NHS England has urged the pharmacy owners to continue to voluntarily submit New Medicine Service (NMS) quarterly summary data to the NHS Business Services
Authority (NHSBSA) for Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022/23 (January to March 2023).
Community Pharmacy England have agreed with NHS England that the quarterly returns will continue to be on a voluntary basis, with Q4 (January to March 2023) as the
second quarter to be reported.
It has thanked all the members that submitted NMS quarterly summary data for Quarter 3.
The mandatory requirement to submit this data has been suspended since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"NHS England wants to continue collection of the quarterly returns to provide baseline data to support a long-term evaluation that will be conducted as part of
ongoing work to expand the scope of NMS," said Community Pharmacy England.
Voluntary submissions can be made via the NHSBSA website, where an updated reporting spreadsheet is also available for head offices to use who are able to submit
data on behalf of multiple pharmacies.
Despite a 13 per cent increase from last year, less than a quarter (21%) of pharmacy teams recommend Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) as a first line of treatment
for frequent heartburn.
There has been a 4% decrease in pharmacy teams considering 'frequent heartburn' as a condition that occurs more than once a week 8-in-10 said a larger pack size
would be useful to their patients who suffer from frequent heartburn.
Haleon, formerly part of GSK, has recently commissioned research to better understand how pharmacy teams help patients to treat frequent heartburn. Comparing with
data captured last year, there has been a been a +13% increase in the number of pharmacy teams recommending Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) (21% in 2022 vs 8% in
2021).
Nexium Control, the UK's number one heartburn product for 24-hour protection, aims to use this research to provide better support for pharmacists and their teams
and encourage the recommendation of PPIs, where appropriate for frequent heartburn, over other heartburn remedies.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Wales has welcomed proposals from the Welsh government to increase access to PrEP via community pharmacies for people at
risk of HIV.
The new HIV Action Plan for Wales consultation proposes a shared care model between primary care and specialist sexual health services to improve access to PrEP.
Commenting on the proposal, chair of RPS in Wales Cheryl Way said: "Increasing access to the medicines has been a long-standing issue of concern for us at RPS and
we're therefore delighted to see the proposals outlined by the Welsh government to develop a model which will enable PrEP to be provided by community pharmacies
across Wales.
"PrEP are highly effective medicines, that reduce the chances of getting HIV, as proven by the Welsh Government's three year PrEPARED study which found no new
diagnoses of HIV among over 1,200 people taking PrEP in Wales. This is clear evidence that PrEP should be made as easily accessible as possible to those who need it.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has launched a brutal attack on some large pharmacy chains for full or part-day closures of some of their shops
throughout the UK.
It published an Open Letter on Tuesday (July 19) demanding urgent action "to protect patients by ensuring that essential community pharmacy services are provided
safely and consistently".
PDA chair Mark Koizol, who wrote the letter, went on to allege that many of those closure were "being orchestrated".
He wrote that the "pharmacist shortage" narrative cited as a reason for these closures was "very different" from "the reality experienced by our members", including
both employed and locum pharmacists.
"We have evidence to show that these closures are being announced up to four weeks in advance," Koizol claimed.
He gave examples of how a large company attempted to reduce the pre-agreed rate of locums and where this was not accepted, the shift was cancelled, resulting in the
pharmacy being closed for part or full day.
The Health Committee's new report has reminded the government of a much-needed pharmacy workforce plan to support recruitment, training, and retention of staff.
The report makes a number of recommendations to optimise workloads across primary care, reduce pressure on general practice and hospitals, and support the integrated
care systems.
It also recognises the potential of pharmacist independent prescribers to support patient care, backed by appropriate supervision, training, and opportunities for
professional development.
RPS England gave evidence to MPs on the Committee at a public hearing in May, highlighting key issues to support the pharmacy workforce.
RPS director for England, Ravi Sharma, said: "Today's report underlines the urgent need for the Government to set out a comprehensive workforce plan for health and
care.
"It rightly recognises that boosting recruitment and retention, supporting staff wellbeing, fostering inclusion and diversity, and investing in education and
training will be crucial to the future of the NHS.
Majority of community pharmacies are benefiting from the use of real time exemption checking (RTEC), as per an update by the NHS Business Services Authority(NHSBSA).
RTEC allows community pharmacy teams to check digitally if their patients are eligible for free NHS prescriptions because they hold a specific exemption.
The service not only saves staff time but also reduces the use of paper, risk of infection transmission and pharmacies environmental impact.
Pharmacy contractor need to confirm their agreement to the terms of the RTEC, before it can be activated.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published on May 26 the findings of the Fuller 'stocktake' - setting out how primary care can work with partners across health
and care to best meet the needs of their local communities.
Dr Claire Fuller's report lays emphasis on the essential role of primary care and the potential of integrated neighbourhood teams in reducing the burden of ill health and tackling health inequities.
It commends community pharmacy for keeping "its doors open to the public throughout" the pandemic whilst being "among the most recognisable of a multitude of dedicated staff delivering care around the clock in every neighbourhood in the country". The report highlights "recruitment and retention challenges across the wider primary care workforce" including in community pharmacy.
Stressing the importance of community pharmacy teams in urgent care and prevention, including early diagnosis of cancers, the report points out that pharmacists could play "a more active role in signposting eligible people to screening and supporting early diagnosis, building on a number of successful pilots such as those from the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme".
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has reminded community pharmacies (its members) to update their NHS Profile Manager information.
Ahead of the NHS contract quarter deadline- 30th June 2023, the committee has urged its members to ensure that their pharmacy's NHS website and Directory of
Services (DoS) profile information is kept up-to-date.
The Pharmacy Terms of Service requires pharmacy owners to verify profile information at least once per quarter, however the new NHS Profile Manager has been
introduced to make the process as quick as possible and it can be done on either a smartphone or computer.
PSNC said: "We continue to work with NHS England and the NHS Profile Manager team to make the process as easy as possible and to improve the management tool. Our
feedback has led NHS England to automatically set pharmacy opening hours to 'closed' for many bank holidays (however these can be reset to 'open' if required)."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Dr Anthony Cox from the University of Birmingham as the new chair of its Education and Standards Committee.
Anthony is Head of the School of Pharmacy and a Reader in Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Safety. He has previously been a member of the English Pharmacy Board and is a
Fellow of the RPS.
The Education and Standards Committee provides expert advice and makes recommendations to the RPS Education and Professional Development directorate, reporting
directly to the RPS Assembly.
Dr Anthony Cox said: "I'm looking forward to working with the committee during this vitally important time for the education of the profession at all levels, and
delighted to support the RPS in continuing to develop and deliver its important role in defining and assuring post-registration standards of pharmacy practice."
More than 9,300 pharmacy contractors would benefit from earlier advance payment in February, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update.
Contractors who declared their January 2022 FP34C submission figures through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by February 5 will receive earlier advance payments
by today (February 10).
The statistics indicates nearly 2,000 contractors will not receive any earlier advance payment this month, either because their January declarations were submitted late or they used the paper FP34C submission document to make their declaration, PSNC said.
These contractors will receive their advance payments in accordance with the normal payment timetable i.e. on March 1.
The negotiator reminded contractors that from April 2022 MYS will be the only process to make monthly submissions.
The Taskforce report recognises the important role of community pharmacy and pharmacy teams, and in particular, the fact that they often have most contact with
individuals who are receiving medication assisted treatment, commented the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) on the publication of the Scottish Drug Deaths
Taskforce's final report.
The final report published on Thursday (June 21) follows four years of work developing and implementing a programme of actions to tackle the rising number of drug
deaths in Scotland.
RPS, as pharmacy's professional leadership body in Scotland and the rest of Great Britain, has positively engaged with the Taskforce as it carried out its work.
Last year, RPS published 'Pharmacy's role in reducing harm and preventing drugs deaths (Scotland)' which contained 14 key recommendations. Many of the recommended actions within the Taskforce's report align with RPS policy.
Pharmacists, politicians, faith and community leaders paid tribute to Parvatiben Solanki, the co-founder of the Asian Media Group (AMG), publishers of Pharmacy
Business magazine. Mrs Solanki passed away in London last Thursday (September 8). She was 86.
Along with her husband, the late Ramniklal Solanki CBE, Mrs Solanki played a key role in establishing AMG as one of Britain's largest Asian publishing houses.
They began the business in April 1968, producing the flagship title, Garavi Gujarat, from their terraced house in Wembley, north London.
Today AMG publishes a range of trade and consumer titles, including Pharmacy Business, Asian Trader, Garavi Gujarat and Eastern Eye, in addition to hosting gala
awards dinners. AMG has offices in the UK, US and India, and also publishes titles in the United States.
Pharmacy owners can proceed with vaccinating patients who have already scheduled their flu vaccination appointments for September, NHS England has said.
However, as announced earlier, the official rollout of the vaccination service will commence from October.
Pharmacies will receive compensation for conducting appointments in the upcoming month, NHSE stated in a letter addressed to systems, community pharmacies, and
general practices.
"Payment for vaccinations will ordinarily only be made following the service commencement date. However, we understand that some firm commitments and appointments
have already been made, so where this is the case and the patient wishes to receive flu vaccination in September, NHS England will permit payment claims to be
submitted," NHSE said.
Care home residents and staff will be eligible for the vaccine starting Oct. 2, while all other patients will commence receiving their vaccinations on Oct 7.
This news is a significant relief for pharmacy owners, as they won't have to reschedule appointments due to NHSE's one-month service delay.
Ahead of World AIDS Day this Wednesday, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has urged the government to widen access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by making it available through community pharmacies. It argues that such a move could drive down rates of HIV infection across Great Britain.
Currently, the medicine - which offers almost total protection from HIV when taken as recommended prior to sex or injecting drugs - is available free of charge only through sexual health clinics.
Calling on the government to engage with community pharmacies to improve public health, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "There is a clear opportunity to drive down rates of HIV infection by expanding provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to community pharmacies and GP practices as part of the government's HIV Action Plan.
Nearly 9,000 pharmacy contractors benefitted from earlier advance payment in January, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update.
Contractors who declared their December FP34C submission figures (for the dispensed prescriptions) through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by January 6, would have received earlier advance payments on January 12.
Meanwhile, all contractors who made submissions after January 6 or used the FP34C paper document, will receive payments as per the normal payment schedule i.e. on
February 1, 2022.
PSNC encouraged contractors to submit their monthly declaration through the MYS portal by the 5th of the month to avail early payments.
The regulators have added 10 new products to the 'Drugs for which Discount is Not Deducted' (DND) list from Thursday (01 June).
Community Pharmacy England on behalf of its members had made further applications to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS Business Services
Authority (NHSBSA), resulting in the inclusion of 10 new products in the DND.
More than 610 products are granted DND status following checks made by Community Pharmacy England's dispensing & supply team over the past 3 years to ensure fair
reimbursement for our members.
The DND list is updated monthly by the DHSC and includes grouped and individual items. Individual items are separately listed in Part II of the Drug Tariff. Any
items covered by the 'Group Items' heading are not listed again individually in Part II.
"We will continue our work to assess whether other drugs and appliances fulfil the current DND entry requirements under either the 'Group' and 'Individual item'
criteria and make applications to NHSBSA and DHSC, on behalf of our members accordingly," said Community Pharmacy England.
To support NHS, clear the backlog created by the Covid-19 pandemic and help community pharmacies support more people, the Welsh government has announced an allocation of further £12.5 million funding.
Of the total amount, £10mn will be distributed across the 22 local authorities to buy equipment to help people to live independently in their own homes post hospital stay.
The remainder, £2.5mn, will be used to support community pharmacists and patients to improve access to treatment and advice for a range of common ailments.
The move is aimed at alleviating waiting times and reducing winter pressures on the NHS.
Commenting on the announcement, Elen Jones, Royal Pharmaceutical Society director for Wales said: "We are delighted that the Welsh government continue to recognise the value of pharmacists in patient care and we welcome this additional investment and support for Community Pharmacy teams across Wales.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published a new strategy pledging to deliver equality, improve diversity and foster inclusion in all aspects of its work.
The strategy was updated after a public consultation held between April and July. It's key themes are:
To make regulatory decisions that are demonstrably fair, lawful, and free from discrimination and bias.
To use our standards to proactively help tackle discrimination and to make sure everyone can access person-centred care, fostering equality of health outcomes.To lead by example and demonstrate best practice within our organisation, holding ourselves to the same high standards we expect of others.
GPhC chair Nigel Clarke said having a strategy is vital as the pandemic has exposed "the scope and scale of inequities in society, in healthcare outcomes and in pharmacy."
"Inequality and exclusion are bad for people's health. Therefore, this strategy is fundamental to our core purpose as a regulator and our vision for safe and effective pharmacy care at the heart of healthier communities."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has re-joined the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) after reflecting its commitment to international
collaboration and the advancement of the pharmacy profession.
RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "Members told us they wanted to see us re-join FIP to further our commitment to international partnerships which
support education and advocacy to develop and progress the pharmacy profession.".
"We fully recognise the importance of international collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and best practice with our peers across the world.
"FIP are refocusing their membership offer and we're delighted to work with them on opportunities for professional development and increased visibility and
recognition for the pharmacy profession."
Paul Bennett, RPS CEO said: "Now that we have re-joined, our teams across RPS look forward to reinvigorating the close collaboration we have previously enjoyed
with our colleagues both within FIP itself, and across the breadth of FIP Member organisations to further our vision and mission".
Community pharmacy contractors eligible under the revised Pharmacy Access Scheme (PhAS) will receive their first of the new monthly payments with the January reconciliation payment due on April 1, 2022.
Details of the revised version of the PhAS that commenced from January 1, was published in August 2021, with contractors receiving letters from the NHS Business
Services Authority (NHSBSA) indicating their eligibility in the Autumn, PSNC said in an update.
Payments under the scheme are dependent on registration on NHSBSA's Manage Your Service (MYS) portal to provide the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service(CPCS).
Meanwhile, the review application window is now open for contractors, which would enable the NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) to correct inaccuracies related to a pharmacy's distance criteria/calculation.