We can all agree that 2018 has been an eventful year for pharmacy. From a long-awaited pharmacy contract to the last in a long-running judicial review saga, a lot has happened to keep us all entertained (read: stressed out) all year long.

So to mark this wonderful year of ups and downs, we at The Pharmacist decided to round up an illustrious
panel of judges (AKA our editor-in-chief Beth Kennedy and our reporter Léa Legraien) to award some prizes to the most weird and wonderful events.

That’s right – it’s time for the Golden Cross Awards. So don your glad rags, pour yourself a celebratory glass of something delicious and settle down to find out this year’s lucky recipients.

 

The Bronze Pants Award for letdown of the year

Winner – The new pharmacy contract

 

Why did it win?

Ah, the pharmacy contract; the time each year (give or take) where contractors are told of the funding package to expect for the next 12 months.

After months, nay, years of waiting for another pharmacy contract, the sector was rather hoping for something more positive after 2016/17’s barrage of cuts (note to the Department of Health and Social Care: funding cuts aren’t exactly the best Christmas present…).

Alas, it was not to be, and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) announced in October that it had negotiated a 2018/19 contract that would be… pretty much unchanged from the last one.

Still, the sector was told, it was quite a good result, really. After all, during PSNC’s ultimately unsuccessful appeal to overturn the cuts, it was revealed that the Government had been considering slashing funding by another £33m. Good job that didn’t happen, eh?

All the same, a continuation of the same funding package that has led to many contractors struggling to stay open understandably left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.

 

Have your say

Do you agree with our judges or do you think other significant events in the world of community pharmacy were robbed of one of these prestigious awards? Let us know by tweeting @Pharmacist_News