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The Health Committee's new report has reminded the government of a much-needed pharmacy workforce plan to support recruitment, training, and retention of staff. The report makes a number of recommendations to optimise workloads across primary care, reduce pressure on general practice and hospitals, and support the integrated care systems. It also recognises the potential of pharmacist independent prescribers to support patient care, backed by appropriate supervision, training, and opportunities for professional development. RPS England gave evidence to MPs on the Committee at a public hearing in May, highlighting key issues to support the pharmacy workforce. RPS director for England, Ravi Sharma, said: "Today's report underlines the urgent need for the Government to set out a comprehensive workforce plan for health and care. "It rightly recognises that boosting recruitment and retention, supporting staff wellbeing, fostering inclusion and diversity, and investing in education and training will be crucial to the future of the NHS.

The professional leadership body for pharmacists has urged the General Pharmaceutical Council's (GPhC) to make it mandatory to have a chief pharmacist within organisations to ensure transparency for patients, the public and pharmacy staff. On 23 January, the GPhC launched a consultation seeking views on the new draft Standards for Chief Pharmacists it has developed to strengthen pharmacy governance. These standards outlined the professional responsibilities and qualifications required by a chief pharmacist to support their organisation and its staff to deliver "safe and effective" pharmacy services. The pharmacy regulator highlighted the importance of having a registered chief pharmacist meeting these standards in hospitals (or relevant settings) to benefit from the new legislation regarding accidental errors. In response to the consultation, the RPS expressed that while meeting these standards could enhance pharmacy governance, they may not provide the framework needed to fully support staff in reporting and learning from errors.

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.

Pharmacists from BAME backgrounds still face higher levels of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and career obstacles compared to their white counterparts, the Pharmacy Workforce Race Equality Standard (PWRES) report has revealed. Published by NHSE England, this report underscores the persistent presence of inequality, emphasising the crucial need for all stakeholders in the pharmacy sector to prioritise addressing these issues. The PWRES report indicates that pharmacy team members of Black ethnic backgrounds are less likely to perceive equal opportunities for career advancement or promotion within their trust. Additionally, female pharmacy team members from BAME backgrounds report higher incidents of personal discrimination in the workplace. The report also highlights an overrepresentation of pharmacy technicians from BAME backgrounds in lower-paid roles. "It is shocking and unacceptable to see that across all indicators the BME staff experience is worse than their white counterparts," said Tase Oputu, Chair of RPS in England.

Benjamin Hannan, director of reform and transformation at NHS Fife, has been honoured with the prestigious title of Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), marking a significant milestone in his career. Hailing from Falkirk, Hannan is the youngest Scottish Fellow in the society's history, a testament to his exceptional contributions to the field of pharmacy. The fellowship, a distinction bestowed upon members who have demonstrated remarkable achievements in advancing pharmaceutical knowledge or have shown exceptional distinction in pharmacy science, practice, profession, or history, is a recognition of Hannan's dedication and expertise in the field. Expressing his gratitude, Hannan told The Faulkner Herlad, "I am delighted and humbled to have been made a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society."

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland has submitted its evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's inquiry into 'Healthcare in remote and rural areas.' The Committee had sought views on what policies and actions would be most effective in addressing the issues people face when accessing healthcare in these areas. During the evidence session today (19 December), Laura Wilson, Director for RPS Scotland, highlighted the challenges faced by pharmacists and pharmacy in remote and rural areas, as well as provided some of the solutions for ensuring a sustainable pharmacy workforce. At present, people living in remote and rural areas of Scotland are required to travel to Glasgow or Aberdeen to undertake pharmacy training. Laura underscored the need to develop alternative education and training pathways, such as "grow your own" models, to support remote and rural areas to develop and retain local pharmacists.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) presented the best practice award to a pharmacist from NHS Tayside at an event on May 29 which celebrated pharmacy practice across Scotland. The Glasgow event, organised by RPS, brought together pharmacists from across the country to present their own best-practice examples. These included all sectors of pharmacy, including hospital, GP practices, community and specialist settings. Delegates at the event were asked to vote for what they considered to be the winning example of best practice. Alex Matos, specialist clinical pharmacist, won the award for his presentation on 'Implementing Pharmacogenomics in the Stroke Service'. Alex won a £500 bursary for travel and accommodation to the RPS's annual conference in London, where he has been invited to present on his best practice example.

From the informative to the fascinating, the collection of exhibits that make up the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) museum collection reopened at the Society's London headquarters on Monday (May 16). The museum, which has been closed to the public for two years, boasts one of the largest collections of historical pharmacy exhibits in the country. The 181-year-old museum features a host of amazing objects from the 1400s up to the present day that dramatically illustrate just how far modern medicine has come. From poison bottles and medieval textbooks, to trade tokens and pottery, the museum is there for everybody. Museum exhibits include finding out about ceramic 'bear' jars containing bear oil, which was once thought to be a remedy for baldness, exploring what nineteenth Century 'asthma cigarettes' were used for, and finding out why a stuffed Nile crocodile was the symbol for the apothecary. The museum showcases the unique history of the development of drugs for medical treatment, alongside the evolution of the pharmacy profession in Britain, and the role RPS played in its development.

Ahead of World AIDS Day this Wednesday, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has urged the government to widen access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by making it available through community pharmacies. It argues that such a move could drive down rates of HIV infection across Great Britain. Currently, the medicine - which offers almost total protection from HIV when taken as recommended prior to sex or injecting drugs - is available free of charge only through sexual health clinics. Calling on the government to engage with community pharmacies to improve public health, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "There is a clear opportunity to drive down rates of HIV infection by expanding provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to community pharmacies and GP practices as part of the government's HIV Action Plan.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is refreshing its Professional Standards for Homecare Services and will be shared for consultation in August to allow comment and input on the updated content. The final version is expected to be completed in the autumn. The standards were originally published in 2013 and are a framework to support teams providing and commissioning homecare services. Homecare medicines services deliver medication, and any necessary associated care, direct to the patient's home with their consent. The standards help patients experience a consistent quality of homecare services, irrespective of provider, will protect them from avoidable incidents and help them get the best outcomes from their medicines. Jennifer Allen, The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer's Clinical Fellow leading the refresh at RPS said: "It has been 10 years since the first set of Homecare Standards were published, so it is important that they are reviewed and brought up to date to reflect current service design, medicine pathways and delivery models to ensure patients receive safe and effective medication supply and associated care."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support have announced a formal agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration to better support RPS members and increase the impact of the charity. This partnership comes after years of working closely together, and formalising it will allow both organisations to reach a wider audience and focus on supporting the wellbeing of pharmacy professionals. The aim of the partnership is to establish a visible link between the professional body and the independent charity to increase awareness about the two organisations for greater focus on the support within the sector. Along with this, the key objectives also include identifying fundraising opportunities for Pharmacist Support, and collaborating on specific wellbeing projects.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has decided to lease two floors of its east London headquarters to Ingeus, a business with services in employment, health, justice and youth. RPS will retain three floors of the building, including its museum and library on the ground floor, as well as the two upper floors which will be used for events, collaborative working and team meetings. The decision follows an announcement in April that the the Society was re-evaluating whether it needed to hold on to its current office space as homeworking was becoming the norm due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Society also wanted to maximise value from its property and generate additional revenue which could "be reinvested into further developing our valued products and services". Ingeus runs the government-sponsored Restart Scheme to help people find jobs in their local area.

To help transform care for patients, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is calling on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to remove the two-year post qualification wait for pharmacists before they are allowed to start their independent prescriber training. RPS proposes that entry to training should be based on whether pharmacists can evidence the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to undertake the training, and not the length of time a pharmacist has been on the register. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "We've campaigned strongly for better use of pharmacist independent prescribers, who are becoming essential to multi professional teams in all health care settings. "We want to ensure pharmacy remains an attractive career and has parity with the other professions. Pharmacist prescribing is now moving from being a skill only associated with advanced specialist levels of practice to a more generalist scope, providing a workforce that's more flexible with a shared set of capabilities.

Members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) highlighted the work of pharmacists in making medicines use and the whole NHS more environmentally sustainable at the Welsh Senedd this week. Politicians present were informed that around 25 per cent of the NHS' carbon emissions result from medicines use, and therefore pharmacists' expert skills are crucial for reducing these emissions. RPS Wales Director, Elen Jones, was among the RPS staff who attended the event, which was co-hosted with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Commenting on the event, Elen said: "It was great to get so many productive conversations with the politicians to highlight the great work pharmacists are already doing in the sustainability field and to explain what further steps are required to reduce the negative environmental and ecological impact of medicines."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called on employers, governments and NHS organisations to provide pharmacists with regular protected learning time (PLT) within working hours to develop their skills in clinical delivery, education, research and leadership. RPS workforce wellbeing survey showed an average 42 per cent of pharmacists were not given any PLT, a figure which rose to 55 per cent in community pharmacy. Most were unable to engage in professional development activities as part of their working day because of their responsibility to deliver frontline clinical services to patients. This means learning is often undertaken outside of working hours, increasing pressure on individuals and impacting their work/life balance. The survey showed that 48 per cent of respondents identified a lack of PLT as negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing and that 88 per cent were at high risk of burnout. PLT improves the quality of patient care through professional practice and reflection, helping to develop insights, maintain and refine care standards and increase confidence. It facilitates continuous professional development (CPD), ensuring that skills and knowledge are up to date.

Laura Wilson, Director of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Scotland discussed the future of the pharmacy workforce with Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care at the SNP conference. The event, which took place on 17 October in Aberdeen, Scotland featured other health officials including Colin Poolman, Director of the Royal College of Nursing; Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, Public Affairs and Policy Manager for Scotland, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; and Chris Marshall, Deputy Editor at Holyrood Communications. The Scottish government has recently unveiled its national workforce strategy for health and social care, laying out its plans for achieving recovery, growth, and transformation. Wilson highlighted the challenges and opportunities for the pharmacy workforce in Scotland to attract potential pharmacists into the profession and encourage them to stay within the profession. "This was a great opportunity to discuss with the Cabinet Secretary the challenges which exist for the pharmacy workforce in Scotland and to highlight some of the solutions which need to be implemented to ensure a pharmacy workforce in Scotland which is fit for the future," she said.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)'s new research (YouGov poll) revealed that one in five of UK adults (19%) keep their medicines in the bathroom. The research revealed, "Almost one in two (45%) of UK adult keep their medicines in the kitchen, which could also cause problems. RPS Chief Scientist Professor Parastou Donyai said: "It's important to store your medicines in the right place as this could affect how they work. "Medicines should be stored in a cool, dry place and are particularly affected by heat and moisture. Keeping your medicines in the same place as where you have baths and showers could make your medicines less effective or spoil them. "Instead keep your medicines in another room, for example your bedroom or if you keep them in the kitchen, make sure this is in a kitchen cabinet, away from sources of heat such as the hob, oven or windowsill. If you have small children or pets in the home, always make sure your medicines are kept in a lockable storage box somewhere out of their reach and sight."

Representatives from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) presented their preliminary evidence to the Inquiry, which is examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the UK. The UK COVID-19 Inquiry began on 28 June 2022 to examine the UK's preparedness and response to the pandemic, aiming to draw insights for the future. Its investigations are organised into modules, gathering evidence from witnesses, experts and core participants through a series of corresponding hearings throughout each module. A preliminary Module 3 hearing for its investigation into was held at Dorland House, 121 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6BU on Wednesday 10 April at 10.30am. NPA calls for funding to boost pharmacy resilience Presenting its evidence before the inquiry, the NPA highlighted the unsung contribution of pharmacies nationwide in combatting COVID-19 and maintaining health services throughout the pandemic while calling for funding to create greater resilience in community pharmacies.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Director for Scotland Clare Morrison participated in the panel discussion alongside representatives from other health professional organisations on tackling the workforce crisis at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on 8 October. At the conference, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care committed to achieving protected learning time for health professionals. Morrison welcomed the Cabinet Secretary's statement as fantastic news for pharmacists across Scotland. "RPS Scotland will follow up the discussion by writing to the Cabinet Secretary to request a meeting to discuss achieving protected learning time, the forthcoming results of our workforce wellbeing survey, and positive examples of how pharmacy teams have improved the well-being of their teams," said the society.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has backed a new framework from NHS England to reduce inappropriate prescribing of addiction-causing medicines. It believes that the new framework is a positive step towards improving patient care by supporting medicine reviews and shared decision making to help people reduce their use of medicines that are no longer providing much clinical benefit. The society has also welcomed investment in innovative approaches to supporting patients and urged all pharmacists to refer people to such schemes. Director for England at RPS, James Davies said: "Pharmacists are well-placed to help reduce inappropriate prescribing of high strength painkillers such as opioids and other addictive medicines. "Pharmacy teams can also often spot repeat purchases of over the counter medicines by patients so are well placed to intervene and give advice on the management of chronic pain. Whilst opioids can play an important part in helping people with chronic pain there has long been a need for alternative approaches that are safer and more effective for patients.