The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has announced its support for the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA)'s Safer Pharmacies Charter,
which aims to improve safety and care for patients, through better working conditions in UK pharmacy practice.
The Charter establishes basic standards to ensure safe practices across all pharmacy settings. It outlines seven commitments that, according to the PDA, "must be
standard practice whenever and wherever pharmacy work is carried out."
Dr Catherine Duggan, FIP CEO, said: "We are pleased to support the PDA's Safer Pharmacies Charter which defines basic standards to ensure safe practice wherever
pharmacists work.
"The overall objectives of the Charter align with FIP's development goals and overall mission."
FIP, the global body representing pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, plans to distribute the Charter among its members and share it with its Community Pharmacy
Section for information purposes.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was questioned whether he 'will take urgent action to prevent pharmacy closure'.
At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in Parliament held on Wednesday (26 April) he replied, "we will continue to do everything we can to support community
pharmacies."
Labour MP for Knowsley and All-Party Pharmacy Group member, George Howarth said: "Given the chronic lack of capacity in the NHS, the Prime Minister will be aware
that community pharmacy can help deal with minor illnesses. But there is a problem on average 10 Pharmacy close every month in England."
Prime Minister was further asked "will he take urgent action to prevent further closing and commission a properly funded 'Pharmacy First' service for minor
illnesses?
Sunak replied: "I've been a wholehearted champion and believer in the role that community pharmacists can play. we want to make sure that they can do everything
to ease some of the pressures in primary care.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday
(17 May).
It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams.
The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS,
professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators.
A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer.
Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure.
"Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported.
"It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to
deliver high-quality patient care.
"This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.
Digital pharmacy app Charac has raised over £1 million in debt and equity, bringing total funding to date for the London-based startup to £2.5m.
Pharmacy Business understands while the majority of the new finance, worth about £1.2 million, comes from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) coffer, the
remainder is put forward by a number of individual pharmacy businesses.
The pharmacy sector is in a state of crisis, experiencing nearly two closures per week over the past two years, Charac said in a statement.
According to data from the NHS Business Services Authority, there are now only 11,026 community pharmacies in England, the lowest number since 2015. The current
crisis is attributed to escalating operational costs, a shortage of staff, and diminished government financial support.
Politicians, researchers and pharmacy leaders called on the government to make community pharmacy a fundamental part of clinical services at an event at the
House of Commons on Wednesday (13).
At the launch of a research publication carried out by the University of Bath in conjunction with Sigma Pharmaceuticals, community pharmacy was described as
an "essential pillar of health care provision" in the UK.
The aim of this research was to provide evidence to support a strategy for the future developments of community pharmacy to ensure the sector continues to meet
the needs of the public in the NHS.
Researchers analysed 25 health and community pharmacy related policies published by the department of health, the NHS, the pharmacy profession, and spoke to
stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds, including patients, pharmacists, NHS commissioners and GPS.
Blackthorn Pharmacy in Southampton, Hampshire has been sold to expanding operator, Rosechem Limited, which has multiple other pharmacies in Hampshire and
Surrey for an undisclosed amount.
This health centre pharmacy dispenses an impressive average of 25,000 items per month. It has been owned by Patrick Stephens for over 25 years and was recently
brought to market to allow him to retire.
Patrick Stephens, previous owner of Blackthorn Pharmacy, commented: "Over the years, with a lot of hard work and support of my pharmacy team, the business had grown
significantly and, after 25 years, I was keen to retire and for someone to take over my business. I am sure the buyer will be successful and will continue to grow
the business and build on the great relationships we have created. I would like to thank Jonathan at Christie & Co for all his hard work and am delighted that the
sale has now completed."
The pharmacy inquiry will explore issues impacting different types of pharmacy, with a particular focus on community, primary care and hospital pharmacy
services.
It will also consider current challenges around funding, workforce and the digital infrastructure.
Planned developments within the profession will enable future pharmacists to be independent prescribers from day one of registration, giving them a greater role
within primary care teams.
Health and Social Care Committee Chair Steve Brine MP said: "It is clear that pharmacy has a central role to play in the future of the NHS. With a greater focus on
personalised and patient-centred healthcare, we will be asking what more must be done to make sure that the profession is in the best shape to meet demand.
"Better use of the pharmacy workforce would reduce pressures on general practice and hospitals. However, this will not happen without a planned workforce with the
funding, supervision and training to support it.
"At the end of the inquiry, the committee will be making recommendations to the government on what action needs to be taken to ensure the potential of pharmacy is
realised.
harac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have announced their long-term
partnership to allow pharmacies to deliver the broad range of services needed to support the public.
The NPA and Charac will collaborate with members of the NPA and beyond to accelerate the necessary digital transition of independent community pharmacies,
particularly given their importance to poorer communities and less advantaged individuals at high risk due to potential pharmacy closures.
The partnership is part of the NPA's efforts to improve the online presence of community pharmacies, including patient application, online booking, website design,
and a delivery service. With Charac similarly dedicated to bettering digital interaction with patients, the new joint ecosystem will provide pharmacies with the
necessary funding and cutting-edge technology to aid delivery of primary care.
In its response to the Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into 'Digital Transformation in the NHS', the Community Pharmacy IT Group (CP ITG) has
highlighted issues concerning the NHS community pharmacy.
CP ITG, of which PSNC is a member, has urged that pharmacy teams should have access to up-to-date records information, e.g. from Shared Care Records, GP Connect
and Summary Care Records with Additional Information.
It has also stated that the Booking and Referral Standards (BaRS) should be extended so that future referrals into and from pharmacy can be communicated seamlessly.
In its written response, CP ITG said: "Ensure that BaRS is expanded and aligns with other referral IT standards such as GP Connect referrals. Ensure it is used across
community pharmacy, the GP sector, other health care sectors and across the NHS, and by all health IT suppliers, so that messages and referrals can flow smoothly
within and across sectors and patients can have a seamless experience and safe care."
The group has asked the Health and Social Care Committee to create a framework for the development of pharmacy IT to ensure IT suppliers are better equipped to
support pharmacy teams and their delivery of services.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is encouraging community pharmacy contractors and their teams to take part in the negotiator's latest Pharmacy Advice Audit.
The audit has been extended but results must be submitted by 23.59 on Friday (March 11).
Under the audit, pharmacy teams need to record information about the informal healthcare advice that they give in a single day, which would provide a critical check on how people continue to rely on community pharmacies.
The results of the audit will provide key evidence for use in funding discussions with the government and the NHS.
Last year's Advice Audit highlighted the scale of the informal consultations that took place in pharmacies during the pandemic, and helped the PSNC to persuade MPs to support the case for Covid-19 costs.
We have been specialising in community pharmacy sector for over 30 years and have helped many pharmacists acquire their first pharmacy. We have seen several
of those first-time buyers transition into multiple pharmacy owners under our specialist guidance and support through the years.
Acquiring the first pharmacy can be a challenge to most pharmacists especially when they do not have the necessary skill in reading the numbers presented in terms
of the target pharmacy's performance and how to interpret these in order to arrive at a valuation for the purpose of submitting an offer.
Without the guidance of a specialist accountant in community pharmacy, one of the major risks is that one could end up paying more than what the pharmacy is worth.
Once the offer is accepted, there are other challenges to overcome to get the deal over the line.
1) Assessing the risk
2) Valuation of the business
3) The negotiation process
4) Asset or company purchase
5) Financial due diligence
6) Asset/share purchase agreement
7) Finance the purchase
A recent report published by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has highlighted a significant increase in the number of registered pharmacists
and pharmacy technicians, indicating the expanding role of these professionals in the UK healthcare system.
As of May 31, 2024, the GPhC register recorded a total of 90,739 pharmacy professionals, up from 90,604 at the end of April 2024.
This includes 64,415 pharmacists and 26,324 pharmacy technicians, maintaining a steady split of 71 per cent pharmacists and 29 per cent pharmacy technicians.
This reflects an overall increase of four pharmacists and 131 pharmacy technicians from the previous month.
The report underscores the critical role of pharmacy professionals in ensuring high-quality patient care and supporting the operational efficiency of pharmacies.
Ensuring comprehensive healthcare services for the community necessitates collaboration between pharmacies and GP surgeries. However, several pharmacists
have voiced concerns about a lack of cooperation from their local GPs in implementing the Pharmacy First (PF) service.
In a survey conducted by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) covering 470 pharmacies across England, three-quarters of pharmacists (77 per cent) indicated
that local GP practices are not appropriately referring patients to the new service.
The survey highlighted instances of patients either not being referred or being referred but found ineligible for support through Pharmacy First. Additionally,
one in five NPA members (19 per cent) felt that their local GP practices were not engaging with the initiative at all.
Commenting on the issue, NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "Feedback from across our network suggests that the rollout of Pharmacy First varies considerably from area
to area.
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
Will Quince, MP for Colchester and Health Minister visited Rowlands pharmacy on Friday (20 January) in Nayland Road in his constituency.
The important role played by pharmacies in providing NHS care, support, and advice helping the local community to live healthier lives and manage long-term conditions
were discussed among the pharmacy teams.
Mr Quince said: "Community pharmacy is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring people in Colchester have convenient walk-in access to the healthcare
support and advice they need.
Pharmacies are not simply places to collect prescriptions, they provide a wide range of services and are the third pillar of access to primary care alongside GPs and
A&E. I would urge people to think pharmacy first if they have a minor ailment; need advice on taking their medication; want to stop smoking or want to check their
blood pressure."
Pharmacy leaders have called for reassurance that the workforce plan, expected by April 2023, will cover the entirety of the pharmacy workforce across the
health service, including in community pharmacies.
A joint letter has been signed by representatives from 14 pharmacy organisations which highlights that with continued pressures on services, it is more important
than ever to support the pharmacy workforce so that the staff needed to deliver patient care now and into the future can be recruited, trained and retained.
Mark Koziol, Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Chairman said: "Our pharmacist members practise across the entire health system and have the potential to do far
more to help patients and improve public health, but they can only do so safely if they are in appropriately staffed workplaces. This is a workforce issue, so it is
important that the Government works with representatives of the pharmacist workforce, and of their employers, to get a suitably agreed plan in place."
Thorrun Govind, English Pharmacy Board Chair, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), said: "It will be crucial to use the skills of all our health professions to support
the NHS recovery, reduce health inequalities, manage the growing cost of long-term conditions, and deliver best value from medicines.
Recently, the English Health Secretary has talked about introducing a 'Pharmacy First' model similar to that which exists in Scotland. This would be a win-win
outcome providing people with better access to essential healthcare support, advice and treatment whilst relieving strain on other parts of the NHS, not least GPs
and A&E.
It is a no-brainer and yet despite a few media headlines there are still no firm proposals on the table to make this a reality. It surely cannot be right that you
can receive a broad range of patient care services in Scotland which are not available in England. It works well in Scotland, Wales is keen to develop more
pharmacy-based services and Northern Ireland, leaving aside the current funding dispute, has had a minor ailments service for many years.
If the English Health Secretary is sincere in his interest in adopting an English version of the Scottish model, then there are critical aspects he needs to
consider.
Firstly, start with the patient journey through the healthcare ecosystem from illness prevention through to long-term condition management. What is the role of
community pharmacy and how do we guide people to seek support from the most appropriate healthcare professional?
What is the vision for community pharmacy delivering patient care in the next decade?
The lesson from Scotland is that the government needs to sit down with the sector and map that out together. There are no quick fix overnight solutions. This needs
to be a long-term commitment backed by adequate funding. Supervision regulations need to change and there needs to be a thought through workforce strategy which
avoids community pharmacy shortages as that does nothing to deliver improved patient outcomes.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England Chair Thorrun Govind has called for Government action to support pharmacy teams experiencing huge demand for
their services.
"Pharmacy teams are under immense pressure at the moment, in common with other NHS services, and working extremely hard with health service colleagues to provide
the right care for patients," said Govind.
"As winter pressures mount, pharmacies see increased numbers of patients seeking support with illness and also because they have heard other areas of the health
service are struggling to cope.
The society has also stated staffing pressures, alongside an increase in workload has created an extra burden which takes a toll on the wellbeing of pharmacy teams.
Govind added: "Issues such as medicine shortages can also take up many hours of time for pharmacy teams tracking down medicines when they could be directly helping
patients. In community pharmacies, rising costs and fairly static funding are adding to business pressures.
"However, pharmacies remain the most accessible part of the health service and provide expert advice to patients without the need for an appointment and are open
long hours and at weekends."
Community Pharmacy Wales and the Welsh government have entered an agreement on Thursday (December 16), enabling all pharmacies to deliver provision of
contraception, treatment for common minor ailments, and access to repeat medicines in an emergency.
Expansion of clinical community pharmacy service will be supported with an increased funding of £20 million a year by April 2024 from the current level of £11.4m.
The two bodies have been negotiating the terms of agreement, which also includes plans to roll out a Wales-wide pharmacy prescribing service, allowing trained pharmacists to treat an extended range of conditions that currently require GP visits.
The agreement will allow patients to access NHS services closer to home which in turn would free up GP and other NHS services for patients with more complex needs.
Eluned Morgan MS, minister for Health and Social Services said: "I welcome the positive approach to negotiations taken by Community Pharmacy Wales, embracing our ambition for a reimagined community pharmacy service, which is an integral part of a strong primary care landscape."
The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership set up by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales has published
its recommendations for the 'future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK' on Monday (6 February).
The Commission is co-chaired by Nigel Clarke, Former Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Professor of Medical Education at
University College London Medical School.
The Commission proposes that closer collaboration between professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups as part of a Pharmacy Leadership Council
will enable and support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The Council will be set up in 2023 to lead the implementation of the report's vision and recommendations over five years.
Commission Co-Chairs, Professor Dame Jane Dacre and Nigel Clarke: "The Commission has set out a collaborative approach to transform pharmacy professional leadership
and deliver sustained benefits for patients and the public and pharmacy professionals in the UK.