England NHS structures

Pharmacy teams to support care homes with ‘clinical review’ of patients amid COVID-19 response

Pharmacy teams will be expected to “support the clinical review” of patients in care homes as part of the NHS’s COVID-19 response.…

Pharmacies request just 5% of all tasks carried out by COVID-19 volunteers so far, NHS England says

Only 5% of tasks carried out by NHS volunteers so far have been requested by community pharmacies, NHS England has said.…

Transcending boundaries: the role of pharmacists in gender identity services

There has been a surge in demand for gender identity services in the UK over the past five years. Although the current role of pharmacists is limited, their potential contribution within a multidisciplinary team supporting transgender patients is beginning to emerge.…

Paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used to treat the symptoms of COVID-19, says NHS England

The NHS has changed its advice on only taking paracetamol to treat the symptoms of COVID-19 and now says that patients can take either paracetamol or ibuprofen to self-medicate for symptoms such as fever or headache.…

Pharmacists able to access COVID-19 testing within one day of sending in a request

Community pharmacists in the West Midlands can be tested for COVID-19 the day after requesting one from NHS England, local pharmacy leaders have said.…

Pharmacy’s part in COVID-19 response must be recognised

Open access article The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has made this article free to access in order to help healthcare professionals stay informed about an issue of national importance. To learn more about coronavirus, please visit: https://www.rpharms.com/resources/pharmacy-guides…

NHS volunteers to begin delivering medicines amid safety concerns for vulnerable patients

Hundreds of thousands of NHS volunteer responders will begin delivering medicines and driving vulnerable patients to appointments from today, under a scheme launched in England.…

Funding to be made available for home deliveries, says NHS England and NHS Improvement

The cost of delivering medicines to vulnerable patients who are self-isolating or have COVID-19 will be reimbursed, Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England has said.…

‘Significant’ fall in referrals to GPs since introduction of pharmacy consultation service

NHS 111 has seen a 6% drop in referrals to GP surgeries since the community pharmacist consultation service was launched in October 2019, according to Anne Joshua, head of pharmacy integration at NHS England and NHS Improvement.…

Nikki Kanani: ‘Shortages of the right pharmacists in some areas has been an issue’

The director of primary care at NHS England speaks about growing up in a pharmacy, her hopes for the sector and how to protect pharmacists from burnout.…