The General Pharmaceutical Council has agreed its 2011 fees as it prepares to take over pharmacy regulations from 27th September. The renewal fee for a 12 month period will be £262 for pharmacists, £142 for pharmacy technicians and £217 for pharmacy premises. They have opted not to offer a low income fee as ‘regulatory responsibility […]

A report published by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust (PPRT) has found that pharmacists rated patients’ health interests over professional guidelines, as the most important factor to consider in ethical decision making. Regulation also played a very important part. As a pharmacist do you follow suit to this? Do you feel that ethical problem solving […]

A new pilot scheme has been launched by the MHRA to allow pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions electronically to the agency’s yellow card scheme. The aim is to make reporting easier and to allow information to be more easily shared with the MHRA for effective drug safety monitoring. Once the pilot has been completed, […]

Independent optical practices are raising awareness of the risk of developing myopia (short sightedness), caused by the constant use of the latest high tech gadgets. The move is part of an optical campaign and follows a new Ofcom report which has shown that people in the UK spend an astonishing 7 hours a day watching […]

Community pharmacists are still unconvinced by the benefits of the electronic prescription service (EPS), despite government claims that the system has been a success and can be managed locally. A survey of 100 pharmacists by the Chemist and Druggist found that only 51% felt the EPS would be good for pharmacy overall. A high percentage […]

Scientists at King College London have pin pointed one of the genes which is responsible for myopia (short sightedness) after a 12 year study. Lead author of this study Dr Hysi said “We have known for many years that the most important risk factor for being short sighted is having parents who are short sighted. […]

New evidence reveals that third molars contain a valuable reservoir of tissue for the creation of stem cells, according to a recent study. It has been proved that the soft pulp inside of teeth contains a population of cells known as mesenchymal stromal cells that are similar to cells found in bone marrow, a common […]

An high proportion of the British public are unaware of the need to protect their eyes from UV rays, according to an independent survey. Over 90% of the poll (1,028 adults) were unaware of the risks and were not worried about eye damage (even though 79% associated UV rays with a risk of cancer) As […]

Under the Pharmacy Manifesto 2011, the RPSGB’s Scottish board will campaign for greater access to health records. Speaking at the RPS Conference, chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board Sandra Melville said while pharmacists working in hospitals enjoy sharing information, access has been withheld from community pharmacists. The board is asking politicians to implement a health […]

The Pharmacy Minister, Earl Howe has agreed funding of £2.49 billion for community pharmacy services in England for 2010-2011. As a result, contractors have earned £140 million above the overall £500 million contractual target for retained purchase profits. £120 million will be recovered through adjustment to category M prices this year and £20 million will […]

Over 70% of pharmacists said it was harder to source products from pharma firms running distribution schemes. Only 6% said supply deals had improved access to medicines. Since 2007 more than 20 manufacturers have launched bespoke supply arrangements, with most citing improved medicine supply to patients as a key reason to change. However 13 of […]

The Report on Jobs published today (08.09.10) by the REC and KPMG has shown that the number of people placed in new jobs by recruitment consultancies continued to increase in August however growth has slowed further from March’s peak. The latest rises in both permanent and temporary staff appointments were the least marked for 10 […]

A report from Finland has shown that community pharmacists save healthcare systems hundreds of millions of pounds a year by giving patients health advice over the counter. According to the report of 197 pharmacists in Finland, pharmacists have helped avoid 6.2 million visits to a GP and 750,000 emergency visits a year by offering advice, […]

GPHC, the future pharmacy regulator has launched a telephone helpline, staffed by pharmacists to offer pharmacists guidance during the demerger. This helpline will assist pharmacists who have questions about the regulatory changes and how they will be affected. After this the GPCH will assume responsibility for the regulation of the pharmacy profession from the RPSGB. […]

Flame Health would like to know your thoughts on the possible shut down of the NHS Direct 24 hour nurse led service. Last year NHS Direct cost more than £120 million to run, speeding up the eventual termination of the phone lines. This has put the future of up to 1,400 nurses in uncertainty. As […]