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Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has notified pharmacy teams that starting 1 August 2024, three Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) medicines will be discontinued and will no longer be covered under the NHS HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC) scheme. These are Bedol® 2mg tablets, Climanor® 5mg tablets and Clinorette® tablets. Since Climanor® 5mg tablets have been discontinued, Medroxyprogesterone 5mg tablets will also be removed from the HRT PPC list, as this generic product is no longer available as a licensed HRT medicine. The CPE also noted that Provera® 5mg tablets, being an unlicensed HRT medicine, are not covered by the HRT PPC. Pharmacy staff are advised to check the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website for the most current list of HRT medicines covered by the HRT PPC. The CPE has updated its HRT PPC medicines list to reflect these changes, which will also be updated in Part XVI of the August 2024 Drug Tariff.

The PSNC on Friday said it has warned the DHSC about the "very serious impact" of the limited supply of certain antibiotics on pharmacies who are "having to chase stock, purchase without sight of any concession prices, and cope with increasing patient questions and abuse." With higher than usual number of cases of scarlet fever, caused by invasive Group A Streptococci (iGAS) infections, being reported in children across the country, supplies of antibiotics for Group A Strep treatment have seen a surge in demand, leading to limited supply at certain wholesalers and pharmacies. PSNC has urged the DHSC to adopt measures that could help to manage the current crisis, such as allowing pharmacists more freedom to change strengths or formulations without prescriber approval, outside of Serious Shortage Protocols. It has also raised concerns on the significant rise in wholesale prices of many oral antibiotics as a result of the surge in demand and the ongoing supply disruptions. PSNC also said they have received reports of some suppliers putting up their prices for any oral antibiotics they do have in stock.

Both head of customer operations Dan Britton and chief executive Michael Brodie at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) have won the Inspiring Leaders Award, which recognises leaders for their humanity and courage. The coveted award, organised by Inspiring Workplaces, recognised their contribution during the pandemic. Under Brodie's leadership, who joined the organisation as chief executive in September 2019, NHSBSA started over 50 new services to support the wider NHS. He also led Public Health England (PHE) through its transition to the new UK Health Security Agency. Miranda Sykes, head of communications and marketing at NHSBSA said: "Michael is an inspirational leader for many reasons. He cares immensely and he's spent the pandemic thinking about others and using his influence to support the NHS over the last 18 months or so." His decision to take up an additional CEO role while transforming the PHE during the pandemic shows "Michael's style of leadership is authentic, inclusive and empathetic. He is passionate about the NHS and doing everything he can to support it."

NHS cancer check has set a new record, despite pressures on hospitals due to Covid-19, the number of people being treated for the cancer remained higher than before the pandemic, revealed NHS. Over the last 12 months almost three million people were referred for cancer checks which is up by over a tenth on the 2.4 million people referred before the pandemic. "Even at the peak of the Omicron wave, referrals for suspected cancer were at 116 per cent of pre-pandemic levels with around 11,000 people getting checked every day over the last year," said NHS. In order to meet increasing demand for cancer checks, NHS services across the country are expanding their diagnostic capabilities through one stop shops for tests, mobile clinics and cancer symptom hotlines, ensuring people are diagnosed and treated as early as possible to give them a much better chance of beating the disease. More than 30,000 people every month are being invited for lung cancer checks through NHS mobile trucks visiting at risk communities across the country, as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history.

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'.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union says it will be reaching out to LloydsPharmacy soon over a better deal on salary increase after the majority of its members rejected a three per cent offer made by the company recently. Paul Day, director, PDA Union told Pharmacy Business: "The PDA Union will communicate the response of employed pharmacists to the company and seek further discussion to try and find an offer that will be acceptable to union members. "Both management and union representatives have a vested interest in working to find such a solution and that is the outcome we hope to achieve." After months of negotiation by the PDA Union, the company offered a three per cent increase in salaries from the 1.8 per cent in the earlier offer made by the company. "Through negotiation over last few months that was increased to 3.0 per cent, plus a long term incentive plan (LTIP). Though the LTIP potentially offers large bonuses, it isn't guaranteed. Therefore what we put to members was the confirmed offer of three per cent increase in salaries," said Paul.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called its member to to express their views and fill out the Department of Health and Social Care's hub and spoke survey on the proposed model of dispensing. The Society has urged its members to fill out the survey before May 20. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It is vital that RPS members have their say on issue that impact you in your roles. Currently only single legal entities can make use of this model of dispensing. "Our survey, which opened today, seeks your views and comments and will help to inform the RPS submission to this consultation." The consultation on the proposals to enable all community pharmacies to access hub and spoke dispensing published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will run for three months and will close on June 8, 2022.

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."

Too many unreasonable demands placed on pharmacists by employers affect their health and wellbeing at work, a stress and wellbeing survey conducted by The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union revealed. The survey, conducted during Autumn 2021, covered views of over 2,000 pharmacists employed by big multiples - Lloyds, Boots, and Well. This survey used questions developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which enabled the union to understand more about stress and wellbeing in three of the largest community pharmacy multiples. Analysing the survey, the PDA said that some pharmacists working for each of the three employers highlighted "unachievable targets, unrealistic time pressures, and most worrying of all reported numerous instances of bullying and harassment." An overwhelming majority of the respondents reflected personal sacrifices made by the pharmacists to ensure patient services are not impacted by the poor conditions and environments in some pharmacies.

The regulatory amendments proposed will enable pharmacists to dispense medicines in their original packaging for private prescriptions starting this Autumn, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. In the recently published draft OPD regulations, the DHSC has indicated that the alterations, permitting pharmacists to vary the dispensed quantity by up to 10 per cent to avoid splitting medicine packs, will be implemented for private prescriptions 'immediately upon the enforcement of the Human Medicines Amendment Regulations in the autumn,' as highlighted in a briefing by Community Pharmacy England. CPE stated that the regulations related to NHS prescriptions will come into effect when the pharmaceutical terms of service regulations expressly apply the OPD amendments. Moreover, new directive mandating the dispensing of sodium valproate products solely in their original packaging (except when an assessment of risk necessitates an alternative approach) will align with the rollout of the private prescription regulations during the autumn. CPE further noted that these regulations are currently in draft, indicating that they are not currently in effect and may undergo revisions prior to their implementation.

Boots UK to offer a free health MOT for over 40s in England between 1st April until 30th June to help eligible patients identify and take the right steps to address high blood pressure and the potential for increased risk of other health conditions. The Free Health MOT will give over 40s the information needed for them to take actions to support their overall health. It consists of a 15-minute appointment with a Boots pharmacist, during which they will receive- the NHS Blood Pressure Check Service, with GP referral if needed; optional BMI (Body Mass Index) and waist circumference measurement; lifestyle guidance on exercise, nutrition, sleep, mental wellbeing and stopping smoking; and personalised advice and recommendations . At the end of their appointment, patients will receive a booklet containing information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and a section with the results of their MOT recorded. Claire Nevinson, Superintendent Pharmacist at Boots, said: "The Free Health MOT at Boots is intended to help people gain greater insight into their health and take the steps they need to improve it. As we get older, we become more vulnerable to conditions like high blood pressure, so it's important that we take steps to help stay healthy. The checks done during the MOT and the advice provided not only helps individual patients lead healthier lives but also reduces pressure on the NHS by offering accessible care in pharmacies at the heart of communities." The availability of appointments for a Free Health MOT at Boots comes at a time when new research indicates people want to lead healthier lives.

he Healthcare Distribution Association (HDA) and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiation Committee (PSNC) have urged the NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to issue urgent communications requesting that all those involved in medicines supply do not hoard, stockpile or over-prescribe Strep A antibiotics. In a statement HDA said that the sudden spike in demand for antibiotics used for the treatment of Strep A has meant that there is not enough of these medicines in the supply chain currently to meet this increased demand. As a result, wholesalers are working extremely hard with manufacturers to increase the supply of antibiotics. It added: "As regards pricing, the prices charged to pharmacies by HDA wholesale distributors will directly reflect the increase in prices wholesalers are having to pay for these medicines from manufacturers at the moment, in order to be able to continue supplying these medicines to pharmacies. This will be the case until supply and demand are more in sync."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns over "a prominent pharmacist's call to create a sector 'blacklist' for locums regarding disputes over rates." A few contractors took it to the Twitter to share screenshots of the messages by locums demanding more pay, which led to the call for 'blacklisting' those locums. "The motivation regarding the current talk of creating a blacklist seems intrinsically tied to hourly rates. Although there are occasional and isolated anecdotal reports on social media of alleged incidents of locums seeking higher rates than already agreed, these are far outstripped by reports of pharmacy businesses unwilling to negotiate and who do not want to pay the necessary rate to engage a locum and instead have set capped or fixed rates," said the PDA. It added that all parties should honour agreements they enter into, including a pharmacy's commitment to the NHS that it will open at set times to provide pharmaceutical services to patients and the public.

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.

Titan PMR has been accredited by the NHS to provide electronic prescription services (EPS) to dispensing doctors. Over 1,000 of these doctors, who provide a vital service to almost 10 million people in rural communities, can now offer their patients the same level of benefits and efficiencies that electronic prescriptions and Titan PMR have brought to pharmacies around the UK. These features will also increase efficiency for dispensing doctors, who will reduce dispensing errors and improve organisation, increasing their capacity while enjoying the ability to integrate with other technologies. After a full year of testing, including six months of compliance testing at a practice in Cumbria, the new accreditation for Titan also has potential to help the NHS fulfil its target of all prescriptions being issued electronically. Currently written paper prescriptions from dispensing doctors account for around seven per cent of the total prescriptions in England - around 6.5 million each month. "Until now dispensing doctor surgeries have basically been in the digital dark ages when it comes to dispensing medicines," said Tariq Muhammad, a tech entrepreneur and CEO of Bristol-based Invatech Health, which developed Titan PMR.

The pharmacy chain has already announced plans to permanently close hundreds of its branches across the UK to consolidate its portfolio of 2,200 stores to 1,900. Two of its branches in North Wales will be closed next year, with its site in Rhos on Sea set to close its doors in March 2024 and the shop in Colywn Bay the following month. In a statement obtained by The Sun, Clwyd West MP David Jones has branded the closures "hugely bad news for the local community". He added that it is not "a case of simple shop closures," but "another body blow for the local retail economy." The Station Road shopping centre, where the Colwyn Bay store is located, has already seen the closure of several other prominent stores, including WHSmith, the MP stated. The closure of two Boots stores will leave many people "extremely worried as to how they will be able to obtain essential medicines," he added.

The NHS Confederation has urged the government to reconsider its 'living with Covid' plan and introduce mitigating actions that will help avoid further critical incidents being declared at the NHS front-line. The organisation said the high rates of Covid is having a major impact on the delivery of health services and slowing down efforts to reduce large waiting lists, noting that the country has been in the grip of another spike in Covid cases resulting from the Omicron BA.2 variant. With more than 20,000 patients now in hospital with Covid (or who have Covid but are in hospital for other reasons) and high staff absences, NHS is facing huge operational challenges, harming efforts to reduce waiting times in other areas, it said.

Deviating from the initial schedule to kick off the flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in October, the NHS England has announced that the autumn vaccination drive will commence sooner than expected in England, starting on September 11. This decision was taken as a precaution in response to a new Covid-19 variant. The precautionary measure is being taken as the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency examined the variant BA.2.86, which was first detected in the UK on Friday, August 18, 2023, the NHSE said on Aug. 30. While NHS England had previously announced that vaccinations for both NHS programmes would begin on October 2 for residents of older adult care homes, appointments for other eligible groups were scheduled for the following week, starting on October 7. This decision prompted community pharmacy leaders to denounce the delayed start of the flu service as 'unacceptable'.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Director for Scotland, Clare Morrison will be joining NHS Scotland in January. Morrison has been appointed Director of Community Engagement at Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Paul Bennett, RPS CEO said: "Many people, particularly in Scotland, will know of Clare's passion for quality improvement and patient involvement in the co-design of services. This was demonstrated through her previous work on the development of Near Me, NHS Scotland's video consulting service, and its co-design with the public, patients, clinicians and NHS staff which gained international recognition from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. "Therefore, this is an exciting opportunity for Clare to join Healthcare Improvement Scotland to take on a strategic leadership role in supporting effective community engagement across health and social care in Scotland. It also enables Clare to make even greater use of her training as an NHS Scotland Scottish Quality & Safety Fellow and we wish her every success in her new role.

Department of Health of Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that the Dexcom One Transmitter will be added to Part IXA of the March 2023 Drug Tariff. "Previously, patients were advised to obtain the free-of-charge Dexcom One transmitters directly from the pharmacies, without a prescription, as the original Drug Tariff application for the transmitter was unsuccessful," said the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) It has raised concerns with DHSC and Dexcom that these distribution arrangements for transmitters are unacceptable because they result in extra unfunded activity for community pharmacies. Both, DHSC and Dexcom acted upon these concerns by agreeing to add the Dexcom One transmitter to the Drug Tariff from March 2023. At the same time, Dexcom One CGM System (containing 1 sensor, 1 sensor applicator, 1 transmitter) will also be added to the March Drug Tariff.