Ask Your Pharmacist Week

Community pharmacy is being thrust into the spotlight as Ask Your Pharmacist week kicks off.

The event, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), provides a platform for pharmacy public awareness activities across the UK and encourages conversations with key stakeholders at a local level about community pharmacy services.

The theme this year is Ask Your Pharmacist about Medicines and More aims to give maximum flexibility for pharmacies and pharmacy stakeholders to focus on local priorities.

NPA members can access resources at www.npa.co.uk/ayp2015, or follow the conversation on Twitter using #askyourpharmacist and #ayp.

EPS nomination data published

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) nomination data is now being published with additional analysis of active nominations and dispensing statistics.

As part of ongoing work to address the direction of prescriptions, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have begun producing data for all pharmacies.

The information will allow pharmacy contractors and LPCs to identify any unusual patterns with the pharmacy’s EPS nominations.

Millions malnourished in the UK

There are currently more than three million people in the UK who are either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

The Patients Association has released a report recommendations looking into the growing issue of malnutrition following a survey and freedom of information request.

They have called for primary and secondary care providers to promote the importance of correct nutrition.

Katherine Murphy, CEO of the Patients Association said: “There needs to be a combined effort to raise awareness of this problem, both with members of the public, and health and care workers.”

Dickies Pharmacy Consult on Expansion

Dickies Pharmacy have begun a consultation to expand new premises in Aberdeenshire, the Deeside Piper has reported.

Together with NHS Grampian, the pharmacy has launched a pre-application consultation that will run until Wednesday 9 March 2016.

The proposed site is in Hillside, Portlethen and will increased the community pharmacies portfolio to 7 sites.

Pharmacy on the BBC

Pharmacists Cathryn Brown and Linda Bracewell teamed up with BBC Radio Lancashire on Tuesday to talk about keeping well this winter.

Presenter Sally Naden broadcast part of the morning show, featuring discussions on weight management, infection control and keeping warm, from Linda’s pharmacy in Baxenden.

Cathryn also gave Sally a flu vaccination live on air – you can watch the session as it happened below.

Our brave little Sally soldier gets a flu jab live on air.

Posted by BBC Lancashire on Tuesday, November 3, 2015