Are you looking for ways technology can improve the health sector? Technology has revolutionized every industry imaginable, so it's no surprise that it
has also made its mark on the health sector. In this blog post, we will discuss how technology is helping to improve healthcare for everyone. From telemedicine
to mobile apps, technology makes it easier than ever for people to get the care they need. Keep reading to learn more.
EASILY ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL INFORMATION
One of the biggest ways technology improves healthcare is by making medical information more accessible to everyone. In the past, if you had a question about your
health, you would have to either make an appointment with a doctor or do some research on your own. However, thanks to the internet, now you can easily find answers
to all of your questions with a few clicks of a button.
If you are running a medical facility, it is important to ensure that your IT department is up to date on all of the latest advancements in healthcare technology.
As highlighted by the team behind Medicus IT, you can hire an IT health expert to manage all aspects of your digital infrastructure so that you can focus on
providing quality patient care. This way, you can ensure that your patients are getting the best possible care.
Covid-19 vaccine makers are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as fast as they
could over the last 18 months.
Executives at the biggest Covid vaccine makers including Pfizer and Moderna said they believe most people who wanted to get vaccinated against Covid have already done so - more than five billion people worldwide.
In the coming year, most Covid vaccinations will be booster shots, or first inoculations for children, which are still gaining regulatory approvals around the world, they said.
Pfizer, which makes its shot with Germany's BioNTech and Moderna still see a major role for themselves in the vaccine market even as overall demand declines.
Upstart US vaccine maker Novavax and Germany's CureVac, which is working with GlaxoSmithKline, are developing vaccines they hope to target at the booster market.
The roles of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, whose shots have been less popular or effective, are expected to decline in this market.
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline aims to get its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to regulators for review later this year, after interim data
showed the vaccine was effective in a keenly-watched late-stage study involving older adults.
RSV is a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and the elderly, but the complex molecular structure of the virus and safety concerns have stymied efforts to
develop a vaccine since the virus was first discovered in 1956.
Companies including Pfizer, J&J, Sanofi, Moderna and AstraZeneca are also racing to get an RSV therapy or vaccine approved.
The latest GSK trial is the first to show statistically significant efficacy for RSV in adults aged 60 years and older, the British drugmaker said of the ongoing
study on Friday (June 10).
If approved, the RSV vaccine is expected to generate billions for GSK, which is already the world's biggest vaccine maker by sales but has faced pressure from
activist investors such as Elliott Management who have urged the London-based company to shore up its drug pipeline.
There is a realistic possibility of large waves of Covid-19 infection in the future in Britain and such waves might even be considered likely, epidemiologists who model the Covid-19 pandemic to inform government advice have said.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has ditched legal restrictions in England, saying that, while the pandemic was not over, Britain needs to learn to live with Covid.
The Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group (SPI-M-O) said the emergence of new viral variants was the biggest unknown factor in the medium-to-long term, along with waning population immunity and changes in mixing patterns.
"Large future waves of infection that need active management to prevent detrimental pressure on the health and care sector are, at least, a realistic possibility (high confidence) or likely (medium confidence)," SPI-M-O said in a consensus statement published on Friday.
If you have low testosterone levels, there is a good chance you have felt some physical side effects from that. You may have heard that certain physical
activity helps combat the depletion, and there is truth in this. There is a link between increasing and fine-tuning an exercise agenda and raising testosterone
levels. Below, the relationship is explored in more detail.
WHAT DOES TESTOSTERONE DO?
There is more to the function of testosterone than just in relation to your sex drive. Of course, that is important, but it also impacts muscle building, strength,
energy levels, hair growth, and red blood cells. When levels are low, there are big consequences for anybody from hair loss to weak muscles and even exhaustion too.
TESTOSTERONE AND OBESITY
One of the biggest things that affects testosterone is being overweight. If you are carrying a few extra pounds, it would be beneficial to try to get into some
healthier habits if you want to promote an organic increase in T-levels.
HOW EXERCISE PLAYS A ROLE
Exercise seems to be a natural inhibitor of testosterone, especially when you focus on particular strategies and workout styles such as strength training. Levels
have been shown to rise immediately after exercise for anything from fifteen minutes to an hour plus. While it is different for everyone, the link is clear.
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.
Our Totton branch has an incredibly high volume of original pack dispensing, roughly 45,000 items. As we became busier and busier in the dispensary we were
finding that our pharmacists, dispensers and other technicians simply didn't have capacity to deliver the services that we needed them to.
We all know there is a real emphasis right now on pharmacies doing more services and we knew we had to change the way we operate to survive. So we decided it was
time to look into a sound automation solution for our medication dispensing process, one that would allow us to free up the time of the pharmacists and the rest of
the team so they could better support patients.
After a lot of research we invested in Centred Solutions FLOWRx Hub and InStore solutions which were installed late last year. It provides us with the whole package
and has automated our entire dispensing process from picking to packing and labeling to checking.
Our situation was quite unique as we bought the system initially for our existing high-volume pharmacy in Totton so the hub and the spoke are actually on the same
site. People wouldn't usually look at a hub and spoke solution for that kind of set up but it has allowed us to significantly free up time in store for more services.
What it has also done is allow us to look at other opportunities to grow and expand. The pharmacy landscape is changing and there are lots of opportunities coming up.
We have found that having your technology and the right infrastructure in place to support your existing footprint before you expand is the ideal way to grow in a
safe and controlled way.
We never thought that five years ago we would buy another pharmacy, yet we have already bought one and are now in the process of buying two more. I'm not worried
about the increase in volume this expansion will bring because I know our technology is going to be able to support it.
The pharmacies we are buying are struggling but having our solution already in place m
John Dawson, the founder and former CEO of Alliance Pharma, has donated £5million to the University of Sunderland towards the creation of a new drug
research centre.
The donation - the biggest in the university's history - will create the John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute to improve health and
wellbeing of millions of people worldwide.
The new centre has been named after the pharmaceutical entrepreneur and Sunderland graduate who, alongside wife Sam, has provided the funding.
He and Sam were on Thursday (April 20) joined by specially invited guests from across the region's health, education, and business communities, to launch the
Institute housed in the University's Sciences Complex.
Unveiling a plaque inside the building, John said: "It's an absolute honour and privilege to be able to launch the new Drug Discovery and Development Research
Institute at the University of Sunderland today.
"It's been wonderful to be back on the campus and see the incredible developments that have taken place since I studied pharmacy here more than 50 years ago.
"I was immediately impressed at what has been achieved in that intervening half-century and I've been delighted to assist the University continue its development,
particularly in the health arena.
"I hope the launch of this institute will mark the next phase in the University's evolution and I'm very much looking forward to working with the team as they bring
their projects to fruition."
In the next 10 years, the incidence of first-time stroke cases in the UK is projected to increase by 60 per cent, costing the government £75bn in
healthcare and lost productivity, a charity has suggested.
A new manifesto published by the Stroke Association has urged the next UK government to make stroke "the priority", stressing that the next decade is crucial
for stroke prevention, treatment and recovery.
Currently, stroke is the UK's fourth biggest killer and a leading cause of disability. On a daily basis, 281 individuals experience a stroke. Next year, the cost
of stroke in the UK will be £43 billion.
The charity predicted that by 2035, there will be 151,000 hospital admissions due to stroke every year, averaging 414 admissions per day, with 42,000 people
estimated to die every year.
In 2035, the UK is projected to have 2.1 million stroke survivors, imposing a financial burden of £75 billion on the public purse, nearly half the current NHS budget.
Adding to the growing evidence of global medicine shortages, a new study has revealed that the European generic medicines market is "not in shape" to help
Europe meet its public health priorities.
In the past decade, the rate of generic medicines withdrawals has risen by 12 per cent, while there has been a three per cent decrease in the launch of generic
products, as per Teva Pharmaceuticals' recent analysis of IQVIA data.
Within the mental therapeutic area, seven per cent of generic products disappeared between 2013 and 2023, while there was a seven per cent decrease in the
availability of generic cancer medicines in just six years (2017-2022).
These medicines were listed on the Union List of Critical Medicines to help avoid potential shortages, as the European Commission (EC) said this could cause
"significant harm to patients and pose important challenges to health systems."
While mature generic products constitute the majority of the List, they remain susceptible to withdrawals, despite containing products crucial for safeguarding
Europe's public health, the Teva analysis report noted.
Since 2013, the number of generic products for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder has declined by 25 per cent, with Hungary and Bulgaria
experiencing the biggest loss at 83 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
Superdrug is bolstering its physical presence by launching 25 new stores this year as it celebrates its 60th year on the British high street.
Additionally, the health and beauty retailer has announced plans to extend seven of its existing branches and refit another 60 throughout 2024.
However, the retailer has confirmed the locations for only four upcoming stores - Wheatley Centre Shopping Parkin Doncaster, St David's Centre in Cardiff,
Bluewater Shopping Centre and Westfield Stratford City.
As reported by Mirror, the Donacaster site is expected to open by the end of this month, followed by the relocation of its existing Cardiff store to a new
11,3000 sq. ft space shortly thereafter.
Superdrug is also shifting its Westfield Stratford City store, doubling its size to 9,892 sq. ft. Likely to be opened in the summer, it will be one of the
retailer's biggest stores.
Private equity firms HIG and Capvest have joined the list of investors who have expressed interest in acquiring AAH Pharmaceuticals - the biggest supplier
of goods to British pharmacies.
The company, which was bought by German private equity firm Aurelius in 2022, is once again up for sale, according to the Financial Times.
Aurelius has hired advisers from BNP Paribas to run an auction process for the pharma giant, with the first round of indicative bids expected later this month,
the report said.
AAH Pharmaceuticals supplies a network of 14,000 pharmacies across the UK, generating £3bn a year in revenues.
Aurelius anticipated that the business could fetch an enterprise value, including debt, of roughly 10 times its earnings, which were projected to be around
£90 million this year.
People familiar with the matter told the publication that the business has drawn interest from bidders because it was likely to be "the only full-service pharmacy
distributor to come to market in the coming years."
The auction process is expected to be completed by the end of the year, although Aurelius may decide not to sell the business if the offers do not meet their
desired price, the report said.
The former Bensons for Beds store on Brock Street, which has been closed for over a decade, is set to be transformed into a new healthcare hub and pharmacy
for the local community.
Husband-and-wife team Tariq and Nabila Malik, practising pharmacists in Lancaster for over 20 years, have confirmed that they are relocating and expanding their
services from their two existing city centre pharmacies to the historic Oddfellows Hall, built in 1844.
The couple currently operate two pharmacies-one on Dalton Square and the other on King Street.
Their new venture, Brock Street Pharmacy (Health and Travel Clinic), is scheduled to open on November 4, with the entire team from both closing pharmacies making
the move.
Extensive renovation and building work have been carried out to save and restore the heritage Victorian building in recent months.
"It's the biggest project we've ever been involved in, but the whole team are really excited about bringing this heritage building back to life, making more
services even more easily accessible to our community," said Nabila.
Alliance Healthcare UK has raised over £30,000 for Mental Health UK, Theodora Children's Charity, and 4 Louis Charity through its annual charity Sports
Championship & Family Fun Day event.
The event, held in Manchester and Wimbledon, saw over 200 colleagues, friends, and family members come together to compete in various football tournaments and a
special charity netball match versus the Theodora Children's Charity team.
Sam Unsworth, Head of Communications said: "This event is now in its eleventh year, and I am delighted to see it continue to grow as our biggest team activity.
Better yet - we have raised an incredible amount for our chosen charities because of the generous sponsorship and dedication of the teams who joined us on a
Sunday to give back to our community."
Ellen Blessington, Senior Community and Communications Fundraiser, Theodora Children's Charity shared: "We're delighted to once again be a part of this amazing
event and to take part in the netball competition."
A harsh funding regime that hasn't adapted to changing macroeconomic realities means the viability of large parts of the pharmacy sector is at risk
unless the model changes. Very simply, across the sector, revenue has remained largely fixed while costs have increased significantly, making it impossible for
many pharmacies to sustain their business models.
The sector has seen the closure of more than 1,500 community pharmacies since 2015, with 700 of these closures occurring since 2021. Larger pharmacy operators
such as Lloyds, Boots, and Rowlands have seen the biggest decline in numbers, with smaller businesses operating between one and five pharmacies now accounting
for almost 50% of the sector.
Despite rising inflation and business costs, the NHS pharmacy funding model has remained fixed. Over the period of the current Community Pharmacy Contractual
Framework (CPCF) - 2019-2024 - pharmacies have experienced a 30% real terms cut in core funding leading to an annual shortfall of over £750 million, equivalent
to £67,000 per pharmacy in England.
The current CPCF is due to end in 2024, and there is still no arrangement in place for future funding, leading to delayed and inefficient spending decisions and
hampering the ability of the sector to plan and attract much-needed investment.
The government has received thousands of ideas to fix the NHS as the biggest ever conversation about the future of the health service reached the Midlands
last week.
More than 100 people from across the Midlands participated in the public debate in Wigston in Leicestershire on Saturday (23 November), sharing their experiences,
views and suggestions for delivering an NHS fit for the future.
Public health minister Andrew Gwynne and NHS England's national director for urgent and emergency care Sarah-Jane Marsh attended the debate, inviting attendees'
opinions on NHS reform and how the government's 10 Year Health Plan can help tackle disparities in the region.
Addressing the event, Gwynne said: "We can't change the NHS and make it better without you."
"When we say that the NHS is broken but not beaten, it's not beaten because the staff are incredible, it is because the NHS is not where we need it to be."
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has unveiled its Carbon Net Zero Action Plan for sustainable pharmacy regulation, aiming to achieve carbon net
zero by 2040.
The action plan focuses on three main elements: setting an example, incorporating sustainability into regulatory standards, and fostering collaboration for
sustainable pharmacy care.
Roz Gittins, Chief Pharmacy Officer at the GPhC, emphasised the urgent need for pharmacy sector to embrace sustainable healthcare practices.
"Climate change is a global emergency and has been declared the biggest threat to public health," she said, adding that it not only poses health risks but also
amplifies existing health inequalities, with immediate consequences for patients, the public and health services.
She highlighted that the GPhC is actively engaged in addressing climate change, both as an employer and regulator.
"Our aim is to positively influence the pharmacy sector to embrace climate action and sustainable healthcare principles in line with our vision to have safe and
effective pharmacy care at the heart of healthier communities," Gittins said.
Tens of thousands of smokers in England will be offered an improved anti-smoking pill by the NHS to help them quit.
NHS England has announced the rollout of a new generic version of Champix, called Varenicline, which has been proven to be as effective as vapes and more
successful than nicotine replacement gum or patches.
When used alongside behavioural support, such as counselling, the daily pill has been shown to help one in four smokers quit for at least six months.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard called the introduction of Varenicline a "vital step in shifting NHS further towards prevention" and highlighted that it
could be a "game-changer" for people who want to quit smoking.
Speaking at the NHS Providers annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, she emphasised that smoking remains "one of the biggest public health issues facing
the NHS."
Well Pharmacy, the UK's largest independent pharmacy chain, recently announced the opening of a new store inside WHSmith's flagship airside location at
Birmingham Airport.
This expansion is part of Well Pharmacy's ongoing collaboration with WHSmith, the global travel retailer.
Situated within the departure lounge of Birmingham Airport, the biggest and busiest airport in the Midlands and the seventh largest in the UK, the new pharmacy
will offer travelers a wide range of pharmacy products and expert healthcare services.
The new pharmacy complements WHSmith's extensive selection of health and beauty items, travel essentials, food-to-go, and tech products.
Andrew Caplan, chief retail officer at Well Pharmacy, expressed enthusiasm about the continued partnership.
"Well Pharmacy are delighted to continue to work in partnership with WHSmith in providing a one stop shop for all travellers' needs," he stated.
In his first speech as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP acknowledged that the NHS is in crisis while outlining his mission to
save the health service.
Streeting described the current state of the NHS as "broken," noting its failure to meet the needs of both patients and dedicated healthcare professionals.
"When we said during the election campaign, that the NHS was going through the biggest crisis in its history, we meant it.
"When we said that patients are being failed on a daily basis, it wasn't political rhetoric, but the daily reality faced by millions," he said on Friday (5 July).
The new health secretary remarked that previous governments had been unwilling to admit these simple facts.
