Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

15 MPs attend 'SaveOurPharmacies' roundtable to discuss crisis facing community pharmacies

The ‘SaveOurPharmacies’ roundtable held on Tuesday (21 March) to discuss severe challenges faced by the community pharmacies in England witnessed the support of 15 MPs.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC); Andrew Lane, independent pharmacy owner and Chairman, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Ian Strachan, independent pharmacy owner and Board Member, Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIM) attended the summit, which was chaired by Stephen Hammond MP, to brief MPs on the severe challenges facing the sector.


MPs in attendance were Stephen Hammond, Sally-Ann Hart, Peter Aldous, Anna Firth, Taiwo Owatemi, Bob Seely, Derek Thomas, David Rutley, Lilian Greenwood, Tulip Siddiq, Hillary Benn, Sarah Olney, Christian Wakeford, Daisy Cooper (researcher) and Victoria Atkins (researcher)

The title of the event ‘Community pharmacy’s role in the Primary Care Recovery Plan’ which is expected imminently, is set to include a variety of measures aimed at helping primary care to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

PSNC has been pressing for the plan to include a fully-funded national Pharmacy First service as this is the best chance for getting significant additional funds into community pharmacies.

Morrison said: “The #SaveOurPharmacies roundtable was another critical opportunity to get together with MPs for a very open and frank discussion about the current challenges facing community pharmacies. The situation is critical – pharmacies need a lifeline.”

“If no help is forthcoming, Government can expect to hear from more and more patients who are unable to access pharmacy services or even medicines.

It was good to hear that there remains an abundance of political goodwill towards the community pharmacy sector, as well as very real concern about the future and the potential impact on the millions of people who visit us every week.

She hopes that all attending MPs will now encourage the Government to take firm and decisive action to invest in our community pharmacies in order to safeguard safe and reliable access to medicines for patients and the public.

During the Parliamentary summit, MPs asked about what urgent action is needed to address the current severe challenges facing community pharmacy. Janet Morrison OBE gave an overview of the current situation, including outlining the discussions she has been having with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and stressing the very urgent need for additional funding.

The contractors who were present, including PSNC Member Fin McCaul, gave MPs a flavour of the situation on the ground, stressing that consistent underfunding for the sector is now having a detrimental impact on patient services.

More For You

Pharmacist handing medicine to patient, NHS prescription cost freeze debate

Prescription charge will remain at £9.90

Pic credit: iStock

NPA calls for end to prescription charge after freeze announcement

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked for prescription charges to be completely removed despite the government announcing today that the charge will be frozen for the first time in three years.

Patients will continue paying £9.90 to collect their medication from a pharmacy.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS launches new prescribing development programme for pharmacists

From 2026, every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber

gettyimages

RPS unveils new training programme to enhance pharmacists’ prescribing skills

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the launch of a comprehensive new prescribing development programme to support pharmacists across all stages of their prescribing careers.

The initiative comes ahead of the NHS mandate that every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber by 2026 — a change set to transform the future of pharmacy practice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Varenicline promotes nicotine vaping cessation in young people

Researchers warn that e-cigarette use can increase risk for nicotine addiction,uptake of combusted tobacco and other substance use.

gettyimages

Anti-smoking pill varenicline may help young people quit vaping, new study suggests

Varenicline — a daily pill already offered through NHS Stop Smoking Services — could also support young people in quitting vaping, new research has suggested.

The medication, proven to be more effective than nicotine replacement gums or patches for smoking cessation, was shown to significantly boost vaping abstinence when combined with behavioural counselling in adolescents and young adults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Relying on blue inhalers alone can worsen asthma symptoms, warns MHRA

Patients are advised to use their preventer inhaler regularly, even if their asthma feels under control.

Pic credit: gettyimages

Overuse of blue inhalers can increase risk of severe asthma attacks, warns MHRA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding asthma patients to use their preventer (anti-inflammatory) inhalers regularly as prescribed, rather than relying solely on their blue inhalers, also referred to as reliever inhalers.

“Without regular use of a preventer inhaler, symptoms could worsen and increase the risk of severe asthma attacks,” the MHRA warned.

Keep ReadingShow less
13 pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential with record pass rate

The latest successful cohort includes pharmacists from both England and Scotland.

Pic credit: Getty Images

13 more pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential - Highest pass rate yet

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced that 13 more pharmacists have successfully completed Core Advanced Credentialling as part of the latest assessment cohort —achieving a remarkable 93% pass rate, the highest to date.

This brings the total number of pharmacists awarded the RPS core advanced credential to 113 since the launch of the Core Advanced Curriculum in 2023, with successful candidates from GP, secondary care and community settings.

Keep ReadingShow less