The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) will launch a new group focusing on improvement of the post-registration practice of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
The announcement follows GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) bringing together key stakeholders from across England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland on Thursday (January 27) to discuss establishment of the group.
The GPhC considered recommendations from a short-life working group chaired by Council member Aamer Safdar on the potential leadership and quality assurance role of the GPhC in post-registration education and training for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Nigel Clarke, chair of the GPhC noted that there is a wide range of activity in the post-registration sphere with government and statutory education providers taking steps to make improvement.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association has helped its members to secure around £196,000 last year from employers who treated pharmacists badly or breached their
rights in some way.
The association strives to help members to resolve workplace disputes quickly, locally, and amicably, however some cases need escalation into the legal system, it said.
It helps pharmacists to understand and exercise their rights in case unfair treatment occurs to them.
Though no employee expects to be treated badly, this is the reality for some pharmacists, the PDA stated.
Britain's health regulator is poised to announce that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be made available over the counter for the first time, the Daily Telegraph has revealed.
The newspaper first reported on Tuesday (February 1) that watchdogs were set to propose a reclassification of the medication so women are able to access it in a pharmacy without a prescription.
Every year, some 1.5 million women experience difficult menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance and a variety of emotional problems.
But only a tenth of them are prescribed HRT, following a consultation with a GP or specialist.
According to the newspaper, the latest proposal aims to improve convenience so that women are able to access HRT more easily, without needing a GP appointment.
In what's seen as a major step forward for the treatment of schizophrenia, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised a
new Johnson & Johnson drug in Britain.
Byannli is a six-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP6M) and is the first long-acting injectable schizophrenia treatment which offers patients the potential for up to
six months of symptom control and a reduction in their risk of relapse with only two doses a year.
It is a long-acting injectable that works by dissolving and entering the bloodstream slowly, due to its extremely low water solubility, resulting in continuous
absorption of paliperidone palmitate over a six-month period.
"Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disorder, and antipsychotic medication plays an important role in its treatment. However, many people with the illness
experience relapses which are often caused by poor adherence to oral medication," said Prof David Taylor, director of Pharmacy and Pathology at the Maudsley Hospital.
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.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard today (March 1) announced a new campaign to promote early detection of cancer, when it is easier to treat.
The campaign, which would run across TV, radio, and social media from Wednesday (March 2), is the first to focus on tackling the fear of cancer rather thanspecific symptoms.
It is in line with the NHS Long Term Plan's commitment to increase cancer detection at an early stage by 2028.
As per the NHS figures, the number of people getting checked for cancer increased by over half a million between December 2020 and December 2021.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Pritchard, said: "We know that the prospect of a cancer diagnosis can be daunting for people and that is exactly why we are launching this potentially lifesaving campaign - we want to allay people's fear about cancer and encourage them to get checked without delay.
Alitam Group, the 100-plus pharmacy store consolidation, has appointed Bharti Patel, the former group executive director of Avicenna to its executive board.
Patel, who was part of the leadership team at Avicenna until late 2021, brings with her a wealth of experience covering pharmaceuticals, multiple retail and independent pharmacy, homecare and NHS primary and secondary care.
In her early career, she worked at Lloyds Pharmacy, where she rose from a prescription medicines buyer to director of procurement over a period of eight years.
She is known in the industry for her strong leadership, commercial acumen and ability to create opportunities for innovation and strategic partnerships.
Alitam founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo said in a statement that Patel's appointment will further strengthen the group's ability to deliver its transformative multi-billion-pound 'Pharmacy of the Future' concept.
NICE has recommended use of tucatinib as an option to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread in people who have already tried 2 or more anti-HER2
treatments.
The move is set to benefit around 400 people with advanced breast cancer.
Tucatinib works by blocking a specific area of the HER2 gene in cancer cells, which stops the cells from growing and spreading. The medicine is taken as two 150 mg
tablets twice daily along with anti-cancer medicines trastuzumab and capecitabine.
Helen Knight, programme director in the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: "Unfortunately there is no cure for breast cancer that has spread to
other parts of the body. There is also a lack of additional anti‑HER2 treatments which can postpone the need for chemotherapy, especially for people whose cancer has spread to their brain because their treatment options are even more limited.
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'.
More pharmacies should do NHS Health Checks to improve access, a new study that focuses on ways to improve the lives of people living with obesity, recommends.
The report, Levelling Up Obesity Care, by pharma giant Novo Nordisk follows a series of roundtables with patient advocates, healthcare professionals and academics to generate understanding on the future of obesity care in England.
Amongst its recommendations, the report says that 'to widen access and alleviate pressure on GP services, consideration should be given to expanding NHS Health
Checks in community pharmacy'.
NHS Health Checks include a measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI).
Those most likely to benefit from a Health Check include people who live in more deprived areas, and are more likely to be living with obesity, says the report.
The Department of Health and Social Care has clarified that community pharmacists will not be among those allowed to issue sick notes, calling the service unsuitable to be provided over the counter.
In response to a question from Pharmacy Business, a spokesperson for the department said that the policy change was "aimed at pharmacists working within general practices or hospital settings", adding: "The intention is that 'where' the fit note is issued will remain the same but 'who' issues it will change.
The DHSC went on to explain that fit notes, known technically as 'Med3', were "not part of the NHS commissioned services" and therefore private providers, such as high street pharmacies, were unable to provide it under government provision.
It added that since "fit notes should only be issued following a full assessment of a patient's fitness for work", it "would be an unsuitable service to be provided 'over the counter'.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and Madelaine McTernan, head of the HRT supply taskforce, continue to take urgent action to resolve the shortage of HRT medicines by meeting the drug manufacturers and representatives from community pharmacies on Thursday (May 5).
In the meeting, manufacturers outlined the steps they're taking to boost supply, and pharmacists shared their experiences on the frontline, as well as sharing their
thoughts on wider solutions including improved communications.
Aspen Pharmacare, Besins-Healthcare, Gedeon Richter, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Orion, Pfizer, Theramex, Viatris, and representatives from community pharmacies were
part of the meeting.
As the government confirmed its intention to work with industry to do what is necessary to fix the HRT supply issue, Javis said he wanted to understand the issues
facing suppliers and what can be done to address them.
"We will leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT. Along with appointing Madelaine McTernan as head of the HRT supply taskforce to implement lessons learned from the pandemic, and ensuring prescriptions are issued in shorter cycles for now, we are working collectively with the sector to urgently resolve this issue," he commented.
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) said the meeting discussed 'why we got into this position' and the way forward.
Cutting the red tape that blocks pharmacists to alter the HRT prescription could 'quickly fix' the problem of women unable to access their HRT medicines, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) told Daily Mail.
RPS has suggested that allowing pharmacists to prescribe alternative HRT treatment amid nationwide shortage of HRT medicine could help the women who are struggling
to access these medicines.
Thorrun Govind, chair of the English Pharmacy Board, told MailOnline 'changes in prescription rules need to be changed urgently.'
She added, 'For the pharmacists on the ground, they need the ability to get rid of this bureaucracy. When you think about it - who's best able to offer an alternative - that tends to be the pharmacist.'
MailOnline quoted Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, as said, 'We welcome the Health Secretary meeting with key suppliers and manufacturers to find solutions to the current shortages. But cutting the red tape holding pharmacists back could provide a 'quick fix' that would allow 'women to access their HRT medicines more speedily'.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United Kingdom, affecting nearly 50,000 men yearly. Combined with the challenges faced across
healthcare during COVID-19, new figures show that prostate cancer accounts for a third of cancers not treated due to the pandemic, with 14,000 'missing patients'
believed to have not undergone treatment since April 2020. It is more urgent than ever that men are encouraged to get checked, as any set-backs in diagnosis can
reduce the pathways available, in turn affecting health outcomes.
Community pharmacy teams play a crucial role in signposting the help available for men who may be concerned about their health. Therefore, it is vital that pharmacy
teams have access to the information they need to correctly direct men to seek prostate cancer guidance. By maximising the trusted relationship between patients and their pharmacists, more can be done to identify the warning signs, helping men to get an earlier diagnosis.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has appointed communications agency to lead a review into how it can develop and strengthen member participation.
"We've appointed communications consultancy Luther Pendragon to carry out an independent review of the participation of members and of our communications
concerning decisions we take on behalf of the profession through our Governance boards," the Society said in a statement on Tuesday (May 10).
It added that review would examine how RPS members, elected members and stakeholders can feel engaged, informed and empowered to influence decisions about RPS policy and understand why decisions around organisational policy have been taken on their behalf by elected representatives.
It will also ensure RPS decision-making processes are open and transparent with an emphasis on evidence-based decision making, and recommend ways elected members are enabled to be publicly accountable for decisions taken by the organisation at Board and Assembly level.
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.
DE Group, one of the UK's leading independent pharmaceutical wholesalers, has gone into administration.
Pharmacy Business has learnt that the group was put into administration on Monday (May 9), putting hundreds of jobs at risk and stoking fears of a "sudden shock"
to pharmaceutical supply chain.
A community pharmacy contractor who has done business with the wholesaler for over 20 years told Pharmacy Business: "I fear for the worst. I don't think there will
be enough supply of medicines to cope up with a surge at such a short notice."
Bharat Shah, founder and CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, another leading short-line wholesaler, said the news will send shock-waves and have "a massive impact on the
market" because DE Group enjoyed a "substantial coverage and market share" in the independent pharmacy sector.
"It won't be easy for anyone to take on the extra volume as it could jeopardise their own business," he said, adding that Sigma was actively looking into expanding its own operations in the foreseeable future.
Pfizer said on Tuesday it will pay $11.6 billion to buy Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, making a big bet on its ability to boost sales of the top-selling pill in a new class of migraine drugs.
The boards of both companies have approved the deal, they said. Biohaven shares jumped 70 per cent to $141.31, while Pfizer was up slightly at $48.83.
Pfizer is flush with cash from a once-in-a-lifetime surge in revenue from Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics and has said it is looking to buy companies or drugs
that could add at least $25 billion in annual sales by the end of the decade.
"The CGRP oral medications, though still somewhat newer entrants in a deeply entrenched space, continue to make steady inroads in disrupting the broader migraine market in the U.S.," said BioHaven chief executive Vlad Coric.
Biohaven forecast Nurtec sales of $825 million to $900 million in 2022.
Pfizer said it expects the pills to eventually overtake the shots.
Pharmacists with 'relevant experience in a pharmacy setting' can enroll for accredited independent prescribing course, as the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has decided to scrap the requirement of spending at least two years on the register and having previous experience in a specified clinical or therapeutic area before enrolling for the course.
The GPhC Council meeting held on Thursday instead proposed that applicants must have "relevant experience in a pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand
and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber." This experience and awareness will act as the basis of their prescribing practice whilst training.
The regulator noted that the majority of stakeholder organisations, including the Chief Pharmaceutical Officers, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the statutory education bodies, were in favour of removing the requirement in a consultation on the topic.
They highlighted that a specific two-year period was not in itself a robust indication of whether an individual was ready to become a prescriber.
They also highlighted that the rapidly developing roles in the profession meant more pharmacists were likely to gain the necessary experience more quickly than in the past. A smaller number of organisations and a larger minority of individuals were opposed, citing that a specific two-year period gave pharmacists the time they needed to develop experience and confidence before being ready to enrol on a course.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has removed a pharmacist from its register who black-marketed 'zolpidem' along with another pharmacist between 2015
and 2016.
Dean Zainool Dookhan, a pharmacist first registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain on 18 October 2004 and whose registration was later
transferred to the General Pharmaceutical Council under registration number 2059808, was jailed last year for exporting 20,000 packets of zolpidem to the Caribbean.
While hearing the case on 24-25 May, GPhC's Fitness to Practise Committee stated that "removal of the Registrant's name from the register is the appropriate and
proportionate response to his convictions."
"The public interest includes protecting the public, maintaining public confidence in the profession, and maintaining proper standards of behaviour. The Committee
is entitled to give greater weight to the public interest than the Registrant's own interest in remaining on the register."
"The Committee recognises the sanction has a punitive effect in that the Registrant's ability to practise and earn an income as a pharmacist and 28 his professional
reputation will be curtailed; it will be five years before he can seek restoration to the register. However, that is the price he must pay for failing to comply with the fundamental tenets of his profession."
