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Essential Pharma, an international speciality pharma group, has procured an establishment and manufacturing licences in Switzerland and Malta. Following a successful inspection by Swissmedic, the company has been granted an establishment licence in Switzerland, which will allow the company to significantly enhance its supply chain efficiency for a wide range of important medicinal products. It will apply to transactions for both finished and unfinished pharmaceuticals, allowing importing, exporting, wholesaling and trading abroad. Essential Pharma has also received a manufacturing and importation authorisation (MIA) in Malta, following a successful Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspection by the Malta Medicines Authority. The MIA will allow the company to import medicinal products into the European Union where manufacturing has taken place in a third country. This will allow greater flexibility in how the business manages the flow of medicines across its territories. These approvals strengthen the company's geographical expansion, improve its operational efficiencies, and enhance its offering as a global business partner. They will also provide new strategic opportunities for the company and will play a fundamental role in driving value creation through functional improvements to scale and productivity.

Global instant logistics leader, Zipline is partnering with UK drone delivery startup, Apian Aero to launch a drone delivery programme of critical medical supplies for the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The new service, expected to begin in the autumn of 2024, will see delivery of medical supplies to hospitals, GPs and care homes, using electric, autonomous drones. Zipline announced the partnership on Sunday, and said drone delivery service will help provide timely access to prescription medicines, wound care products, joint replacement implants, and other frequently ordered medical products, which could allow healthcare providers to reduce the number of cancelled procedures, and thus decrease wait times. Also, the expansion of the programme will help in creating local job opportunities in the region, it added.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a new policy outlining how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to support pharmacy practice and improve patient care. The content has been developed in consultation with RPS members, Expert Advisory Group members, Board members, multi-professional experts in digital technology and AI, and external stakeholders including the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The policy highlights the opportunities, challenges and potential applications of AI within pharmacy now and in the future. RPS President, Professor Claire Anderson, acknowledges that AI technologies have the potential to transform pharmacy practice, noting that "there are some great examples where it's already in use." "We must optimise the opportunities that these advancing technologies can bring to enhance patient access to care, improve patient experience, support clinical decision making and improve the safety and efficiency of the medicines supply chain. "Our policy provides a framework to ensure AI is harnessed safely and effectively to support pharmacists and patients," she adds.