The University of Birmingham and the University of Durham may become the first in the UK to offer an integrated 5 year pharmacy degree, incorporating clinical practice when they are considered by the GPHC in June. The new five year programme would include two six month placements which would replace the requirement for the current […]

A study in London pharmacies has shown success after a 5 month pilot study. The study involved 27 pharmacies delivery alcohol screening and brief intervention service after a one day intensive training session. Assessing the service, it was found there had been a significant reduction in alcohol consumption. Patients who agreed to the service were […]

Delegates at the Royal College of Nursing conference called for action to reduce the ‘sheer madness’ of wastage levels of medicines newspapers reported last week. Nurses proposed labelling medicines with details of how much they cost and distributing leaflets to ensure patients used the repeat prescription process correctly. PSNC backed the comments and said it […]

The NPA has called for the abolition of prescription charges in England as the charge has rose to £7.40 per item, warning they add to pharmacists’ workload without helping patients. The call has come as Scotland abolished prescription charges joining Northern Ireland and Wales. The head of NPA pharmacy has said, “From a pharmacist’s point […]

The new medicine service (NMS) will see pharmacists paid to council patients with long terms conditions who are starting new medicines. Pharmacists have backed this new service although some have cautioned it will require investment from pharmacies to be a success. Many have stated that this new scheme will emphasise the importance of pharmacists moving […]

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been unable to reveal how many pharmacists renewed their membership by the 1st March deadline due to IT problems. The RPS has said that over half of registered pharmacists had renewed but it needed to clear the backlog of applicants online before it could provide an accurate figure. The society […]

The Scottish Government has won the approval of Holyrood’s health committee to remove the current £3 NHS prescription charge. Labour supports this plan however the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats believe the cash could be better spent in other areas. Wales and Northern Ireland have already removed NHS prescription charges, which cost £7.10 per item in […]

The GPHC is seeking views on its proposed fees for 2012, which include a plan to raise pharmacists’ renewal fees to £272. A consultation on the proposals has now been launched and will run until 12th May. As a pharmacist, do you feel these renewal fees are acceptable? The GPHC said the 4% fee rise […]

The NHS Modernising Pharmacy Careers programme has proposed a 5 year course with employers taking more responsibility for pharmacy training and the pre reg year being replaced by 2 six month placements worked in years 4 and 5. A pharmacy degree allows a student to understand the technical knowledge to be a pharmacist, only by […]

Industry leaders have commented that the community pharmacy sector should have a bigger role in helping to deliver NHS flu vaccinations following reports of shortages this year. Pharmacies do have the commercial experience and expertise required, this could the free up GP’s to focus on the delivery of the vaccination programme. A Boots spokeswoman says: […]

According to the latest NHS stop smoking figures, pharmacies continue to have the lowest stop smoking rates among NHS providers in England. From April to September 2010 there was a 44% successful quit rate among pharmacy patients. Quit rates were higher among other providers such as hospitals wards and prisons, with military bases coming out […]

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has said that Pharmacists should make individual decisions on whether they want to join the RPS. John Murphy, general manager of the PDA stated that the RPS ought to be a professional body with people who have made a personal decision about whether they join or not. Employers signing pharmacists […]

Our Flame Health Pharmacy Page has had a makeover! We have redesigned this page for easier access to jobs and new and exclusive opportunities within the Pharmacy sector. Flame Health Pharmacy provide professional recruitment solutions to the Pharmacy sector, specialising in jobs for Pharmacists, Pharmacy Managers, Community Pharmacists, 2nd Pharmacists, Senior Pharmacy Management, Pre-Registration Pharmacists, […]

Community Pharmacy Wales has estimated that community pharmacies in Wales could save the NHS £95 million a year if services such as a national minor aliments scheme were rolled out effectively. It urged the Welsh Assembly Government to make the commitment needed to deliver the changes.  Savings could come from 4 key areas: better medicine […]

The GPHC has urged pharmacists to respond to their consultation on CPD, with just a few weeks to go before the closing date (7th February). The consultation includes the proposal to set a pass mark for CPD standard at 50% and to require one third of CPD entries to start the ‘reflection stage’. It is […]