UK healthcare

Free prescription penalty charge system is ‘not fit for purpose’, say MPs

The penalty charge notice system in England, which fines people up to £100 for wrongly claiming a free prescription, is not fit for purpose and needs to be overhauled, MPs have said.…

Government appoints Jo Churchill as new pharmacy minister

Jo Churchill has been appointed as the new parliamentary under-secretary of state for prevention, public health and primary care at the Department of Health and Social Care.…

A&E could refer patients to community pharmacy under new five-year contract

Patients in A&E could be sent to see a community pharmacist instead of a doctor under a future expansion of the scheme that currently refers patients from NHS 111 and general practice.…

NHS launches pharmacy UTI test and treat pilot

The NHS has launched a pilot test and treat service for patients who suspect they have a urinary tract infection.…

Most patients with hospital discharge delays blame medicines wait

Nearly three in four patients who were delayed on discharge from hospital said it was because they had to wait for medicines, a Care Quality Commission survey has found.…

No-deal Brexit could put UK at greater risk from falsifed medicines, HDA director tells MPs

Leaving the EU without a deal would likely result in the UK being “unplugged” from the Falsified Medicines Directive, Martin Sawer, executive director of the Healthcare Distribution Association, has told a select committee of MPs.…

LloydsPharmacy’s parent company buys repeat prescription app

LloydsPharmacy’s parent company, McKesson UK, has bought the online repeat prescription app ‘Echo’ — one of several pharmacy apps now on the NHS Digital app library.…

Is a complete ban on OTC opioids the solution?

Misuse of over-the-counter opioids often slips under the radar. Some experts say the UK should follow other countries and ban them altogether, but others argue that there is more that pharmacists can do to help tackle this problem.…

Room for improvement in UK heart failure care, researchers find

National reporting and incentive schemes, such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework, have not prevented suboptimal management of heart failure in the UK, research published in PLoS Medicine has concluded.…

Pharmacists excluded from shortage occupation list despite recruitment concerns

A government advisory committee has excluded pharmacists from the shortage occupation list, despite reported difficulties in recruitment.…