Health and care policy

Survey reveals 9% of people with long-term health conditions cannot afford to collect their prescriptions

It was announced on 10 March 2023 that prescription charges in England would rise to £9.65 per item in April 2023.…

Warm words cannot mask the true picture of pharmacy neglect

The Pharmaceutical Journal's health policy columnist looks at why ministers keep talking about Pharmacy First in England, but there is a lack of progress when it comes to its implementation.…

Taiwo Owatemi: ‘Pharmacists should be able to refer patients straight to secondary care’

Labour MP and locum pharmacist Taiwo Owatemi shares her views on how to handle pressures on the NHS and why the government is dragging its feet with England’s ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme.…

Pharmacists should be able to refer patients directly to secondary care for skin conditions, says APPG chair

Exclusive: Taiwo Owatemi, chair of the All-Party Pharmacy Group, has said pharmacists could "easily" help with dermatology referrals.…

Half of pharmacists report increase in patients unable to afford prescription medicines, reveals survey

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society survey of 269 pharmacists in England also revealed an increasing number of people are not collecting their prescriptions.…

HRT prepayment certificate to cover all HRT items licensed to treat the menopause

Exclusive: Anyone will be able to apply for the HRT prepayment certificate, which will be available from April 2023.…

PJ view: Let’s showcase how pharmacy can narrow health inequalities

The Pharmaceutical Journal is calling for examples from any pharmacy sector of projects that aim to tackle health inequalities.…

Two major drug manufacturers pull out of voluntary repayment arrangements with UK government 

A spokesperson for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said companies are struggling to justify being part of the voluntary scheme.…

Pharmacy teams could visit community and faith groups to cut health inequalities, says Royal Pharmaceutical Society

A position paper published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society suggests how organisations can work together to address health inequalities.…

Highlights of 2022: a letter from the three Royal Pharmaceutical Society national pharmacy board chairs

A central focus for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England in 2022 was the development of our 'Vision for pharmacy professional practice', in partnership with The King’s Fund. This report, published on 14 December 2022, sets out how pharmacy teams can support better patient care and hel…