Group items tagged

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Wales has welcomed proposals from the Welsh government to increase access to PrEP via community pharmacies for people at risk of HIV. The new HIV Action Plan for Wales consultation proposes a shared care model between primary care and specialist sexual health services to improve access to PrEP. Commenting on the proposal, chair of RPS in Wales Cheryl Way said: "Increasing access to the medicines has been a long-standing issue of concern for us at RPS and we're therefore delighted to see the proposals outlined by the Welsh government to develop a model which will enable PrEP to be provided by community pharmacies across Wales. "PrEP are highly effective medicines, that reduce the chances of getting HIV, as proven by the Welsh Government's three year PrEPARED study which found no new diagnoses of HIV among over 1,200 people taking PrEP in Wales. This is clear evidence that PrEP should be made as easily accessible as possible to those who need it.

RPS Scotland has named Fiona McIntyre as its new Policy and Practice Lead. With a background in hospital pharmacy, McIntyre will be responsible for policy development and professional support at RPS Scotland, and is set to assume her new role in early October. McIntyre will assume a leadership role for specific projects across Great Britain, collaborating with the Policy and Practice Leads in England and Wales, RPS Scotland said in a statement. Her responsibilities include representing pharmacists in working groups and meetings, engaging with pharmacists and pharmacy organisations, and supporting the RPS Director for Scotland. "During my career in NHS Scotland, I have advocated for pharmacy teams whenever possible," said McIntyre. "I am passionate about the profession's role in the safe and effective use of medicines, and I'm privileged to join the RPS. I look forward to promoting pharmacy in Scotland and helping our profession reach its full potential." "I'm pleased that Fiona will be joining the RPS Scotland team as our policy lead," said Laura Wilson, Director for RPS Scotland. "Fiona's experience will be invaluable to the role, and the whole team looks forward to her starting with us in October."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Laura Wilson as Director for Scotland commencing 23rd January 2023. Laura, is currently Policy and Practice Lead for RPS in Scotland. She is accountable for bringing national RPS policy to life for members in Scotland, while contributing to the GB wide professional leadership agenda. She will work closely with the Scottish Pharmacy Board, senior NHS officials and other key stakeholders across the breadth of the pharmacy profession and beyond to ensure pharmacy is on the forefront of healthcare in Scotland. She joins the existing team of RPS Country Directors, which includes Elen Jones, Director for Wales and James Davies, Director for England and will report directly to the Chief Executive. Laura Wilson said: "I am delighted to be appointed Director for Scotland having worked as part of the RPS Scotland team as the policy and practice lead. It will be an honour to continue the fantastic work started by former Director Clare Morrison to bring Pharmacy 2030, our vision for pharmacy in Scotland in the future, to life and supporting pharmacy teams to deliver person centred care.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales that outlines a plan focusing on what can be achieved by end of 2025. The society has urged people to share their views by responding to the consultation on four key themes which were already set out in Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales -enhancing patient experience; developing the pharmacy workforce; seamless pharmaceutical care; and harnessing innovation and technology. "We want to hear from as many of you as possible. It is important that the aims for pharmacy over the next three years are right. So please take a look at the draft 2025 goals, the proposed activity and measures and complete our consultation response form by 11 September," said RPS. "We have been proud to continue to manage this important ambition for Wales, working on behalf of the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee and with colleagues from all over Wales. Over 300 of you have already contributed to our face to face and virtual engagement sessions we held over the past three months and we thank you for your valuable input.

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 Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has joined the Welsh Royal Colleges Child Health Collaborative (WRCCHC) - a newly established group comprising 20 royal colleges and professional bodies that aims to improve health outcomes for children in Wales. Together they have written to the First Minister of Wales asking how his government will improve child health and support the workforce that care for them. Citing recent reports published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Academy of Medical Sciences that highlighted declining health among children, they have warned of the impact of poor child health. The WRCCHC aims to ensure a sharper focus and understanding on the current and necessary support required for babies, children and young people and the workforce they represent. RPS Wales will be represented in the group by Anthony Lewis, Children and Women Lead Pharmacist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

The voter turnout in England for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board election dropped to 7.9 per cent this year. Out of a total of 19,512 eligible individuals, only 1,534 decided to vote. The RPS English Board received ten nominations for five vacancies this year; therefore an election was conducted. One nomination was received for the three vacancies on the Welsh Pharmacy Board. Three nominations were received for the three vacancies on the Scottish Pharmacy Board. Therefore, no election was conducted in pharmacy boards in Wales or Scotland. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It's disappointing that the voter turnout in England has dropped to 7.9 from 11.8 per cent in 2021. We have now appointed an independent review of how RPS members, elected members and stakeholders can feel more engaged and empowered to influence RPS decisions, and eagerly await its recommendations." The Society appointed communications agency Luther Pendragon to lead a review into how it can develop and strengthen member participation.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has informed the Welsh Parliament about the workforce crisis in the pharmacy sector and the need to prioritise staff well-being and training requirements to help Covid recovery plans. Providing evidence to the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into waiting times, the RPS director in Wales Elen Jones emphasised that the pandemic brought the pharmacy workforce under immense pressure. She emphasised on "the need for workforce planning that allows pharmacists enough time to learn, teach and embed new skills," which would help in maintaining a motivated and sustainable workforce. Jones presented the evidence alongside colleagues from the Royal College of General Practitioners, Community Pharmacy Wales and the Royal College of Nursing.

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."

Pharmacy professionals to be included as key stakeholders in the implementation, delivery and evaluation of a wide range of genomic services, said the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). RPS's statement has been developed in collaboration with pharmacy organisations who have co-badged the report, such as the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association, Association of Pharmacy Technicians and the College of Mental Health Pharmacy. It looks at current and future roles for pharmacy professionals in genomic medicine across many aspects of practice such as person-centred care and collaboration, professional practice, education, leadership, management and research. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the UK have already established roles in the application of genomic medicine in some areas of practice, such as antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases, and the management of certain genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. The society believes, the current role of pharmacy professionals in genomics can be expanded upon in the future to both lead and support many relevant aspects of genomic implementation. These are described across all healthcare sectors, within the Genome UK strategy produced by the UK Government, and within the implementation plans published in England, Scotland and Wales. Lead for Pharmacogenomics at RPS Sophie Harding said: "Pharmacy professionals are the gatekeepers of medication safety and efficacy across all areas of healthcare. They are skilled at interpreting complex scientific data and use evidence-based medicine to maximise the benefits of treatments for patients, whilst supporting shared decision-making with patients and the multidisciplinary team.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a new professional guidance for prescribing practice on Monday (June 6) which it says will be "for the benefit of all independent prescribers across the UK". Based on collaboration with multi-professional stakeholders, the document is a guidance tool for prescribers wanting to expand their prescribing scope of practice. Commissioned by the Welsh government, the document was developed through an expert group with representatives from many healthcare professions, including from Higher Education institutions, professional bodies, regulatory bodies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and representatives from hospital, community and GP practice. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It's fantastic to see the growth in prescribing, both across the profession and more widely, to improve patient care.

In a recent announcement, King Charles has agreed to become a patron of the society at Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) following the footsteps of the late Queen. Buckingham Palace confirmed the news, marking the first anniversary of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. This prestigious appointment comes after a meticulous evaluation of over 1000 Patronages, previously held by The late Queen, The former Prince of Wales, and The former Duchess of Cornwall. The decision underscores His Majesty's commitment to supporting organisations dedicated to advancing healthcare and patient well-being. The RPS has a rich history of association with the Royal Family, notably with The late Queen, who served as patron from 1953 until her passing in 2022.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has confirmed it will respond to UK Commission's 'call for evidence' on pharmacy professional leadership. The commission wants to ensure the professions are well equipped, with a voice to help shape the future, and enabled to develop through sharing and learning from best practice. The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership has been set up by the chief pharmaceutical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will produce recommendations for the future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK. The commission is co-chaired by Nigel Clarke, former chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, professor of medical education at University College London's Medical School. The commission will be hosting a webinar and has urged the associations and individuals to take part in 'call for evidence' which has been launched to inform and develop its work. A webinar in England will take place on Wednesday 7 September 6:30 - 8 pm. In Scotland it will be organised on Tuesday 6 September 7-8:30 pm and in Wales it will be hosted on Thursday 8 September 7-8:30 pm.

The Welsh chapter of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, along with ten other royal colleges and professional bodies, have renewed calls for the urgent transformation of mental health services to address increasing demands on the NHS in Wales. Representatives of the Royal College Mental Health Expert Advisory Group joined members of the Senedd in Cardiff to outline the work of the group over the past year and to explain why a well-trained, fully supported and equipped multi-disciplinary workforce is critical for the development of care for people with mental health conditions. To make sustainable change happen, the group is calling for a greater focus by the Welsh government and NHS Wales on the following: The critical changes needed to improve the delivery and structure of mental health services across Wales in community, hospital and specialist secure settings. Parity of access to mental health services for the most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have equal access opportunities that vulnerable patients would receive for physical health conditions.

The result from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)'s survey showed that pharmacists witnessed 'the cost of living is having an impact on whether people can afford prescription medicines in England'. RPS has long campaigned to remove prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England because they create a financial barrier to patients receiving the medicines needed to keep them well. The charge currently stands at £9.35 per item prescrib9ed and an annual rise usually occurs in April. Prescriptions are free for people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. One in two pharmacists who responded to the survey said they've seen an increase in the last six months in patients asking them which medicines on their prescription they can 'do without' due to affordability issues. One in two pharmacists had seen a rise in people not collecting their prescription, whilst two out of three pharmacists reported an increase in being asked if there was a cheaper, over-the-counter substitute for the medicine they had been prescribed.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has introduced a new comprehensive learning programme to support pharmacists in Wales to deliver the Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Service (PIPS). Developed in collaboration with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the programme is designed to "equip pharmacists with the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to provide excellent patient care." While the primary emphasis is on pharmacists operating within primary care settings, those from various practice settings are also encouraged to register and participate in the programme. Commenting on the collaboration with HEIW, Elen Jones, director for Wales at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said that it will empower pharmacists across the country to deliver high-quality prescribing services to local communities.

To support NHS, clear the backlog created by the Covid-19 pandemic and help community pharmacies support more people, the Welsh government has announced an allocation of further £12.5 million funding. Of the total amount, £10mn will be distributed across the 22 local authorities to buy equipment to help people to live independently in their own homes post hospital stay. The remainder, £2.5mn, will be used to support community pharmacists and patients to improve access to treatment and advice for a range of common ailments. The move is aimed at alleviating waiting times and reducing winter pressures on the NHS. Commenting on the announcement, Elen Jones, Royal Pharmaceutical Society director for Wales said: "We are delighted that the Welsh government continue to recognise the value of pharmacists in patient care and we welcome this additional investment and support for Community Pharmacy teams across Wales.