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As the new school year approaches parents won't just be in a flurry of buying new pencil cases and the next size up in shoes but also will be looking to stock their cupboard for their health needs for the next year. Along with the Supermarket's Back-to-School sales there is also the opportunity to help parents with a clever display of the top needed cupboard accessories with some smart recommendations to help with choices. Looking at the UK retail market it is also worth considering that we are seeing a push for sustainability in products with those touting green credentials starting to stand out from the competitors but with a backdrop of rising prices making price perhaps more important than ever. Cuts and scrapes One to definitely think about in the children's health range for back to school is plasters and wound cleaning preparations for those inevitable playground grazed knees, cuts and scrapes. With a focus on sustainability and some strong green credentials Elastoplast Green and Protect should be considered for any back to school health display with eco-friendly construction and a climate neutral product but there is also Patch Kids Bamboo Sensitive Plasters which boast being home compostable.

All adults aged 50 years and above are eligible for free flu jabs in England under the autumn Covid-19 booster programme, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced. "The flu virus could also be highly infectious at this time of year, so I am also announcing that those eligible for a free flu vaccination this year will include everyone aged 50 and over, primary school children and secondary school pupils in years 7, 8 and 9, as well as people in clinical risk groups, unpaid carers and household contacts of those who are immunosuppressed," said new health secretary Steve Barclay. Commenting on the DHSC's announcement, CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: "We welcome the decision to accept the advice of the JCVI on who can have free Covid-19 boosters and flu jabs this autumn. Community pharmacies have turbo-charged the Covid-19 vaccination programme over the past 18 months and last year we witnessed the most successful community pharmacy flu campaign ever."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reacted to the chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) for Wales's offer for community pharmacy contractors, offering a funding uplift for community pharmacy on the condition of an increase in pay for some staff by at least the amount currently being imposed upon NHS employees. The PDA has expressed a mixed reaction to the intervention being attempted by the Welsh government. "It is unusual for a government to be so closely involved in the pay of their suppliers' employees and those at some community pharmacy employers have a contractual right to a pay review at times of year that may not synchronize with the government's financial cycle, so this initiative may have different impacts at different employers," said the association. "In addition, the PDA negotiates pay at the largest two community pharmacy employers and works alongside other trade unions that organise other pharmacy workers. This government intervention must not disrupt or attempt to bypass those processes."

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has challenged price concessions imposed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on some of the medicines. It has raised concerns on the process for setting price concessions to senior government officials responsible for medicines supply, warning that the system is not working in the current environment from a community pharmacy contractor perspective. "When a new government takes over next week, this will be one of several urgent topics being raised by PSNC to new ministers, alongside the fuel price crisis, inflationary pressures and winter pressures on pharmacy businesses," said PSNC. The final update to August price concessions was announced yesterday taking the total concessions granted to a record 138 for August. PSNC said: "Of those, 99 were in line with PSNC requests, but prices for 39 lines were imposed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC): those impositions do not match the purchase prices reported by contractors and the evidence of market prices which we passed on to DHSC. In particular, the final imposed prices of Apriprazole and Temazepam tablets has generated a lot of concern amongst contractors due to the large variation between their reimbursement prices and purchase prices during the month of August."

Boots UK has agreed to grant a five per cent pay increase to its pharmacists following a collaborative agreement with the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). This raise acknowledges the unique market conditions faced by pharmacists in the community pharmacy sector, Boots UK and PDA said in a joint statement on Oct. 9. According to the statement, the pay increase applies to all pharmacists within the PDA Union's bargaining unit, except for those who joined or received a pay raise after August 2023. Moreover, trainee pharmacists or those not meeting performance standards are not eligible for the raise. Additionally, pharmacists and store managers will receive a pro-rata, one-time non-consolidated payment of £750 in August 2024. This payment serves as recognition for their dedication to establishing and providing new core and advanced NHS services, particularly in light of the substantial changes anticipated in the upcoming year, the joint statement said. The services include new medicines, hypertension, contraception, and common conditions services in England, the clinical community pharmacy service in Wales, and the Pharmacy First services in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scottish community pharmacies will now hold two Naloxone kits, available in either nasal spray or injectable form, essential for reversing opioid overdoses. The Emergency Access Naloxone Scheme, which is backed by £300,000 of Scottish Government funding, began on Monday (30 October). Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said, "Through our National Mission to reduce drug deaths and harms, we have invested more than £3 million in widening access to Naloxone, including through our emergency services." Witham said this new nationwide service is a welcome addition to existing services. "Police Scotland recently completed a force-wide rollout to 12,500 officers who have used the kits more than 300 times. According to the most recent statistics, 70 per cent of those who are at risk of opioid overdose are being provided with a lifesaving kit," she added. "It provides a substantial increase in life-saving emergency access and I'm grateful to all those in community pharmacies who are supporting our £250 million National Mission to reduce drug deaths," Whitham said.

A fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine is not needed at present, as latest data shows first booster provides high levels of protection against Omicron variant among older adults, says the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). After analysing latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), JCVI said: "There is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, or fourth jab, to the most vulnerable". Data from UKSHA revealed that single booster dose provides around 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation to those aged 65 and over, even after three months of jab. However, protection against mild symptomatic infection is short-lived and drops to around 30 per cent by about three months. The study, which looked at booster doses in those aged over 65, showed that with two vaccine doses, protection against the infection drops to around 70 per cent after three months and to 50 per cent after six months.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association has reported an increase in the number of pharmacists calling its advice line to inform about the incidences of violence and intimidation from protesters opposing the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The association noted that such incidents have become more common with protesters "gaining entry to premises in groups and trying to disrupt Covid-19 vaccinations from taking place." In many cases, pharmacists, staff, and members of the public have been subjected to verbal threats, causing distress and anxiety among those working to deliver the vaccination programme in a safe environment. The PDA reminded that employers, having a contract with the NHS for the Covid-19 vaccinations, have a duty to keep their staff safe whilst at work. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards for pharmacy premises also carry a duty to ensure the safety of staff and the public receiving services on those premises.

An oral drug combination by Novartis showed promise in treating a subgroup of patients suffering from a common childhood brain cancer in a trial. In the mid-stage trial, 47 per cent of the patients that were given the two drugs Tafinlar and Mekinist saw their tumours shrink, far above a rate of 11 per cent in a comparative group of participants on standard chemotherapy, the drugmaker said on Monday, June 6. The participants, aged one to 17 years, were suffering from low-grade gliomas (LGG), the most common childhood brain cancer. The trial only included those who were found to have a mutation known as BRAF V600, a genetic contributor in about 15 per cent to 20 per cent of paediatric LGG cases. Among further results of the trial with 110 participants, the median time without disease progression was 20.1 months for those given the Novartis drug combo, compared to 7.4 months on chemotherapy. The new oral treatment candidate also caused less severe side effects than burdensome chemotherapy.

The age at which people can buy tobacco in England should rise by one each year until it becomes a "smoke-free" society, a government-commissioned review recommended on Thursday (June 9). The minimum age today is 18. But the review by Javed Khan, former head of children's charity Barnardo's, advised raising it annually until eventually no one can buy tobacco products. His review recommends 15 interventions to help the government meet its national target to be smoke-free by 2030, including the promotion of vaping to help smokers quit. "Without immediate and sustained action, England will miss the smoke-free target by many years and most likely decades," said Khan. "A smoke-free society should be a social norm -- but to achieve this, we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has called for a mandatory training for those who wish to sign fit notes. The union said it will be seeking urgent clarification around the rollout of guidance and timescales of when this will be available to PDA members working in primary care and hospitals, who will be at the forefront of the implementation. "As with any activity, regulated health professionals will be expected to ensure they have received adequate training and guidance before taking on new elements of practice and to ensure they are acting within the limits of their professional competency," said the association. It also highlighted that completing a fit note may have an impact on the income received by the patient and therefore the consequences of supplying the document could mean a direct financial consequence for them, such as eligibility for sick pay or insurance claims, as well as a health outcome. The PDA expects the mandatory training to cover any factors which will need to be considered in this regard so that pharmacists understand any limitations on when, how, and for who they might complete the fit notes.

Chair of the health and social care committee Steve Brine and England's chief pharmacist David Webb are among a raft of speakers who will be addressing delegates at the 13th Annual Sigma Community Pharmacy Conference to be held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from Sunday (March 5). Day I of the conference will also feature a Q&A session with PSNC CEO Janet Morrison and her lead negotiator Mike Dent, which will be presented as a live webinar via YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Sigma Pharmaceuticals has invited all interested community pharmacists and stakeholders in the UK to join the 90 minutes session by clicking this link. Those joining the session will not only be able to listen to the Q&A session - which will run between 6.30PM and 8.00PM in UK on Sunday - but also ask questions to the PSNC executives via a live YouTube chat. Sigma says the operating landscape for community pharmacy has altered dramatically since it last held its 'away conference' in the Philippines in February 2020. The role of the independents - post pandemic - has rapidly evolved and has now been recognised by the health secretary as playing a significant part in the health of the nation.

Ginger is an age-old herb that has had extensive usage in history for its numerous natural therapeutic effects, especially as an "anti-emetic." The best-known proof indicates that ginger is an effective and affordable remedy for nauseatic and vomiting ailments and is safe. The pleasing zesty "kick" from the root of Zingiber officinale, the ginger plant, is what produces ginger ale, ginger tea, sweets, loaves of bread, and many Asian dishes so delicious. Ginger adds an aromatic tang to both sweet and spicy foods. As ginger is frequently suggested for its stomach-settling impacts, you may wonder whether it's a proven way to treat nauseatic ailments naturally. This article reevaluates the efficacy and safety of ginger for nausea and the most promising practices for using it. How does Ginger Help with Nausea? According to PubMed Central, the highly appreciated database from the National Institutes of Health, it's believed that ginger fetches its therapeutic qualities from gingerol, the main bioactive ingredient in fresh ginger, and complementary blends called shogaols, which provide the root its savory flavor. Shogaols are more robust in dried ginger, with 6-shogaol as the primary source of antioxidants. At the same time, gingerols are more plentiful in raw ginger. Some examination has revealed that ginger and its compounds may improve digestive function and speed up stomach emptying feel, relieving nausea. Its anti-inflammatory traits may improve digestive activity and sustain the discharge of blood-pressure-regulating hormones to relax your body and ease nausea. Other Health Benefits of Ginger Being an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive aid, it has been used as a natural treatment for helping to alleviate nausea and other symptoms. It can be used to treat: Heartburn Indigestion Motion sickness Reduce joint pain Soothe sore throats Minimize the duration of colds and flu viruses Ease menstrual cramps Prevent cancer cell growth Improve choleste

In 2024, cannabis users will get more protection from their employers when it comes to smoking outside of work. In the meantime, here's a refresher on who can use weed - and when and where - in California. Can my employer penalize me for cannabis use? California recently passed a new cannabis bill, protecting employees from weed bias, but it will be a while before it goes into effect. Called AB 2188, it bans employers from discriminating against employees based on their use of weed off the job and away from the workplace. This includes the hiring, employment and termination processes. The law's exceptions include people working in the construction and building industry or positions that require federal background clearances. And while it protects off-duty smoking, employers will still have the right to fire or suspend employees for using weed or being high while at work. Although the bill was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, it won't be carried out until January 2024. Weed might be legal, but not for everyone Recreational cannabis use has been legal since 2016, but only for those 21 years old and over. Those under 18 who are caught with weed will be subject to drug education or counseling and community service. People who are older than 18 but under 21, will be fined up to $100. But minors can apply for a medical marijuana identification card to get weed for medicinal purposes. In California, children under 18 years old can apply as a patient if they are emancipated or have declared self-sufficiency status, according to the state's Department of Health. If they do not have this status, then the county will contact the individual's parent or legal guardian. The legal limit of weed How much cannabis you can have on hand is limited in California, according to the state's health and safety code. You'll be penalized if you possess more than 28.5 grams of weed, or more than eight grams of concentrated cannabis - essentially about one

One type of bacteria found in the gut may contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes, while another may protect from the disease, according to early results from an ongoing, prospective study led by investigators at Cedars-Sinai. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes, found people with higher levels of a bacterium called Coprococcus tended to have higher insulin sensitivity, while those whose microbiomes had higher levels of the bacterium Flavonifractor tended to have lower insulin sensitivity. Mark Goodarzi, the director of the Endocrine Genetics Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California, is leading an ongoing study that is following and observing people at risk for diabetes to learn whether those with lower levels of these bacteria develop the disease. "The big question we're hoping to address is: Did the microbiome differences cause diabetes, or did diabetes cause the microbiome differences?" said Goodarzi, who is the senior author of the study and principal investigator of the multicenter study called Microbiome and Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (MILES).

Choosing the right healthcare certification for your career goals should not be taken lightly. With so many certifications available today, it can feel overwhelming and confusing to decide which one is best suited to your individual needs. Whether you're looking for a promotion at work or want to switch careers, having the correct certification can make all the difference when reaching those goals. Thankfully, with some proper research and advice from experts in the field, you can find the perfect healthcare certification for your career goals - let's dive into how! CONSIDER YOUR CURRENT GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS When choosing a healthcare certification, it's important to consider your current goals and aspirations. Before diving into a program or course, reflect on what you want to get out of the experience - is it increased knowledge and skill set, better job prospects, and advancement opportunities? Even if you aren't currently sure about what type of career you want in healthcare, research different certifications and see which ones would bring you one step closer to achieving those goals. For example, medical coding certification is a must for anyone interested in pursuing a career in medical coding and billing. Think about the best investment of your time and energy, so you can reap the benefits later on down the line. No matter where you're starting from or where you hope to go with your career, there are certifications that provide valuable skills in all areas of healthcare.

As the Easter holiday draws near, pharmacies across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are readying themselves to provide essential healthcare services to residents. Operational throughout Good Friday (March 29), Easter Sunday (March 31), and Easter Monday (April 1), these pharmacies stand poised to offer vital support to those in need. NHS England has raised awareness by releasing a comprehensive list of pharmacies scheduled to operate during the holiday period. Hampshire residents, including those in Southampton and Portsmouth, can access detailed information about open pharmacies on the NHS England website, along with separate listings for the Isle of Wight. However, it's important to note that opening times may vary, prompting individuals to confirm details before visiting, as schedules are subject to change. Beyond merely dispensing prescriptions, pharmacies are equipped to provide expert advice on minor illnesses and administer treatments for common conditions. This includes addressing issues such as shingles, sore throats, infected insect bites, earaches, sinusitis, impetigo, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) under the Pharmacy First scheme.

Part of a raft of National Health Services (NHS) measures which aim to support people to prevent or reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme has emerged as a beacon of success in the battle against obesity, with a recent study showcasing its effectiveness in aiding weight loss among participants. According to research published in The Obesity Journal, the programme has garnered significant traction, with over 63,000 individuals referred in its inaugural year. Encouragingly, half of those referred opted to enroll in the service, highlighting its appeal and accessibility. Among the 14,000 participants who completed the 12-week programme between April 2021 and March 2022, a notable average weight loss of 3.9kg (equivalent to 8.59lbs) was achieved. Even among those who did not complete the programme, an average weight loss of 2.2kg (approximately 4.85lbs) was observed.

A recent UNISON survey has unearthed disturbing findings regarding the prevalence of sexual harassment among NHS staff across the UK. With data collected from over 12,000 healthcare workers, the survey sheds light on the challenges faced by frontline workers in their workplace environments. Approximately 10 per cent of healthcare professionals reported instances of sexual harassment during their tenure, with nearly 29 per cent of those experiencing harassment also reporting incidents of sexual assault. Shockingly, 50 per cent of respondents reported being leered at or subjected to suggestive gestures, while a quarter faced unwelcome sexual advances or demands for favors. The most common complaint, voiced by 61 per cent of those affected, was the experience of unwanted crude banter or jokes in the workplace.

In our quest for perfect skin, the landscape of dermatology and skin care has evolved dramatically, offering breakthrough treatments and solutions. The pursuit of a blemish-free, radiant complexion is no longer a distant dream, thanks to advancements in medical aesthetics and skincare technology. From non-invasive procedures to tailor-made skincare regimens, individuals now have access to a plethora of options designed to target specific skin concerns. This article explores the cutting-edge treatments that promise to diminish imperfections and reveal flawless skin, transforming not just how we look but also how we feel about ourselves. Botox Injections Botox, or Botulinum toxin, has gained immense popularity for its ability to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines. It works by temporarily paralyzing the facial muscles responsible for creating these imperfections. The procedure involves injecting small amounts of the neurotoxin into targeted areas, such as the forehead, crow's feet, and frown lines between the brows. The effects of Botox typically last for three to four months, making it a popular choice for those seeking quick and noticeable results. The people at sdbotox.com note that it is also a popular preventative treatment for those looking to delay the formation of wrinkles. With consistent use, Botox can actually prevent fine lines and wrinkles from appearing in the first place, making it an attractive option for individuals in their late 20s and early 30s.