| Nearly 60,000 HRT items supplied under SSPs last year ... men in more deprived areas half as likely to access HRT Analysis by The Pharmacist has also found that women in deprived areas are accessing HRT on the NHS at nearly half the rate of women in more affluent areas. Ms Oputu commented that 'all women, regardless of where they live, should have equal access to essential reproductive healthcare'. 'Pharmacists play a crucial role in providing this c ... Date: 18-10-2024 Categories: • Clinical • News • Women's health |
| Women in more deprived areas half as likely to access HRT, data shows Women in deprived areas are accessing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the NHS at nearly half the rate of women in more affluent areas, the latest data shows. According to analysis by The Pharmacist, just 10% of women aged 45-59 living in the 20% most deprived areas in England were given HRT on the NHS in 2023/24. Thi ... Date: 18-10-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Women's health |
| Cardiovascular disease underdiagnosed and undertreated in women, experts warn ... often not treated as promptly or as appropriately as they are in men. Women also face particular cultural, societal, and financial issues, which magnify their heart disease risks, as well as the influence of hormones, pregnancy, and the menopause. It means women admitted with heart attack are less likely to receive relevant therapies, they said. And women with coronary artery disease present ... Date: 07-10-2024 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Women's health |
| Autumn flu campaign to be ‘scaled up’ in light of 18k deaths Health security officials have raised concerns about falling flu vaccine uptake as new data reveals 18,000 deaths over the last two winters. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a new ‘scaled-up’ campaign with NHS England to urge eligible people t ... Date: 01-10-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections |
| Pharmacists concerned about flu vaccination workload, says PDA Some pharmacists are being expected to fulfil flu vaccination bookings as frequently as every five minutes, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has said. It raised concerns that expectations around flu vaccination delivery are affecting wo ... Date: 30-09-2024 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| World Pharmacists Day celebrates 'vital' role of profession ... n letter written by the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA), welcoming the government's commitment to establish a Mission Delivery Board (MDB) to bring together all government departments with an influence over the social determinants of health. It said this would have 'the potential to tackle the root causes of illness, such as poor housing, lack of educational opportunity, employment (includin ... Date: 25-09-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| All parts of Pharmacy First should be open to walk-ins, says CPE ... medicines under the Pharmacy First service should be made accessible to walk-in patients, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has told The Pharmacist. The negotiator's ask, which it is using in its influencing and public affairs work, comes as The Pharmacist's recent roundtable with community pharmacy and GP leads found clear calls for walk-in access across all three streams of the service. Curren ... Date: 18-09-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First |
| RPS announces proposals to become Royal College ... ett said the proposed change reflects the organisation's 'commitment to the highest standards of professional leadership and patient care'. 'It will enable us to be more agile, collaborative and influential across healthcare. As a Royal College, we will have a stronger platform to advance the profession, push for the best possible outcomes for patients and support our members through a rapidly evo ... Date: 12-09-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| CPE concerned pharmacies will 'walk away' from Pharmacy First ... et the monthly thresholds'. But he acknowledged that pharmacies also 'get busy during the winter', and suggested that delivering Pharmacy First consultations alongside other demands like Covid and flu vaccinations could be challenging. Despite the pressures, Mr Buxton told contractors that it was 'strategically important' that the sector continue to provide the Pharmacy First service, and 'demo ... Date: 10-09-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First |
| Suicide rates highest seen in 25 years, official figures show ... ct on individuals, families and communities, and we will continue to monitor suicide registrations, to support work to protect vulnerable people at risk.’ Jacqui Morrissey, assistant director of influencing at Samaritans, said the shocking figures were ‘worse than expected’ and highlight that with suicide rates at their highest in over 20 years, this should be treated as a public health crisis. ... Date: 30-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Mental health and addiction • News |
| GPhC to 'green' its regulatory framework ... standards that it holds pharmacists and pharmacy premises to. As part of its carbon net zero plan, launched today, the regulator said it had identified the potential for it to act as a ‘Positive Influencer’, helping reduce carbon emissions 'by positively influencing pharmacy to tackle climate action'. The GPhC suggested it could do this 'through raising awareness, asking questions, and includin ... Date: 27-08-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| October vaccination start could stretch pharmacy capacity, IPA warns The October start date for Covid and flu vaccinations will cause 'problems with capacity' for community pharmacies as they juggle increased prescriptions and seasonal ailments alongside the vaccination programme, the chief executive of the ... Date: 16-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| Pharmacists eligible for Covid vaccination, government confirms ... kers, pharmacy teams will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations.' 'Covid-19 vaccines are increasingly becoming a core and routine part of community pharmacy’s contribution to prevention, alongside flu vaccines. 'The CCA believes that community pharmacy could, in time, become the natural home for all adult vaccinations. Pharmacies offer convenience and accessibility and have been integral in bui ... Date: 09-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| Pharmacies left with ‘no choice’ but to stop services ... e services that they can offer,’ she said. She added: ‘We will continue to fight for fair funding for community pharmacies across England, using a range of tactics including political and public influencing.’ A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The NHS is broken, and pharmacies have been undervalued for too long. ‘This government will shift the focus of the NHS out of ... Date: 05-08-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Report pushes for ‘advanced services’ definition for vaccinations in CPCF ... pressure checks and contraceptive prescriptions to all new vaccination services’. There are currently nine advanced services within the CPCF that pharmacies can choose to deliver, including adult flu vaccinations, Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service. Several benefits that community pharmacy offers vaccine delivery are discussed in the Reform report published this week. ‘Ea ... Date: 02-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| ARRS hits a high of 37,000 staff, NHS confirms ... e number of staff employed through the ARRS scheme and although the significant increase in the value of the scheme over the past five years has now flattened, we would expect the numbers of staff to fluctuate as PCNs further develop the best skill mix to meet the needs of their local population.’ The latest NHS England primary care network workforce data, which only uses NWRS data rather than the ... Date: 23-07-2024 Categories: • In Practice • News |
| Pharmacies ‘paying the price’ for IT outage ... e funding, workload pressures and patient abuse. And the issues have highlighted the value of bricks and mortar pharmacies and the potential for community pharmacy to do more. 'We are seeing an influx of prescriptions' Olivier Picard, vice-chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), told The Pharmacist that his pharmacy teams were ‘getting back to normal’, but still dealing with a backlog ... Date: 22-07-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Smoking linked to cognitive decline in older adults Smoking may be the key lifestyle factor that determines how quickly cognitive decline occurs in older adults, research suggests. Memory and fluency in older adults declined by up to 85% more over a 10-year period in smokers compared to non-smokers. The study, which was undertaken by researchers at University College London (UCL), looked a ... Date: 22-07-2024 Categories: • Clinical • News • Smoking cessation |
| OTC nasal sprays reduce infection and cut antibiotic use, suggests study ... ed the trial, said: ‘Given these results, our advice, particularly for those at higher risk from infections or those who get recurrent infections, is at the first sign of cough, sore throat, cold or flu like symptoms, use a nasal spray to prevent it from developing fully, and to use the sprays preventatively after close exposure to people with infections.’ And Dr Adam Geraghty, associate professo ... Date: 18-07-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory |
| Lord Darzi tasked to lead investigation into ‘state of the NHS’ ... l be led by Sally Warren, who will be leaving her position as policy director at the King’s Fund, a leading health think tank, to join DHSC. During his time as health minister, Lord Darzi led an influential national review of the NHS, High Quality Care for All, which aimed to improve accountability in clinical practice. He also worked on Labour’s GP ‘polyclinic’ model – known as Darzi centres – ... Date: 12-07-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| Over four in five patients report ‘good' pharmacy experience ... r buying medication (45%) when asked which pharmacy services they had used in the last 12 months. One in five (21%) said they had used a pharmacy for health advice or for a vaccination such as for flu or Covid-19. Some 7% said they used a pharmacy to address an issue after being referred by their GP practice, NHS 111 or A&E. Meanwhile, 3% said they went to a pharmacy to monitor their med ... Date: 11-07-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Boots to expand Covid vaccinations amid rising test sales ... urchases of test kits almost tripled in June this year compared to the same period in 2023. Boots also reported rising sales for medicines that can relieve symptoms for Covid-19, coughs, colds and flu – up 32% last month compared with June 2023, and more than quadrupling year on year for the week commencing 23 June. Due to high demand, the pharmacy chain has announced an expansion of its privat ... Date: 08-07-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| Community pharmacy ‘crucial’ to Labour’s vision for primary care ... munity pharmacy is at the heart of those solutions. 'Investing in our sector to save taxpayers’ investment and adding efficiencies to the system will remain the centre piece of IPA’s strategy to influence government thinking and choices in health policy. 'We must never forget that deficit is no longer £1.2 billion but it is now likely to be in the billions. As each month passes pharmacy owners ... Date: 05-07-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Adult flu campaign to start 3 October but QIVr vaccine unavailable Pharmacies have been advised they should order alternative vaccines from an approved list, after Sanofi has said its recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVr) would not be available for this year’s flu programme. In addition, the start date for the 2024/25 adult flu vaccination campaign has been confirmed as 3 October, NHS England ann ... Date: 14-06-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| Medicine shortages cause ‘moral distress’ for three-in-four GPs ... ts outside of our control. ‘It makes workdays harder than necessary and mentally exhausting.’ Another GP said: ‘It makes you second guess yourself frequently. Clinical decisions are now being influenced by this lack of medications which leads to increased sense of worry.’ In April, a report from the Nuffield Trust concluded that regular shortages of life-saving medicines had become the new n ... Date: 12-06-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| NPA: Protest action must put safety first ... ilst the pharmacy proprietor could decide to participate in the day of action, the RP [responsible pharmacist] must be free to exercise their professional judgment in the pharmacy and should not be influenced by the proprietor or others employed by them.’ Mr Badenhorst also called for the choice of locums and employee pharmacists of whether or not to participate in the action to be respected. A ... Date: 10-06-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Six in 10 reduce meds after fruit and veg prescriptions ... s who are high users of healthcare services, the charity said. And six in ten were able to reduce their usage of medications needed to control blood sugar levels, iron levels, heartburn and acid reflux, colds and viruses, the report added. Over half of those who provided feedback said that their mental health has also improved as they worry less about money for food. So far 200 people have t ... Date: 05-06-2024 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • News • Obesity & nutrition |
| Pharmacies told to plan for October start for autumn Covid jabs ... ies providing Covid vaccinations to plan for an ‘early October’ start to the autumn vaccination programme, in a letter published today. It said that it will agree a precise start date for both the flu and Covid jab campaigns ‘in due course’. The fee for each vaccination will remain at £7.54, 'despite further counter-arguments' from community pharmacy and general practice representatives, Commun ... Date: 30-05-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| OTC medicines should be free for people on low incomes through Pharmacy First, say MPs Over the counter (OTC) medications should be made available for free for people on low incomes as part of the Pharmacy First service in England, an influential group of MPs has suggested. The recommendation came as part of the Health and Social Care (HSCC)’s report, published this week following its pharmacy inquiry. The committee said such a mo ... Date: 30-05-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First |
| ‘Greater planning’ needed on pharmacy workforce across all settings ‘Greater planning and forward thinking’ is required to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to build ‘one pharmacy workforce’ that can be deployed across different settings, an influential committee of MPs has urged. A new report published by the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) stressed this would become ‘ever more urgent’ as 2026 approaches and all newly qualified pha ... Date: 29-05-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| Call to review ARRS funding to ‘reduce drain’ of community pharmacist workforce ... iamentary committee has recommended. The review should be completed within a three month timeframe, and its outcome shared by the government with the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC), the influential group of MPs added. The recommendation came as part of the HSCC’s report, published today, following its inquiry into pharmacy. It said that the ARRS, which since 2019 has provided fundin ... Date: 29-05-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| Prospect of further contract delays ‘deeply concerning’ amid general election ... ts was a priority for pharmacists, and added: 'the PDA will work with any incoming government to help build a better health system'. And he noted that the government had an opportunity to 'exert influence' over both NHS-employed pharmacists and those employed by general practice and community pharmacy sectors who hold contracts with the government, to ensure that 'all practice environments are pro ... Date: 23-05-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Menopause care needs all of our attention ... ‘change of life’ - marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. Yet, it is far more than a mere biological event: it encompasses a myriad of physical, emotional, and psychological changes. From hot flushes to mood swings, the symptoms of menopause can be impactful. What's more, these challenges are not exclusive to our patients - they resonate deeply within our own ranks. Statistics for the phar ... Date: 22-05-2024 Categories: • Women's health |
| Pharmacies could play ‘positive role’ in early cancer diagnosis in deprived areas Patients from the most deprived populations in England are 21% less likely to be referred through the urgent suspected cancer pathway than those from more affluent areas, a recent report has warned. Responding to the findings, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) highlighted the ‘positiv ... Date: 07-05-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| CPE: ‘Critical’ to measure unpaid work driven by Pharmacy First ... as easy as possible. ‘The data you provide will show government the huge amount of unpaid work pharmacy teams do for the NHS, demonstrating the situation clearly to decision makers and those who influence them,’ she said. ‘As we work to monitor the implementation of Pharmacy First and set the building blocks for the future CPCF, such data will be of critical importance,’ Ms Morrison added. A ... Date: 07-05-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First |
| Pharmacy First: Top tips for managing shingles ... key features of shingles. Box 2. Key features of shingles3,7 The rash starts with raised red spots on a lighter pink background – they will rapidly become vesicle (small blisters filled with fluid). New vesicles may continue to appear for a few days. The blisters might burst, leaking pus or blood, and the area will then dry, leaving a scab. Depending on the area affected, there may ... Date: 02-05-2024 Categories: • Pharmacy First |
| Increase in smoking among more affluent young women in past decade Smoking rates have increased among more affluent young women over the past 10 years, a UK study has found. Data collected through a monthly survey that has involved almost 200,000 adults showed an increase in smoking prevalence from 12% to 15 ... Date: 30-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Smoking cessation |
| Pharmacy First: Top tips for managing acute sore throats ... st to hand, and mortality rates of up to 7% have been reported.3 See box 1 for more information about epiglottitis. Box 1. About epiglottitis3 Usually caused by the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib), although may also be due to Streptococcal or Staphylococcus infection; incidence has decreased since vaccination against Hib: be . If you don’t have access to the medical record, be sur ... Date: 23-04-2024 Categories: • Pharmacy First • Respiratory |
| CPE considering ‘red lines’ in negotiations ... l on the table’ for the next CPCF as well as preparing to make a case for the sector ahead of the spending review that is expected shortly after the upcoming general election. ‘This is alongside influencing work to build support for investment in pharmacy across all political parties and candidates,’ Ms Morrison added. She also praised the ‘phenomenal’ efforts of pharmacy teams to implement Pha ... Date: 23-04-2024 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First |
| Pharmacy First: Top tips for managing non-bullous impetigo ... Library) In non-bullous impetigo, thin-walled pustules or vesicles appear, which burst quickly and so have usually gone by the time that the patient is seen. On bursting, the pustules release a fluid which dries on the skin to cause a gold or yellow-brown crust which gets thicker with time and might be itchy (though not everyone feels an itch).4 The most common place for lesions is on the face ... Date: 12-04-2024 Categories: • Dermatology and wound care • Pharmacy First • Vaccinations and infections |
| Asda partners with DSP Pharmacy2U ... having to worry. This expansion ensures greater convenience for our patients, who can now easily access these services online.’ The two companies partnered together in 2023 to deliver a Covid and flu vaccination programme based in a number of Asda stores. Several large supermarkets including Asda have closed multiple in-store pharmacies over recent years. Last year, pharmacy multiple Lloyds ... Date: 09-04-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Measles cases in London now in line with West Midlands A rise in measles cases in London has brought the capital in line with the number of cases recorded in the West Midlands – the initial hotspot for the virus. This comes as the rise in cases appears to ... Date: 08-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Vaccinations and infections |
| UKHSA: More preventable diseases will re-emerge without vaccination uptake boost ... ions still falls below 90%. For the last three months of 2023, there were small drops in uptake for a range of vaccines. The 6-in-1 vaccine in England fell to 92.8% and MMR, combined haemophilus influenzae type b and meningitis C, pneumococcal and meningitis B vaccine are all between 87% and 88% the figures show. Small increases were seen in the pre-school booster and MMR for children aged five ... Date: 03-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections |
| ‘No change’ expected in antibiotic use under Pharmacy First NHS England (NHSE) is not expecting Pharmacy First to influence whether a patient is more likely to be given antibiotics, its primary care director has told a parliamentary inquiry. And she said that NHSE was not expecting the scheme to contribute to antim ... Date: 27-03-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Pharmacy First |
| Pharmacy First: Tips for diagnosing and treating uncomplicated UTI in women ... hat the patient is not septic and needing admission, pyelonephritis (infection in the upper part of the urinary tract) should next be ruled out, by asking about pain or tenderness in the kidney area, flu-like symptoms, chills, nausea or vomiting. If I had £10 for every patient with back pain who tells me that they have ‘pain in their kidneys’ then I’d be on my tropical island instead of writing th ... Date: 25-03-2024 Categories: • Pharmacy First • Vaccinations and infections • Women's health |
| Pharmacy closures 'could double' without action, contractors warn ... . Mr Dhumi suggested that closures were happening in the most deprived areas of the country, where ‘the most in need’ patients were now having to travel further for services; were unable to access flu and Covid jabs; and were impacted by the decline of medicines delivery services, which have previously been offered by many pharmacies for free but are now proving too costly for many to run. And ... Date: 21-03-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Pharmacist in practice: working with community nurses to support heart failure patients ... fe, reduce hospital admission and mortality risk. They have checked for iron deficiency anaemia, something that half of patients with heart failure might experience. And they are confidently managing fluid balance in the community or referring for IV diuretics when appropriate. I am very proud of this project and hope to see it expanded to include more pharmacists across the system. Pharmacists ar ... Date: 20-03-2024 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • In Practice • Interviews |
| Oestrogel recalled from pharmacies over faulty pump ... d Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. The product contains a form of the female hormone oestrogen and can be applied to the skin to relieve symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and help to prevent osteoporosis. Pharmacies have been instructed to stop supplying batch numbers 74800 and 74830 immediately; to quarantine all remaining stock ... Date: 19-03-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
| Government promises to tackle racial bias in pulse oximeters and clinical trials ... e biases in the medical devices that pharmacists supply.’ AI, genomics and clinical trials The report also recommended that: ‘The NHS should lead by example, drawing on its equity principles, influence and purchasing power, to influence the deployment of equitable AI-enabled medical devices in the health service.’ In response, the government said it agreed that there were opportunities ‘for ... Date: 14-03-2024 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News |
| Jay Badenhorst to take up new PDA director of pharmacy role ... er Picard, owner of Newdays Pharmacies. The director position is a new role at the PDA, which said it had been created in response to the union's ‘growing membership’ and ‘the increasing need to influence the evolving healthcare landscape, at a time of very significant change and challenge for pharmacists at the frontline’. Mr Badenhorst said that his decision to take on the role was ‘a commitm ... Date: 13-03-2024 Categories: • Community • News |
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