The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is asking independents to vote 'yes' to reform of pharmacy representation in England as a three-week voting period opens on Friday, May 27.
The NPA is also calling on PSNC to complete unfinished business and present 'the compelling case for change' that the Review Steering Group was unable to deliver.
The Associations says it is "on balance" and with some degree of reluctance supporting an affirmative vote, because the benefits marginally outweigh the several valid arguments for a "no" vote.
NPA chief executive, Mark Lyonette, said on Thursday (May 19): "After much deliberation and engagement with members, we are recommending our members vote yes, because the alternatives are either the flawed status quo or a further period of uncertainty for the sector, with months or even years of introspection to come. There is no guarantee that going back to the drawing board, particularly with the same actors, would bring about a better outcome.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on Thursday (May 19) said that an anticipated autumn Covid booster campaign would be aimed at
people aged over 65, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and all adults in a clinical risk group.
The UK is offering a spring booster to the over-75s, care home residents and immunosuppressed people, and ministers have spoken openly of plans for a further
booster campaign in the autumn.
In interim advice, the JCVI stopped short of recommending another shot for all adults, though said the advice would be reviewed and updated.
"The JCVI's current view is that in autumn 2022, a Covid-19 vaccine should be offered to: residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health
and social care workers; all those 65 years of age and over; and adults aged 16 to 64 years who are in a clinical risk group," the UK Health Security Agency said
in a statement.
Prime minister Boris Johnson, who was fiercely criticised for his handling of the early stages of the pandemic, lifted Covid restrictions in England in February,
crediting Britain's quick initial vaccine rollout and the rollout of boosters with breaking the link between cases and deaths.
Smoking increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and depression, a report by academics from the University of Bristol published on 20 June claims.
It says smoking raises the risk of developing schizophrenia by between 53 per cent and 127 per cent and the risk of developing depression by from 54 per cent to
132 per cent.
The authors of the report say more research is needed to identify why this is the case and that more evidence is needed to understand its impact on other mental
health conditions such as anxiety or bipolar disorder.
The evidence, presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrist's international congress, has been shared with the government which is currently developing a new
Tobacco Control Plan for publication later this year.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: "Rates of smoking are much higher among people with mental health conditions than those without, and among England's six
million smokers there are an estimated 230k smokers with severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder) and 1.6 million with depression
and anxiety."
A group of drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction may be able to boost the effect of chemotherapy in oesophageal cancer, according to new research
funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council.
The research, published on Tuesday (June 22) in Cell Reports Medicine, found that the drugs, known as PDE5 inhibitors can reverse chemotherapy resistance by
targeting cells called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) residing in the area surrounding the tumour.
Although this is early discovery research, PDE5 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy, may be able to shrink some oesophageal tumours more than chemotherapy could
alone, tackling chemotherapy resistance, which is one of the major challenges in treating oesophageal cancer.
Oesophageal cancer affects the food pipe that connects the mouth to the stomach, and while it is a relatively rare cancer, the UK has one of the higher rates in the
world, with 9,300 new oesophageal cancer cases in the UK every year.
Resistance to chemotherapy in oesophageal cancer is influenced by the tumour microenvironment, the area that sounds the tumour. This is made up of molecules, blood
vessels, and cells such as cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are important for tumour growth. It feeds the tumour and can act as a protective cloak,
preventing treatments like chemotherapy from having an effect.
Statistics show that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. While this disease can be deadly, it is also preventable. This
blog post will discuss six things you need to know about breast cancer prevention. Knowledge is power when it comes to fighting cancer, so read on and learn how
you can protect yourself.
UNDERGO ROUTINE CHECKUPS
One of the first things you can do to prevent breast cancer is to undergo routine checkups. This means going for mammograms and clinical breast exams regularly. In
this case, your doctor may even recommend using ultrasound technology to get a clear picture of the breast tissue. Rest assured that your doctor will be able to
detect any changes in your breasts and will be able to determine if there is anything to worry about. The earlier you catch any abnormalities, the better your chances
of beating cancer.
BE AWARE OF YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
Another important factor to consider is your family history. If you have close relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk may be higher. This is
because some forms of breast cancer can be hereditary. As such, it is important to be aware of your family history and to let your doctor know if there is a history
of breast cancer in your family. From there, you should discuss your options with your doctor and make sure to get regular screenings. More often than not, early
detection is key when it comes to surviving breast cancer which is why family history is so important.
Governments should invest in vaccines for all strains of influenza virus that exist in the animal kingdom as an insurance policy in case of an outbreak in
humans, the incoming chief scientist at the World Health Organization said on Monday (Feb. 20).
Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year.
The recent spread to mammals of H5N1 - commonly known as bird flu - needed to be monitored, but the risk to humans remained low, the WHO said earlier this month.
Incoming WHO chief scientist Jeremy Farrar said he would like to see the pharmaceutical industry at least conduct some clinical trials for all influenza strains such
that the world would not have to start from scratch to initiate global manufacturing should the need arise.
"My concern that we're in slow motion watching something which may never happen," he added in a media briefing. "But if it were to happen, would we look back on what
we're doing at the moment and say, why didn't we do more?"
An Indian court has sentenced two pharmaceutical company executives to two-and-half years in jail for exporting substandard drugs to Vietnam a decade ago,
months after the WHO linked their cough syrups to the deaths of children in Gambia.
India suspended production at Maiden Pharmaceuticals in October last year for violations of manufacturing standards after the World Health Organization said four of
its cough syrups may have killed dozens of children in Gambia.
The company has denied its drugs were at fault for the deaths in Gambia and tests by an Indian government laboratory found there were no toxins in them.
The company had been facing legal difficulties for years over suspected shoddy products.
A court in Sonipat, near New Delhi, where Maiden has its main production facility, ordered jail for company founder Naresh Kumar Goel and technical director
M.K. Sharma for exporting heartburn medicine "not of standard quality" to Vietnam.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called on the NHS England to uplift funding for pharmacy contractors to enable them to cover higher staffing costs
along with a range of other cost-inflating factors.
This follows latest data released by the recruitment platform Locate a Locum, which showed a huge increase in locum rates for pharmacists in 2021 and predicted the
trend to continue.
The report noted a 71 per cent surge in the cost of employing locum pharmacists in England, from the 2020 average to the second half of 2021.
NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette said: "There is a heavy reliance on locums in community pharmacy to maintain continuity of services with the average pharmacy
operating 50 hours per week. Consequently, increases in locum rates have a big effect on the cost base.
"Pharmacies face a range of general cost pressures beyond locum rates, including much higher energy costs. We hear a lot about the cost of living crisis; our
members are facing a cost of doing business crisis and it's every bit as real.
"The underlying underfunding, significant general inflationary pressures and specific cost increases relating to the locum workforce together make a powerful and
urgent case for new funding."
Community pharmacies must be involved in future planning for public health emergencies, especially in cases where a quick response is needed such as the Covid-19 pandemic, a European-wide research has recommended.
The project, co-led by the University of Huddersfield professor Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar in medicines and healthcare, focuses on how community pharmacies dealt with the pandemic, covering 31 pharmacy interventions on Covid-19 in 32 countries in Europe.
The interventions include prevention, response, and recovery measures. It also covers improved access to medicines, expanded powers granted to pharmacies, rapid antigen testing, along with Covid-19 vaccination.
Community pharmacists in the US, Canada, and Australia have been engaged in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response strategic guidance after the 2009 flu pandemic.
The aim of the research is to map the current reported practice and trends and review the pharmacies' intervention in Europe.
The new Smoking Cessation Service (SCS) will commence on March 10, 2022, allowing community pharmacy contractors to register to provide the service on the NHS Business Services Authority's (NHSBSA) Manage Your Service (MYS) portal from March 1, 2022.
This is the second of the two new Advanced services to be introduced this financial year, after the Hypertension case-finding service, which were agreed outcomes from negotiations for Year 3 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.
Since the service is an Advanced service, contractors are free to decide if they wish to provide it, as most would be busy completing work for the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2021/22 alongside winter-related workload, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee said.
Therefore, those who decide to start this service should consider the likelihood of receiving sufficient referrals to make provision of the service worthwhile, the PSNC said.
Pfizer's oral Covid-19 therapy will be evaluated as a potential treatment for patients hospitalised with the illness in a major British trial, scientists said on Monday, as cases rise in some parts of the world.
The world's largest randomised study of potential medicines for Covid-19, dubbed the RECOVERY trial, will assess Paxlovid across hospitals in Britain, which has already approved the drug for early-stage treatment.
"Paxlovid is a promising oral antiviral drug but we don't know if it can improve survival of patients with severe Covid-19," said Peter Horby, a professor at the University of Oxford and joint chief investigator of the RECOVERY trial.
The scientists said they aim to mainly find whether Pfizer's Paxlovid reduces the risk of death among patients admitted to hospitals with Covid-19.
When you visit a hospital, one of the last things that come to mind is worrying about legal aspects and what rights you might have - or lack. But these
issues and your understanding of them are more important than ever. Knowing exactly what hospitals can legally and cannot do to you is an essential part of
ensuring your protection as a patient when going in for care.
In this blog post, we'll break down the legal details behind being treated at a hospital so that you can feel more confident when making healthcare decisions.
Let's dive into the legal aspect of visiting a hospital, outline what hospitals can and cannot do to us, discover our rights as patients, and review any other
considerations worth keeping in mind!
OVERVIEW OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW AND HOW IT RELATES TO VISITING A HOSPITAL
When going to a hospital, concerned patients and their families should be aware of the legal risks posed in medical malpractice cases. These potential issues can
have life-altering consequences if misdiagnoses, wrong medication administration, or improper treatment occurs. Now, whether you seek damages for your injuries at
Staten Island University Hospital or in a different hospital in your hometown, it is important for visitors to understand that the law has set forth regulations
regarding acceptable standards of care expected by our nation's hospitals.
Those regulations can include procedures of qualified professionals that protect patients from financial exploitation and physical or emotional distress caused by
medical negligence. Understanding how this information applies to you will help you protect yourself legally if your rights are violated while visiting a hospital.
British drugmaker GSK has signed deals with three companies allowing them to make inexpensive generic versions of its long-acting HIV preventive medicine for
use in lower-income countries, where the majority of new HIV cases occur.
The injected drug cabotegravir is approved by regulators in Britain and the United States. Last July, GSK announced a program with the United Nations-backed
healthcare organisation, the Medicines Patent Pool, aiming to get poor countries access to new HIV therapies far earlier than they did for previous HIV medicines.
During the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa in the 1990s and early 2000s, in which many millions of people died, treatments used widely in wealthy countries were
unavailable on the continent.
GSK said last year the new program could result in the generic form of its injection being available in lower-income countries beginning in 2026.
The drugmaker's HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, said in a statement on Wednesday it had issued voluntary licenses - waiving intellectual property rights - to
Aurobindo, Cipla and Viatris, which will manufacture the generic versions of injectable cabotegravir.
Esperion Therapeutics' non-statin therapy "bempedoic acid" has shown modest results in reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in statin-intolerant
patients in the cholesterol lowering via bempedoic acid, an ACL-inhibiting regimen (CLEAR Outcomes) trial, revealed GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
As a result, there is substantial room for improvement in this space as a potential approval is expected in Australia in near-term based on these results, said
GlobalData.
According to GlobalData's Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center, the total number of diagnosed prevalent cases of dyslipidemia in Australia is expected to increase at
a compound annual growth rate of approximately 1.2% from 5.2 million in 2022 to 5.4 million in 2025.
Neha Myneni, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: "Bempedoic acid joins several statin alternatives that have shown the potential to reduce cardiac illnesses.
However, with not much significant improvement in the outcomes, there exists a clear room for improvement for non-statin therapies in this space."
Bempedoic acid is the sixth class of cholesterol-lowering drugs (other than cholesteryl-ester transfer protein isoform (CETPi) inhibitors), that has demonstrated the
potential to reduce heart attacks and strokes. Other class of therapies with similar potential currently marketed in Australia include statins, bile acid resins,
niacin, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors (alirocumab, evolocumab, and inclisiran).
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.
There are many reasons why people might need help with their dental problems. Maybe they don't have insurance, or maybe they just don't have the money to go to
a dentist. In these
cases, the pharmacy can be a great option. Pharmacists can provide a variety of services that can help people with their dental problems, including over-the-counter
medications and advice on how to take care of teeth and gums. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the ways that pharmacies can help you take care of your
teeth! So, whether you have a toothache, cavities, or bad breath, a pharmacy can be a great place to turn.
1) OVER-COUNTER MEDICATIONS
One of the most common services that pharmacies provide is the sale of over-the-counter medications. These medications are designed to be taken for short periods of
time and can help with a variety of dental problems. For example, if you have a toothache, you can buy an antiseptic rinse or analgesic gel that can help relieve
the pain. If you have bad breath, you can buy mouthwash or breath fresheners that will help mask the odor. And if you have cavities, you can purchase fluoride
rinses or gels that can help with decay prevention. If you are worried about the cost of dentists, these medications can be a great way to get the relief you need
without breaking the bank. However, it doesn't mean that you should neglect regular dental visits!
2) PROVIDE YOU WITH EDUCATION
Another way pharmacy can help you with your dental problems is through advice and education. Pharmacists are trained to provide general information on oral hygiene
and health and can help you make educated decisions about which products to buy. They can also provide recommendations on how often you should brush and floss your
teeth, as well as advice on diet and lifestyle choices that can help prevent dental problems. In addition, some pharmacies may even have an oral health specialist
on staff who can answer any questions you might have about your teeth or gums
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, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England David Webb has assured pharmacies of sufficient supply of antibiotics.
In a letter, shared by the PDA, Webb also urged the pharmacies to order antibiotic stocks sensibly.
"Local pharmacy teams may be experiencing a temporary interruption of supply of some relevant antibiotics due to increased demand. On a national level, sufficient
stock exists for the NHS," he said.
He said NHS is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and has taken actions to help ensure medicines continue to be available.
He explained that the supplies of antibiotics for the treatment of Group A Strep, particularly phenoxymethylpenicillin presentations, have seen a surge in demand,
leading to potential constraints at certain wholesalers and pharmacies,
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 UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has suggested that the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) vaccine that offers protection to children against flu
may also help reduce the rate of group A strep infections.
LAIV is a nasal spray offered each season to most children aged 2 and 3 years old, and to school-aged children, to help protect against flu.
The new study looked back at data from 2013 to 2017, comparing rates of group A strep (GAS) infections in pilot areas and comparing them to other areas where the
vaccine was not being offered as widely.
It was found that incidence of GAS was lower in pilot areas where the LAIV vaccine was being offered to all primary school children, compared to areas where it was
being incrementally rolled out.
The study revealed, in 2 to 4 year olds, rates of GAS were 73.5 per 100,000 children in pilot areas, compared to 93 per 100,000 children in non-pilot areas. In 5 to
10 year olds, rates of GAS were 50.3 per 100,000 children in pilot areas, compared to 57.8 per 100,000 in non-pilot areas.
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies has said pharmacists have been "struggling to obtain the very basic, most
common cold and flu medicine."
She told the PA news agency that the shortage wasn't around "just the branded medicines" but "also simple things like throat lozenges, cough mixtures or pain
killers - particularly the ones that are soluble."
Stating that the sector was finding it very difficult these shortages she said "those people who are in charge of supporting us with it are denying it."
"The demand has been high because this season we've seen higher cases of colds and flu and people are obviously trying very hard to look after themselves and making
sure that they use the relevant products to manage the symptoms.
