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Lack of appropriate funding is making survival a massive challenge for community pharmacy, a sector relied upon as a vital support system by both primary and secondary care in England. The Telegraph newspaper ran a story on Monday (August 22) which highlighted the dire straits community pharmacy finds itself in. Seasoned pharmacist Ian Strachan told the paper: "Our four pharmacies were the only point of call that was open (during Covid). We were there every single day, even when the virus was prevalent and people were dying." Describing the current situation, he said: "What is happening is we're facing a system that's just not working at all in our favour." Strachan says the issue is that pharmacists are "just not getting the help we need to be able to do this job properly". The sector is hugely dependent on funding from the NHS. The government had agreed in 2019 to set £2.6bn as annual funding for the sector. However, according to a report from EY that amount was already down £200m on the 2016 levels of government funding. "We've been starved of appropriate funding since 2016," Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies told The Telegraph. "It looks grim for businesses. The fees pharmacists get are going nowhere, but now, there's higher utility bills, higher staff fees and higher drug costs."

In its response to a Freedom of Information Request (FOI), the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has confirmed a net decrease of 101 pharmacies in England - with 371 closures and 270 new contracts. Meanwhile, the General Pharmaceutical Council data projected a drop of 43 registered pharmacies in England, Wales, and Scotland for the year ending March 31, 2023, compared to the preceding period. The data, released by business advisor Christie & Co in its annual pharmacy market review on Sept. 5, revealed a total of 14,328 pharmacies across all four UK country regions as of March 31, 2023, indicating a 0.3 per cent decrease from the previous year. Corporate operators experienced a net reduction of 249 pharmacies, while the total number of independent operators remained consistent with 2022. According to the study, the corporate sector saw the most substantial shift, with a 13.7 per cent reduction in businesses operating 300 or more pharmacies. Following closely, groups managing 11 to 15 pharmacies experienced a 5.6 per cent decrease. Christie & Co attributed this shift in group size to operators acquiring additional pharmacies through corporate disposal opportunities throughout the year.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, on Tuesday (7 November) announced the sale of Macbon Chemist for the first time in 35 years. The popular community pharmacy, which is located in the heart of the Tollcross area in the east end of Glasgow, dispenses 8,000 National Health System (NHS) items per month. Elizabeth McLaughlin owned the pharmacy since 1987, recently decided to retire and sold the pharmacy for an undisclosed sum. She had been running it along with a team of employed and locum pharmacists. The pharmacy was bought by Ron Badger who owns and runs another pharmacy in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow.

A new study published in The Lancet has revealed that a total of 1.7 million people could be living with dementia in England and Wales by 2040. The research highlighted increasing numbers of people who will suffer from Alzheimer's. The disease would massively increase the burden on the healthcare system. The research was led by University of College London (UCL). Lead researcher, Dr Yuntao Chen said, "It is shocking to think that the number of people living with dementia by 2040 may be up to 70 per cent higher than if dementia incidence had continued to decline. "Not only will this have a devastating effect on the lives of those involved but it will also put a considerably larger burden on health and social care than current forecasts predict.

Archie Norman, the chairman of Marks & Spencer said that shoplifting is "creeping in" among the middle class because of faulty self-checkouts. He said that the surge is due to the well-off shoppers being "tempted" to walk out without paying for their items when self-checkouts failed to register their items properly. The M&S chairman told LBC's podcast Money with David Buik and Michael Wilson that shoplifting has become a "global problem". "It's too easy to say it's a cost of living problem. Some of this shoplifting is gangs. Then you get the middle class," Mr Norman said.

The number of pharmacists working in community pharmacy in England has increased by 19 per cent in five years, according to new data released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). As of 31 October 2022, there were 27,711 community pharmacists in the country, as compared to 23,284 in 2017, an increase of almost 4,500. Pharmacy minister Andrea Leadsom revealed these figures yesterday (14 December) while responding to a written question from Karin Smyth, Shadow Minister of Health, in the parliament. Smyth asked - how many and what proportion of community pharmacists have worked in England for each of the last 10 years.

Nexium Control, the UK's number one selling heartburn product for 24-hour protection1, has commissioned research to explore consumer attitudes to heartburn awareness of the different products on the market in Great Britain and Ireland (1,500 UK and 500 IE respondents). The research found that 53% of respondents usually opt for short-acting treatments to heartburn2, despite longer-acting products being able to provide relief over a 24-hour period. The research from Nexium Control revealed that 54% of people surveyed wished there was a product that managed symptoms for longer3, with 55% of respondents agreeing that short-acting treatments only last a maximum of five hours4. To help their patients understand there are longer-acting options available, pharmacists can provide information and guidance on treatments, such as proton pump inhibitors like Nexium Control. Shorter-acting products, which shoppers often reach for, work by either neutralising the acid already in the stomach or by forming a layer that floats to the top of the stomach, stopping acid rising into the food pipe. Double action treatments which utilise both methods are also available. Containing esomeprazole, Nexium Control reduces the production of stomach acid for up to 24-hour protection with just one pill, treating the cause and symptoms of heartburn - allowing time for the oesophagus to recover from the acid irritation.

Covid-19 vaccine makers are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as fast as they could over the last 18 months. Executives at the biggest Covid vaccine makers including Pfizer and Moderna said they believe most people who wanted to get vaccinated against Covid have already done so - more than five billion people worldwide. In the coming year, most Covid vaccinations will be booster shots, or first inoculations for children, which are still gaining regulatory approvals around the world, they said. Pfizer, which makes its shot with Germany's BioNTech and Moderna still see a major role for themselves in the vaccine market even as overall demand declines. Upstart US vaccine maker Novavax and Germany's CureVac, which is working with GlaxoSmithKline, are developing vaccines they hope to target at the booster market. The roles of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, whose shots have been less popular or effective, are expected to decline in this market.

People in the UK are increasingly relying on community pharmacies for health advice and support as they are unable to access their general practitioner (GP). According to a recent report by the Liberal Democrats, there was a significant increase in the number of patients waiting four weeks or more to see a GP in England last year, rising from 12.8 million in 2022 to 17.6 million. Responding to this research report, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) highlighted that GPs are also struggling to meet the increasing demand for their services due to severe staff shortages. Dr. Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, Vice Chair of the RCGP, stated that the average number of patients each GP is responsible for has increased by 158 compared to five years ago. Although she acknowledged that many patients are forced to wait for weeks to see their GP, she said that doctors too are grappling with "unmanageable and unsustainable workloads" and "we can't keep doing more with less."

Consumer healthcare group Haleon on Thursday announced that it has entered into a binding agreement for the sale of the ChapStick brand to Suave Brands Company, a company owned by American private equity firm Yellow Wood Partners. The British consumer healthcare company has agreed to sell its lip balm brand to Suave for about $430 million in cash and a minority interest in the buyer, valued at around $80 million. Haleon, which was spun off from the GSK Group in July 2022, said that cash proceeds from the sale would be used to pay down debt. ChapStick generated £112 million ($142.5 million) in revenue in 2023, said Haleon, adding that the sale is likely to close in the second quarter of 2024. Brian McNamara, Chief Executive Officer, Haleon, said: "Today's announcement is consistent with Haleon being proactive in managing our portfolio, and being rigorous and disciplined where there are opportunities for divestment. "While ChapStick is a great brand, much loved by consumers around the world, it is not a core focus for Haleon.

A new study has underscored the significance of offering customers a variety of payment choices, particularly as digital platforms gain popularity among younger age groups. Almost one in three (30 per cent) people surveyed by payments solutions provider, Access PaySuite reported a negative experience when purchasing health and wellbeing products or services due to limited payment options. The research showed that online and in-person cash payments were the most preferred modes of payment, while more than a quarter of consumers expressed their preference for paying through Direct Debit. About 17 per cent of the participants favoured using a mobile app for payments during the booking process, followed by mobile in-person options like Google Pay (14 per cent) and phone-based transactions using debit or credit card) (13 per cent).