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In its closing oral statement to the UK Covid Inquiry Module 3 on Wednesday (27 November), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) urged the government and NHS to "recast community pharmacy in their minds as a valuable partner in the post-pandemic recovery, and not as a cost center." The Inquiry was also asked to recommend sufficient government investment in the network and infrastructure needed to integrate community pharmacy into the broader health system and support effective cooperation across the health service. Additionally, the NPA requested that the significant contribution of community pharmacy to the pandemic response be reflected in the Module 3 findings to "redress the lack of recognition they received throughout the pandemic." The NPA's closing statement addressed four key issues - the role of community pharmacy, the impact on pharmacy teams, the resilience of the pharmacy network, and the lack of recognition given to the sector during the pandemic and since. Lee John-Charles, speaking for the NPA, told the Inquiry that "Community pharmacy became the first port of call for patients seeking health advice during the pandemic." "Many community pharmacies went to great and heroic lengths to ensure that their services were maintained during the pandemic and demonstrated the value of the network of community pharmacies across the country."

Jonathan Rees, a member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), will become the first pharmacist to present oral evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry hearings tomorrow (Thursday, 10 October). During the pandemic, Jonathan worked at Penclawdd Pharmacy near Swansea, while also supporting the NPA's efforts to respond to the extra needs of its members across Wales during the peak of the crisis. Jonathan is expected to give evidence about the role and responsibilities of pharmacies during the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on pharmacy services, working conditions and medicines supply, and the challenges faced in obtaining Personal Protective Equipment Equipment (PPE). Commenting on the significance of this milestone, NPA chief executive Paul Rees stated: "The NPA is proud to be telling the story of the vital role pharmacies played during the Covid pandemic, and ensuring that our members' voices are heard in this inquiry.

At the Covid Inquiry on Tuesday, Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), was questioned about the initial exclusion of community pharmacies in the government's emergency pandemic life assurance scheme. Earlier this month, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) submitted evidence to the inquiry highlighting the delay in including community pharmacies in the scheme - which offered £60,000 lump sum payments to NHS and care home staff who died from Covid. The inquiry heard that the scheme was launched on April 27, 2020, initially covering NHS and care home staff. However, then Health Secretary Matt Hancock only confirmed the inclusion of community pharmacy staff in a Tweet three days later, on April 30. NPA Chair Nick Kaye told the inquiry that it was "demoralising and demotivating" to community pharmacy staff who worked throughout the pandemic. Jacqueline Carey KC, Counsel to the Covid Inquiry, put the charge to Sir Wormald as he gave evidence about the department's response to the pandemic.

Britain has declined to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) proposed pandemic accord, citing concerns over the redistribution of vaccines, as reported by The Telegraph on Tuesday. The accord aims to ensure fair distribution of resources during global health crises, including reserving 20 per cent of tests, treatments, and vaccines for distribution in poorer nations. According to media reports the Department of Health and Social Care stated that they would only support the adoption of the accord if it aligns with the national interest and respects sovereignty. However, a DHSC spokesperson refrained from detailing the specific proposals within the accord, emphasising that no agreements had been reached yet. The WHO has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.

Nick Kaye, chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), gave evidence to the UK's official COVID-19 Inquiry on Monday (4 November), highlighting the importance of building a "sustainable and resilient community pharmacy network" to enhance preparedness for future pandemics. Kaye also recommended utilising the existing community pharmacy infrastructure for public health initiatives, such as vaccination programmes, and stressed the need to recognise community pharmacists and their teams as integral members of primary care. "Seven pharmacies a week are closing across the four nations, and that is tragic for any future response. So, a resilient community pharmacy network that exists is going to be key," he told the Inquiry. He noted that 90 per cent of most NPA members' income comes from providing NHS services, underscoring the critical role pharmacies play in healthcare delivery. However, Kaye highlighted that pharmacies were often overlooked and underappreciated during the pandemic.

At the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 3 hearings on 10 September, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) highlighted that community pharmacy was "often overlooked and under-recognised" during the pandemic. Lawyer Lee John-Charles, speaking on behalf of the NPA, told the Inquiry that despite the central role played by community pharmacy in the delivery of NHS care throughout the pandemic, community pharmacists and their teams were "not given comparable treatment to other frontline healthcare workers." The NPA criticised the initial exclusion of pharmacy workers from the Life Assurance Scheme for frontline workers in England, calling on the Inquiry to investigate this notable omission. The NPA also pointed out that community pharmacies were forced to source and fund their own personal protective equipment (PPE) as it was not initially available to them through the NHS.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease remained the leading cause of death in England and Wales in 2023, maintaining the pre-pandemic trend, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figures reveal that there were 66,876 deaths with an underlying cause of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 11.6% of all deaths registered that year. In response to this growing health concern, Luye Pharma is hosting a free special educational webinar on 6 November 2024 (timing: 18:30 - 20:00) for healthcare professionals. Titled "Treating Dementia in 2024: Optimising Pathways Between Primary and Secondary Care," the online session will focus on addressing the ever-increasing challenges in dementia treatment and how to optimise pathways between primary and secondary care. The webinar will feature expert speakers from the field of dementia care, including Dr. Jill Rasmussen, Primary Care Specialist in dementia, mental health, and intellectual disabilities; Delia Bashara, Consultant Pharmacist for the Mental Health of Older Adults and Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; and Khaleel Loonat, Senior Clinical Pharmacist and Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

A new class of weight loss drugs developed by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly "opens the possibility of an end to the obesity pandemic" alongside other interventions, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said this week. But the global health agency said it has concerns that unless health systems prepare properly, the drugs could distort the response to the global obesity crisis, risking leaving people behind and overshadowing other steps to improve health. The new drugs "have the potential to be transformative", according to the WHO's chief scientist, Jeremy Farrar, its director of nutrition, Francesco Branca, and his senior adviser, Francesca Celleti, in an opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The article is the agency's clearest comment yet on the potential of the new drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. But "medication in isolation will not be enough to address the obesity crisis," they added, calling instead for the innovation to push clinicians, governments, the pharmaceutical industry and the public towards considering the condition a chronic disease that needs further study into how best to prevent and treat it.