NHS to train 1,000 educational supervisors for community pharmacy staff from September 2023 There will be 500 training places available for designated prescribing practitioners and another 500 for other educational supervision roles.…
Government reverts to September start date for flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes The vaccination programmes will now begin in September 2023, rather than October, owing to concerns over a new COVID-19 variant.…
‘World first’ anticancer jab to reduce treatment times by 75%, says NHS England NHS England has announced that it will offer atezolizumab via subcutaneous injection, bringing treatment times down from 30 minutes to as little as 7 minutes.…
For want of a jab… are vaccines out of fashion for NHS England? This month, The Pharmaceutical Journal’s health policy columnist questions the government’s decisions to reduce the COVID-19 vaccination fee and delay the flu vaccination programme.…
Pharmacy workforce group aims to quadruple number of trainees in Somerset by 2026 Exclusive: According to NHS England data, Somerset has the highest vacancy rate for community pharmacist roles, with almost a third of vacancies unfilled.…
Community pharmacies could take legal action over delayed flu vaccination programme, says NPA The National Pharmacy Association says NHS England should be held responsible for financial losses incurred by the late announcement of the delay.…
Up to 210 community pharmacies will become independent prescribing pathfinder pilot sites NHS England's new independent prescribing webpage says that scope for the pathfinder sites will be determined by integrated care boards, which will be urged to “fully utilise” the skills and capabilities of community pharmacists.…
PJ view: Inequity of access to medicines for compassionate use must end More than half of acute trusts lack a centralised database of medicines provided through compassionate use schemes, leaving a dearth of information that should be shared to help create fairer access to life-saving treatments.…
Uncompassionate use: the inconsistent offering of life-saving unlicensed medicines Compassionate use schemes offered by pharmaceutical companies are struggling to live up to their name, as data from a third of acute trusts reveal an inequitable provision of medicines through schemes across England.…
NHS weight-loss drugs could be prescribed via apps, says NICE draft guidance Some of the apps that could be made available include the ability to prescribe weight-loss management medication to eligible patients.…