Primary care

NICE publishes briefing on primary care-based point-of-care tests for strep A in sore throat

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a medtech innovation briefing on point-of-care diagnostic testing in primary care for group A streptococci in sore throat.…

Revalidation: How to use planned and unplanned learning entries to record CPD

Revalidation for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians came into force on 30 March 2018. This article explains the revalidation timeline and requirements, including what represents suitable planned and unplanned CPD activities and how they should be recorded.…

Huge variation in gluten-free prescribing across England, new research finds

Prescribing of gluten-free products varies substantially across primary care in England, according to a new study published in BMJ Open.…

Health technology: learn, grow or become obsolete

Steve Hemsley reports on the latest advancements in health technology, how they will affect the careers of pharmacy professionals, and why new technologies should be embraced in order to win the race for relevance.…

How Kayt Blythin established a pharmacist-led medicines optimisation service in East Sussex care homes

Kayt Blythin is a principal clinical pharmacist for medicines optimisation for care homes at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.…

Online primary care improving but there is still work to do, says CQC

In an inspection by the Care Quality Commission, 43% of online primary care providers were not providing safe care in February 2018, compared with 86% of providers before July 2017.…

Welsh government urged to evaluate role of pharmacists working in primary care

The Welsh government is being urged to evaluate the role of primary care pharmacists who have the potential to transform medicines management.…

Pharmacists’ woes under the lens

In a survey delivered in 2017, The Pharmaceutical Journal asked members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society — from all sectors of the profession — for their views on their salary, their career and the wider profession.…

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow Scheme: from the inside

With applications for the 2018 Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow Scheme closing on 9 April, pharmacists in the UK are encouraged to consider this unique opportunity to expand their professional skills…

More than a fifth of antibiotic prescriptions in primary care in England could be ‘inappropriate’, researchers find

There is “substantial” inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care in England, particularly for respiratory tract conditions, according to research by Public Health England.…