UK healthcare

Number of independent prescribers rose by 37% in 2023, reveals NHS workforce survey

Responses to the annual survey recorded 1,494 full-time equivalent independent prescriber roles, up 37% on the 1,087 recorded the year before.…

Community pharmacy domestic abuse support scheme to end in November 2024

Despite the 'Ask for ANI' service ending in November 2024, the UK Says No More 'Safe spaces' scheme will continue to operate.…

Changes to hub-and-spoke legislation will be delayed, government tells CPE

Community Pharmacy England says it has been told by the Department for Health and Social Care that the changes will not happen from 1 January 2025 as planned.…

Everything you need to know about the NHS antibiotic subscription model

Following what has been deemed a successful pilot, NHS England is hoping that its new subscription model will boost drug development by paying manufacturers a fixed fee for antimicrobials.…

Regulator misses fitness-to-practise timeliness standard for sixth year in a row

The Professional Standards Authority said the General Pharmaceutical Council “is still taking too long to progress fitness-to-practise investigations”.…

Pharmacy minister says community pharmacy contract is in ‘crisis’

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on 24 September 2024, Stephen Kinnock said every aspect of his portfolio was “in crisis”.…

Cancer Research UK offers training to Tesco pharmacists to spot possible cancer symptoms

Tesco pharmacists have also been trained to offer advice by the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.…

How will we generate the new generation of prescribing pharmacists?

The Pharmaceutical Journal’s health policy columnist looks at how, in practice, new cohorts of prescribing pharmacists can be taught and supervised.…

Hospital pharmacists vote to accept 5.5% pay offer from UK government

Unite the Union said that two-thirds of Unite members voted in favour of the pay increase for NHS workers in England.…

Royal college proposals show that the RPS has listened to members’ concerns

Over recent years I have been a critical friend of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). I have repeatedly questioned its lack of ambition, some of its decisions that were seemingly designed to undermine its own credibility, and its lack of engagement with members. I …