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Two pharmacies in Rotherham are set to merge into one, if plans are approved by NHS England. Weldricks Pharmacy has applied to merge its two Swinton branches, on Church Street and the Crown Street Surgery. If approved, the branch on Church Street will be modernised, and additional consulting rooms will be added, while the Crown Street site will be closed. Rotherham Met Borough Council's health and wellbeing board are set to make a representation supporting the plans, and say that analysis by public health "outlines the very minimal impact that this change will have in terms of pharmacy access in the borough based on the service offer, opening hours and walking times to this branch and the main pharmacy." They say the current opening hours will remain the same, and there will be no disruption to services during the consolidation. A statement from Weldricks adds that the decision to merge is down to funding cuts, and the company could go out of business if operating costs are not reduced - 'despite having been a local, family-owned business for almost 100 years'.

Recently, the English Health Secretary has talked about introducing a 'Pharmacy First' model similar to that which exists in Scotland. This would be a win-win outcome providing people with better access to essential healthcare support, advice and treatment whilst relieving strain on other parts of the NHS, not least GPs and A&E. It is a no-brainer and yet despite a few media headlines there are still no firm proposals on the table to make this a reality. It surely cannot be right that you can receive a broad range of patient care services in Scotland which are not available in England. It works well in Scotland, Wales is keen to develop more pharmacy-based services and Northern Ireland, leaving aside the current funding dispute, has had a minor ailments service for many years. If the English Health Secretary is sincere in his interest in adopting an English version of the Scottish model, then there are critical aspects he needs to consider. Firstly, start with the patient journey through the healthcare ecosystem from illness prevention through to long-term condition management. What is the role of community pharmacy and how do we guide people to seek support from the most appropriate healthcare professional? What is the vision for community pharmacy delivering patient care in the next decade? The lesson from Scotland is that the government needs to sit down with the sector and map that out together. There are no quick fix overnight solutions. This needs to be a long-term commitment backed by adequate funding. Supervision regulations need to change and there needs to be a thought through workforce strategy which avoids community pharmacy shortages as that does nothing to deliver improved patient outcomes.

The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) has changed its name to the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA). AIMp, now IPA, stated that rebranding was prompted by the demand from independent community pharmacists for an association that properly represents their interests. The membership of the Independent Pharmacies Association will not be restricted to pharmacy owners with multiple branches, as was the case with AIMp, but will be open to all independents, it announced today (Tuesday). It believes that the switch will "provide a clearer identity and afford a strong voice to the thousands of independent pharmacies in England and Wales." Furthermore, the IPA noted that it will not primarily function as an insurance organisation with membership attached, but it will be "fighting for and representing its members across all fronts."

A new bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday (20 March) to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children under the age of 15, delivering on the Prime Minister's commitment to create a smokefree generation. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect future generations from the harmful impacts of smoking, thereby saving thousands of lives and billions of pounds for the NHS. The bill will also introduce new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging deliberately targeted towards children, as well as allow the government to change how they are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets. Additionally, enforcement officers' powers will be strengthened with 'on the spot fines' of £100 to ensure compliance with the new laws. This complements the existing maximum fine of £2,500 that local authorities can already impose. It will also become illegal to provide free samples of vapes to children under the age of 18.

A full CPE Committee Meeting was organised in London on April 17 and 18, 2024, to discuss crucial sectoral issues. Key topics discussed during the two-day meeting included intolerable pressures on pharmacy owners, the ongoing Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations, implementation of the Pharmacy First service, and governance changes. Committee Members reviewed the progress of CPCF negotiations with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England. These critical negotiations are being led by the Negotiating Team (NT), which includes independent pharmacy owners and representatives of CCA and non-CCA multiples. The CPE has been advocating for an uplift to the core global sum, margin write-offs, an agreed mechanism for regular funding increases linked to activity and inflation, annual uplifts to service fees, more fundamental reform of the margin delivery framework and an economic review of the medicines supply chain. The Committee also discussed the results of the 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey, which was conducted during March and April.

A recently published report on medicines optimisation highlights the urgent need for transformative changes across all pharmacies to unlock their full potential in delivering integrated care. The report by Public Policy Projects (PPP) is first of the four in the series that emphasises the significant benefits that medicines optimisation can bring to integrated care systems (ICSs). This includes reducing health inequalities and improving population health. Pointing to the "untapped opportunity" that medicines optimisation presents for ICSs facing financial challenges, the report underscores the vital role of pharmacies in enhancing patient outcomes. The launch of the Pharmacy First services has already demonstrated the essential contribution of pharmacies to the health and care system. With "medicines being the second highest cost to the NHS," the report recommends ways "to achieve better value for money while improving patient outcomes".

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on Tuesday (June 30) renamed itself as Community Pharmacy England, promising a "strengthened commitment" to champion and engage with the sector. "The name Community Pharmacy England better reflects the breadth of work that we do to both represent and support community pharmacies in England. We are their champion," the pharmacy negotiator said. Explaining that the rebranding exercise was in line with proposals put forward by the Review Steering Group (RSG), it said the rebrand was part of its Transforming Pharmacy Representation (TAPR) work and that it would signal the beginning of a "new engagement strategy" to build stronger relationships with pharmacy owners. "Becoming Community Pharmacy England is much more than a name change or a new logo, it is a driver for cultural change across our organisation. "Our members want us to be more authoritative, representative, and influential, and rebranding gives us a clearer and stronger voice, helping us to better speak out for community pharmacy."

The regulatory amendments proposed will enable pharmacists to dispense medicines in their original packaging for private prescriptions starting this Autumn, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. In the recently published draft OPD regulations, the DHSC has indicated that the alterations, permitting pharmacists to vary the dispensed quantity by up to 10 per cent to avoid splitting medicine packs, will be implemented for private prescriptions 'immediately upon the enforcement of the Human Medicines Amendment Regulations in the autumn,' as highlighted in a briefing by Community Pharmacy England. CPE stated that the regulations related to NHS prescriptions will come into effect when the pharmaceutical terms of service regulations expressly apply the OPD amendments. Moreover, new directive mandating the dispensing of sodium valproate products solely in their original packaging (except when an assessment of risk necessitates an alternative approach) will align with the rollout of the private prescription regulations during the autumn. CPE further noted that these regulations are currently in draft, indicating that they are not currently in effect and may undergo revisions prior to their implementation.

Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) members working for Boots have raised concerns over possible reduction in their pay following the multiple's proposed changes to some pharmacies' opening hours. Member pharmacists have expressed concerns as "despite verbal assurances that the company aim to minimise pharmacist job losses, they are being told that proposed changes will reduce their income if they remain with the company," PDA has stated. PDA added that several pharmacists have been told that the proposed reduction to their hours will be more than 10 per cent, which could result in reduction in pay every month. Salary cuts could render future employment unsuitable and might force pharmacists to leave the company with redundancy, the association said.

Professor Harry McQuillan has said community pharmacists in the UK must change their focus from an 'accuracy of supply' to a 'safety of supply' model when it comes to dealing with patients. "The main take away message from tonight's lecture is for pharmacy professionals to really challenge themselves about whether they are focused on accuracy of supply or safety of supply," he said at this year's UCL School of Pharmacy Lecture in London on Thursday, 15 June. "For our community pharmacists it must be about safety, including prescribing, and ensuring patients and citizens get the maximum benefit from prescribed medicines. "To deliver this, we need to invest in our teams - harness technology and always be willing to take the next step in a more clinical future." The Chief Executive Office of Community Pharmacy Scotland, however, noted that at a time when the UK was grappling with an unprecedented national debt crisis exacerbated by severe cost of living and spiraling inflation, community pharmacy will need to make a "compelling case" of where the priority should be in the sector. Expanding on the financial woes of the country, he compared the current national debt of the UK, which stood at a staggering 270 percent of GDP in September 2022, with the previous record-breaking national debt of 250 per cent at the end of WWII.

Britain is looking at the possibility of changing rules on mandatory vaccination for healthcare staff, chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke said on Monday (January 31). "We do recognise those realities and that does open a space where we can look at this again," Clarke said. Sky News reported Clarke as saying that the policy of mandatory jabs was something that ministers had "always kept under review".

Covid-19 booster jab can now be administered sooner than six months after the second dose to certain vulnerable people as guideline in the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book has been updated. With the change in the guidance, care home residents who have been given their second vaccine dose at different times will be able to be jabbed in the same session, as long as it has been at least five months since their last dose. It may also help with other vulnerable groups, such as housebound patients to have their flu and Covid-19 vaccines at the same time. The move will also benefit those who are about to receive immunosuppressive treatment as they can get the booster from a minimum of four months after their second dose. Health secretary Sajid Javid said: "This updated guidance will ensure healthcare professionals have the necessary flexibility in the booster programme, allowing more vulnerable people to be vaccinated where it makes operational sense to do so." Vaccines minister Maggie Throup also encouraged eligible people to book their booster jab and secure protection.

With so much hype about DNA testing, people are more than interested in buying a home dna test kit and finding out about their ancestry. The truth about DNA testing is that they reveal more than one's ancestral background. Primarily, DNA testing was used to detect criminals or prove the innocence of someone awaiting capital punishment. Today, things have changed, and DNA-related things are no more revolving around criminal justice alone. Genetic science can reveal the following amazing things: FIND OUT YOUR FAMILY TREE DNA testing has helped people map their family tree and find out details about who their forefathers were and which regions of the world they were from. Believe us or not, but it is the right time to go for it now if you have never performed a DNA test before! Just choose the right DNA testing kit to connect with the previously unknown branches of your family. DNA testing has increased in popularity as people live a more conscientious life. Today, everyone is looking for answers regarding their genetic ethnicity and how they can live a happier and healthier life.

Recent uptake of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in Europe has been "rather disappointing," an official said on Thursday (November 24), amid concerns that protection against severe cases of the disease could weaken during the winter. The European average rate of re-vaccination, or receiving booster doses, was only 29 per cent in the groups of people considered to be at highest risk, such as the elderly and immunocompromised. "It is of concern that those most at risk of hospitalisation or severe COVID are not adequately protected," the European Medicines Agency's head of health threats and vaccines strategy, Marco Cavaleri, told a news briefing. Though there have not been major increases in COVID-19 case rates in recent weeks, Cavaleri said that could change during the colder winter months.

he Pharmacy Schools Council (PhSC) has elected Professor Katie Maddock as the organisation's new chair. Prior to becoming head of school at Keele University, Professor Maddock had been MPharm course director and associate dean for education for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, responsible for developing the clinical teaching at Keele. Before joining Keele University, she taught clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice at Aston University. Her research interests lie in pharmacy education, particularly the use of technology in teaching, clinical therapeutics, augmented reality simulation and interprofessional education. She was also awarded a principal fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in November 2020. Having worked in hospital pharmacy, Professor Maddock is acutely aware of the pressures that Covid-19 has placed on healthcare, as well as the importance of retaining and building upon the positive changes to patient care and pharmacy practice that were developed in response to the pandemic.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has notified that it is now mandatory to attend face-to-face training for both injection technique and basic life support training periodically for pharmacists and other vaccinators providing the annual flu vaccination service. "Community pharmacy contractors are required to demonstrate that all vaccinators, including pharmacists, providing the flu vaccination service in their pharmacy have the skills needed to do so," said PSNC. Prior to this change, pharmacists and other vaccinators needed to undertake a refresher face-to-face training for both injection technique and basic life support, including administration of adrenaline, every three years. Vaccinator needs to evidence competence PSNC said: "Contractors and vaccinators will now need to consider when it would be appropriate to attend refresher training or if ongoing competence of an individual vaccinator can be evidenced, without the need for face-to-face training. "An individual's continued competence may be influenced by their prior experience vaccinating patients, including the overall number of vaccines administered and the regularity with which they administer vaccines."

Global consumer healthcare company Haleon has launched a new centre of excellence for a global leader in consumer health which will bring together world leading academics in human behaviour and frontline healthcare professionals including community pharmacists. Unveiled at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress in 'sunny' Seville, Spain on September 20, the Centre will operate as a community of healthcare professionals and specialists in behavioural science, health psychology and the social sciences to solve some of the most pressing everyday health challenges. Named the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) the initiative will be the first major programme for healthcare professionals since the Haleon's launch on July 18 as an independent, global leader in consumer health. The Centre's mission is to support practising health professionals - pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and dental professionals - in serving their patients and communities. Combining science with deep human understanding, CHS will bring expertise in physiology together with human sciences to deliver real world-solutions and tangible interventions, resulting in measurable improvements in health outcomes through sustained behavioural change. The Centre is facilitated by Robert Horne, professor of Behavioural Medicine at UCL School of Pharmacy, who started his career as a practising pharmacist but later chose to become a behavioural scientist when he saw an opportunity to address issues around psycho-social factors that acted as a hindrance in pharmacy practice. Speaking to me in an exclusive three-way conversation alongside Tess Player, the global head of healthcare professional & health influencer marketing at Haleon, on the sidelines of the FIP Congress 2022, Prof Horne expanded on what the Centre was all about and how it would work. "We've got some good ideas, but it's not a pre-filled prescription that we're going to deliver at scale from the start. What Haleon is t

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Susan Rienow, country president of Pfizer, as its vice president. "As vice president, she will support the president, Pinder Sahota, general manager and corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk UK, in delivering his priorities. These are improving access to medicines, delivering economic growth and helping to find solutions to big societal challenges such as climate change, AMR, and inequalities," said ABPI in a statement. At Pfizer, Susan leads the organisation to bring the power of innovation, data and technology together to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients. She previously led Pfizer UK's vaccines business unit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following concerns raised about cracked cartridges and insulin leaks, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a national patient safety alert for the NovoRapid PumpCart prefilled insulin cartridge and the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin pump system. The regulator have asked patients to check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for cracks before use. It advised against using the cartridge if it has been dropped even if no cracks are visible and urged to closely follow the updated handling instructions in the pump user manual when changing pre-filled glass insulin cartridges. In some of the reported leakage incidents, the cartridges were found to be cracked and provided an inadequate supply of insulin to patients. Leakages also occurred in cases where no cracks in the cartridge were visible, the regulator said. In some patients there were consequences of not receiving enough insulin from their pump system, including reports of severely high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes when the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. Healthcare professionals are being advised to contact patients over the next six months using said device to discuss their individual needs and source an alternative pump where appropriate. "Because of the rare risk of insulin leakage from the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin Pump, patients should check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for any cracks prior to usage," Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said.