Omnicell Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicell - an American healthcare technology company, has signed an agreement with the shareholders of Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited to acquire Hub and Spoke Innovations.
Hub and Spoke Innovations Limited is distributor of the Pharmaself24 prescription collection kiosk in Great Britain.
The move will complement Omnicell's total solution technology portfolio for retail pharmacy in the UK, including a pack-pick dispensing robot, automated MDS filling
machine and eMAR solution, thereby helping pharmacies to improve workflows and offer a 24/7 access to medications and patient care.
It will also help community pharmacies achieve their goals, as they increasingly look at ways to make their businesses more efficient and free up staff to offer more pharmaceutical care and services to patients.
In short, the deal would enable Omnicell to offer a wider range of digital technologies to streamline retail pharmacy operations, allowing pharmacists to spend more time with patients and focus on value-added, revenue-generating healthcare services, such as vaccinations.
Ahead of World AIDS Day this Wednesday, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has urged the government to widen access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by making it available through community pharmacies. It argues that such a move could drive down rates of HIV infection across Great Britain.
Currently, the medicine - which offers almost total protection from HIV when taken as recommended prior to sex or injecting drugs - is available free of charge only through sexual health clinics.
Calling on the government to engage with community pharmacies to improve public health, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "There is a clear opportunity to drive down rates of HIV infection by expanding provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to community pharmacies and GP practices as part of the government's HIV Action Plan.
We cannot deny the benefits and uses of regenerative medicines as they have been so in demand in recent times. One such effective medicine with a lot of
potential health benefits is BPS-157. The peptide is thought to be extremely beneficial for those struggling with various neurological or health issues.
Another medicine with the same beneficial effects is the Semax peptide. Well, the benefits of both these peptide-based medicines and their other aspects will be
discussed in detail in this blog along with answering your question about the BPC-157 buy, Semax effects, and polypeptide.
ALL ABOUT BPC-157:
BPC-157, a pentadecapeptide consisting of 15 amino acids, is a synthetic peptide that is known for its positive effects on the human body. The peptide is derived
from human gastric juice. A protein is present in the human gastric juice through which this peptide is derived and synthesized. It is called a Body Protection
Protein as it exerts several therapeutic effects on the human body.
Not only have health benefits or therapeutic effects, the peptide has healing and regeneration powers. It also helps in the preventing formation of gastric ulcers.
This peptide is of great interest to researchers due to its numerous positive effects and benefits.
DOSING LEVELS OF BPC-157:
Not much about the dosing levels of BPC-157 has been researched yet but always try to concern the relevant persons before taking the medicine. The dosage
of BPC-157 depends on the health and body conditions of the person taking it along with other related factors.
RPS Scotland has named Fiona McIntyre as its new Policy and Practice Lead. With a background in hospital pharmacy, McIntyre will be responsible for policy
development and professional support at RPS Scotland, and is set to assume her new role in early October.
McIntyre will assume a leadership role for specific projects across Great Britain, collaborating with the Policy and Practice Leads in England and Wales, RPS
Scotland said in a statement. Her responsibilities include representing pharmacists in working groups and meetings, engaging with pharmacists and pharmacy
organisations, and supporting the RPS Director for Scotland.
"During my career in NHS Scotland, I have advocated for pharmacy teams whenever possible," said McIntyre. "I am passionate about the profession's role in the
safe and effective use of medicines, and I'm privileged to join the RPS. I look forward to promoting pharmacy in Scotland and helping our profession reach its
full potential."
"I'm pleased that Fiona will be joining the RPS Scotland team as our policy lead," said Laura Wilson, Director for RPS Scotland. "Fiona's experience will be
invaluable to the role, and the whole team looks forward to her starting with us in October."
Following Community Pharmacy England's Parliamentary drop-in event on medicines supply issues last week, several MPs have since raised questions to the Health
Secretary during a Health Questions session on July 18th.
According to CPE, MPs from all Parties displayed great engagement with the current pressures facing community pharmacies, particularly regarding medicines supply
issues.
During last week's event, Mike Amesbury, the MP for Weaver Vale, was present and directed a question to the Health Secretary: "Eighteen community pharmacists in my
constituency are reporting challenges with medicine supplies. What further actions will the Minister take to address and resolve this situation effectively?"
In response, Health Secretary Steve Barclay MP stated, "We have a dedicated team in the Department that focuses on medical supplies, which are an ongoing concern.
Challenges in this area are a routine part of our business."
Approximately 25 million GP appointments and 5 million A&E visits are utilised each year for self-treatable illnesses. If these individuals chose to self-treat
using over-the-counter (OTC) medications, the potential savings for NHS could amount to at least £1.7 billion annually, according to a research commissioned by
Proprietary Association of Great Britain.
The study, conducted by analysts at Frontier Economics, revealed that embracing self-care could bring an additional economic benefit of £350 million annually, as
employees would avoid unnecessary time off from work for medical appointments.
Apart from the savings resulting from the increased OTC medicine use, the report emphasises the potential benefits of reclassifying more prescription-only
medications (POMs). A mere 5 per cent reduction in NHS prescribing levels and spending could lead to an annual cost-saving of £1.4 billion, encompassing both
prescription costs and GP appointments, it said.
"This substantial amount could Greatly alleviate financial pressures on the NHS and offer essential resources for recruiting and training much-needed healthcare
professionals."
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is calling on NHS England and its member to pause and reflect before further implementing the pharmacy contraception
service.
NPA board met on Tuesday (25 April) to discuss the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the board decided that - with the community pharmacy sector at breaking
point - it cannot support the immediate roll out of this service.
The association believes that with no new funding for the service, and all existing funds in effect already allocated to other pharmacy activity, any payments
to the sector for delivery of the oral contraception service will ultimately be clawed back by NHS England.
Tweeting after the meeting yesterday, the NPA said: "We can't tell pharmacy owners what they can and can't do. But we can tell them the facts; fact number one is
that with no new funding currently available everyone will be a loser from the implementation of this service on the current terms."
NPA Vice-Chair Jay Badenhorst added: "We cannot be expected to take on more and more services without the increase in funding necessary to deliver them effectively.
Meanwhile, taking on additional work when current workload already exceeds capacity risks impacting negatively on the overall quality of care people experience in
pharmacies. We still believe this could, in future, be a great new pharmacy service, but not without the extra funding necessary to deliver it safely and
effectively. We want to offer women this extra support, but if it's worth doing it's worth doing properly."
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."
RPS Scotland has partnered with charity organisation Marie Curie for an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament this week to highlight Daffodil Standards and
the crucial contribution of community pharmacies to palliative and end-of-life care. The exhibition is being sponsored by Jeremy Balfour MSP.
Community pharmacies offer vital assistance by providing guidance on medication adjustments and side effects, RPS Scotland said in a statement. They are easily
accessible without the need for an appointment, providing essential support and reassurance to families in times of need.
The Daffodil Standards, which is jointly developed by RPS and Marie Curie, drive continuous improvement in end-of-life and bereavement support within community
pharmacies, benefiting terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers. These standards align with the RCGP/Marie Curie guidelines for general practice
introduced in 2019.
Since its May launch, over 450 pharmacies throughout Great Britain, including more than 30 in Scotland, have implemented these principles, the statement said.
Preet Kaur Gill, Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, has paid a recent visit to a community pharmacy in Staffordshire to personally experience
the services it provides to patients, while staying updated on the latest sector developments.
Her visit to Eason's Pharmacy in Tamworth on September 22nd marked her first since assuming new responsibilities for pharmacy policy matters within Labour's health
team. Gill was also joined by a member of the National Pharmacy Association staff.
The Minister received a comprehensive briefing on Eason's Pharmacy from its third-generation owner, Kieran Eason (R). He outlined the NHS services, which include
the New Medicines Service and blood pressure monitoring, and showcased two consultation rooms and an operational dispensary.
"It's great that Preet came to learn firsthand about the challenges we face and the substantial potential of community pharmacies nationwide," Eason said. "As an
independent prescriber, I have the expertise to provide even more convenient care, but the current funding levels severely limit our contribution."
The wholesale supplier and distributor, Alliance Healthcare has successfully raised over £100k for three charities following a series of events in the last
three months.
The healthcare company hosted a Sports Championship event in October to raise funds for Action Medical Research, Vitamin Angels UK, and the Theodora Children's
Charity.
The following competition saw colleagues competing against each other in various football and netball tournaments.
Last month, two teams of seven members participated in a thrilling 2023 Tour D'Alliance cycle challenge to pedal and cover over 300 miles from Great Yarmouth
to Swansea Service Centre.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) will be hosting a Parliamentary drop-in event for MPs on Monday (14 November).
"The event will last for roughly two hours, during which MPs will have the opportunity to drop-in and have their blood pressure measured by a fully qualified
pharmacist," said the committee.
It added: "This event will be a great opportunity to talk to MPs from across the political spectrum about the incredible work pharmacies are doing up and down the
country, to demonstrate the Hypertension Case-Finding Service and to discuss the frontline role pharmacists play in delivering vital services and free, expert
advice."
The other community pharmacy bodies, including the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
(RPS) will also be present on the day, providing the sector with a valuable chance to present a united front on the big issues facing contractors throughout the
country.
AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd (AAH) has exceeded the milestone of delivering over 70 million COVID-19 vaccination doses across England, since it was awarded a
contract in December 2020.
In addition, AAH has delivered over 100 million ancillary items to more than 3,000 healthcare providers.
David Bound, chief executive officer of AAH, said: "This is a huge milestone for AAH as we work tirelessly to support our communities. It's also a ringing
endorsement of our delivery drivers, warehouse operatives, and specialist logistics teams and the determination, dedication, and passion they continue to show
throughout this extraordinary period."
The vaccination programme was also recognized by the Supply Chain Excellence Awards.
Chris Emmott, senior project lead - Supply Chain, commented: "I'm incredibly proud that AAH was chosen for this job, particularly as we had the skills, the
experience, and a great team to help facilitate the needs of the country. To get ready for a project like this, everybody's worked very long hours, they've
worked weekends to get everything ready.
Well Pharmacy has announced a new partnership with RangeMe, a product discovery, sourcing and purchasing platform, as it looks to increase the diversity of
products available to its customers.
The independent pharmacy chain said the partnership will provide new, emerging and diverse brands increased access to its buying teams. There are already over
200,000 suppliers registered on the RangeMe platform.
"We pride ourselves on being at the heart of the communities we serve and are delighted to be working with RangeMe to increase the diversity of the products we
are able to offer to our customers across the UK," Reena Takhar, head of OTC & NHS buying at Well Pharmacy said.
"Given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, we're keen to do all we can to give businesses of all sizes the opportunity to connect with our buyersto allow us to
offer new and interesting great value products to our customers."
RangeMe helps retailers and their buying teams scale product sourcing efforts with streamlined submissions, simplified discovery tools, and the industry standard
digital sell sheet.
What skills does a pharmacist need these days? You'd think it would be sufficient to have a good understanding of pharmacy and the ability to offer a great
patient service. Whilst this is true of course, the reality of the day to day role demands skills which most pharmacists have not been trained for as part of their
formal qualification.
At the very least, pharmacists find themselves responsible for running the pharmacy, managing people, managing processes and dealing with issues relating to customers,
suppliers, surgeries, regulators and stakeholders. Even the most junior pharmacists quickly find themselves being accountable for the financial performance of their
department and having to work within budgets or deliver on targets.
Remarkably, despite the apparent lack of any formal training in these areas, pharmacists have been able to adapt and meet the challenges of whatever their job has
thrown at them.
Many pharmacists go even further, bringing out their inner entrepreneurial spirit to set up their own business. There are now over 6,000 pharmacy businesses owned by
independent pharmacists, with this segment growing.
Whilst pharmacists have historically adapted to their environments and picked up the necessary business skills, the rapidly changing landscape of pharmacy will
require pharmacists to establish new skills to help ensure their businesses survive and thrive.
As we transition in England through yet another NHS organisational change, I ask myself what does this mean for community pharmacy? I would like to think that
this change will bring about opportunity and a chance for community pharmacy to showcase and continue the excellent work that was carried out during the height of
the pandemic and is still ongoing today.
I hope that it allows community pharmacy to be regarded as part of the NHS rather than sitting on the side lines. This change has to lead to better funding for
community pharmacy, without sufficient funding we will see more pharmacies close.
We are hearing a lot about winter pressures but this year it feels like all year round pressure. What I have seen, whilst the NHS is under such pressure, is North
East London (NEL) CCG transitioning to an integrated care board (ICB) almost seamlessly.
I have seen people transitioning into new roles, whilst working hard to ensure that all plates are still spinning, which at the moment is no mean feat. I spent a
day out recently visiting pharmacies with the chief medical officer of NHS NEL, Dr Paul Gilluley.
The visits were positive, we felt listened to and understood. The feedback was great, it was recognised that community pharmacy is often the informal front door to
the NHS and that we have so much to offer in terms of ill health prevention.
Community pharmacy can offer a total solution as long as we have the tools to do so, which can save so much time and money. An example is the GP CPCS service, which
has launched well across NEL.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new position paper on 'How pharmacy can do more to tackle health inequalities'.
The RPS paper aims to help pharmacists and pharmacy teams to take action against health inequalities. It is designed to provide a reference source for pharmacy
teams to use over time to continually improve services.
RPS said: "Like all health services, these pharmacy services do not always reach everyone. Often it is people who are suffering the greatest inequalities that find
it most difficult to access the services that are currently available. This can be for a large number of reasons including poverty, education, being part of a group
vulnerable to exclusion, language and power."
Therefore, the RPS paper focuses not on "what" services pharmacy provides but "how" they are provided, with an aim of making them more accessible for people who are
currently struggling.
Claire Anderson, President of Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "It's fantastic that pharmacy teams in every sector of pharmacy across great Britain are providing
care that can improve health inequalities, with many patients able to access pharmacy services very easily. Brilliant examples of this shine through in the paper.
Boehringer Ingelheim UK & Ireland has appointed Vani Manja as its new Country Managing Director and Head of Human Pharma.
Manja has been associated with Boehringer Ingelheim for over 11 years, in successful leadership roles in Germany, the United States and most recently as General
Manager, India.
Her career started as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps which preceded leadership roles at Becton Dickinson and McKinsey.
She brings extensive experience of strategy, marketing, sales, business development, people management, and cultural transformation and is passionate about tackling
healthcare inequalities and advancing sustainable healthcare.
Commenting on her new role, Manja said: "It is with great heart that I bring the spirit of conscious leadership to my new role. I look forward to being fully present
and partnering with key stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem in our collective quest to improve health for humans and animals in the UK and Ireland."
Panadol launched a new purpose-led brand idea as part of a multi-channel campaign across Great Britain and Ireland. With nine out of 10 people suffering
"everyday pain" and 65% of people saying they can't be happy when they are in pain[1], globally, the campaign reiterates the brand's commitment to holistic pain
management by focusing on the acute pain recovery journey.
Rooted in deep consumer understanding, the campaign idea celebrates that never-talked-about moment of realisation when you start to feel the release from pain.
The new brand idea will bring to life the emotional transformation that those suffering from acute pain undergo, emphasising the role that Panadol can play in
alleviating their pain.
The Panadol campaign follows a period of strong sales growth for the brand, outperforming the category's own expansion by more than double[2].
This has been driven by shoppers who are searching for fast and effective pain relief products, such as Panadol's hero variants, including Panadol Extra Advance
Tablets (paracetamol, caffeine), which has seen its growth almost doubled[3], as well as Panadol Advance Tablets (paracetamol) and Panadol Extra Advance Tablets.
Monica Michalopoulou, GBI Marketing Director, said: "After two years of pandemic restrictions, now more than ever, people want to get back to their normal lives
and to the people they love. But with pain preventing many of us from connecting with those we love or from doing the things we enjoy the most, we want to help
consumers by understanding their pain journey and reassuring them on the treatments we can provide. This "Release" moment is so important for pain sufferers, and we hope our new brand campaign can shine a light on the role that Panadol can play in pain relief".
A member of the English Pharmacy Board and RPS Assembly, Sharon Isobel Tait Buckle (also known as Sibby) has been elected unopposed as the treasurer of the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
Sibby takes over the role from Andre Yeung, whose tenure ended in June 2022.
Sibby was first elected to the English board in 2012 and is the first woman to hold the post since RPS became the professional leadership body in 2010. She is
already part of the Finance and Investment Committee, where RPS budgets, pensions, assets, financial priorities and performance, reserves and investment policies
are scrutinised and agreed.
Commenting on her new role, Buckle said: "I want to build on the great contribution made by our previous Treasurer. Over the next two years of my tenure I will
monitor and challenge our financial performance, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG), investment strategy and performance and our
financial governance.
