The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for urgent action to ensure wellbeing of pharmacists after the publication of its annual workforce survey.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the charity Pharmacist Support, revealed that 89 per cent of respondents were at high risk of burnout, showing ongoing high levels of workplace stress.
It stated that 57 per cent of respondents reported often being unable to take a rest break or were not offered a break at all.
Around 68 per cent noted weakening of their mental health and wellbeing due to work or study, and 33 per cent considered leaving the profession, indicating high
percent levels of disaffection.
Besides seeking urgent action to allow proper rest breaks for pharmacists, RPS has sought "governments, the NHS and employers to urgently address the workforce issues that are impacting pharmacists' wellbeing."
It said prioritising essential work, effective workforce planning and better access to information is needed.
Commenting on the survey report, RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said: "Our survey demonstrates the continued pressure on pharmacists and trainees across the workforce".
Whether it's the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and those suffering with long Covid, or the financial pressures of rising living costs, these hard times
can affect absolutely anyone's mental health.
Mental health problems have worsened across all age-groups in the last few years, from lack of social interaction, unexpected bereavements or the significant impact
of a physical injury or long-term illness taking its toll on mental wellbeing - these challenging experiences and situations that we face throughout life leave a
big strain on the population.
Ultimately, there is an urgent need to reduce rising levels of mental ill-health in our society. As a pharmacist with 25 years' experience in healthcare, I feel I
have an obligation to my patients to support them with their healthcare needs, and mental health should be treated just the same as physical health.
Despite efforts to improve NHS mental health services, patients may still not be receiving the appropriate immediate care as they are often provided with online
counselling or an App for long-term support (online support introduced since the pandemic).
Community pharmacists are in a unique position to be advocates for patients with mental illness as they are the healthcare professionals' patients see most often.
This is a good opportunity for pharmacists to speak to patients face-to-face and give them advice in a more practical way rather than potentially waiting weeks for
an GP appointment.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has become a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
On Thursday (22 September), the FIP council voted to welcome the PDA as a full member of the global federation of organisations that brings together and advances
pharmacy.
Mark Koziol, PDA chairman, said: "Being admitted to FIP with such a decisive level of support from its Council means that the PDA can ensure that UK pharmacists
can enjoy a clear and powerful voice representing their collective professional interests at global level, which of late they could not.
"Bringing one of the largest pharmacy membership organisations in the world to FIP also gives the PDA significant influence in being able to inform the policies of
the World Health Organisation. This means that the PDA can do even more for members by helping to make pharmacy practice more professionally fulfilling for them."
"The PDA constantly seeks ways to provide even better support for members; membership of FIP will give the PDA much more influence and will result in better outcomes
for pharmacists," the association said.
To support humanitarian crises in other parts of the world, the PDA approached FIP, as a global pharmacy leadership organisation.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called pharmacy employers and pharmacy trade unions to come together to a round table meeting to agree on principles
for a way forward that ensures patients benefit consistently from access to high quality, adequately staffed, safe pharmacy services.
It has also urged the governments, NHS organisations and individual pharmacy teams to define clear prioritisation plans, which can be embedded in organisational
business continuity plans which set out the pharmacy services that are essential and must always be provided and can be de-prioritised at specific levels of
pressures.
The challenges for pharmacies are compounded by the escalating cost of living crisis. With unprecedented levels of burnout among pharmacists, pharmacy closures
and the potential for strike action, RPS has called for three things- 'professionalism, respect and prioritisation.'
British health officials on Wednesday (September 28) warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in Covid-19 could lead to a difficult winter that
increases pressure on the already stretched NHS.
Warnings over a possible "twindemic" of Covid-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, but Covid
restrictions that limited social contact have meant flu levels stayed low.
However, the government ended coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, meaning that social contact rates have returned to near pre-pandemic norms while immunity
to flu is relatively low.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that given the risk it was important those eligible took up vaccines against Covid and flu.
"There are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three
winters and an increase in Covid-19 circulating," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA.
Living with diabetes can be difficult, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Millions of people around the world are living with diabetes
every day. This article will discuss some tips on how to better handle your diabetes. It will also provide information on the latest treatments and technologies
available to help make managing your diabetes easier than ever before!
1) METHOD OF INSULIN DELIVERY
There are a variety of methods for insulin delivery, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. One of the most common methods is injections. Insulin injections are
quick and easy, and they allow you to have more control over your blood sugar levels. However, some people find them to be painful or inconvenient. As seen at
DiaBettr, there are also insulin pens available that can make injections less painful and more convenient. Another method of insulin delivery is through an
insulin pump. Insulin pumps are small, wearable devices that deliver insulin to your body constantly throughout the day. They are very effective at keeping your
blood sugar levels in control, but they can be expensive and require a lot of maintenance.
Research-based ways to boost male infertility and increase sperm count include various lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly, Get enough vitamin C, Minimize your stress levels, Quit smoking and limit alcohol, Avoid toxic chemicals in the workplace, Eat more greens. Consider ashwagandha, Aim for a healthy weight, balance zinc levels, etc, Read the full blog.
An experimental Alzheimer's drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a late-stage trial, the company said on Wednesday, providing
what experts say is the strongest evidence yet that removing sticky amyloid plaques from the brain benefits patients with the fatal disease.
Lilly's drug, donanemab, met all goals of the trial, the company said. It slowed progression of Alzheimer's by 35% compared to a placebo in 1,182 people with
early-stage disease whose brains had deposits of two key Alzheimer's proteins, beta amyloid as well as intermediate levels of tau, a protein linked with disease
progression and brain cell death.
The study also evaluated the drug in 552 patients with high levels of tau and found that when both groups were combined, donanemab slowed progression by 29% based
on a commonly used scale of dementia progression known as the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR-SB).
Using that scale, experts said Lilly's findings were roughly on par with Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, which reduced
cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer's in a study published last year.
The results drove Lilly's shares to a record high, up more than 6% at $429.85.
Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mayo Clinic, said Lilly's trial is the third to show removing amyloid from the brain slows progression of the
disease, which could put to rest some lingering doubts about the benefits of drugs in the class and the amyloid-lowering theory.
"It's modest, but I think it's real," he said of the benefit, "and I think it's clinically meaningful."
Dr. Erik Musiek, a Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said the efficacy looks as good or better than lecanemab.
If you're thinking of heading a startup, owning a local pharmacy could be an incredibly lucrative opportunity. When you set up a business in the healthcare
sector, it's important to ensure that you operate with transparency to keep yourself and your patients safe.
Whether you've acquired pharmacies before or you're turning to a new venture with different partners, learning the relevant steps before getting involved is
imperative. Successful pharmacies rely on medical expertise, professional knowledge, and an excellent quality of service.
Step 1: Do you need qualifications to be a pharmacist?
No matter if you already have a background in pharmacy or you're entering the field from an entrepreneurial perspective, you'll need to have the right qualifications.
You can become a pharmacist by completing a Master of Pharmacy degree at a university. Your chosen course needs to be approved by the General Pharmaceutical Council
and will take at least four years to complete. After your degree, you'll also need to take the one-year pharmacist foundation training scheme.
To access these courses, you'll usually need two or three A levels, including Chemistry. Alternatively, you could do a pharmacy foundation degree if you only have one
A level or equivalent.
Early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease require the use of dependable and cost-effective screening technologies.
Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have revealed that the level of tau, a protein that plays a vital role in the development of severe dementia, is
associated with a kind of sugar molecule in the blood.
The study, which is published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, can pave the way for a simple screening procedure able to predict onset ten years in advance.
"The role of glycans, structures made up of sugar molecules, is a relatively unexplored field in dementia research," says the study's first author Robin Zhou,
medical student and affiliated researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet.
"We demonstrate in our study that blood levels of glycans are altered early during the development of the disease. This could mean that we'll be able to predict
the risk of Alzheimer's disease with only a blood test and a memory test."
In Alzheimer's disease, the neurons of the brain die, which is thought to be a result of the abnormal accumulation of the proteins amyloid beta and tau. Clinical
trials for Alzheimer's drugs show that treatment should commence early in the pathological process, before too many neurons have died, to reverse the process before
it is too late.
Reacting to recommendations from a UK-first independent review, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has outlined action to tackle potential
bias in the design and use of medical devices.
Professor Dame Margaret Whitehead, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool, was appointed to lead the review, which focused on three
areas - optical devices such as pulse oximeters, AI-enabled devices, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) in genomics.
The DHSC commissioned the medical devices review after concerns were raised that pulse oximeters - widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor blood
oxygen levels - were not as accurate for patients with darker skin tones. There were worries that this could cause delays in treatment if dangerously low oxygen
levels in such patients were missed.
However, no evidence was found from NHS studies indicating that this differing performance had an impact on patient care.
Accepting the report's conclusions, the DHSC has committed to several actions, such as ensuring the safe use of pulse oximeter devices across a range of skin
tones within the NHS and eliminating racial bias from data sets employed in clinical studies.
Women who are trying to conceive should stop vaping as it may affect fertility, a study by the women's health firm Hertility has suggested.
Analysis of blood samples from more than 8000 women revealed that vapers and smokers have lower levels of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), which indicates how many
eggs women have left in their ovaries.
Across all age groups, AMH levels were found to be lower in people who vaped than non-vapers, suggesting that vaping could accelerate age-related decline in egg
reserve.
Concerningly, the report revealed that one in five British women vape while trying to get pregnant, with a significant portion also engaging in other lifestyle
"vices" such as alcohol, drugs and smoking.
In an announcement following Keir Starmer's and Wes Streeting's visit to a hospital in the East Midlands, Labour Party has unveiled a groundbreaking
partnership with Virgin Media O2 aimed at ensuring every child with type 1 diabetes can access the latest medical technology to better manage diabetes.
With the NHS providing patients with type 1 diabetes the option of an 'artificial pancreas' in the next five years to manage insulin levels and Continuous
Glucose Monitors launched nearly 2 years ago to monitor children's glucose levels, the initiative aims to address the financial barrier hindering hundreds of
families from benefiting from this breakthrough.
Labour's plan to provide every child in need a smartphone, facilitating access to modern glucose monitors, aligns with the centre-leftist party's broader vision
to harness technology for healthcare transformation.
Announcing the partnership in an interview with ITV News, Keir Starmer, Labour Party Leader, highlighted the lack of equitable access to medical advancement
amongst patients as "travesty" and "impact of fourteen years of Conservative chaos has had on the NHS", stating:
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has launched its third annual Pressures Survey to uncover the various challenges encountered by individuals owning or
working in a community pharmacy.
The Committee expressed concern that community pharmacies in England are now in a critical situation, significantly affecting workload, stress levels, patients,
and businesses.
The 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey is aimed at finding out more about these issues and other areas such as medicines supply problems and workforce challenges as
well as the recently launched Pharmacy First service, it said.
CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that they were able to receive a huge number of responses in previous surveys and they are expecting to achieve a similar
level of engagement this year too.
The STADA Health Report 2024, published today, has revealed a significant decline in satisfaction with national healthcare systems across Europe, with a
notable drop seen in the UK, Germany, and Kazakhstan.
According to the report, satisfaction with the UK's healthcare system dropped sharply by 11 percentage points in just one year, falling from 67 percent in 2023
to 56 percent in 2024, likely fuelled by "post-pandemic pressure on the National Health Service (NHS)." In 2020, satisfaction stood at 85 percent before declining
to its current level.
In terms of discontentment over healthcare, Britain is followed closely by Kazakhstan and Germany, where satisfaction fell by 10 and 8 percent respectively in
one year.
The 10th annual health report released by global healthcare leader STADA Arzneimittel AG, the parent company of Thornton & Ross, is based on a survey of over
46,000 respondents aged 18 to 99 across 32 countries, with around 2,000 respondents in each country.
A continuous decline in satisfaction levels has been observed since 2021. Overall satisfaction with healthcare systems in Europe was recorded at 74 percent in
2020, just before the pandemic. This figure dropped to 71 percent in 2021, 64 percent in 2022, and 61 percent in 2023.
A new study has revealed that UK adolescents get around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which have been linked to the
rising levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
The research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)'s School for Public Health Research, was published in the European Journal of
Nutrition.
Ultra-processed foods are often characterized by poor dietary quality due to their high content of added sugars, saturated fats, and salt, along with lower
levels of fibre, protein, and micronutrients.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol, analysed data from four-day food diaries of almost 3,000 adolescents, sourced
from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
After examining trends in the UK between 2008/9 and 2018/19, the researchers found that UPFs accounted for 66 per cent of adolescents' energy intake on average
during this period.
Metformin(Glucophage) is used in type 2 diabetes treatment. Metformin action in diabetes treatment is linked with metformin diet and metformin ingredients. Metformin reduce blood sugar levels, curing diabetes. Metformin ingredients work to reduce the amount of glucose produced by our livers and the amount of glucose absorbed through the stomach.
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