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Representatives for prescribers across Scotland, politicians, academics and clinicians gathered to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability in healthcare during a Scottish Parliamentary reception held at Holyrood on Wednesday (13 December). Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) informed the parliament that medicines account for around 25 per cent of carbon emissions across the NHS, while highlighting the various innovative ways to reduce these carbon emissions. The NHS in Scotland needs to implement effective environmentally sustainable approaches to healthcare in order to meet its ambition to achieve net zero, RPS pointed out. Laura Wilson, Director for Scotland at RPS, said: "It was fantastic to bring together pharmacists, parliamentarians and partners from across government and healthcare to highlight the huge opportunity which exists in healthcare to make our systems and processes more environmentally sustainable.

Bas Vorsteveld, who was made vice president and general manager for Great Britain & Ireland (GBI) in November last year, is joined by Monica Michalopoulou as GBI marketing director and Onyeka Anugwom as GBI commercial excellence director GSK Consumer Healthcare. He took over from Jonathan Workman, who held the position from 2018, and has now moved into the role of Business Unit general manager for Northern Europe. Vorsteveld, who has 15 years' industry experience, played at major part in the merger of Novartis and GSK consumer healthcare businesses. Most recently, he held the role of VP & head of commercial excellence EMEA LATAM at GSK Consumer Healthcare, where he spearheaded international sustainability initiatives. Commenting on his new role, Vorsteveld said: "I am incredibly honoured to have been a part of GSK Consumer Healthcare's journey to date and it is our collective ambition to deliver better everyday health with humanity for our customers, with a laser focus on 'self-care'. "The recent pandemic has shown us that healthcare matters more now than ever before for our consumers. We want to redefine the role that self-care plays in people's lives, because it can bring long-term benefits for individuals and society, and is a key component of a sustainable healthcare system.

NHS England has commissioned the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to develop guidance that helps community and hospital pharmacy teams across Britain to reduce the impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines on the environment. The RPS said the Greener Pharmacy Guidance will enable pharmacies to self-assess their impact against the standards, benchmark and improve through evidence-based activities and actions. "I'm delighted our strong commitment to helping pharmacy reduce its environmental impact can now be taken to the next level through developing guidance and accreditation for pharmacy teams," RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said. "Medicines account for 25 per cent of carbon emissions within the NHS and this initiative underscores our commitment to promoting sustainable healthcare and supporting the NHS's goal of achieving 'net zero' emissions by 2040." Peter Morgan, medicines assistant director at NHS England, commented: "Pharmacy staff are involved in the purchasing and dispensing of almost every medicine used in the NHS and the new Greener Pharmacy Guidance and Self-accreditation scheme will provide support for pharmacy professionals by outlining clear actions to deliver more environmentally sustainable pharmacy practices." The RPS said the guidance and digital self-assessment toolkit will integrate with carbon calculator tools to help pharmacy teams to measure their carbon footprint, action plan to reduce use of carbon and improve sustainability.

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

Alliance Healthcare, the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, has pledged to support the global efforts to cut carbon emissions, as set out at the recent UN Climate Change Conference, COP26. The company's pledge is in line with its aim to create "healthier futures and thebusiness", on which it has been working on for years. It aims to become the most sustainable independent full-line pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK by 2030, ensuring to remain the sustainable partner of choice for its customers and manufacturers.

As the general election campaign heats up, major political parties - including Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats - have released their manifestos, detailing their plans and visions for the future of community pharmacy. While the Conservative Party promises to expand Pharmacy First initiative, Labour pledges support for small businesses, with plans to overhaul the business rates system. The Liberal Democrats' election manifesto commits to developing a fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model for pharmacies. Announcing their plans recently, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that they are investing in community care services to secure the future of the NHS and make healthcare more accessible. The Conservatives plan to fund these initiatives by cutting NHS managerial positions back to pre-pandemic levels and halving the government's management consultancy expenditure.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is gearing up to conduct a vital Pharmacy Advice Audit, calling on pharmacy owners and their teams to help measure the increasing reliance on pharmacies within communities. With years of financial strains impacting the sector, despite the much-needed £645 million recovery plan funding, the sector finds itself on the edge. The launch of Pharmacy First sparked a notable surge in people seeking advice from community pharmacies, both within and beyond the funded service, as revealed by recent sector polling. To accurately assess this trend and advocate for sustainable funding, CPE is initiating an audit to gather data crucial for showcasing the extent of unfunded care provided by community pharmacies. Scheduled to commence this week, the Pharmacy Advice Audit will entail pharmacy teams documenting informal healthcare advice dispensed over a single day.