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The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has issued a new policy statement which encourages a "life-course" approach to vaccination by pharmacists. In the statement, published on September 27, FIP backed expansion of vaccine schedules and strategies so that patients of all age groups could be vaccinated throughout their entire lifespan, from infancy to old age. A life-course approach in public health and healthcare focuses on an individual's health and well-being, including vaccination, administered throughout their entire lifespan, from infancy to old age. FIP urged governments and policymakers to eliminate regulatory barriers, enabling pharmacists to prescribe and administer all relevant vaccines throughout the life-course. Additionally, FIP recommended that policymakers develop remuneration models for pharmacies to deliver sustainable life-course vaccination services within the private and public sectors.

Two weeks prior to the closing of the hub and spoke consultation, issues around patient safety, costs and competition as well as practicalities such as what to do with uncollected medicines were discussed in a webinar on hub and spoke dispensing on Wednesday (May 26). The webinar was organised by Sigma Pharmaceuticals in association with the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). NPA director of corporate affairs Gareth Jones chaired the event and was joined by Sigma's Hatul Shah and Raj Haria as well as NPA vice chair Nick Kaye and NPA head of advice and support services Jasmine Shah. Kaye said: "There are still many 'unknown unknowns' with hub and spoke and the jury's still out on any potential benefits. I have lots of reservations about cost and it worries me how efficient this is for the business and the long term sustainability for the sector as a whole. Above all we need to think about the patient at the centre of all this and the potential confusion for them." Jasmine Shah felt patient safety was going to be the key in regards to whether the spoke and the hub would hold the ultimate responsibility and "who is going to take the accountability as far as patient care goes". She added: "It is most important that GPhC standards and NHS requirement are both met in identifying all the risks associated with the arrangement with hub and spoke and ensuring that (patient safety) measures are in place. Everything that needs to be looked at is by putting the patient at heart of the arrangement and seeing what is the safest way for them to receive care from both spoke and hub."

Representatives for prescribers across Scotland, politicians, academics and clinicians gathered to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability in healthcare during a Scottish Parliamentary reception held at Holyrood on Wednesday (13 December). Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) informed the parliament that medicines account for around 25 per cent of carbon emissions across the NHS, while highlighting the various innovative ways to reduce these carbon emissions. The NHS in Scotland needs to implement effective environmentally sustainable approaches to healthcare in order to meet its ambition to achieve net zero, RPS pointed out. Laura Wilson, Director for Scotland at RPS, said: "It was fantastic to bring together pharmacists, parliamentarians and partners from across government and healthcare to highlight the huge opportunity which exists in healthcare to make our systems and processes more environmentally sustainable.

The Welsh chapter of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, along with ten other royal colleges and professional bodies, have renewed calls for the urgent transformation of mental health services to address increasing demands on the NHS in Wales. Representatives of the Royal College Mental Health Expert Advisory Group joined members of the Senedd in Cardiff to outline the work of the group over the past year and to explain why a well-trained, fully supported and equipped multi-disciplinary workforce is critical for the development of care for people with mental health conditions. To make sustainable change happen, the group is calling for a greater focus by the Welsh government and NHS Wales on the following: The critical changes needed to improve the delivery and structure of mental health services across Wales in community, hospital and specialist secure settings. Parity of access to mental health services for the most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have equal access opportunities that vulnerable patients would receive for physical health conditions.

The NHS is facing a range of long term challenges which needs to be countered with prevention, enhance personalised care and sustainable performance, health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday (March 8). In his speech on healthcare reform at the Royal College of Physicians in London, he said: "We face some long-term challenges: how to keep the NHS focused on delivery while futureproofing it for changing demographics and disease; how to meet rising patient expectations and address the injustices of widespread disparities; and how to deal with an unsustainable financial trajectory while backing the brilliant people who work in health and care." Javid emphasised on three key points for healthcare reform - prevention, personalisation and performance. He said, prevention is not just about building a 'national hospital service' but a true 'National Health Service'.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May has formally opened new offices of LEO Pharma UK and Ireland during a launch event in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The company said on Friday (June 16) that the new building, based at Foundation Park, will function as its UK and Ireland operational headquarters. LEO Pharma has been manufacturing dermatology products in the UK and Ireland for over 60 years and continues its commitment to the Maidenhead area, where it been based for 10 years. The grounds offer state-of-the-art facilities and a greener and more sustainable workplace, the company said and hoped that that strong transport connections at Foundation Park will allow for seamless international collaboration, while a range of health and wellness initiatives will contribute to employee wellbeing. This new space will enable a collaborative and flexible work environment for LEO Pharma staff, ensuring they can continue to work to improve the lives of people living with skin conditions, their families and society.

The life cycle management company, Pharmanovia, has appointed Nivedita Valentine as associate vice president of Product Innovation. Ms Valentine will oversee the company's product innovation operations and decision-making as Pharmanovia continues to focus efforts on both, identifying new prospects to enhance lifecycle management of its brands through incremental innovation. She will report to interim chief scientific officer Stephen Deacon and help bridge unmet patient needs with the help of novel therapies, originating both from in-house development and through partnerships. Ms Valentine currently holds positions on the value-added medicines committee within Medicines for Europe and the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) Task Force on Drug Repurposing Guidebook. Pharmanovia CEO Dr James Burt commented: "Digitalisation and utilising the latest technological innovation are notable areas of acceleration within the pharma industry and Nivedita's appointment will ensure iconic brands will continue to be improved, supported, and used sustainably.

Bas Vorsteveld, who was made vice president and general manager for Great Britain & Ireland (GBI) in November last year, is joined by Monica Michalopoulou as GBI marketing director and Onyeka Anugwom as GBI commercial excellence director GSK Consumer Healthcare. He took over from Jonathan Workman, who held the position from 2018, and has now moved into the role of Business Unit general manager for Northern Europe. Vorsteveld, who has 15 years' industry experience, played at major part in the merger of Novartis and GSK consumer healthcare businesses. Most recently, he held the role of VP & head of commercial excellence EMEA LATAM at GSK Consumer Healthcare, where he spearheaded international sustainability initiatives. Commenting on his new role, Vorsteveld said: "I am incredibly honoured to have been a part of GSK Consumer Healthcare's journey to date and it is our collective ambition to deliver better everyday health with humanity for our customers, with a laser focus on 'self-care'. "The recent pandemic has shown us that healthcare matters more now than ever before for our consumers. We want to redefine the role that self-care plays in people's lives, because it can bring long-term benefits for individuals and society, and is a key component of a sustainable healthcare system.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the appointment of Michael Matheson MSP as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in Scotland. Commenting on the announcement Laura Wilson, Director of RPS Scotland, said: "I would like to congratulate Michael Matheson on being appointed to this position. NHS recovery is vitally important, and pharmacy has a huge amount to offer this agenda. "Our current priorities include enabling pharmacists to take leadership of prescribing in all care settings, tackling health inequalities and advocating for change, implementing shared patient records between healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, person centred and safe patient care, improving pharmacists' wellbeing and tackling the climate emergency by encouraging sustainable and green prescribing across Scotland.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has elected Diane DiGangi Trench to be its new vice-chair. DiGangi Trench takes up the position replacing Xiromed's Peter Ballard and in 12-months' time will assume the association's chair role from Accord's Peter Kelly. With over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, DiGangi Trench has held a number of senior commercial roles including stints with Takeda and Astra Zeneca. She joined Sandoz in 2018 in the US, where she served as Vice-President, Market Access and Patient Services. In 2021, she became the head of Sandoz' UK business and in her two years in role, she has led the organisation through a post-COVID recovery and growth phase to prepare for the proposed spin out of the company from its parent, Novartis, expected later this year. She said: "It's a great honor to take on the role of Vice Chair of the BGMA. The success of the generics and biosimilar industry is essential to the functioning of the NHS. Generic medicines fill four out of five UK prescriptions and biosimilars enable the NHS to expand access to more patients. I am passionate about increasing the sustainability of our industry so we can continue to play our vital part in the health of the nation." Mark Samuels, BGMA chief executive, said: "We are extremely fortunate to be able to call upon the expertise of Diane who has already added significant value through her role on the BGMA board and leadership of a key strategic committee.

Ceuta Group, a global brand building business providing end-to-end outsourcing services in the health and wellness industry has appointed David Wright as a non-executive board director. With extensive experience of leading global consumer healthcare companies, David joins Ceuta Group following five years as CEO/President of global pharmaceutical company, HRA Pharma and six years as Global Head of Boehringer Ingelheim's consumer business. During his time at HRA Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim GmBH, David led both companies through substantial organisational and strategy re-design which led to sustainable growth and profitability. The company said: "David has a strong belief that combining the right structure, operational priorities and processes, with a strong focus on company culture, are critical factors in building successful businesses. This approach saw him lead a period of transformation at HRA Pharma resulting in the company's successful acquisition by Perrigo Company plc." David will take an active role on the Ceuta Group Board supporting and building the company's strategic vision and priorities. He will also help shape the company's growth plans on an operational level to ensure Ceuta Group continues to meet client's needs today and into the future.

With the upcoming general election on the horizon, Proprietary Association of Greater Britain (PAGB) is leading the charge to integrate self-care into the core of all political party manifestos. The aim is to ease strains on the NHS and forge a sustainable healthcare system for the future. In a significant move, PAGB unveiled a comprehensive general election toolkit on Wednesday, laying out a compelling argument for the prioritisation of self-care among stakeholders. The toolkit underscores the importance of public interest, potential NHS cost savings, and the economic advantages of the over-the-counter (OTC) sector. Aimed at unlocking the full potential of self-care and nurturing an enabling environment for its implementation, PAGB's toolkit advocates for greater integration of pharmacy services into primary care.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges co-hosted the NHS Education for Scotland annual virtual conference to discuss the environmental impact of prescribing. One of the conclusions drawn from the conference on Thursday (April 28) stressed on environmentally sustainable prescribing should be embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate health care education. Delegates at the session said they or their teams needed more education. They also needed more information and resources when prescribing to be able to consider environmental issues. Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health at NHS Highland, told the session: "There's a lot of work to be done to reduce carbon emissions. The NHS has identified the use of metered-dose inhalers as its second biggest cause of carbon emissions as the propellant gases have significant global warming potential.

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals and the Randal Charitable Foundation, has won the Distinguished Alumni Award at Imperial College London's Alumni Awards 2022. The annual awards honour outstanding alumni who have demonstrated sustained excellence in their personal and professional achievements and have made a substantial impact on society. Dr Kotecha, who founded Morningside in 1991, which manufactures and supplies generic and branded medicines to the UK and globally, said: "I'm thrilled to be honoured by the university in this way. "As a child growing up in Leicester my family had very little, but I was fortunate to be given opportunities to gain a good education. After finishing my degree in Newcastle; Professor Steve Ley FRS at Imperial College took a chance in accepting me into his eminent group and this really was the opportunity I needed to forge a career.

Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland has appointed Vani Manja as its new Country Managing Director and Head of Human Pharma. Manja has been associated with Boehringer Ingelheim for over 11 years, in successful leadership roles in Germany, the United States and most recently as General Manager, India. Her career started as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps which preceded leadership roles at Becton Dickinson and McKinsey. She brings extensive experience of strategy, marketing, sales, business development, people management, and cultural transformation and is passionate about tackling healthcare inequalities and advancing sustainable healthcare. Commenting on her new role, Manja said: "It is with great heart that I bring the spirit of conscious leadership to my new role. I look forward to being fully present and partnering with key stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem in our collective quest to improve health for humans and animals in the UK and Ireland."

As we take look back over the past year and reflect on what we have achieved, it's also important that we look ahead to new challenges and opportunities that may arise in 2023. We have seen remarkable innovation across the industry in 2022, from big break throughs in treatment and improvements to patient outcomes, to how the industry is working with big data and technology. But it's fair to say that these achievements came paired with just as many challenges including a continued talent shortage, hangovers from the pandemic, increasing pressures to innovate and ongoing macroeconomic challenges. As we head into 2023, I expect these existing challenges to continue alongside new ones, but I also anticipate more opportunities to present themselves. At Pharamanovia, we predict that the key trends set to catalyse the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in 2023 include break through innovations, technology, big data, sustainability, ongoing policy changes and a shift in investment due to inflation. Utilising big data and tech Technology has been recognised as one of the industry's biggest tools for many years, and I don't expect to see the pace of how we use technology in healthcare and pharma to slow down any time soon. In 2023, I expect that we will see further automation in the way we work, with an increase in digital engagement and healthcare providers leveraging remote access further.

It is not sustainable to give Covid-19 booster shots every three to six in the long term, Britain's chief scientific adviser said on Tuesday (January 4), even though the booster rollout is needed in the short term to combat the Omicron variant. "It would be a situation that isn't tenable to say everyone's going to need to be having another vaccine every three or six months. "That's not the long-term view of where this goes to," Patrick Vallance said at a news conference, adding that annual booster shots against Covid-19 might be necessary, similar to flu shots.

Alliance Healthcare, the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, has pledged to support the global efforts to cut carbon emissions, as set out at the recent UN Climate Change Conference, COP26. The company's pledge is in line with its aim to create "healthier futures and thebusiness", on which it has been working on for years. It aims to become the most sustainable independent full-line pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK by 2030, ensuring to remain the sustainable partner of choice for its customers and manufacturers.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has published a positioning paper which sets out the objectives that need to be delivered through the next Voluntary Pricing and Access Scheme (VPAS) on Thursday (15 June). The paper details how a financially sustainable VPAS can support widened medicines access to patients. VPAS is an agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). The scheme aims to limit increases in spending on branded medicines to no more than 2% per year via a rebate system which is charged on companies' sales revenues. Two years ago, the rate was 5.1% but for 2023 it has soared to 26.5%. Last year, the association had raised concerns over the rise in the VPAS rate for 2023 to 26.5 per cent. "The rocketing rate is in large part due to the growth in spend in on-patent medicines since 2019. Looking at the four completed years of the current VPAS scheme, data shows that the average annual growth rate for on-patent medicine sales value from 2019-22 was 18% compared to just 2% for off-patent products," said the association.

Susan Rienow, UK Managing Director and Country President of Pfizer is all set to take up her role as President of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). The association had announced her appointment in March. Last year in September she was appointed as the vice-president of ABPI. In her new role, she will oversee the ABPI, the ABPI Board, and the ABPI's Code of Practice, which is administered by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA). Susan takes up the Presidency as negotiations begin for a new Voluntary Scheme for branded medicines pricing between the government, NHS England and the ABPI. All parties are looking to secure a new agreement that will help improve patient outcomes, support a healthier population and a financially sustainable NHS, while also supporting economic growth for the UK.