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COVID-19 vaccinations should not be mandatory for health and care staff, RPS tells government

In response to a government consultation, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has maintained that COVID-19 vaccines should be optional for health and care staff, after a survey of members revealed “no significant majority for or against” mandatory vaccination.…

Published: 26 October 2021

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Number of pharmacy-led vaccination sites offering COVID-19 booster jabs set to rise to 1,300

The most recent NHS England figures list 1,160 community pharmacy-led COVID-19 vaccination sites in total, with the number offering booster vaccinations set to hit 1,300 in the coming weeks.…

Published: 25 October 2021

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NHS England to pilot referrals from urgent care to community pharmacies

Exclusive: A presentation by Ed Waller, director of personalised care at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said the urgent care referral pilot will focus on sending patient data through electronic messaging.…

Published: 22 October 2021

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Prescribers should warn patients about dependence before starting them on high-risk drugs, says NICE

In its first guideline on medicines that can cause dependence or withdrawal symptoms, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended that prescribers warn patients about these risks and offer alternative treatment options before prescribing.…

Published: 22 October 2021

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NHS England to fund integrated care system pharmacists to support integration across health and care

The pharmacy integration fund will pay for the community pharmacy integration lead roles for two years from 2022/2023.…

Published: 19 October 2021

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NHS England considers adding depression to the new medicine service

NHS England is looking at how to make the new medicine service more flexible, to include depression, as well as involving pharmacy technicians in consultations.…

Published: 18 October 2021

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Pharmacies should look into offering private services, says former lead negotiator

Exclusive: Former chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee Simon Dukes said that he had received “intelligence” that ministers may continue to make cuts in community pharmacy funding.…

Published: 17 October 2021

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Health secretary considers adopting ‘Pharmacy First’ service for England

Sajid Javid said he was “asking my department to work with the NHS and look at a ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme for England, so pharmacists can provide treatment for specific conditions, such as sore throats, without patients having to go to their GP".…

Published: 14 October 2021

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Two-thirds of hospital trusts do not employ a specialist diabetes pharmacist

Exclusive: Out of 93 hospital trusts that responded to a Freedom of Information request, only 31 trusts said they employ a specialist diabetes pharmacist.…

Published: 14 October 2021

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Pharmacies administer record numbers of flu vaccines despite supply issues

Since the start of the 2021/2022 flu vaccination programme, community pharmacies in England have administered at least 1.8 million flu vaccines, up on the 1.4 million administered during the same time period in 2020.…

Published: 13 October 2021