Crewe pharmacy under threat

A family run pharmacy in Crewe is among thousands across the country facing an uncertain future after a £170m funding cut proposal from the government, the Crewe Chronicle reports.

At a time where patients are being repeatedly told to make better use of their pharmacies as an alternative to seeing the doctor, Rydale Pharmacy in North Street is one of the 11,674 UK chemists that could be affected by a 6% cut, as part of NHS efficiency savings.

The pharmacy, which has served the community of Coppenhall and beyond for 26 years, is the only independent in the town and provides a vital service for residents in the area, many of which are elderly.

A slash in funding will ultimately impact on services and the government has even admitted that up to a quarter of pharmacies across the country could close, with most at risk being the smaller, family-run businesses.

South Derbyshire pharmacists set to help ease burden on GPs

Health bosses have launched a new scheme which will allow pharmacists to deal with patients with minor ailments, the Burton Mail reports.

'Pharmacy First' will see people pointed towards their pharmacists for help with issues such as dental pain, earache, and hayfever.

The initiative, which started on March 1, is part of a renewed bid to try and ease the pressure on GPs and accident and emergency departments.

NHS Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group is behind the scheme and is launching the initial phase for people in the Swadlincote area.

Up to 3,000 pharmacies could close: Crewkerne chemist urges customers to oppose Government cuts

A Somerset pharmacy has urged its customers to sign a petition against Government cuts which could force up to 3,000 pharmacies to close across the country, the Western Gazette reports.

Crewkerne Pharmacy says that even if the reduction in funding doesn't force pharmacies to close, many local chemists could have to make job cuts which would result in some services being scrapped.

Services which are currently available such as Medicines Use Reviews, advice on new medicines, flu vaccinations and free prescription delivery could be under threat, according to the pharmacy.

The pharmacy also added that the cuts were counterproductive to the Government's insistence that patients should visit pharmacies more, rather than their GP surgeries or local A&E departments at hospitals.

Smartcards introduced in Royal Surrey's pharmacy

A patient’s medication history can be accessed faster thanks to a staff-led initiative at Royal Surrey County Hospital, the Petersfield Post reports.

The project has seen electronic smartcards introduced into Royal Surrey’s pharmacy, which can provide access to key information from a patient’s GP record.

When people are admitted to hospital and need unplanned care, doctors and the ward pharmacy team need to quickly find out what medication they have been routinely taking in order for it to be prescribed and administered in a timely manner.

Previously, when a patient was unable to confirm their medication, staff would contact their GP and request a patient summary be faxed over, which could take some time.

Now thanks to the new smartcards, staff can access NHS England’s Summary Care Record in a matter of minutes.

Warning over stolen medication

Police are urging the public to be caution following the theft of prescription medication in St Helens, the St Helens Reporter reports.

The drugs were taken from an address in Phoenix Brow - Pregablin 150mg (quantity 56) and Trimezine 150mg (quantity 24). Taking medication that’s not prescribed for you can prove dangerous or even fatal.

Officers would urge anyone who finds this medication is asked to hand it into a local pharmacy or police station or contact 101.

Creatine: Is the supplement used by gym-goers and sports stars safe?

The safety of creatine, a legal substance widely used by gym-goers and sportspeople, has been called into question after the former teammate of a New Zealand rugby player linked it to his death, the Independent reports. J

ohan Lomu, a former All Blacks player, died aged 40 in November 2015 after being diagnosed with a rare kidney disease.

Joeli Vidiri, a fellow former New Zealand player, has claimed that creatine may have caused his kidney disease.

However, Dr John Mayhew, Lomu’s personal GP and the team doctor of the All Blacks, said that he did not believe Lomu took the substance.