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National Pharmacy Association (NPA) urged the NHS England to make local impact assessment a key requirement prior to any recruitment into Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), to help tackle workforce crisis. With inputs from LPCs, PCNs and CCGs should consider the impact of the creation of new roles on all health care providers in the area and on their ability to deliver their objectives on behalf of the NHS, it said. The NPA believes that creation of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) programme is impacting community pharmacy services in some areas and contributing to the ongoing workforce shortage. In a letter addressed to Ed Waller, director of Primary Care for NHS England, NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette highlighted the challenges emerged following a shortage of pharmacists and other members of staff.

In its effort to address workforce challenges, Health Education and Improvement Wales has outlined initiatives aimed at facilitating the return of pharmacy professionals with refugee status to active practice within Wales. This possibility has been stated in HEIW's Strategic Pharmacy Workforce Plan, which commits to investigating the practicality and significance of establishing a registration pathway for pharmacy professionals displaced due to refugee status. According to HEIW, it is currently investigating the viability and importance of revitalising 'return to practice' packages, formulating pharmacy apprenticeships, initiating international recruitment initiatives, and establishing a registration pathway in Wales for displaced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians holding refugee status. "In the past two years, we have arrived at a point where maintaining the desired access to the volume and quality of pharmacy services for our population has proven unattainable," said HEIW. "In Wales, instances of diminished pharmacy services are evident in both hospital and community settings. The trend of abrupt, temporary closures in community pharmacies continues."

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) chief executive Janet Morrison has assured contractors that PSNC will continue to raise with the new prime minister all concerning issues that are bothering pharmacy businesses. She felt the "fixed five-year funding settlement that is declining in real terms" was one of the serious factors that is putting a lots of pressure on contractors. PSNC has provided a compelling portfolio of evidence on the impact that pressures are having on the sector, and requested urgent additional funding, she said. Morrison, in her video message shared yesterday (August 24), urged contractors to keep sharing and sending evidences to act on their behalf. She said she is aware "this one of the toughest periods for the businesses" and "I believe that it demands more action from the government." Morrison assured the sector she was aware that contractors were also facing difficulties in "dealing with global medicines market and the challenges on been able to procure medicines within the drug tariff." "I know how hard it is to see the future sustainability of your businesses. I can see you are facing serious workforce pressure, rising cost, shortage of pharmacists, inflation pressure. I know your using facing increase in demand from the patients who has given up on their GPs and turning to you for support and advice."

Locate a Locum's analysis has found that there has been around 14 per cent rise in rate of locum pharmacists in a year. The report said: "Post-covid locum pharmacist rates remain at an all-time high because of a variety of internal and external factors, including continued strong local and regional demand for pharmacist services, which is more acute in some areas, and some persistent last-minute or unplanned booking activity among pharmacies." The study is based on an analysis of more than 30,000 locum pharmacist shifts booked on the Locate a Locum platform between April 1 and June 30 this year and compared with the same period in 2021. "Locum pharmacy rates are a hot topic within the industry and this interest looks likely to continue, particularly given our latest analysis of rising prices and our assessment that if current market conditions persist, they will continue to increase into 2023," said Locate a Locum founder and chief executive Jonathan Clarke.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association has backed the UK government's proposed changes to the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines, which includes a 'Life Cycle Adjustment' (LCA) mechanism to permit a lower rebate rate for medicines sold in competitive markets. The association underscored the necessity for crucial amendments to forestall unintended consequences and ensure a practical alignment with market operations. A precisely tailored approach is crucial in ensuring sustainability and growth in this sector, the BGMA said in a statement on Oct. 11. The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working on the successor to the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines and pricing access (VPAS) agreement, slated to end in 2023. Negotiations for this successor, scheduled to begin on January 1, 2024, are already underway. "We are pleased that the Statutory Scheme consultation recognises that branded generic and biosimilar medicines are subject to different market dynamics and competitive pressures," said Mark Samuels, Chief Executive of BGMA. "As such, a one-size-fits-all approach across all branded products is not suitable for the next five years. It is crucial to adopt a precisely tailored approach to this sector, ensuring both sustainability and growth."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support have announced a formal agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration to better support RPS members and increase the impact of the charity. This partnership comes after years of working closely together, and formalising it will allow both organisations to reach a wider audience and focus on supporting the wellbeing of pharmacy professionals. The aim of the partnership is to establish a visible link between the professional body and the independent charity to increase awareness about the two organisations for greater focus on the support within the sector. Along with this, the key objectives also include identifying fundraising opportunities for Pharmacist Support, and collaborating on specific wellbeing projects.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) second roundtable on workforce wellbeing resulted in a series of collaborative actions to address pharmacy professionals' mental health and wellbeing challenges. The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the pharmacy sector, including organisations like the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and the profession's independent charity Pharmacist Support (PS). A report detailing the outcomes of the meeting was published on Friday, highlighting the key areas of discussion and the agreed-upon actions by the participants. During the roundtable, participants discussed the importance of understanding the workforce demographics, both nationally and locally, and using data to address wellbeing issues effectively. They also emphasised the need for using supportive standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) quality statement to support and empower pharmacists' wellbeing positively.