PJ, November 2023, Vol 311, No 7979

Andrew Barnes (1956–2023)

On 2 November 2023, Mr Andrew Barnes, aged 67 years, of Melton, Suffolk. Mr Barnes registered with the Society in 1980 and later became a Fellow. Tribute It was with great sadness that I learned of Andy’s passing, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer — a struggle which he bor…

Homecare service failures having ‘serious impact’ on patients’ health, finds House of Lords report

The House of Lords Public Services Committee said patients receiving homecare services are “experiencing delays, receiving the wrong medicine, or not being taught how to administer their medicine”.…

Andrea Leadsom appointed as new pharmacy minister

Previously the government’s early years adviser, Andrea Leadsom becomes the fifth pharmacy minister since 2022.…

The virtual ward pharmacist: a new breed

Use of virtual wards, also known as ‘hospital at home’, is increasing across the NHS. With this expansion has come a new wave of job opportunities for pharmacists, but concerns remain over how this new breed of pharmacists will be resourced.…

Richard John Pinney (1943–2023)

On 12 August 2023, Richard John Pinney, aged 80 years, of Tavistock, Devon. Tributes Dr. Richard J Pinney, known to his friends and colleagues as Dick, devoted his career at the School of Pharmacy, University of London, to advancing our understanding of pharmaceutical microbiology. He ins…

Pharmacies to be paid £1,000 a month to provide Pharmacy First from January 2024

By 31 March 2025, contractors will also have to deliver the ‘Community pharmacy contraception service’ and ‘Community pharmacy blood pressure check service’ to qualify for the monthly payment.…

Antibiotic prescribing increases by more than 8% in one year

Data published by the government show that there was an increase in antibiotic prescribing, the number of antibiotic-resistant infections and antimicrobial resistance-associated deaths in England between 2021 and 2022.…

Pharmacy regulator to increase registration fees by 7.5% from April 2024

In a statement, the GPhC Council said it “had to raise the fees in order to be in a position to continue to carry out regulatory work”.…

Can drug consumption rooms reduce drug-related harm?

Even after the approval of a long-awaited pilot service allowing people to inject drugs under medical supervision, experts are still divided over the impact it will have on both drug users and communities.…

NHS drug costs in England rose to more than £19bn in 2022/2023

The total cost to NHS commissioners for medicines, appliances and medicines devices in 2022/2023 was £19.2bn, an increase of 8% on the £17.8bn spent in 2021/2022.…