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Charity relaunches with fresh approach to tackle AMR crisis ... growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. AMR Action UK, formerly known as Antibiotic Research UK, has rebranded – placing a stronger emphasis on strengthening the ability of patients to influence actions that could protect people from AMR. As part of this, the charity has announced the introduction of four ‘national patient insight panels’, representing the four countries of the UK. T ... Date: 11-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News • Vaccinations and infections
New research partnerships aim to transform drug development and production ... production of complex biological medicines, including antibody therapies for cancer, obesity, and autoimmune conditions. Another UCL project, in collaboration with Lonza, will use microfluidics and advanced analytics to optimise manufacturing conditions for protein-based medicines. At the University of Strathclyde, researchers will work with GSK to design and evaluate novel classes of molecule ... Date: 10-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News
Tell us about your experiences and stand to win £1,000 ... ps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3M8JN93 More importantly, you can help shape the future of the profession. Our previous survey helped to inform the Cogora white paper on primary care workforce, which influenced profession leaders from across primary care. Our new survey will tackle some of the biggest issues in pharmacy today, and will be used in our next white paper on primary care patient access. We ... Date: 09-07-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News
Boots pharmacies to pilot ‘sponge on a string’ cancer test An NHS pilot in conjunction with Boots pharmacies will see a ‘sponge on a string’ test offered to people with persistent heartburn or acid reflux in a bid to help prevent cancer of the oesophagus. NHS England said the test will be available in ‘dozens’ of Boots high street branches to check for Barrett's oesophagus, which can be a precursor to ... Date: 09-07-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • Latest News • News
Patient safety alert issued over loop diuretic tablet shortage ... sociated with conditions such as congestive heart failure, renal dysfunction including nephrotic syndrome, and cirrhosis of the liver in adults. There is a risk of decompensation and unintentional fluid retention if patients stop taking bumetanide 1mg tablets. Patients affected by the shortage will require a switch to an alternative loop diuretic to avoid treatment interruption. Bumetanide 1mg/ ... Date: 08-07-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News
Community pharmacies can provide HPV vaccination from 2026 ... England announced that 200 additional pharmacies could provide the vaccinations. Community pharmacies have recently been given a boosted role in vaccinating the public against flu. Last month, they gained access to the central stock of flu vaccines for children, and NHSE announced an upcoming service to help the public find pharmacies that offer walk-in flu vaccinations. Henry Gregg, chief ... Date: 03-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacists can support study into weight loss injection side effect ... s to ask if they would be willing to take part in the Biobank study, where individuals will be asked to provide further information and a saliva sample to help determine whether genetic factors influence the risk of developing acute pancreatitis from GLP-1 therapies. Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer at Genomics England, said: ‘We believe many adverse reactions have a genetic cause. ... Date: 26-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology
Quick quiz – asthma treatment regimens ... ep using her current for this type of regime – her current brand is Seretide. Which of these inhaler brands could be used for a MART regime? Select all that applySeretide.Fostair.Symbicort.AirFluSal.All of the above.Your patient says she would prefer not to use a spacer anymore, as it is bulky to carry around, so you prescribe a dry powder inhaler (DPI) which can be used without a spacer. Which of th ... Date: 25-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Respiratory
Call to embed community pharmacists in multidisciplinary palliative care teams Community pharmacists must be embedded in multidisciplinary palliative care teams in rural communities and have access to shared care plans and health records, a new report by Hospice UK has urged. Th ... Date: 24-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News
Cancer patients urged to consult with pharmacists before taking weight loss drugs ... ity has urged patients to consult with medical professionals – including pharmacists - before taking any weight loss medication. Cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support says it has received ‘a flurry of calls about the medications’ asking whether they are safe to take with cancer treatments and questions around accessing them. It comes amid concerns elsewhere around the use of unregulated weigh ... Date: 20-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News
Pharmacies deliver highest rate of flu vaccines ‘outside pandemic’ in 2024/25 More than four million flu vaccines were administered across community pharmacies in England during the 2024/25 winter campaign – the ‘highest rate’ outside of the pandemic, according to Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) ana ... Date: 19-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Latest News • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Interview: Pharmacy First saves time, prevents escalation, and frees up capacity ... nd pharmacies can greatly help. Agree referral pathways such as urgent and non-urgent referrals. Dr Manraj Barhey, clinical director of Medics PCN, has been a massively positive influence in rollout of Pharmacy First in Medics PCN. PCN clinical directors are in a great position to positively influence Pharmacy First within their respective networks. Gail Meakins, a practice manager at Woodland Ave ... Date: 13-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Interviews • Pharmacy First
Ten tips for optimising asthma management at review ... y mask worsening asthma control and increase risk. Highlight the rebound effects of daily SABA use, such as building airway hypersensitivity to it. The way we present information influences patient behaviour. Use airway models or clear online illustrations to explain bronchoconstriction and inflammation. Ensure patients understand that the blue reliever inhaler relaxes airway muscles for quick rel ... Date: 11-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • Respiratory
Pharmacy flu vaccination ‘walk-in finder’ to launch later this year A flu vaccination walk-in finder that will help patients easily look up where they can walk into a community pharmacy to have a vaccine is to launch later this year, NHS England has announced. In its ne ... Date: 06-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacists to get access to central stock of flu vaccines for children Community pharmacists will be given access to flu vaccines for children from national stocks, according to a recent NHS legislative amendment. Pharmacists will be able to access centrally procured influenza vaccine stock for children following am ... Date: 03-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News
Halt to new distance selling pharmacies ... t (i.e. not on the distance selling premises) with ICB approval, if required. Under the regulation changes, the one exception is that DSPs can continue to deliver the Covid and flu vaccination services onsite at the premises until 31 March 2026. ‘This is to ensure adequate provision of these services for winter 2025/26 and to protect those who have already placed orders for their vaccination st ... Date: 03-06-2025 Categories: • Community • News
Cancer patients eating one meal a day to ration Creon amid ongoing shortage ... nts back to their prescriber to obtain a new prescription for an alternative PERT product, stock permitting, or an unlicensed Creon product. Alfie Bailey-Bearfield, head of influencing and health improvement at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said the findings were ‘deeply worrying’ and ‘echo the distress and frustration we are hearing from patients and their loved ones across the UK’. He added that desp ... Date: 02-06-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • News
Government urged to expand pharmacy respiratory services to ease winter pressures ... vent a future winter respiratory health crisis. CPE outlined that lung diseases are the leading driver of emergency admissions, and last winter saw many parts of the NHS overwhelmed as the rise in flu admissions led to exceptionally high demands for emergency hospital services. It has called on the government and the NHS to make better use of community pharmacies to support lung health, specifi ... Date: 27-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory
Low-carbon COPD inhaler approved by MHRA ... in the UK later this year. The triple combination inhaler for adults with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) replaces the propellant HFA-134a with HFO-1234ze(E) – a fluorinated gas with near-zero global warming potential. The MHRA said it was the ‘world’s first’ low-carbon version of the Trixeo Aerosphere inhaler and supports the transition to inhalers with a lower ... Date: 23-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory
Interview: Numark chair on the role of pharmacists and technology in hub and spoke ... t it again' to consider whether it would work in the UK. While the technology and logistics model already exists, Mr McQuillan said that the decision could be influenced by the economic viability of using hub and spoke in the UK. 'Europe doesn't use the same level of generics that the UK does. Neither is the pricing of generics as low as ours. So the ability to subsidise that type of assembly p ... Date: 23-05-2025 Categories: • Community • Interviews
Pharmacies ‘stand ready’ to support new gonorrhoea jab programme ... se rates have risen in recent years,’ he said. ‘Pharmacies are the front door to the NHS and have helped to deliver vaccinations for a range of conditions, such as flu and Covid. ‘With the right funding, they stand ready and able to help support this vaccination campaign if necessary.’ And Company Chemists’ Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison suggested that pharmacies could 'support ... Date: 21-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Sexual health • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacies refusing unnecessary antibiotics 'at least once a day' ... p antibiotics working.' She highlighted that patients should only take antibiotics when prescribed and as directed by a healthcare professional, should not take antibiotics for colds and flu and should not save antibiotics for future use but instead return them to pharmacies. Date: 06-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections
CPE 'open to discussing' NHS weight-loss jabs through pharmacies ... medication more widely available. Previously, other services originally delivered on a private basis by pharmacies have later been taken up by NHS commissioning, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine. Responding to the reports on behalf of the DSTI and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a spokesperson said the government would 'be looking across the board at how these drugs can b ... Date: 02-05-2025 Categories: • Community • News
Resistance emerging for one of newest antibiotics ... and molecular data. The analysis shows that 6.3% of bacteria tested in routine surveillance already showed resistance to the drug. Resistance levels varied across bacterial species and fluctuated slightly over time, stabilising as routine surveillance testing was established. Nearly 70% of NHS trusts used the antibiotic during the study period. Dr Colin Brown, UKHSA deputy director responsi ... Date: 02-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections
Thinktank recommends 'fluid' supervision throughout ARRS career ... supervisors'. It said primary care networks (PCNs) should be accountable to integrated care boards (ICBs) for providing standardised induction and supervision for ARRS roles. And it proposed a 'fluid ARRS supervision model for different career stages at “entry point”, “transition” (when role scope changes) and “steady state” (when staff are competent and confident in their role)'. 'Fluid' mode ... Date: 30-04-2025 Categories: • In Practice • News
What more can pharmacies do to address medication non-adherence? ... tients during their medication journey is the key. Pharmacies are the obvious candidate for doing this. A 2023 systematic review of studies into the rate of medication non-adherence and its influencing factors, reported in the Electronic Journal of General Medicine, noted that medication adherence can be improved 'when healthcare providers, physicians, pharmacists and nurses interact more with pat ... Date: 28-04-2025 Categories: • Community • Views
Pharmacists issued warning over social media use ... or experience', the PDA added. And when promoting services or endorsing products or services on social media, pharmacists 'must clearly disclose any personal interests or affiliations that could influence their recommendations' and 'ensure that their activities comply with all relevant laws and guidelines from bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority'. Risk of defamation when sharing ne ... Date: 23-04-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News
Pharmacies told to ‘immediately review’ adverts for weight-loss meds ... t, or all three, and could also see the fitness to practise of pharmacy professionals involved investigated. The notice applies to adverts on platforms including social media, as well as influencer marketing which involve brands working with individuals who recommend products to their followers, and sponsored adverts that appear on search engines such as Google. Advertisers have also been warne ... Date: 14-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology
New government campaign to target AMR threat among young adults ... The UKHSA said it wanted to highlight a variety of scenarios to make sure people are taking antibiotics in the right way, including: not taking antibiotics for colds and flu – which the UKHSA stressed they do not work for, and remains one of the biggest misconceptions about taking antibiotics only taking antibiotics when you have been prescribed them and taking them as directed by a health ... Date: 08-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
IPA questions CPE’s decision to accept ‘inadequate’ pharmacy contract ... d not only have risked the more than £800m in extra funding that is now going to be coming into pharmacies, but also our chances at effectively influencing longer term plans for the future for the benefit of community pharmacy. 'Our reluctant acceptance – with very strong caveats about the funding gap as shown by the economic analysis – allows us the chance to work towards that future, while also ... Date: 01-04-2025 Categories: • Community • News
CPCF: Is the new community pharmacy funding deal enough? ... NHS, more than £800 million – a 30% uplift as compared to 2023/24 – in extra funding for pharmacies, supporting core dispensing income and strengthening key services, and which we were able to influence considerably in pharmacy’s favour through the negotiations to help manage resources and improve equity of access to funding. 'On the other hand, this uplift is not enough to fully stabilise the sec ... Date: 31-03-2025 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First
Study suggests TikTok could be fuelling ADHD misinformation Information about ADHD on TikTok could be misinforming young people about the condition, a study has suggested. And mental health professionals could play a more active role in TikTok discussions arou ... Date: 24-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Mental health and addiction
NPA chair: Pharmacy and GP contracts need to align, not compete ... ick Kaye has suggested. Speaking at our sister title Pulse PCN's London conference this week, Mr Kaye said: 'We don't like the adversarial stuff with GP colleagues. We don't like falling out about flu jabs. We'd rather have population targets. 'There's more than enough work for everyone. So somewhere in there, there needs to be clever contract alignment to actually allow population care to be g ... Date: 21-03-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News
‘Scrapping of NHS England gives opportunity to fully integrate pharmacy’ ... unding, a lack of meaningful engagement from policymakers, and a reluctance to allow pharmacists and their teams to operate at the top of their competence. One example of this is the 2024-2025 flu vaccination service specification, which failed to permit trained pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations when no pharmacist was available. This bureaucratic inertia leads to unnecessary service ... Date: 20-03-2025 Categories: • Views
Risk groups were less likely to have flu vaccination this year Uptake of free flu vaccination fell this year for both older eligible people and younger high-risk groups, final reporting for the winter season shows. The UK Health Security Agency said 74.6% of those aged over 65 ... Date: 17-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
The Royal College vote: 'I have been disappointed by the toxic nature of the debate' ... rganisation's voice in the media and with policymakers. However, the actual benefits of becoming a Royal College are uncertain. There is no guarantee that the new status will lead to increased influence or better outcomes for the pharmacy profession. I also question why the organisation spent so much member money on rebranding only a few years ago if this was to be trajectory of the organisation. ... Date: 14-03-2025 Categories: • Views
How to obtain accurate blood pressure readings ... e this, always advise patients to arrive in good time and ensure they take a moment to relax before having BP readings. It’s also important to advise patients to avoid any factors that could influence their readings, where possible – such as refraining from smoking, consuming caffeinated beverages, or engaging in exercise for at least 30 minutes prior to having their blood pressure measured. Addi ... Date: 07-03-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Men's health • Women's health
GPhC ‘investigating concerns’ around death of patient unable to obtain epilepsy meds ... In addition to the incident in December, Mr Crompton had previously experienced a fall in April 2024 when his pharmacy was unable to supply the medication for 10 days, during a time of fluctuating supply nationally. The GPhC added: ‘We are aware of supply issues with some Tegretol products. ‘While we do not have a direct role in the manufacturing of medicines or wider issues such as supply and ... Date: 07-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Neurology • News
Pharmacists in general practice improve prescribing quality, study finds ... the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) which had the aim of recruiting up to six pharmacists for each PCN by 2024. The authors noted that this time period was also chosen to avoid any influence from the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that there were changes in a ‘broad range’ of prescribing indicators following the introduction of a clinical pharmacist in general practice. These included ... Date: 05-03-2025 Categories: • In Practice • News
Heart attack and stroke risk higher with certain hormonal contraceptives ... sk 2.4-fold and heart attack risk 3.8-fold, while the patch increased ischaemic stroke risk 3.4-fold. But they also found that duration of use of hormonal contraceptive did not seem to influence the risk. ‘Although absolute risks were low, clinicians should include the potential risk of arterial thrombosis in their assessment of the benefits and risks when prescribing hormonal contraceptive met ... Date: 04-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News • Sexual health • Women's health
RSV vaccine sees drop in hospitalisation of older people ... 100,000 adults during the winter months. Hospitals across the UK have faced unprecedented levels of respiratory viruses in recent months with NHS England tackling a ‘quad-demic’ of RSV, flu, norovirus and Covid-19 over winter. Scotland launched an RSV vaccination programme in August last year, using the Pfizer ABRYSVO vaccine, with local adults inviting aged between 75 and 79 to come forward fo ... Date: 03-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
MPs ask NHS England if, when and how it will publish economic review of pharmacy A committee of influential MPs has called for an update on the highly anticipated economic review of community pharmacy in England. The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has today asked NHS England to share when ... Date: 27-02-2025 Categories: • Community • News
'You have advocates in Westminster', MP tells community pharmacy ... t only important for preventing ill health and sickness, but also it's integral to the national economic growth, which I know is another key mission of this government. Every year, seasonal influenza accounts of 4.8 million lost working days across the UK. And if there's something we can do about that, that's got to be a good thing.' 100+ vaccines in development 'worthless' without confidence in cur ... Date: 27-02-2025 Categories: • Community • News
Demand for vaccines in pharmacies ‘not met’ by NHS commissioning ... e CCA said. And it added that commissioning more vaccines through pharmacies would allow for discussion and promotion of vaccinations through other points of contact, such as through the winter flu immunisation programme. Technology and investment needed to expand pharmacy vaccinations Delivering a greater range of vaccination services in community pharmacy would require investment in premises, ... Date: 26-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Patients encouraged to return used inhalers to pharmacies ... nwanted inhalers away in household recycling or waste and more than half just threw them away when done with them whether empty or not. Pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs) currently use hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs or ‘F-gases’) as propellants. These potent greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for approximately 270 years and account for 96% of the climate change impact of inhalers. ... Date: 24-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory
Gisela Abbam reappointed GPhC chair until 2029 ... g both workplace and financial pressures, and collective well-being has been affected,' she added. And she said she would 'ensure that the GPhC continues to use all of its regulatory levers and influence to make a positive difference'. 'Major reforms to health and social care are currently being discussed across England, Scotland and Wales. I aim to make sure pharmacy and pharmacy regulation is ... Date: 20-02-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News
Adults with depression accrue long-term physical conditions at a faster rate ... ions per year, while those without accrued 0.16. In total the researchers looked at 69 physical conditions. The most common new conditions were osteoarthritis, hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The faster rate of accrual remained after the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic factors that might influence the results. Differences were lessened but still significant when r ... Date: 19-02-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Mental health and addiction
Your voice, your evidence: Why the Pharmacy Pressures Survey is so important ... ason that the Pharmacy Pressures Survey, open until 28 February, is so important. A vital snapshot of the sector This survey isn’t just another questionnaire, it is an incredibly valuable influencing tool. It captures the daily challenges pharmacy teams face, from staff shortages to increasing patient demand, providing a detailed, evidence-based picture of the pressures on the sector. It allows us ... Date: 17-02-2025 Categories: • Community • Views
Order flu vaccines from multiple suppliers to ensure stock, pharmacists told Pharmacy contractors should order flu vaccines from more than one manufacturer to ensure they have sufficient stock, the government has said. This comes in the 2025/26 flu vaccination letter, published yesterday (13 February) by the D ... Date: 14-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory
MHRA tells online pharmacies to review influencer strategies for weight-loss meds ... nsure they abide by medicines advertising regulations, particularly regarding weight-loss medications. This comes as one company, Habitual Healthcare, has changed how it collaborates with online influencers, on the advice of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In particular, it has stopped using content creators with unique discount codes and tracking links to advertise presc ... Date: 13-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Charity relaunches with fresh approach to tackle AMR crisis ... growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. AMR Action UK, formerly known as Antibiotic Research UK, has rebranded – placing a stronger emphasis on strengthening the ability of patients to influence actions that could protect people from AMR. As part of this, the charity has announced the introduction of four ‘national patient insight panels’, representing the four countries of the UK. T ... Date: 11-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News • Vaccinations and infections

New research partnerships aim to transform drug development and production ... production of complex biological medicines, including antibody therapies for cancer, obesity, and autoimmune conditions. Another UCL project, in collaboration with Lonza, will use microfluidics and advanced analytics to optimise manufacturing conditions for protein-based medicines. At the University of Strathclyde, researchers will work with GSK to design and evaluate novel classes of molecule ... Date: 10-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News

Tell us about your experiences and stand to win £1,000 ... ps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3M8JN93 More importantly, you can help shape the future of the profession. Our previous survey helped to inform the Cogora white paper on primary care workforce, which influenced profession leaders from across primary care. Our new survey will tackle some of the biggest issues in pharmacy today, and will be used in our next white paper on primary care patient access. We ... Date: 09-07-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Boots pharmacies to pilot ‘sponge on a string’ cancer test An NHS pilot in conjunction with Boots pharmacies will see a ‘sponge on a string’ test offered to people with persistent heartburn or acid reflux in a bid to help prevent cancer of the oesophagus. NHS England said the test will be available in ‘dozens’ of Boots high street branches to check for Barrett's oesophagus, which can be a precursor to ... Date: 09-07-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • Latest News • News

Patient safety alert issued over loop diuretic tablet shortage ... sociated with conditions such as congestive heart failure, renal dysfunction including nephrotic syndrome, and cirrhosis of the liver in adults. There is a risk of decompensation and unintentional fluid retention if patients stop taking bumetanide 1mg tablets. Patients affected by the shortage will require a switch to an alternative loop diuretic to avoid treatment interruption. Bumetanide 1mg/ ... Date: 08-07-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Latest News • News

Community pharmacies can provide HPV vaccination from 2026 ... England announced that 200 additional pharmacies could provide the vaccinations. Community pharmacies have recently been given a boosted role in vaccinating the public against flu. Last month, they gained access to the central stock of flu vaccines for children, and NHSE announced an upcoming service to help the public find pharmacies that offer walk-in flu vaccinations. Henry Gregg, chief ... Date: 03-07-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacists can support study into weight loss injection side effect ... s to ask if they would be willing to take part in the Biobank study, where individuals will be asked to provide further information and a saliva sample to help determine whether genetic factors influence the risk of developing acute pancreatitis from GLP-1 therapies. Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer at Genomics England, said: ‘We believe many adverse reactions have a genetic cause. ... Date: 26-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

Quick quiz – asthma treatment regimens ... ep using her current for this type of regime – her current brand is Seretide. Which of these inhaler brands could be used for a MART regime? Select all that applySeretide.Fostair.Symbicort.AirFluSal.All of the above.Your patient says she would prefer not to use a spacer anymore, as it is bulky to carry around, so you prescribe a dry powder inhaler (DPI) which can be used without a spacer. Which of th ... Date: 25-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Respiratory

Call to embed community pharmacists in multidisciplinary palliative care teams Community pharmacists must be embedded in multidisciplinary palliative care teams in rural communities and have access to shared care plans and health records, a new report by Hospice UK has urged. Th ... Date: 24-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

Cancer patients urged to consult with pharmacists before taking weight loss drugs ... ity has urged patients to consult with medical professionals – including pharmacists - before taking any weight loss medication. Cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support says it has received ‘a flurry of calls about the medications’ asking whether they are safe to take with cancer treatments and questions around accessing them. It comes amid concerns elsewhere around the use of unregulated weigh ... Date: 20-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

Pharmacies deliver highest rate of flu vaccines ‘outside pandemic’ in 2024/25 More than four million flu vaccines were administered across community pharmacies in England during the 2024/25 winter campaign – the ‘highest rate’ outside of the pandemic, according to Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) ana ... Date: 19-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Latest News • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Interview: Pharmacy First saves time, prevents escalation, and frees up capacity ... nd pharmacies can greatly help. Agree referral pathways such as urgent and non-urgent referrals. Dr Manraj Barhey, clinical director of Medics PCN, has been a massively positive influence in rollout of Pharmacy First in Medics PCN. PCN clinical directors are in a great position to positively influence Pharmacy First within their respective networks. Gail Meakins, a practice manager at Woodland Ave ... Date: 13-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Interviews • Pharmacy First

Ten tips for optimising asthma management at review ... y mask worsening asthma control and increase risk. Highlight the rebound effects of daily SABA use, such as building airway hypersensitivity to it. The way we present information influences patient behaviour. Use airway models or clear online illustrations to explain bronchoconstriction and inflammation. Ensure patients understand that the blue reliever inhaler relaxes airway muscles for quick rel ... Date: 11-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • In Practice • Respiratory

Pharmacy flu vaccination ‘walk-in finder’ to launch later this year A flu vaccination walk-in finder that will help patients easily look up where they can walk into a community pharmacy to have a vaccine is to launch later this year, NHS England has announced. In its ne ... Date: 06-06-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacists to get access to central stock of flu vaccines for children Community pharmacists will be given access to flu vaccines for children from national stocks, according to a recent NHS legislative amendment. Pharmacists will be able to access centrally procured influenza vaccine stock for children following am ... Date: 03-06-2025 Categories: • Community • Latest News • News

Halt to new distance selling pharmacies ... t (i.e. not on the distance selling premises) with ICB approval, if required. Under the regulation changes, the one exception is that DSPs can continue to deliver the Covid and flu vaccination services onsite at the premises until 31 March 2026. ‘This is to ensure adequate provision of these services for winter 2025/26 and to protect those who have already placed orders for their vaccination st ... Date: 03-06-2025 Categories: • Community • News

Cancer patients eating one meal a day to ration Creon amid ongoing shortage ... nts back to their prescriber to obtain a new prescription for an alternative PERT product, stock permitting, or an unlicensed Creon product. Alfie Bailey-Bearfield, head of influencing and health improvement at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said the findings were ‘deeply worrying’ and ‘echo the distress and frustration we are hearing from patients and their loved ones across the UK’. He added that desp ... Date: 02-06-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Clinical • Community • News

Government urged to expand pharmacy respiratory services to ease winter pressures ... vent a future winter respiratory health crisis. CPE outlined that lung diseases are the leading driver of emergency admissions, and last winter saw many parts of the NHS overwhelmed as the rise in flu admissions led to exceptionally high demands for emergency hospital services. It has called on the government and the NHS to make better use of community pharmacies to support lung health, specifi ... Date: 27-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory

Low-carbon COPD inhaler approved by MHRA ... in the UK later this year. The triple combination inhaler for adults with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) replaces the propellant HFA-134a with HFO-1234ze(E) – a fluorinated gas with near-zero global warming potential. The MHRA said it was the ‘world’s first’ low-carbon version of the Trixeo Aerosphere inhaler and supports the transition to inhalers with a lower ... Date: 23-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory

Interview: Numark chair on the role of pharmacists and technology in hub and spoke ... t it again' to consider whether it would work in the UK. While the technology and logistics model already exists, Mr McQuillan said that the decision could be influenced by the economic viability of using hub and spoke in the UK. 'Europe doesn't use the same level of generics that the UK does. Neither is the pricing of generics as low as ours. So the ability to subsidise that type of assembly p ... Date: 23-05-2025 Categories: • Community • Interviews

Pharmacies ‘stand ready’ to support new gonorrhoea jab programme ... se rates have risen in recent years,’ he said. ‘Pharmacies are the front door to the NHS and have helped to deliver vaccinations for a range of conditions, such as flu and Covid. ‘With the right funding, they stand ready and able to help support this vaccination campaign if necessary.’ And Company Chemists’ Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison suggested that pharmacies could 'support ... Date: 21-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Sexual health • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacies refusing unnecessary antibiotics 'at least once a day' ... p antibiotics working.' She highlighted that patients should only take antibiotics when prescribed and as directed by a healthcare professional, should not take antibiotics for colds and flu and should not save antibiotics for future use but instead return them to pharmacies. Date: 06-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections

CPE 'open to discussing' NHS weight-loss jabs through pharmacies ... medication more widely available. Previously, other services originally delivered on a private basis by pharmacies have later been taken up by NHS commissioning, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine. Responding to the reports on behalf of the DSTI and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a spokesperson said the government would 'be looking across the board at how these drugs can b ... Date: 02-05-2025 Categories: • Community • News

Resistance emerging for one of newest antibiotics ... and molecular data. The analysis shows that 6.3% of bacteria tested in routine surveillance already showed resistance to the drug. Resistance levels varied across bacterial species and fluctuated slightly over time, stabilising as routine surveillance testing was established. Nearly 70% of NHS trusts used the antibiotic during the study period. Dr Colin Brown, UKHSA deputy director responsi ... Date: 02-05-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections

Thinktank recommends 'fluid' supervision throughout ARRS career ... supervisors'. It said primary care networks (PCNs) should be accountable to integrated care boards (ICBs) for providing standardised induction and supervision for ARRS roles. And it proposed a 'fluid ARRS supervision model for different career stages at “entry point”, “transition” (when role scope changes) and “steady state” (when staff are competent and confident in their role)'. 'Fluid' mode ... Date: 30-04-2025 Categories: • In Practice • News

What more can pharmacies do to address medication non-adherence? ... tients during their medication journey is the key. Pharmacies are the obvious candidate for doing this. A 2023 systematic review of studies into the rate of medication non-adherence and its influencing factors, reported in the Electronic Journal of General Medicine, noted that medication adherence can be improved 'when healthcare providers, physicians, pharmacists and nurses interact more with pat ... Date: 28-04-2025 Categories: • Community • Views

Pharmacists issued warning over social media use ... or experience', the PDA added. And when promoting services or endorsing products or services on social media, pharmacists 'must clearly disclose any personal interests or affiliations that could influence their recommendations' and 'ensure that their activities comply with all relevant laws and guidelines from bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority'. Risk of defamation when sharing ne ... Date: 23-04-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

Pharmacies told to ‘immediately review’ adverts for weight-loss meds ... t, or all three, and could also see the fitness to practise of pharmacy professionals involved investigated. The notice applies to adverts on platforms including social media, as well as influencer marketing which involve brands working with individuals who recommend products to their followers, and sponsored adverts that appear on search engines such as Google. Advertisers have also been warne ... Date: 14-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

New government campaign to target AMR threat among young adults ... The UKHSA said it wanted to highlight a variety of scenarios to make sure people are taking antibiotics in the right way, including: not taking antibiotics for colds and flu – which the UKHSA stressed they do not work for, and remains one of the biggest misconceptions about taking antibiotics only taking antibiotics when you have been prescribed them and taking them as directed by a health ... Date: 08-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

IPA questions CPE’s decision to accept ‘inadequate’ pharmacy contract ... d not only have risked the more than £800m in extra funding that is now going to be coming into pharmacies, but also our chances at effectively influencing longer term plans for the future for the benefit of community pharmacy. 'Our reluctant acceptance – with very strong caveats about the funding gap as shown by the economic analysis – allows us the chance to work towards that future, while also ... Date: 01-04-2025 Categories: • Community • News

CPCF: Is the new community pharmacy funding deal enough? ... NHS, more than £800 million – a 30% uplift as compared to 2023/24 – in extra funding for pharmacies, supporting core dispensing income and strengthening key services, and which we were able to influence considerably in pharmacy’s favour through the negotiations to help manage resources and improve equity of access to funding. 'On the other hand, this uplift is not enough to fully stabilise the sec ... Date: 31-03-2025 Categories: • Community • News • Pharmacy First

Study suggests TikTok could be fuelling ADHD misinformation Information about ADHD on TikTok could be misinforming young people about the condition, a study has suggested. And mental health professionals could play a more active role in TikTok discussions arou ... Date: 24-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Mental health and addiction

NPA chair: Pharmacy and GP contracts need to align, not compete ... ick Kaye has suggested. Speaking at our sister title Pulse PCN's London conference this week, Mr Kaye said: 'We don't like the adversarial stuff with GP colleagues. We don't like falling out about flu jabs. We'd rather have population targets. 'There's more than enough work for everyone. So somewhere in there, there needs to be clever contract alignment to actually allow population care to be g ... Date: 21-03-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

‘Scrapping of NHS England gives opportunity to fully integrate pharmacy’ ... unding, a lack of meaningful engagement from policymakers, and a reluctance to allow pharmacists and their teams to operate at the top of their competence. One example of this is the 2024-2025 flu vaccination service specification, which failed to permit trained pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations when no pharmacist was available. This bureaucratic inertia leads to unnecessary service ... Date: 20-03-2025 Categories: • Views

Risk groups were less likely to have flu vaccination this year Uptake of free flu vaccination fell this year for both older eligible people and younger high-risk groups, final reporting for the winter season shows. The UK Health Security Agency said 74.6% of those aged over 65 ... Date: 17-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

The Royal College vote: 'I have been disappointed by the toxic nature of the debate' ... rganisation's voice in the media and with policymakers. However, the actual benefits of becoming a Royal College are uncertain. There is no guarantee that the new status will lead to increased influence or better outcomes for the pharmacy profession. I also question why the organisation spent so much member money on rebranding only a few years ago if this was to be trajectory of the organisation. ... Date: 14-03-2025 Categories: • Views

How to obtain accurate blood pressure readings ... e this, always advise patients to arrive in good time and ensure they take a moment to relax before having BP readings. It’s also important to advise patients to avoid any factors that could influence their readings, where possible – such as refraining from smoking, consuming caffeinated beverages, or engaging in exercise for at least 30 minutes prior to having their blood pressure measured. Addi ... Date: 07-03-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Men's health • Women's health

GPhC ‘investigating concerns’ around death of patient unable to obtain epilepsy meds ... In addition to the incident in December, Mr Crompton had previously experienced a fall in April 2024 when his pharmacy was unable to supply the medication for 10 days, during a time of fluctuating supply nationally. The GPhC added: ‘We are aware of supply issues with some Tegretol products. ‘While we do not have a direct role in the manufacturing of medicines or wider issues such as supply and ... Date: 07-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Neurology • News

Pharmacists in general practice improve prescribing quality, study finds ... the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) which had the aim of recruiting up to six pharmacists for each PCN by 2024. The authors noted that this time period was also chosen to avoid any influence from the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that there were changes in a ‘broad range’ of prescribing indicators following the introduction of a clinical pharmacist in general practice. These included ... Date: 05-03-2025 Categories: • In Practice • News

Heart attack and stroke risk higher with certain hormonal contraceptives ... sk 2.4-fold and heart attack risk 3.8-fold, while the patch increased ischaemic stroke risk 3.4-fold. But they also found that duration of use of hormonal contraceptive did not seem to influence the risk. ‘Although absolute risks were low, clinicians should include the potential risk of arterial thrombosis in their assessment of the benefits and risks when prescribing hormonal contraceptive met ... Date: 04-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • News • Sexual health • Women's health

RSV vaccine sees drop in hospitalisation of older people ... 100,000 adults during the winter months. Hospitals across the UK have faced unprecedented levels of respiratory viruses in recent months with NHS England tackling a ‘quad-demic’ of RSV, flu, norovirus and Covid-19 over winter. Scotland launched an RSV vaccination programme in August last year, using the Pfizer ABRYSVO vaccine, with local adults inviting aged between 75 and 79 to come forward fo ... Date: 03-03-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

MPs ask NHS England if, when and how it will publish economic review of pharmacy A committee of influential MPs has called for an update on the highly anticipated economic review of community pharmacy in England. The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has today asked NHS England to share when ... Date: 27-02-2025 Categories: • Community • News

'You have advocates in Westminster', MP tells community pharmacy ... t only important for preventing ill health and sickness, but also it's integral to the national economic growth, which I know is another key mission of this government. Every year, seasonal influenza accounts of 4.8 million lost working days across the UK. And if there's something we can do about that, that's got to be a good thing.' 100+ vaccines in development 'worthless' without confidence in cur ... Date: 27-02-2025 Categories: • Community • News

Demand for vaccines in pharmacies ‘not met’ by NHS commissioning ... e CCA said. And it added that commissioning more vaccines through pharmacies would allow for discussion and promotion of vaccinations through other points of contact, such as through the winter flu immunisation programme. Technology and investment needed to expand pharmacy vaccinations Delivering a greater range of vaccination services in community pharmacy would require investment in premises, ... Date: 26-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Patients encouraged to return used inhalers to pharmacies ... nwanted inhalers away in household recycling or waste and more than half just threw them away when done with them whether empty or not. Pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs) currently use hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs or ‘F-gases’) as propellants. These potent greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for approximately 270 years and account for 96% of the climate change impact of inhalers. ... Date: 24-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory

Gisela Abbam reappointed GPhC chair until 2029 ... g both workplace and financial pressures, and collective well-being has been affected,' she added. And she said she would 'ensure that the GPhC continues to use all of its regulatory levers and influence to make a positive difference'. 'Major reforms to health and social care are currently being discussed across England, Scotland and Wales. I aim to make sure pharmacy and pharmacy regulation is ... Date: 20-02-2025 Categories: • Community • In Practice • News

Adults with depression accrue long-term physical conditions at a faster rate ... ions per year, while those without accrued 0.16. In total the researchers looked at 69 physical conditions. The most common new conditions were osteoarthritis, hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The faster rate of accrual remained after the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic factors that might influence the results. Differences were lessened but still significant when r ... Date: 19-02-2025 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Clinical • Mental health and addiction

Your voice, your evidence: Why the Pharmacy Pressures Survey is so important ... ason that the Pharmacy Pressures Survey, open until 28 February, is so important. A vital snapshot of the sector This survey isn’t just another questionnaire, it is an incredibly valuable influencing tool. It captures the daily challenges pharmacy teams face, from staff shortages to increasing patient demand, providing a detailed, evidence-based picture of the pressures on the sector. It allows us ... Date: 17-02-2025 Categories: • Community • Views

Order flu vaccines from multiple suppliers to ensure stock, pharmacists told Pharmacy contractors should order flu vaccines from more than one manufacturer to ensure they have sufficient stock, the government has said. This comes in the 2025/26 flu vaccination letter, published yesterday (13 February) by the D ... Date: 14-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory

MHRA tells online pharmacies to review influencer strategies for weight-loss meds ... nsure they abide by medicines advertising regulations, particularly regarding weight-loss medications. This comes as one company, Habitual Healthcare, has changed how it collaborates with online influencers, on the advice of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In particular, it has stopped using content creators with unique discount codes and tracking links to advertise presc ... Date: 13-02-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • Diabetes and endocrinology • In Practice • News • Nutrition and gastroenterology

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