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E-pharmacy, a digital platform also known as internet pharmacy or online pharmacy, has emerged as an escape route to longstanding queues at pharmacy stores across almost all regions of the world, especially during the Covid-19 health crisis realm. They have long been recognised to act promptly in public health response, like ensuring an effective medicine supply system, resolving and monitoring drug shortage issues, educating about the proper use of PPE, promoting remote pharmacy services, and conducting drug evaluation and active surveillance. These factors will support in easing the load on healthcare facilities during the ongoing pandemic, eventually adding value to patients and the healthcare system. Overall, the e-pharmacy market size is expanding in terms of valuation on the back of regulations and standards laid by the respective governments. As per a recent study by Global Market Insights, the global e-pharmacy industry accounted for a business share of $68 billion in 2021 with an anticipated growth rate of 16.8 per cent through 2028.

England won't have any new Covid-19 restrictions before the end of 2021, health secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday (December 27) whilst the government awaits more evidence on whether the NHS can cope with high infection rates in the new year. "There will be no further measures before the new year," Javid told reporters, adding: "When we get into the new year, of course we will see then whether we do need to take any further measures." He said that the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus now accounted for around 90 per cent of cases across England and urged people to celebrate New Year cautiously. The government's attention is focused on the number of patients being hospitalised with Omicron after early data last week suggested the variant carried a lower risk of admission. The latest data showed the number of patients in hospital in England with Covid-19 was its highest since March, at 8,474, but a long way off peaks above 34,000 in January. A combination of factors, including Britain's vaccination programme, the lag between infections and hospitalisations and the potentially less harmful effects of the Omicron variant have all been put forward by health experts as possible explanations for lower numbers.

The Equality Act (which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act in 2010) is often cited as a reason for supplying medicines in a compliance aid. This is a complex piece of legislation, but, in essence, provides a statutory duty on businesses to make "reasonable adjustments" in relation to the service that they provide to take into account any relevant disability of a service-users. This statutory obligation might include the provision of a compliance aid where a patient would be at a "substantial disadvantage" without. However, the need to provide medicines in a compliance aid under the Equality Act needs careful consideration and is a balancing exercise. The NHS Terms of Service for community pharmacies in England state that medicines should be provided in original packs save in certain circumstances, which include because of patient needs.

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 Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns over "certain elements" of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)'s consultation on pharmacy staffing levels. PSNI recently consulted on its draft guidance for pharmacy staffing levels which sets out to explain what pharmacy owners and superintendents must do to ensure that each pharmacy has enough skilled and qualified staff. This includes having an appropriate skill mix, to provide safe and effective pharmacy services which comply with the standards. PDA said that the role of the 'responsible pharmacist' has not been "fully acknowledged" and that more clarification is needed. The association has made a few recommendations to PSNI that includes: the guidance must explicitly recognise the statutory role of the responsible pharmacist and their authority in securing the safe operations within the pharmacy. "The guidance should specify that pharmacy owners and superintendents must ensure that they do not set incentives or targets which may compromise the professional judgement of staff." It also recommended that unregistered staff (including unregistered managers) are accountable firstly to the responsible pharmacist for any activity involving the clinical care of patients (for example unregistered managers must not interfere in diary bookings for vaccinations).

Pharmacists working in Northern Ireland think the retention fees are too high, and most would prefer to pay in instalments, if that option is available, amid the increased living costs, a new survey has found. 97 per cent of the respondents to the survey, conducted by the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) of its Northern Irish members, felt the fees were too high. Four in five said they would opt to pay in instalments if this option were available to them in light of the challenges of significant one-off payments. On average, the fees accounted for 23 per cent of a pharmacist's take-home pay for one month, and 98 per cent did not see any value added to their professional standing for the sum, according to the survey. The PDA said the respondents also reported feeling disadvantaged among their colleagues in terms of how fees are collected, with many also wondering why the registration fee was not offset for those on maternity leave or working reduced or flexible hours.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will acquire biotechnology company Neogene Therapeutics for up to $320 million, the London-listed drugmaker said on Tuesday (November 29) as it seeks to build its pipeline of cell-based cancer treatments. Though AstraZeneca's oncology portfolio accounted for more than a third of the company's revenue last year, it does not have an approved cell-based cancer therapy and is behind rivals such as Novartis and Gilead. "Neogene's leading (T-cell receptor) discovery capabilities and extensive manufacturing experience complement the cell therapy capability we have built over the last three years," said Susan Galbraith, AstraZeneca's executive vice president of oncology research. Cell-based treatments are a relatively new approach to treating cancer, most of which involve drawing the body's own immune cells and processing them in the lab to target and kill cancer cells. Neogene's approach goes one step further in that its experimental T-cell receptor therapies seek to target DNA mutations specific to tumours, not only certain proteins on the surface of cancer cells.

What skills does a pharmacist need these days? You'd think it would be sufficient to have a good understanding of pharmacy and the ability to offer a great patient service. Whilst this is true of course, the reality of the day to day role demands skills which most pharmacists have not been trained for as part of their formal qualification. At the very least, pharmacists find themselves responsible for running the pharmacy, managing people, managing processes and dealing with issues relating to customers, suppliers, surgeries, regulators and stakeholders. Even the most junior pharmacists quickly find themselves being accountable for the financial performance of their department and having to work within budgets or deliver on targets. Remarkably, despite the apparent lack of any formal training in these areas, pharmacists have been able to adapt and meet the challenges of whatever their job has thrown at them. Many pharmacists go even further, bringing out their inner entrepreneurial spirit to set up their own business. There are now over 6,000 pharmacy businesses owned by independent pharmacists, with this segment growing. Whilst pharmacists have historically adapted to their environments and picked up the necessary business skills, the rapidly changing landscape of pharmacy will require pharmacists to establish new skills to help ensure their businesses survive and thrive.

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.

Doctors are highly driven professionals seeking exceptional care and service for their clients. Some doctors may have private practices, while others serve in different capacities in various healthcare institutions. Doctors are among the busiest professionals in the field and may also experience burnout if they're not careful. Fortunately, there's an alternative to such a scenario, and more and more healthcare professionals are looking into it. Locum tenens jobs are on the rise as doctors, and other health workers seek to take advantage of various benefits that can lead to a better career. While doctors hold down their private practice, they also work with other institutions and colleagues to provide expertise to patients in other locations. This can be rewarding as the doctors can improve their craft tremendously. Here are some reasons to consider if you wish to explore locum tenens posts. Better control and schedule flexibility While career stability is quite important for most doctors, it can be intense for some and lead to burnout. When taking a locum tenens position, a doctor will have the opportunity to explore other horizons that present themselves. They can see other patients and be exposed to scenarios that may not be present in their practice. Locum posts also allow you to set your schedule and be flexible with your working hours as necessary. It can lead to better performance and job satisfaction, too. Opportunity for better income Accepting a locum position may entail getting extra shifts at another hospital or clinic. It may also mean getting some time with patients during your off days. You can receive a significant bump to your income as you get to earn more aside from your regular salary. If you're looking to pay off student loans, build a college fund for your kids, or set up an account to buy a house, working with locum posts may be the key.

Perrigo, one of the world's largest providers of self-care products has appointed Ronald van Workum as Sales Director Germany, Customer Strategy & Implementation DACH Cluster. van Workum will continue to drive the successful integration of HRA Pharma into the Perrigo network, with a focus on well-known brands such as Abtei, Compeed and Granu Fink. He most recently held the position of Head of Key Account Management for Perrigo in Europe, based in the Netherlands. Prior to joining Perrigo he worked for Procter & Gamble in several countries, including Singapore, and in various functions, including: Market Strategy Planning Manager for the Gillette brand; and in Europe as multifunctional Team Leader Emerging Channels. The company also announced Tobias Geiger has been promoted from his role as Finance Director of the Perrigo DACH Cluster, which he held since April 2020, to General Manager of the Perrigo DACH Cluster. During this time, he successfully supported the implementation and stabilisation of the DACH cluster. He also led several business optimisations with his teams, such as the implementation of SAP in Switzerland, process digitalisation and the creation of a DACH Finance Business Partner Model. Before joining Perrigo, Geiger worked for Sanofi for more than 10 years in various leadership positions in DACH and in Latin America.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a better-than-expected 5.2 per cent rise in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by higher sales of its specialty drugs. The company, known for its consumer healthcare products such as Revital vitamins and pain relief medicine Volini, said it earned a consolidated net profit of 21.66 billion rupees ($265.23 million) in three months ended Dec. 31, up from 20.59 billion rupees last year. Analysts, on average, had expected the company to report a profit of 21.26 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Total revenue from operations climbed nearly 14 per cent to 112.41 billion rupees. Input costs rose 8.5 per cent. Drug sales in India rose 7.1 per cent to 33.92 billion rupees, whereas sales in the United States climbed 16.6 per cent to 34.66 billion rupees, with each of the two regions accounting for 31 per cent of the company's total consolidated sales. The company, founded in 1983, makes over-the-counter medications, anti-retrovirals and active pharmaceutical ingredients for chronic and acute treatments.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) have issued a joint enforcement notice about the 'illegal' advertising of Kenalog injections on digital platforms. The notice warns all organisations offering Kenalog as a 'hay fever treatment' to stop advertising it in any of their social media or website advertising. "Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine (POM), which must not be directly or indirectly advertised to the public. Kenalog is not licensed for the treatment of hay fever in the UK, although it is offered by some beauty and aesthetics clinics, under the personal responsibility of an individual prescriber, and advertised widely on social media," said MHRA. "Now, advertisers must ensure that all references to Kenalog in the text, images or emojis on social media are removed, as well as commonly-used descriptive phrases for the jab such as 'hay fever injection' or hay fever jab' or any account names, testimonials or memes by 29 August 2022." After this date, the CAP's compliance team will remove non-compliant ads using targeted software and those who continue to promote it may be referred to the MHRA for further enforcement action.

The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) and senior official of NHS Property Services (NHSPS) had a meeting on August 18 to review the rent policy for health centre pharmacies. Earlier, the association had sent a letter to NHSPS that was signed by pharmacies from across the sector, including single independents, pharmacy groups and members of the Company Chemists' Association. The letter outlined concerns about rent reviews and the impact of it on the co-located health centre pharmacies. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of AIMp, said: "We outlined that whilst in the past, the norm established by the industry, was to base rents for co-located pharmacies primarily based on patient list size, (and taking account of a few other factors), the industry now needs to revise the basis on which rents are determined for co-located pharmacies." The association, on behalf of the pharmacy sector, met the CEO of NHSPS and two of their senior directors (director or property management and their finance director).

Dr Thérèse Coffey, the MP for Suffolk Coastal, has been appointed as health secretary - the fourth person to get the job after Jeremy Hunt, Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid and Steve Barclay in the past five years. She replaces Steve Barclay who held the job for just two months between July and September. Having first been elected in 2010 and subsequently re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019, Dr Coffey has served as secretary of state for the Department of Work and Pensions. Previous to that she served as environment minister, deputy leader of the House, government whip and parliamentary private secretary. As an MP she has campaigned on improving NHS experience for patients. Dr Coffey grew up in the North West and has a PhD in Chemistry and a chartered management accountant qualification.

The NHS has secured a deal for 'Pembrolizumab' to treat women with triple-negative breast cancer. Up to 1,600 women a year affected by high risk triple-negative breast cancer are set to benefit from the confidential deal struck by the NHS and the Merck Sharp and Dohme's (MSD), manufacturer of Pembrolizumab. Triple-negative breast cancer affects around 8,000 women a year - accounting for 15% of all breast cancer cases. This will be the 25th breast cancer treatment fast-tracked to patients through funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund and the second treatment for triple negative breast cancer to be introduced this year on the NHS. NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: "This is a hugely significant moment for women - the NHS has struck a new deal to roll out a potentially life-saving drug for patients suffering with the most aggressive form of breast cancer that has been traditionally very difficult to treat.

A pharmacy group operating in London and the surrounding areas has said it's cliched a financial deal worth £4.25 million with a major global bank to bolster its mergers and acquisitions activity. Osbon Pharmacy Group said on Monday (19 June) that it would use the multi-million-pound funding package from HSBC UK to also invest in bringing accessible and comprehensive medical services closer to the doorstep of Londoners and people of South East England. The family-run business said the new money will open new position which will include opportunities for pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, dispensers, accounts clerks and delivery drivers, taking the company's total headcount to 185. The group, which currently has 26 pharmacies across London and South East England, was established in 2005. The company offers a range of medicine and prescription services as well as offering customary help and advice. It switched to banking with HSBC UK last year as part of a £6.9M refinance package, which saw the business acquire nine pharmacies and takes the total funding provided by HSBC UK to date to £11.1m.

Despite being relatively new to the dispensing doctor market as a short-liner, Bestway Medhub is seeing exponential growth in the market in addition to the 3,500 independent pharmacies that we service and deliver to. We have however been servicing the dispensing doctor market for well over 40 years through our dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) Wardles. Wardles service and supply more than 55% of all dispensing sites with dressings, bandages, appliances, ostomy, wound care and hosiery. Graham Burford-Row To meet the needs of dispensing practices and surgeries we carry a large range of more than 10,000 Generics, PI's and OTC products. We offer net pricing so the practice can see straight away what price they are paying for their products - with no hidden fees. We offer all our practices 24-hour online ordering via our Bestway Medhub ordering portal and our recently launched Wardles FP Portal. Additionally, we have the backup of a telesales department with personal service from myself and a dedicated Internal Dispensing Dr Account Manager. We offer daily, weekly or monthly calls to those customers wishing to hear our special offers. Our deliveries are done daily via our third party full-line logistics partner for efficient deliveries, which no other short-line wholesaler offers. Bestway Medhub understands that dispensing practices are not only in the business of offering superior care to their patients and community, but they also offer numerous other services like clinics, nursing and referrals. By enabling practices to cost save, the funds could be used elsewhere instead.

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.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland hosted an event celebrating the collaborative work of the health professions and policy makers in Scotland on reducing the environmental harm from prescribing and medicines use. To share priorities for the Scottish Government, Alpana Mair, Head of Effective Therapeutics and Prescribing spoke and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch appeared virtually. Gillian MacKay MSP, Scottish Greens spokesperson for Health and Social Care also joined in-person. Medicines account for around 25% of the NHS's carbon emissions and have an ecological impact when they enter our wastewater system or our rivers and oceans. Tackling the impact of prescribing will be a key part of meeting the ambition of a net zero NHS Scotland by 2040 at the latest. Together, RCGP Scotland and RPS have held two roundtable events on sustainable prescribing, and in June 2022, released a joint statement calling for a wide range of actions, which was signed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the College of Radiographers, Royal College of Nursing, Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Continuing the work of RPS at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, the event aims to mark an opportunity for health professionals and decision makers alike to join a global movement of sustainability in healthcare, and pledge to continue the important work of cutting the climate impact of medicine use while maintaining the highest level of patient care and safety.