid stockpiling medicines; How the clinical skills of prescribing pharmacists can be used for appropriate de-prescribing and switching patients to low carbon options; and importance of tackling waste. RPS Wales Director Elen Jones said: "It was fantastic to see how interested and engaged the politicians were around these important issues. By the end of our conversations, they all clearly understood and supported the importance of pharmacy leadership in this area, as well as the need for the link between climate change and medicines to be better understood by patients.

The Department of Health and Social Care has clarified that community pharmacists will not be among those allowed to issue sick notes, calling the service unsuitable to be provided over the counter. In response to a question from Pharmacy Business, a spokesperson for the department said that the policy change was "aimed at pharmacists working within general practices or hospital settings", adding: "The intention is that 'where' the fit note is issued will remain the same but 'who' issues it will change. The DHSC went on to explain that fit notes, known technically as 'Med3', were "not part of the NHS commissioned services" and therefore private providers, such as high street pharmacies, were unable to provide it under government provision. It added that since "fit notes should only be issued following a full assessment of a patient's fitness for work", it "would be an unsuitable service to be provided 'over the counter'.

Our Totton branch has an incredibly high volume of original pack dispensing, roughly 45,000 items. As we became busier and busier in the dispensary we were finding that our pharmacists, dispensers and other technicians simply didn't have capacity to deliver the services that we needed them to. We all know there is a real emphasis right now on pharmacies doing more services and we knew we had to change the way we operate to survive. So we decided it was time to look into a sound automation solution for our medication dispensing process, one that would allow us to free up the time of the pharmacists and the rest of the team so they could better support patients. After a lot of research we invested in Centred Solutions FLOWRx Hub and InStore solutions which were installed late last year. It provides us with the whole package and has automated our entire dispensing process from picking to packing and labeling to checking. Our situation was quite unique as we bought the system initially for our existing high-volume pharmacy in Totton so the hub and the spoke are actually on the same site. People wouldn't usually look at a hub and spoke solution for that kind of set up but it has allowed us to significantly free up time in store for more services. What it has also done is allow us to look at other opportunities to grow and expand. The pharmacy landscape is changing and there are lots of opportunities coming up. We have found that having your technology and the right infrastructure in place to support your existing footprint before you expand is the ideal way to grow in a safe and controlled way. We never thought that five years ago we would buy another pharmacy, yet we have already bought one and are now in the process of buying two more. I'm not worried about the increase in volume this expansion will bring because I know our technology is going to be able to support it. The pharmacies we are buying are struggling but having our solution already in place m

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.

Throughout the past decade, digital transformation has been at the forefront of the agenda for the NHS which has been accelerated by the abundance of digitally enabled ways of working during the pandemic. While the last year has unquestionably heralded the spring shoots of transformation, there is so much to be done to build upon this and accelerate further. For example, do both pharmacists and patients comprehend the value of digital to drive change at a fundamental level? The issue is not simply ensuring that the temporary fixes inspired by the pandemic successfully transition to standard practice, but also rapidly building on that foundation to enable the greatest value from digitisation within pharmacy. Covid-19 has increased the need for digitally enabled and empowered ways of operating. From the backlog in outpatient appointments to postponed screening programmes and, crucially, the potential exodus of overworked and stressed pharmacists, the efficient, effective and intelligent care enabled by the right digital technologies is now critical.

Following discussions with Community Pharmacy Scotland, the Scottish government has agreed to a six per cent rise in the global fund allocation for community pharmacies in 2023-24, bringing the total remuneration to approximately £219.5 million. A finalised agreement has been reached with Community Pharmacy Scotland for a one-year funding package for the financial year 2023-24, as stated in a Scottish government circular distributed to community pharmacy contractors and NHS Boards on August 4. The circular said this settlement will lead to the most substantial increment ever approved for the community pharmacy network. "The global sum remuneration will be £219.533 million, signifying a 6 per cent increase from the previous year and setting the groundwork for 2024/25," stated Professor Alison Strath, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland, in the document. "The guaranteed income from the drug tariff will remain at £80 million for the financial year, without yearly changes."