PJ, October 2016, Vol 297, No 7894

David Mowat announces community pharmacy cuts in House of Commons

Health minister David Mowat has set out the government’s planned cuts to community pharmacy in a statement to the House of Commons, dashing the sector’s hopes that the plans would be rethought.…

Scottish Pharmacy Board meeting: 28 September 2016

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scottish Pharmacy Board (SPB)’s final meeting of 2016 was held on 28 September at Holyrood Park House in Edinburgh.…

What is the Falsified Medicines Directive?

Aileen Bryson, practice and policy lead at RPS Scotland, speaks to Julia Robinson about the purpose of the Falsified Medicines Directive and how it will affect pharmacists in the UK.…

Defining clinical pharmacy: a new paradigm

Amid the rapid change and evolution of pharmacy, now is the time to redefine what clinical pharmacy means.…

New treatment option for Parkinson’s disease launched in the UK

Drug company BIAL Pharm UK has launched opicapone (Ongentys), a new drug to improve mobility in some adult patients with Parkinson’s disease, for use in the UK. …

NICE to fast track most cost-effective treatments

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England have proposed changes to NICE’s drug appraisal process so that some treatments become available more quickly to patients.…

Like the United States, the UK has a drug price gouging problem and it’s getting worse

I read with interest John Rother’s letter on drug price gouging in the United States. Unfortunately this behaviour is also prevalent in the UK. A number of medicines have been available as proprietary products, discontinued by the manufacturer and almost immediately replaced by an identi…

NHS England CEO should not use derogatory language about pharmacy to justify funding cuts

There is no need for Simon Stevens, the chief executive officer of NHS England, to use language that undermines the role of pharmacies in order to convince MPs that funding cuts to the sector are justified.…

Patients needing urgent repeat prescriptions will be referred to pharmacies, not GPs

Patients who require urgent repeat medicines will be urged to see a community pharmacist rather than go to a GP or A&E department to take pressure off urgent care services under plans revealed by community health and care minister David Mowat.…

Professional associations: adapting to remain relevant in a digital age

In a world where technology and social media allow individuals to gather information and network online for free, professional associations are evolving and changing their offering to members in order to stay relevant.…