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Pharmacy technicians can administer flu vaccine under national protocol for England

Exclusive: Public Health England has confirmed that, under the national protocol for administration of inactivated influenza vaccine, pharmacy technicians will be able to prepare and administer the vaccine.…

More community pharmacies closed in 2021 but rate has slowed

Exclusive: An analysis of NHS Digital data by The Pharmaceutical Journal has revealed a net closure of 64 community pharmacies in England up to the end of August 2021, compared with a net closure of 136 pharmacies in the same time period in 2020.…

Pharmacy staff recruitment into general practice should be paused, say negotiators

Representatives for the pharmacy sector in Scotland are calling for “a temporary stop to the recruitment of pharmacy workforce to GP primary care support roles”.…

Early payments scheme for pharmacies to end, but pharmacies using online claims system will still be paid early

The Pharmacy Earlier Payments Scheme is to close, but community pharmacy contractors will be able to receive advance payments approximately 20 days early if they use the online claims system.…

Community pharmacy hospital discharge service to launch in Scotland

The discharge service is part of the Scottish government's 'NHS Recovery Plan', which aims to address the backlog in NHS care between 2021 and 2026.…

Depression omitted from new medicine service extension despite increase in antidepressant prescribing during pandemic

The new medicine service has been expanded to cover 16 therapeutic conditions but depression, and its associated use of antidepressants, has not been included.…

Pharmacies to get up to £1,800 in extra contract funding for providing heart checks

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has announced it has secured additional funding as an incentive for community pharmacies to run a hypertension case-finding advanced service.…

Community pharmacies to provide women’s health services in Scotland

The 'Women's health plan' sets out the Scottish government's plans for improvements to sexual health, menstrual health, menopause, endometriosis and heart health.…

Managing childhood eczema: a visual guide

Research has revealed concerns about using topical corticosteroids in children with eczema, both among parents and pharmacists, leading to suboptimal treatment that perpetuates the condition.…

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Health services in Wales to receive extra £550m to cover COVID-19 costs

The Welsh government plans to spend £411m on pandemic-related costs, such as PPE and vaccinations, until April 2022, while £140m will be spent on tackling treatment waiting times.…