Government

Community pharmacist elected as MP in Somerset

Sadik Al-Hassan, a superintendent pharmacist, was elected as Labour MP for North Somerset, while hospital pharmacist Taiwo Owatemi held her seat as Labour MP for Coventry North West in the general election.…

SNP pledges ‘framework’ for drug consumption rooms in manifesto

As part of its manifesto for the UK general election, the Scottish National Party also said it would decriminalise drugs for personal use.…

UK should be a ‘stronger destination’ for medicine manufacturers, says Wes Streeting

The shadow health secretary said the NHS was not realising “anywhere near the full potential” of partnering with the life sciences industry on clinical trials and adopting and rolling out new treatments.…

Government introduces ‘emergency ban’ on overseas prescriptions for puberty blockers

The new arrangements, which apply to gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, follow the Cass Review recommendation that inappropriate overseas prescribing of hormone supplies should be prevented.…

Community pharmacists should be allowed to alter out-of-stock medicines ‘within three months’, say MPs

The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee said changes would be “compatible with the direction of travel towards community pharmacies delivering more clinical services”.…

MPs call for urgent overhaul of community pharmacy funding model

A report by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee said it had been told of annual shortfalls of “at least £67,000 per pharmacy in England” and up to “around £100,000” by pharmacy representative organisations.…

PJ view: Changes to hub-and-spoke legislation are too late for a community pharmacy sector in crisis

From 1 January 2025, all community pharmacies will be able to outsource dispensing to a third party but the “significant impact” it will have on the challenges facing the sector have been overstated by the government.…

Updating hub-and-spoke legislation will level the playing field for community pharmacies 

The primary care minister, whose responsibilities include community pharmacy, explains why the government is committed to enabling all pharmacies to use dispensing hubs.…

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to be able to supply naloxone without a prescription

The expanded access to take-home naloxone follows two government consultations carried out in 2021 and 2024, respectively.…

Government backs two new models of hub-and-spoke dispensing

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it will implement both models between pharmacies that are not within the same legal entity.…