Health and care policy

Collaboration not competition: the NHS masterplan to keep patients out of hospital

Health challenges and inequalities have been exacerbated by COVID-19, meaning providing joined up health and social care that keeps people out of hospital is more important than ever, and is central to the government’s blueprint for the NHS in England. Pharmacy teams are already playing an integra…

2020: the year of COVID-19

This year has been dominated by a single topic. Here, we look back at an extraordinary 12 months, and an extremely challenging time for pharmacy teams.…

The man and his ‘illegal’ van trying to fix Glasgow’s drug problem

A van providing a safe space for drug users to inject is being piloted in Glasgow but, despite backing for the idea of such a facility from the Scottish government, Westminster says that it is illegal.…

For community pharmacists to be treated as equals after the COVID-19 pandemic, they must become paid employees of the NHS

COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities of having separate health and social care systems, but pharmacy can only help fill this gap if it is more embedded within the NHS.…

RPS calls for sweet e-cigarette flavourings to be banned

Sweet flavouring agents in e-cigarettes and vaping products “should be banned to minimise the appeal to young people”, an updated policy on e-cigarettes published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has said.…

Government announces digital hospital-to-pharmacy referral service to cut hospital readmissions

Hospitals will be able to digitally refer recently discharged patients to community pharmacies across England for advice on new and updated prescriptions from July 2020.…

People taking medication warned not to use CBD products

People taking any medication, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, should not consume cannabidiol products which are sold as food supplements, safety guidance published by the Food Standards Agency has said.…

Taiwo Owatemi: ‘Like every pharmacist in the country, I’ve been frustrated by medicines shortages’

How pharmacy led Taiwo Owatemi, Labour MP for Coventry North West, to her new role in politics.…

Scotland should not limit prescribing of OTCs, RPS tells Scottish Parliament

Jonathan Burton, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Scottish Pharmacy Board, has told members of the Scottish Parliament that it would be “ridiculous” if decisions on which medicines NHS practitioners are allowed to prescribe were based on their availability over the count…

Former health secretary elected as chair of health and social care select committee

Jeremy Hunt, former health and social care secretary, has been elected as chair of the House of Commons health and social care select committee.…