News | England

News

Hub-and-spoke dispensing expansion set to begin in October 2025

Hub-and-spoke dispensing between different legal entities will be permitted from 1 October 2025 under draft amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.…

Published: 1 May 2025

Opinion

Medicines optimisation teams need to showcase their value to withstand ICB funding cuts

With integrated care boards soon to have lost 65% of their funding over two years, now is the time for medicines optimisation teams to ‘be noisy’ about their work.…

Published: 1 May 2025

News

Chief pharmacists call for medicines leadership to be ‘fundamental component’ of strategic commissioning system

In a letter to NHS England, four integrated care board chief pharmacists said that they must shape and lead on medicines at a time of NHS change.…

Published: 30 April 2025

Feature

Lost days: the unstemmed rise in mental health-related absences

There has been a significant rise in sickness absence for mental health reasons among hospital pharmacists in England over the past five years. What needs to change and where can NHS pharmacists access help in the meantime?…

Published: 30 April 2025

News

No increase in NHS prescription fees for the first time in three years

The government has announced that the single item prescription charge for 2025/2026 will remain at £9.90.…

Published: 29 April 2025

News

NPA will not recommend collective action that could have limited pharmacy services

The National Pharmacy Association has announced that it will not recommend collective action, following the new pharmacy contract.…

Published: 25 April 2025

News

GPhC should consider reduced fees for some pharmacists, says RPS

In its response to the regulator’s consultation on proposed fee increases, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has suggested reduced fees for non-practising pharmacists, such as those on parental leave or with a long-term illness.…

Published: 23 April 2025

Opinion

The pharmacy funding boost is a step in the right direction but it will not go far enough

This month, our health policy columnist warns that while the latest pharmacy contract announcements are good news for pharmacy, the damage from years of underfunding may be difficult to undo.…

Published: 17 April 2025

News

Community pharmacy RSV expansion programme to be expanded four-fold

The Department of Health and Social Care said up to 200 community pharmacy sites could be commissioned to provide the respiratory syncytial virus vaccination in 2025/2026.…

Published: 15 April 2025

News

Regulator warns pharmacists to ensure patient safety when selling unregulated products

In a letter to pharmacy technicians and owners, the General Pharmaceutical Council has warned that non-medicinal and unlicensed products being supplied by pharmacies “have potentially caused serious harm”.…

Published: 15 April 2025