The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep.
"Supplies of antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep have seen a surge in demand and may be temporarily in limited supply at certain wholesalers and
pharmacies," said DHSC.
"Supplies are available with manufacturers, and deliveries into wholesalers and pharmacies are being expedited and are expected in the coming days."
If the formulation of antibiotic prescribed is unavailable, DHSC has asked clinicians and local pharmacy teams to consider prescribing an alternative form or
strength of the antibiotic where appropriate, ensuring the patient is not intolerant to any of the excipients in the alternative and is counselled on the
appropriate dose (and volume) required.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has allowed pharmacists to supply alternative penicillin to treat Strep A. It has issued Serious Shortage
Protocols (SSPs) for three penicillin medicines.
"The SSPs will help mitigate local supply issues of oral penicillin and allow pharmacists to supply alternative forms of the medicine if they do not have the
specific formulation stated on the prescription," said DHSC.
SSPs have been issued across the UK for 3 penicillin medicines on Thursday (December 15.
"Issuing an SSP allows pharmacists to legally supply a specified alternative medicine, removing the need for the patient to return to the prescriber - which saves
time in GP practices and inconvenience for patients."
"Demand for penicillin has risen recently as it is used to treat strep A and scarlet fever, and the increased demand means that some pharmacists are experiencing
temporary and localised supply issues and may not have the specific formulation listed on the prescription."
A community pharmacy, Barton Pharmacy located in Woolacombe, Devon has been sold to a local pharmacist and its previous employee, Harminder Chaggar,
announced Christie & Co.
The business has been owned by Mr Osman Hamid for the last seven years and was brought to market to allow him to concentrate on his other business interests.
Barton Pharmacy is dispensing an average of 2,440 items per month. It lies completely unopposed in the highly desirable North Devon coastal village of Woolacombe,
in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is an ever-popular holiday destination which boasts 'Beach of the Year 2021' as voted for by The Sunday Times.
Osman Hamid, previous owner of Barton Pharmacy, comments, "Owning this business for the last seven years has been an enjoyable experience, as we have had full
support from the NHS as it has an attached LPS contract and receives an overwhelmingly generous OTC income which is more than the average pharmacy. The business
has huge potential to grow and diversify into other avenues that are yet to be explored, and it is lovely to know that it has been passed onto a new owner operator
that I trust will do well with the business moving forwards."
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has introduced a new 'swap to stop' scheme to encourage one million smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes in
England.
As part of the world-first national scheme, almost 1 in 5 of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help
them quit the habit as part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of being smokefree by 2030 - reducing smoking rates to 5% or less.
Local authorities will also be invited to take part in the scheme later this year and each will design a scheme which suits its needs, including deciding which
populations to prioritise.
Health Minister Neil O'Brien announced on Tuesday (11 April) that pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to help them stop smoking. This will involve
offering vouchers, alongside behavioural support, to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of next year.
The government will also consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts with positive messages and information to help people to quit smoking.
It has also announced a formation of new 'illicit vapes enforcement squad' to regulate and tackle the sales of illegal vapes to under 18s.
Superdrug, one of the leading health and beauty retailers, is all set to invest in 25 new stores this year, expanding its bricks-and-mortar retail footprint.
It confirmed with Pharmacy Business that amongst its 25 new stores there "will be a mix of pharmacy and retail stores".
The venture is expected to create over 570 jobs nationwide, creating a seamless customer experience and providing vital support for high streets and local
communities.
The investment, part of the brand's O+O (Online + Offline) platform strategy to deliver its omnichannel ambitions, is driven by continued strong performance
figures. In Q4 2022 Superdrug reported increased volume and value sales and footfall across both sides of the beauty and health business. Whilst in 2021 revenue
rose 5.1% to £1,168million with a profit before tax increase of 141.3%.
The investment strategy has already seen Superdrug open new stores in Washington Gallery and Falkirk Retail Parks in February 2023 and in Braehead, the largest
Superdrug in Scotland, just last month.
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has asked community pharmacy owners to share their views on preparations for the new national Pharmacy First service, ahead
of the next full Committee meeting at the end of January.
The advanced service, which is set for launch from 31 January, will allow patients to seek advice and treatment for seven common conditions directly from their
local pharmacy, without the need to contact their GP practice. It is expected to help NHS free up 10m GP appointments a year.
However, CPE chief executive Janet Morrison has previously expressed that the Pharmacy First investment is not the panacea for pharmacy's funding woes.
Pharmacy owners' feedback will be used in the Committee's campaigning and influencing work to press for an uplift to core funding, CPE said.
The nationwide implementation of the Pharmacy First service is viewed as a significant development that benefits pharmacies, primary care, and the broader
National Health Service (NHS). Pharmacy teams are striving to ensure its success despite challenges within the industry landscape. However, not all pharmacists
are able to reap the benefits from it.
Recently, two members of Numark shared their experiences of how the scheme is impacting their pharmacies.
Graham Phillips, who owns Letchworth Pharmacy in Hertfordshire, revealed that patients are responding favourably to the service. "It's all good, people are just
delighted to have easier access to care," he said.
In its first month, Letchworth Pharmacy provided around 100 consultations, and Phillips envisions that as the service matures, they will be able to conduct an
average of 200 interventions per week.
"That will make it financially viable for us and mean that we're acting at scale from an NHS perspective. That's 200 GP appointments we've freed up in a
week - that's a huge capability and capacity bump for the NHS," he added.
Graham credits part of his success with Pharmacy First to the strong relationship he has established with local GPs in his area.
A community pharmacy in Consett, County Durham, North East England, has been sold to a locum pharmacist after the previous owner decided to put it on
the market following 29 years of ownership.
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, recently announced the sale of Moorside Pharmacy, a 30-hour community pharmacy that dispenses an average
of 3,200 NHS items per month.
Located 1.5 miles west of Consett, the pharmacy shares a building with a small GP surgery in Moorside.
Rachel Hurst, who has owned it since 1995, brought it to the market to downsize her operations and focus on her busier pharmacies - one in Consett and two in
Crook, County Durham, according to the broker.
Following a confidential sales process, locum pharmacist Monju Miah has acquired the pharmacy. He plans to manage it hands-on and introduce additional services
that will benefit the local population, the broker stated.
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.
PHOENIX UK has appointed Harry McQuillan, former CEO of Community Pharmacy Scotland, as Chairman of Numark, a community pharmacy membership organisation.
It has over 3750 members ranging from single store pharmacies to large chains, spread across the 'Four Nations'. The organisation provides its members with the
professional and commercial support they need to deliver exceptional care to local communities.
As Numark Chairman, McQuillan will be front and central of representing the interests of the members, and will help ensure policy makers across the UK understand
fully "the potential of community pharmacy."
Steve Anderson, Group Managing Director, PHOENIX UK, commented: "Harry brings to our Numark partnership an outstanding wealth of experience and understanding of
how community pharmacy can work successfully with government officials and politicians.
The UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) Chief Executive, Professor Dame Jenny Harries has expressed concern that measles outbreak could spread to other
towns and cities unless urgent action is taken to increase Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake in areas at greatest risk.
The virus can spread very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools, she said on Friday (19 January) during a visit to
irmingham to review the ongoing work to contain the spread of the disease.
A rapid rise in cases has been seen in the West Midlands since 1 October 2023, with 216 confirmed cases and 103 probable cases recorded till 18 January.
The majority of the cases (around 80 per cent) were reported from Birmingham, with about 10 per cent in Coventry, mostly affecting children aged under 10 years.
Dame Jenny is calling on all local areas to increase MMR vaccine uptake rates in communities across the country.
A new bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday (20 March) to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children under the age of 15, delivering on the
Prime Minister's commitment to create a smokefree generation.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect future generations from the harmful impacts of smoking, thereby saving thousands of lives and billions of pounds
for the NHS.
The bill will also introduce new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging deliberately targeted towards children, as well as allow the government to
change how they are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets.
Additionally, enforcement officers' powers will be strengthened with 'on the spot fines' of £100 to ensure compliance with the new laws. This complements
the existing maximum fine of £2,500 that local authorities can already impose. It will also become illegal to provide free samples of vapes to children under
the age of 18.
Pharmadoctor, a company which provides clinical service packages to pharmacists, has announced the launch of the UK's first private Covid vaccination
service via its nationwide network of partner community pharmacies.
For the first time, people who are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine (those aged 12 years and over) will be able to get the shots from their local independent
pharmacy by paying as little as £45 per jab, the company said.
The delivery of the new service is expected to start by 1st April at the latest by "thousands of pharmacists" using the Pharmadoctor eTool.
To encourage pharmacists to sign up early to provide the service, the company is offering its package at half-price until 31st March.
"We need to fix the front door to our NHS by investing in community pharmacy," asserts Daisy Cooper as more and more pharmacies "worry about the future of
their business."
Reflecting on the challenges faced by pharmacists during the pandemic, she emphasised their pivotal role in launching vaccination schemes across communities and
the larger role pharmacies play in complementing traditional NHS facilities.
Cooper recalls her collaboration with local pharmacies in St. Albans, where she worked hand in glove with them to address challenges faced by pharmacists to obtain
information from NHS England regarding protocols and procedures.
She told Pharmacy Business reporter that she had to work out something "hand in glove to help them get those vaccinated schemes up and running, as pharmacies were
desperate to take part in the vaccination scheme" in her constituency.
Describing their unique selling point (USP), Cooper emphasised the convenience and immediacy of pharmacies located in high street areas and warned that pharmacy
closures "should be a real wake up call for the government."
Several pharmacies have joined the inhaler recycling scheme in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, to support NHS England's Greener NHS programme, which aims
to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
It is part of a collaborative working initiative between the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and AstraZeneca UK Ltd, supported by the Black Country Integrated Care
Board and Wolverhampton City Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
Under this scheme, old and used inhalers are recycled and transformed into new products, such as coat hangers and waste bins.
Simon Evans, group chief strategy officer for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, emphasised the importance of prioritising the reduction of carbon footprint while
maintaining high-quality care, to protect the planet for future generations.
"The Trust has already made significant achievements in several areas including the physical estate, clinical services, waste recycling, catering and
medicines - with this inhaler recycling scheme from pharmacy being the latest string to our bow," he said.
The Challenges
There cannot be anyone working in or with community pharmacy that either feels or sees the pain that emanates from the current operating climate. Pharmacy
closures; increased workload and operating costs; increased patient and commissioner expectations; and, more fundamentally, an inadequate, undervalued and
poorly structured remuneration and reimbursement contractual framework.
As important as they are, we will not focus on these points here as they are not in the control of pharmacy owners and managers. They are the responsibility
of those organisations that represent them at a national and local level who must deliver a better outcome as difficult as that may be.
However, there are matters which are in the control of pharmacy owners and managers. These include their premises, their team, their systems and processes, their
relationships with other healthcare providers and the broader community, their NHS and private service offer, and how they promote and deliver them to give the best
patient experience.
In order to create the head space to develop and implement a business plan, pharmacy owners and managers must make time to work on their business as well as in it.
Then it requires the capacity and capability within their team to deliver the services and that excellent patient experience.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has introduced a new comprehensive learning programme to support pharmacists in Wales to deliver the Pharmacy
Independent Prescribing Service (PIPS).
Developed in collaboration with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the programme is designed to "equip pharmacists with the essential knowledge,
skills, and confidence needed to provide excellent patient care."
While the primary emphasis is on pharmacists operating within primary care settings, those from various practice settings are also encouraged to register and
participate in the programme.
Commenting on the collaboration with HEIW, Elen Jones, director for Wales at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said that it will empower pharmacists across the
country to deliver high-quality prescribing services to local communities.
National Health Services (NHS) patients across England are set to experience a significant enhancement in accessing key healthcare services such as
community nursing through the expansion of self-referral options that no longer require a GP appointment.
The recent announcement is part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan and is set to offer hundreds of thousands more individuals each month the opportunity
to refer themselves for essential services such as "incontinence support", "podiatry", or "hearing tests" without GP referrals.
This move aims to alleviate the burden on general practitioners through self-referrals for more than 180,000 patients, allowing them to focus their time and
resources on patients in need of immediate care and recover the long waiting times.
As per the NHS data, approximately 200,000 people per month self-refer themselves which under the new plan will extend to additional critical services tailored
to local population needs to "continue modernising GP, expand pharmacy services, and offer patients more choice in how they access care".
A drug dealer who was operating as an "unlicensed chemist" and selling prescription drugs online has been jailed for six years, according to Essex Police.
The convict, identified as 49-year-old Christopher Depp, aka David Jones, was supplying a range of drugs from his home to "vulnerable people" using the postal
service, local police revealed on Friday (February 16).
Police conducted a search operation at his address in Wood Street, Chelmsford, in July last year and found more than 50,000 pills and tablets of varying types,
stashed in toolboxes and spaces around the property.
To process the large-scale sale and shipping of controlled drugs across the UK, Depp had set up a room in his property as an office space.
He promoted the sale of medications through various social media platforms and messaging applications, and accepted payment from his large customer base
using "fraudulently obtained" bank accounts.
Thanks to a new service added to the NHS App, patients in England can now see their prescriptions online and collect their prescribed medication from
the nominated pharmacy or a pharmacy of their choice without a paper prescription.
NHS England has introduced digital prescriptions in the app following a successful trial last year involving over a million users.
Users without a nominated pharmacy can collect their prescriptions from any pharmacy using the barcode in the app, but this is not required for patients with
a nominated pharmacy as details would be sent to their pharmacy electronically.
From now on, patients waiting for elective hospital treatment can also check the average waiting time for their procedure at their local trust using the NHS App.
