News

The National Pharmacy Association has produced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) aimed at helping members in England with patient nomination of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) Release 2. The NPA says that pharmacists must have a nomination SOP in place when seeking patient nominations. The NPA SOP is available for ....Read Full Story

The next series of Numark continuing professional development workshops for pharmacists and technicians will cover the POM to P switch of Flomax (tamsulosin). The workshops will begin in February and will take place in 17 venues in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They will be run by Flomax Relief manufacturer ....Read Full Story

An alert has been issued to chief pharmacists and medical directors to ensure that vaccines are being stored at the correct temperature following 560 patients at two GP practices being recalled for repeat vaccinations due to incorrect storage. The National Patient Safety Agency sent out the alert for immediate action ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched a mystery shopping service as part of its training initiative for counter assistants called Counter Excellence in Action. The service is available to member pharmacies for a yearly fee of £150 and involves quarterly mystery shopper visits. The mystery shoppers are “not role playing” says Numark but ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical has launched a “second phase” of its campaign to encourage members to vote in the Pharmacy Board elections. Each day up until the elections take place on January 22 the Society is putting a reason to vote on the Professional Leadership Body website, www.pharmacyplb.com. The reason given today ....Read Full Story

The Department of Health issued an alert on medication errors in care homes for older people urging PCTs to take action to reduce risks and the PSNC says community pharmacy can play a “key role” in this. The alert was issued through the Central Alerting System following a DH funded ....Read Full Story

The Conservative party has launched an NHS manifesto that supports the idea of pharmacy carrying out more screening and minor ailments services. The manifesto states that if the Conservatives are voted into Government it will hand “everyone the power” to choose any healthcare provider as long as the provider meets ....Read Full Story

Pharmacy will be included in the new pilot telephone service that will help callers to find local health services. The Department of Health has announced a pilot scheme for a free number 111 that will give callers access to non-emergency healthcare 24 hours a day. The DH says that callers ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will be calling on the government to take “urgent action” on medicines shortages. The Society has said that it wants the Government to take steps to “resolve the immediate crisis” in medicines shortages, which, it says, have gott worse in recent months. It says that over ....Read Full Story

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has announced that from April, 2010, changes will be made to its committee “composition” to reflect changes in NHS organisation and pharmacy ownership. According to the PSNC, it has already been decided that multiple pharmacies, defined as a group of six or more pharmacies, will ....Read Full Story

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain and Royal College of General Practitioners have announced a joint manifesto calling for the public to practice more self care to save the NHS a possible £2bn. The manifesto is entitled “The London Declaration for Self Care” and was announced at the PAGB annual ....Read Full Story

Neal Patel, MRPharmS, has been appointed Head of Corporate Communications at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Mr Patel will take up the role in mid-December and he says he is looking forward to working with the team at the Society and for an organisation that has pledged to ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched a new training programme, called Counter Excellence, for counter assistants. Free monthly training modules are aimed at counter assistants whot have completed their medicines counter assistance programme. Mimi Lau, Numark’s director of professional and training services, says: “Many of our members’ counter staff will have completed their ....Read Full Story

Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Department of Health, has confirmed that guidelines for Crown Prosecution Service decision making in dispensing error situations could be published "early in the New Year". In a letter sent to All Party Pharmacy Group chairman, Howard Stoate, MP, Dr Ridge states that a “full ....Read Full Story

Leyla Hannbeck has been appointed Head of Information at the National Pharmacy Association. She will take up the post from January 4, 2010 and she says: “ The National Pharmacy Association’s information department is the first port of call for many members looking for answers on pharmacy practice related questions. ....Read Full Story

SSL International has launched a new Durex programme for healthcare professionals to play a “significant” role in sexual health. The Catalyst programme involves three initiatives. The first, entitled “Excellence” supports training in sexual health, the second, called “Innovation”, is aimed at helping individuals or teams implement new sexual health ideas, ....Read Full Story

A report from the Men’s Health Forum suggests that men are reluctant to use pharmacy services, viewing them as more suited to women. The report, “Racks of make up and no spanners”, was funded by the Department of Health, the National Pharmacy Association and Pfizer Ltd. It reveals that “most” men ....Read Full Story

Independent Pharmacy Award winners: Pictured at the award presentations at Brown’s Hotel, London, on November 4 are Justine Foster (collecting the Advocate of the Year Award on behalf of her husband Stephen Foster of the Pierremont Pharmacy in Broadstairs, Kent), Sandra Gidley, MP, who presented the awards, Michael Burr of ....Read Full Story

Procter & Gamble PharmacyCare and the Clearblue brand have a programme aimed at educating consumers about the ovulation testing category through pharmacy. The Wish for a Baby programme is aimed at training pharmacists and pharmacy staff about the Clearblue ovulation and fertility products. This will allow them to advise the ....Read Full Story

Numark has produced a “new” merchandising technique designed to help pharmacists maintain “specialist merchandising” after the “experts” have left the pharmacy. The new technique involves placing a label that has been printed with the logo of a brand on the shelf to show where that particular brand should be placed. ....Read Full Story

From December 2009 Lifescan OneTouch range of products will be supplied to pharmacies by three wholesalers. The three suppliers are Alliance Healthcare Distribution, AAH Pharmaceuticals and Phoenix Healthcare. Lifescan UK said that it has decided on the new distribution arrangement for its OneTouch brand to “ensure greater control and visibility of ....Read Full Story

Pharmacist Support has entered into a partnership with the charity Action on Addiction to bring its expertise to the Pharmacist Support Health Support Programme. Action on Addiction is a charity that works “across the addiction field” in prevention, research, treatment, education and also family support. The charity will now be running ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association is providing pharmacists with materials to download to help promote pharmacy during this year’s Ask Your Pharmacist week and National Obesity Week. The NPA is providing NOW and AYP posters, question and answer documents, press release templates and also a letter template for the AYP week ....Read Full Story

Raj Patel, independent pharmacist and ICP columnist, has carried out his first ’flu vaccination as part of the National Pharmacy Association accredited programme. Raj carried out the vaccination on Thursday October 12 at 1pm. He said that although he was “apprehensive” about doing the first vaccination he found it “quick and ....Read Full Story

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued a drug alert advising that a batch of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination that was quarantined this week following the death of a 14-year-old girl in Coventry. The MHRA says there will be further investigation into whether there was a link between ....Read Full Story

Alliance Healthcare has announced an increase in fuel surcharge to £2.50 per month. Since March this year Alliance Healthcare reduced the surcharge to zero but it says that due to increasing diesel prices and fuel duty it must increase the surcharge to “continue to provide the high levels of service that ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has provided guidance to “clarify” activities that can take place when a responsible pharmacist is and is not present in a pharmacy. The Society says that it hopes this new guidance will “assist” pharmacists, superintendents and pharmacy owners in preparing for the responsible ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has appointed Nicola Rossi as director of communications. Ms Rossi is currently director of communications at BT health where she has managed the BT’s NHS contracts for three years. She will take up the post of director of communications at the NPA in December. Ms Rossi, ....Read Full Story

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has announced that an increase of £87m in pharmacy contract funding for 2009/10 has been negotiated with the Department of Health. The PSNC says that this is a 3.9 per cent increase on last year’s funding and that the total funding available will be £2,300m. It ....Read Full Story

Numark has carried out a membership survey to find out to what extent independent pharmacists are performing MURs. The survey was of members who have fewer than five outlets and found that two thirds of respondents were carrying out an medicine use review service but only six per cent achieved the ....Read Full Story

According to the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, from October 1 there will be a 9.4 pence reduction on average item reimbursement prices in Category M. This reduction is in response to the Department of Health’s  Medicines Margins Survey which, it says, shows that a “significant excess margin” was “achieved’” by pharmacy ....Read Full Story

AAH says that its seasonal ’flu vaccination programme training days have been “totally” sold out. The company says that 300 pharmacists have signed up to the training days taking place during September Ajit Malhi, AAH head of marketing services, says: “Uptake has been overwhelming for 2009.” The service is run in partnership with ....Read Full Story

Numark’s free training workshops for pharmacists and support staff will be focussing on two key issues, says the company. Numark says the pharmacist and technician workshop will focus on managing dispensing errors and minimising risks. The support staff workshop will be aimed at helping counter staff give advice to customers on ....Read Full Story

Alliance Healthcare has launched a new flu vaccination service through which independent pharmacies would offer the vaccinations under a Patient Group Directive. Pharmacists can register for the service for a fee of ﾣ379 plus VAT, and will attend a one day training course. The courses will run from August 23 ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is urging Muslims to seek advice on taking medication during Ramadan. The Society says that people with chronic conditions that require medications who choose to fast during Ramadan (some people who are ill are exempt from fasting) could be “disrupting” treatment schedules and the absorption of “active” ....Read Full Story

Medway School of Pharmacy has topped the National Student Survey. The survey questions students in their final year of undergraduate courses and 97 per cent of Medway students said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their education. Professor Alistair Mathie of Medway School, said: “This is a fantastic result. It would ....Read Full Story

Avicenna is holding its golf tournament for members at the beginning of September at two top golf courses — Ashridge Golf Club, Little Gaddesden and Foxhills Golf Club, Ottershaw, Surrey. The company says that these courses regularly appear in the top 100 UK golf courses. Organiser Raj Haria (Avicenna sale ....Read Full Story

A study published in the British Journal of Health Pyschology suggests that patient information leaflets are leading to confusion over side effects. Researchers questioned 285 visitors to CancerCare.org.uk, the Cancer Research UK’s patient website, and found that patients were overestimating side effects to up to 50 per cent because of “unclear ....Read Full Story

AlbaPharm members are now able to offer customers travel insurance, which, the company says, could be “up to 26 per cent cheaper than supermarkets and large providers”. The travel insurance  will be “open” to customers who may have previously found it difficult to get travel insurance, such as older ....Read Full Story

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has announced that products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine will remain as Pharmacy (P) medicines. Steve Churton, Royal Pharmaceutical Society President, says: “The decision is a ringing endorsement of the vigilance pharmacists have shown in monitoring and controlling the sale of these products.” In ....Read Full Story

Actavis has added four new courses to its Actavis Academy online “e-learning” website. One is a second “approved” course on the Drug Tariff, while the others focus on foundation trusts, payment by results and specialised commissioning. The company says that it hopes the courses will allow “pharmacists to make the most ....Read Full Story

AAH Pharmaceuticals has launched a new initiative, “All about Health”  to raise the profile of pharmacy and the services offered in independents. The company said that the new initiative is aimed at championing pharmacy to the UK public. It said that in a recent survey carried out by the Patients ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has called for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to hold the retention fees at the present level for 2010. The Society has proposed a rise of 2.2 per cent.  The NPA has said that taking into consideration the “financial pressures on pharmacy businesses” the rise ....Read Full Story

The Department of Health has announced that England’s National Pandemic ’Flu Service could be up and running by the end of next week. The DH said this was in response to the “rapid rise” in the number of swine ’flu cases but that the deadline of the end of next week ....Read Full Story

AAH Pharmaceuticals has launched a new web based toolkit to help pharmacists and pharmacy staff with the requirements for clinical governance. The company said that it has had “many requests” from customers for help with clinical governance procedures. The “interactive” service is available now,  and AAH said it is designed to ....Read Full Story

The first National Pharmacy Association ’flu vaccination training day took place at the Crown Moran Hotel on July 9. Mount Elgon pharmacy owner and Independent Community Pharmacist columnist Raj Patel attended the course. He said: “It was an excellent and very hands on practical day. Superbly run and putting all pharmacists ....Read Full Story

Health Secretary Andy Burnham has announced the UK will no longer be trying to contain Swine ’flu but will be moving to the treatment phase. Mr Burnham said, in a statement in the House of Commons, that the national focus will now be on treating the “increasing numbers” of people suffering ....Read Full Story

Health Minister Ann Keen has announced the appointment of Mr Robert Nicholls CBE as General Pharmaceutical Council chair. Mr Nicholls will hold the post for four years. He will currently be known as “chair designate” until the appointment has been formalised by legislation being enacted, namely, the General Pharmaceutical Council (Constitution) ....Read Full Story

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that  it is the latest company to “simplify its wholesaling arrangements” by appointing Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) and AAH Pharmaceuticals as its wholesale partners.   The new arrangement will come into effect on August 1 and applies to distribution in England, Wales and Scotland. Though BMS has said ....Read Full Story

Britannia Pharmacies and NHS Barking and Dagenham have launched a joint prescription bag initiative to help encourage patients with cancer symptoms to seek advice from their doctor. The bags will be printed with “signs and symptoms” of breast, lung and bowel cancer and patients are being asked to “tick” any ....Read Full Story

The Department of Health has announced it plans to amend the Medicines Act 1968 with regards to the criminalisation of dispensing errors. According to the Society it could take up to two years to make the amendments. It said that during this time, to prevent “the possibility of inappropriate prosecution ....Read Full Story

Voting for the proposed changes to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s charter changes to bring it into effect as the new professional body will take place from Monday June 22 to Monday July 20. Members can vote by post, internet, telephone and text and in order for the body to come into ....Read Full Story

The World Health Organisation has declared a swine flu pandemic. The alert level has been raised from Phase 5 to Phase 6 by the WHO. Phase 6 is defined as the human to human spread of a disease between more than one WHO region. Swine flu has been reported in 74 ....Read Full Story

Forms to register for the National Pharmacy Association pre-registration trainee pharmacist programme for 2009-110 can now be downloaded from the NPA website. A pre-registration tutor training day for pharmacist who have trainees taking part in the NPA trainee course will take place on June 26. Sabina Khanom, assistant head of NPA ....Read Full Story

Numark has issued members with “top tips” for planning for a possible swine ’flu pandemic. Tony Mottram, Numark commercial director, says that, although most of the tips being offered “amount to sound business advice” he feels it is important for independent pharmacists to plan ahead for potential pandemics. He also adds ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says that pharmacists are concerned about recording dispensing errors following the sentencing of locum Elizabeth Lee. The Society is currently carrying out a survey of pharmacists on its register about the recording in a log of dispensing errors as part of its actions to get dispensing errors ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has named Ian Facer as the new chairman for 2009-2010. Mr Facer has been on the NPA Board of Management since 2004, representing North-West members. Mr Facer says that there are certain “key areas” of work for the NPA to focus on. These include raising the profile of ....Read Full Story

Community pharmacy could be a biometric service provider on the high street, says the National Pharmacy Association chief executive, John Turk. Mr Turk spoke about community pharmacies role in the delivery of the National Identity Service identity cards and passports with biometric details, at a breakfast meeting attended by Home Secretary ....Read Full Story

Numark has announced the appointment of Tony Mottram as managing director. Mr Mottram has been in the role of commercial director at Numark and will be taking over the role of managing director from June 1st. He replaces interim managing director John D’arcy who has been in the role for 17 months ....Read Full Story

Both the National Pharmacy Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society have responded to the reports of Swine Influenza spreading through Mexico, parts of the US and Spain. The NPA has sent an “alert” to members which gives advice on the information and advice pharmacists should give to members of the public concerned ....Read Full Story

GlaxoSmithKline's weight loss aid alli (Orlistat 60mg) goes on sale for the first time in UK pharmacies today. The aid is “not a magic bullet” in the fight against obesity, says James Hallet, general manager at GSK — rather, it is a way to help those “committed” to losing weight with ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched a care home toolkit for its members. The toolkit is designed to provide information on the care home “market” and how to set up and manage contracts with care homes. Mimi Lau, Numark director of professional services, said: “It is crucial that independents have a professional approach to ....Read Full Story

Free NHS Health Checks for those aged between 40 and 74 years in England will launch from this Wednesday April 1. The checks are part of a national programme which the Government hopes will help prevent heart attacks and strokes and could save 650 lives a year, it said. The health ....Read Full Story

UniChem has announced to its employees that there will be a “reorganisation” of its business. UniChem said that between 220 and 225 roles within the company may be affected by this reorganisation but that at this stage what the reorganisation will involve is still under discussion and could involve redeployment of ....Read Full Story

Procter and Gamble have announced a new dedicated merchandising team as part of its PharmacyCare initiative. The merchandising team is being set up in conjunction with Ceuta Healthcare and the company said that it will “assess” pharmacies retail business and advise on category layout, so that it is “clear and intuitive”, ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued a reminder that the consultation on the establishment of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) closes March 9. The consultation began on December 9, 2008, launched by the Department of Health on behalf of England and Wales and the Scottish government on the proposals in the ....Read Full Story

Due to a "technical problem" the deadline for response submissions on the consultation on the changes to the professional standards for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in positions of authority has been extended. The deadline has been moved from March 6 to March 19 at 12noon. The problem occurred with the submissions ....Read Full Story

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced a 50 per cent increase in reports from patients a year after the introduction of patient reporting as a “recognised” part of the Yellow Card scheme. The MHRA said that in the past year there have been 2,500 Yellow Cards from ....Read Full Story

The Government has announced the launch of the newest phase in its campaign to prevent antibiotic resistance by reminding the public "antibiotics do not treat viral infections”. This phase of the “Get well soon – without antibiotics” campaign will include advertisements in newspapers and magazines and posters. The Department of Health ....Read Full Story

The Press Complaints Commission has upheld complaints against two newspapers made by the Pharmacists’ Defence Association. The two newspapers, the Tameside Advertiser and the Manchester Evening News, both alleged a woman had been refused the “pill” by a pharmacist on religious grounds. The PDA said it had been  “implied” that ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has released details of the actions it is to take to help ease “workplace pressures” in pharmacy. Society President, Steve Churton has written an open letter in the pharmacy press which outlines the steps the Society will be taking to “understand and address” this issue. These steps ....Read Full Story

Alli (orlistat 60 mg) has been given a licence to be sold without prescription. According to manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline it is the first EU commission authorised non-prescription weight loss aid in Europe. The product will be available for adults with a Body Mass Index of 28 kg/m2 or more in all EU member ....Read Full Story

AAH has announced it will be reducing its fuel surcharge to £4.50 per month. The reduction will come into effect from February 1 and the company said that this is the second time it has reduced the surcharge, the first time being in November, 2008. ....Read Full Story

UniChem has announced the reduction of its fuel surcharge by nearly 50 per cent. The company said that from February 1 the charge will be reduced from £9.85 to £4.95. It adds that this is due to the fall in fuel prices.  John Geddes, UniChem sales director, said that the charges ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has asked pharmacists to express their views on two issues, new professional standards and guidance for responsible pharmacist and amendments to standards for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in positions of authority. The Society said that as the regulations for responsible pharmacist come into effect this year the ....Read Full Story

When buying shampoo and skincare from pharmacies 50 per cent or more of shoppers in the UK made a decision in-store about brand purchases compared to 20 per cent in supermarkets, according to a global shopper study. The report authors OgilvyAction said this shows shoppers are “more open to in-store ....Read Full Story

According to new figures released by Diabetes UK, one person is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes in the UK. The charity said that official figures show nearly 150,000 people were diagnosed last year and that 2.5 million people in the UK have diabetes. Diabetes UK has released this news to mark ....Read Full Story

The report on the first year of the Coventry weight management project has been released and shows that 30 of the 34 patients who completed the pharmacy-led scheme shed a combined weight of around 20 stone. The report says that 26.5 per cent of the participants in the pilot scheme “achieved ....Read Full Story

UniChem has announced an “exclusive” deal for independent pharmacy has been struck with DrThom, which is described as a medical service formally regulated by the Healthcare Commission to prescribe treatment online. According to UniChem, the deal will mean that independent pharmacies can offer services such as malaria medication, emergency contraception and ....Read Full Story

Statistics from the NHS Information Centre show that the number of pharmacies owned by independent contractors has dropped to 39 per cent in England and Wales. Figures show this is a two per cent drop from 2006-07 with the number of multiple contractors rising from 6,366 in 2006-07 to 6,688, a ....Read Full Story

The Transitional Committee’s prospectus entitled   ” the new professional pharmacy body for pharmacy”  has been published. The prospectus sets out proposals  for the structure of the body, for who would be able to join — this would include a full membership category for “pharmaceutical scientists” — and for the services the ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has announced that since the launch of the Chlamydia test service and Clamelle, GLG Laboratories have received between 5 and 10 tests a day. John Turk, chief executive of the NPA, has said that this uptake of the service is “particularly gratifying” as it has happened prior ....Read Full Story

The Independent Pharmacy Awards, arranged by Independent Community Pharmacist and sponsored by Apotex UK Ltd, were presented in London on October 1. The principal guest was Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Department of Health, who made the presentations. The Independent Pharmacist of the Year Award, to recognise the independent pharmacist who ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has produced materials designed for promotion of allergy screening services during Indoor Allergy Week, from November 17 to 21, 2008. The materials include a template press release and a template invitation letter. Also available is a “question and answer” document intended to help pharmacists answer questions that ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has announced the start of an eight-week consultation on continuing professional development( CPD) proposals. The Society says that the focus of the consultation will be on “professional standards and guidance for CPD” and the possible inclusion as one of the  categories of cases ....Read Full Story

Raj Patel, pharmacist and owner of Mount Elgon Pharmacy in Wimbledon has been promoting pharmacy in his local community with presentations on medicines use reviews. Mr Patel has so far given three presentations at local residents associations and local groups since July. He said that around 15 – 20 people attend the ....Read Full Story

AAH has announced that it will apply “normal” rates of discount to “qualifying ethical medicines” which are ordered by pharmacies directly from the manufacturer. The company said that the discount was previously “withheld” to cover the cost of invoicing “manually” when the product is ordered through the manufacturer. The cost, it ....Read Full Story

Two universities have been commissioned by the Department of Health to carry out research into prescribing by nurses and pharmacists and their effects on patient care. The University of Southampton and Keele University will carry out a survey using postal questionnaires sent to among others 380 pharmacist independent prescribers. These are ....Read Full Story

The Department of Health has announced the appointment of two National Clinical Directors for Pharmacy. The appointment of Jonathan Mason and Martin Stephens “fulfils the commitment made in the Pharmacy White Paper to ensure that the proposed initiatives are supported by strong, authoritative, clinical leadership at local and national levels,” according ....Read Full Story

The Independent Pharmacy Federation has expressed disappointment over the findings of the latest Which? undercover report, testing out pharmacy performance on emergency hormonal contraception, Imigran Recovery sales, and travellers’ diarrhoea. Which? sent covert researchers into 101 UK pharmacies and got “unsatisfactory advice on a third of the visits”. Independents gave such ....Read Full Story

Pharmacy bodies have expressed support for the Prime Minister’s announcement at the Labour Party Conference of free prescriptions for cancer patients and later, for patients with long-term conditions. But they questioned his claim that the long-term conditions exemption would be funded by drugs bill savings. John Turk, NPA chief executive, ....Read Full Story

Novartis Consumer Health has launched the first UK over-the-counter diclofenac tablets. The availability of these tablets comes after the POM to P switch of the “active” ingredient diclofenac potassium. Dr Edward Huskisson, consultant rheumatologist, King Edward VII hospital, London, who attended the launch of the new Voltarol product, said: “Diclofenac ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced the fees for 2009 that include staged payments and a low income fee. The staged payments arrangement will be quarterly and the society said the introduction is due to a “clear demand” from members. The Society has said the increase in the retention fee for practising ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched its prospectus to members and announced details of several new initiatives being launched in the coming months. John D’arcy, interim managing director of Numark, said: “It’s a tough environment. If ever pharmacists needed a robust support system its now.” The new initiatives that Numark members will be ....Read Full Story

Research from the University of Bristol and the University of West England, Bristol suggests that a child with a fever should be given ibuprofen first to reduce the fever. The study, carried out with 156 children aged between 6 months and 6 years, was intended to investigate whether the use ....Read Full Story

UniChem has announced that as of September 8 customers will have to pay a monthly fuel surcharge fee of £14. The charge will apply to deliveries to all first and second line pharmacies. The company says that it is no longer able to “absorb” the cost of fuel for ....Read Full Story

Pharmacy minister Dawn Primarolo will be speaking at the Community Pharmacy Conference this year. The conference takes place November 17 at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham and the theme this year is “Healthy people, healthy future”. For copies of the conference programme and registration forms go to www.psnc.org.uk/events. ....Read Full Story

Statistics have shown the prescriptions in Wales have risen from 59.1m in 2006/7 to 62m in 2007/8 one year after free prescriptions were introduced for all registered with a Welsh GP. The statistics come from The National Statistics office for Wales in a report entitled Prescriptions by General Medical Practitioners in ....Read Full Story

Rxchange.co.uk are offering healthcare professionals a free stock alerts email service. The new service provides daily email alerts on stock lists, biggest stock discounts and “up-to-date” market intelligence. It is part of the Rxchange service launched last year in association with the National Pharmacy Association. Pharmacists can register for the alerts at ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has announced the details of its new Chlamydia testing service. It is intended to be a private service for NPA members to offer customers. The service coincides with the announcement that the first over-the-counter treatment for Chlamydia, Clamelle, will be available by the end of the year. Pharmacists ....Read Full Story

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced the POM to P switch of azithromycin. It will be available as Clamelle from pharmacies without prescription for people aged 16 and over for the treatment of chlamydia if the person has tested positive for the infection and have no symptoms. Dr ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has released a new standard operation procedure (SOP) for the supply of opioid medicines. The document includes a “standard” template SOP and information on resources on this subject. It has been produced in response to a National Patient Safety Agency Report, “ Reducing Dosing Errors with Opioid ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association’s Education and Training department has announced it  us taking bookings for the NPA’s Preregistration Trainee Pharmacist Training Programme 2008/2009. There will be two courses, held in October, 2008, and January/February, 2009, and a Birmingham preregistration trainee pharmacist conference in April. This conference will include mock exams, revision ....Read Full Story

The Welsh and Scottish Pharmacy Boards of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society  have elected new chairpersons. Marc Donovan (pictured) has been elected chair of the Welsh Board and Sandra Melville, chair of the Scottish Board. Mr Donovan said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected Chair at this important time for the ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is advising pharmacists that the guidance released by the National Patient Safety Agency on opioids should be “implemented immediately”. The guidance advises health practitioners to confirm any recent patient medical history involving opioids including recent doses and frequency of use, check the dose being give is correct ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Policy Development Unit has commissioned a report that looks at the role the pharmacy can and does play in helping people in the community with alcohol misuse. The report will be available on the Society website from July 11. Eileen Neilson, head of policy development , says ....Read Full Story

The English Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has a new Chair, BethTaylor. Beth Taylor began her career in 1970 and has worked in primary care, community health and hospital pharmacy and has recently worked within East and South East England Specialist Pharmacy Services. She says: “I am very ....Read Full Story

Health Minister, Lord Darzi, has released his plans for the National Health Service. The plans come after a 12-month review and Lord Darzi says that the plans are to be put into action by staff at a local level. He states: “This report will enable frontline doctors, nurses and patients – who ....Read Full Story

Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has announced the beginning of a consultation on a draft NHS constitution. The constitution is intended to “reaffirm” the rights of patients to free NHS services “without discrimination of any kind”. The Department of Health says this constitution is a way to clarify the right and responsibilities ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced a restructuring of its internal directorates. The new structure will see the Society’s functions divided into three main areas: professional services, publishing and professional regulation. The three areas will share resources such as IT and public relations. Chief executive and registrar of the RPSGB, Jeremy Holmes, ....Read Full Story

UniChem and AAH Pharmaceuticals have both announced the launch of their 2008/09 pre-registration training programmes. AAH, in conjunction with Buttercups Training, is providing a scheme consisting of three residential events held in September, January and April. The start of the programme begins with a tutor introduction on July 28.  The company ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has said that the number of medicines use reviews conducted in Wales exceeded 60,000 in the 2007/08 financial year. The NPA said that this was an increase of 99 per cent of the 2006/07 year. NPA head of professional services (Wales), Steve SImmonds, said: “In the past year ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued a statement regarding the possible launch of a placebo pill aimed at children. “Obecalp” is a cherry flavoured dextrose pill that was launched on June 1 in the United States by Efficacy Brands as a placebo pill and may be available on the UK market. ....Read Full Story

Steve Churton has been elected President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Mr Churton addressed the council expressing his view on the profession at the present time. He said: “I cannot recall a time of so much change within our profession. Pharmacy is undergoing seismic change and the landscape ....Read Full Story

Novartis UK Ltd has announced that AAH Pharmaceuticals and UniChem Ltd will be distributing its medicines. The arrangement is due to commence on August 4 and Novartis has said that the new arrangement should not affect customers. However, AAH has said that it will be undertaking a restructuring ....Read Full Story

Procter & Gamble has announced details of an initiative called PharmacyCare they hope will drive front of store sales in independent pharmacies. PharmacyCare is a programme of activities designed to improve the “shopability” of independent pharmacy. The company wants to make independent pharmacy a “one stop shop” for all health ....Read Full Story

Howard Duff has been appointed director for England of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, a newly created role. Mr Duff is a qualified pharmacist who has worked in community, industrial and hospital pharmacy sectors and for the past two years he has been the East Sussex Local Pharmaceutical Committee Chair. David Pruce, ....Read Full Story

Nigel Clarke has been named by the Council of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society as the Chair of the transitional committee (transcom). This committee’s function will be to “guide” the council during the establishment of the new pharmacy professional body.   Society Vice President, Martin Astbury, said: “I am delighted that Nigel Clarke has ....Read Full Story

AAH Pharmaceuticals has announced the launch of a new version of LinkEvolution that includes a new electronic medicines use review  (MUR) forms “wizard”. The MUR wizard is intended to act as a step-by-step guide for pharmacists in England and Wales to filling out the electronic version of the MUR form. Director ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has had a positive response from the Government to its recommendation that there should be a maximum length of absence of two hours from the pharmacy in response to the Responsible Pharmacist consultation. The Government responded by saying that the Responsible Pharmacist regulations will “reflect” this two-hour ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched a competition to find four “faces of pharmacy” to take part in its 2009 media campaigns. The competition is being called “Pharmacy RX factor”. The Society is looking for four individuals to represent England, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain and raise the profile of pharmacy ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has made its series of SOP guidance notes resources available “free” to members online. The NPA has released five SOP templates and guidance notes including ones for anti-coagulant therapy and safe measurement of liquid medicines. The resources can be downloaded from the members area on the NPA ....Read Full Story

Data from a new survey released today indicates that UK pharmacy wants to play a bigger role in the weight management of the nation with 98 per cent of the pharmacists questioned saying that with support and training, they were “well placed to help people with their weight loss efforts”. ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced that the Clarke Inquiry will be the focus of a member forum on May 21. The forum will include a presentation providing an “overview” of the inquiry and the Society says it will express its response to the report. In attendance will be Society President Hemant ....Read Full Story

Mount Elgon pharmacist Raj Patel took part in a demonstration of the new allergy screening service for the GMTV cameras on May 12. GMTV doctor, Dr Hilary Jones, the camera crew and Allergy UK deputy chief executive, Jules Payne, arrived at the pharmacy at 5am and stayed until 8.40 am to ....Read Full Story

Numark, in association with Actavis, has launched a new training strategy called “Numark Academy”. It has been designed to “build on the success” of the current training programme offered by Numark, which includes preregistration training, workshops and seminars and business skills development through Scripts magazine and CPD. Numark Academy, in addition to ....Read Full Story

Durex has launched a new Safer Sex pack, designed to “open young people’s eyes” to the health risks of having unprotected sex. The launch takes place during National Condom Week, May 12 – May 16. The pack was designed by Samuel Michael from University College Falmouth, the winner of an online ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has appointed Wendy Harris as the new deputy registrar. Ms Harris was previously deputy director of healthcare quality and head of patient safety and investigations at the Department of Health. She will take up the post on June 9. She said: “I am very much ....Read Full Story

Allergy UK has announced that from May 19 it will be introducing a new allergy screening service to be available at local pharmacies. The screening service will include a consultation with “full” clinical history taken by the pharmacist and on-going support and information provided to the “sufferer” by Allergy UK. Pharmacists ....Read Full Story

The Department of Health’s announcement of £105m being invested in new GP practices for under-served areas has promoted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to call on the Government to include pharmacy in plans for healthcare in these areas. Hemant Patel, Society President, said: “While the RPSGB supports the Government’s commitment to invest ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has asked local council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) in England to ensure “adequate” consultation over the development of polyclinics occurs. The NPA is urging the OSCs to use the powers they retain under the Consolidated NHS Act 2006 to ensure that the “full potential” ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is urging the Government to consider all consequences in the planning of polyclinics. The Society is calling on the Government to carry out  “impact assessments”  and says it has identified three key areas that should be considered in an assessment. These are: economic, social and healthcare. David ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has produced a new resource called “Promoting safer measurement and administration of liquid medicines.” The resource includes a template standard operating procedure and guidance notes and the Association says it is intended to “ensure the supply of measuring devices for liquid medicines complies with the NPSA ....Read Full Story

Mount Elgon pharmacy has been shortlisted for the Small Business award at the South London Business awards 2008. Mount Elgon, run by independent pharmacist Raj Patel, is in the category with three other finalists and the winner will be announced on May 19 at Crystal Palace football club, Selhurst Park.  The ....Read Full Story

Almus Pharmaceuticals has donated a Sunshine Coach to Hazel Court School. The Community specialist school is for children with learning difficulties in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The money for the coach was raised through a charity golf day the company hosted last year that included guests such as Henry Cooper and Dennis ....Read Full Story

The government announced the launch of “The Common Core Principles to Support Self Care”. The introduction of the seven principles is designed to help health and social care staff to support people, such as those living with long term conditions, to “live independently, stay healthy and make the most of their ....Read Full Story

The Scottish office of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain held an open day on April 27. The day included a display of Victorian pharmacy with Peter Worling, representative of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy providing an explanation of the display.  There were also exhibits from the ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, working with the National Prescribing Centre, has updated its guidance for pharmacists on helping patients manage hypertension. The Society worked with the NPC to ensure the update was in line with guidelines set by NICE and national best practice. Heidi Wright, head of practice at the Society, said: ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has launched its 2008 Ask Your Pharmacist campaign. NPA chairman Dilip Joshi said: “The 2008 Ask Your Pharmacist campaign builds on what was launched last year. “ Virginia Mead-Herbert added: “The campaign is about closing gap between public knowledge and what pharmacy has to offer.” This year’s campaign ....Read Full Story

From April, The Independent Community Pharmacist is offering independent pharmacists the opportunity to win a mini-fridge, stainless steel kettle or microwave oven for the staffroom. To enter, all pharmacists need to do is email a picture of the Health Focus poster from the latest ICP issue, displayed in their pharmacy, along ....Read Full Story

A new survey produced jointly by the NPA and PSNC has shown that pharmacists are “working to engage” with EPS despite problems still arising in the system. 80 per cent of respondents to the telephone contractors were EPS release 1 enabled and 56 per cent of enabled contractors are scanning “some ....Read Full Story

The PSNC has re-launched its website. The website address remains www.psnc.org.uk but it now includes a news stream highlighting local news from LPC websites and RSS feeds. The PSNC hope the newly updated website will be accessible and easy to use. Head of Information Services Lindsay McClure, said: “The PSNC website has ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has launched a new resource called “Supplying Anticoagulant Therapy”. The resource includes a template standard operating procedure, guidance notes and details of the National Patient Safety Agency patient alert “NPSA Alert 18 – Actions that can make Anticoagulant Therapy Safer”. “Supplying Anticoagulant Therapy” can be downloaded from ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued guidance for pharmacists about dealing with requests for pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. This guidance is part of an “awareness” campaign the Society is running in response to the MHRA announcement of the possible reclassification from P to POM of these products in 2009 is the ....Read Full Story

Sukhjit Singh Grewal has been appointed NPA head of education and training. Mr Grewal moves to the post from his position as head of membership and actually started his career at the NPA as pharmacist training officer in 1999. He said: “Getting the right skill mix in the pharmacy is vital. ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched a campaign to get people to visit pharmacy for hay fever advice. The campaign comes after a survey commissioned by the society revealed that a “staggering” 73 per cent of people who suffer from symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes do not ....Read Full Story

The release of the pharmacy White Paper last week has provoked reaction a great deal of reaction from the pharmacy profession. Most groups and organisations have welcomed the news that the government want pharmacies to play a bigger role in providing the public with services. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said it ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has updated its “Substances of misuse” list. The list was last reviews in 2004 and it provides details of non-medicinal products; general sale list medicines; pharmacy medicines; prescription-only medicines; and controlled drugs and chemicals. The updated list can be downloaded from the Society’s website. The address is www.rpsgb.org. ....Read Full Story

The government has released a White Paper today which sets out the plan for a bigger role for pharmacies in NHS healthcare in England. The White paper, entitled “Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths —delivering the future”, discusses how more pharmacists will have the ability to deal with minor ailments along ....Read Full Story

Pharmacy organisations have reacted positively to the announcement by Alan Johnson of the government’s plans for health checks. The National Pharmacy Association, the PSNC and Numark interim director John D’Arcy have all said that they are pleased to see the acknowledgement that pharmacy can be used in offering these health checks. John ....Read Full Story

Phoenix Healthcare has bought Munro Wholesale Medical Supplies Ltd from the Munro group. This follows the group’s sale of its retail pharmacies to Admenta. John Cochrane, managing director of the Munro group said: “This is the final step in our plan to reposition the Munro Group firmly as a short ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has welcomed the announcement of the POM to P switch of Naproxen 250mg from Bayer Healthcare. The product, with the brand name Feminax Ultra, is used in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea. The Society’s Lead Pharmacist for self care, Sadia Khan, says: “The Society welcomes the ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society announced the appointment of Sarah Billington as Chief Inspector within the Fitness to Practise and Legal Affairs Directorate. Ms Billington was previously the Enforcement Manager with the Healthcare commission and she is a registered pharmacist and “experienced” magistrate. She says: “I am honoured to be joining the ....Read Full Story

Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced today plans for a health screening programme to “identify vulnerability to vascular diseases.” The screening will be offered to all 40-74 year olds will, according to Mr Johnson, prevent up to 9,500 heart attacks and strokes every year. He said: “The case for a national programme ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA) and The Primary Care Pharmacists Association (PCPA) announced the launch of the “Support and Evaluation Programme for the Medicines Use Review service”. The programme is sponsored by Pfizer and is intended to provide an evidence “base” to show that MURs are of benefit and “create ....Read Full Story

The MHRA has released a statement clarifying the advise on cough and cold medicines in the treatment of children under two. The six products that the MHRA has requested be removed from open shelves can still be sold for treatment of older children over the pharmacy counter and they are not ....Read Full Story

Pharmacists have been advised by the MHRA that cough and cold medicines containing certain ingredients are not to be given to children under 2 years of age. The advice follows a review by The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) on over-the-counter cough and cold medicines that suggested that due to the ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched a free distance learning initiative for pharmacy counter staff called “Counter Assistants – Category Excellence”. The modular programme is intended to help counter assistants identify “basic problems, talk confidently about common ailments and provide customers with recommendations on treatment and prevention,” says Numark category development manager Emma Charlesworth.  ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has announced the appointment of John Turk as Chief Executive effective from 7th April. Dilip Joshi, NPA Chairman said: “I am delighted to announce the decision of the NPA Board of Management to select John Turk. John is a highly regarded senior manager and has a ....Read Full Story

Numark and Nucare have announced the amalgamation of the two groups to establish a symbol group to be a “powerful force for community pharmacy”. When the two companies merge it will be under the Numark banner and the “ultimate transition” is scheduled to take place on October 1. Members of both Numark ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is hosting an open day of its London Headquarters on 20th April. The tour of the Lambeth site will include members being shown around the museum and library with a buffet lunch included and the option of a Thames River boat tour to end the day. There ....Read Full Story

Dr Chris Hodges, PSNC chairman, called for changes to be made to the Pharmacy contract during his speech at the PSNC dinner. His speech focused on the need for fair funding in the light of the increased number of pharmacies now operating in England. He said: “Today, as a direct ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association is offering Professional Indemnity Insurance from £99 for locums from 17th March. The Insurance would provide locums cover of legal expenses up to £250,000, £5,000,000 professional indemnity cover, £5,000,000 public liability cover and a free 24hour tax and legal advice helpline. NPA Insurance director Paul Coleman said: “Professional ....Read Full Story

The CPA (Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association) is highlighting the role of community pharmacy in making treatment and information accessible as part of its campaigning for World TB day 2008. The association said in a recent press release: “CPA observance of World TB Day over the last 4 years has served to highlight ....Read Full Story

Prescription charge increases will remain below the rate of inflation. This is the announcement made today by Public Health minister Dawn Primorolo. According to the Government the increase will result in 25p on prescription charges in England increasing the charge for a single prescription item to £7.10 from April 1st. The ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The document was signed by Jeremy Holmes, chief executive and registrar of the Society and Professor Kent Woods, chief executive officer of the MHRA in a move the two ....Read Full Story

Dexcel Pharma, manufacturer of Aloclair, has developed an over-the-counter treatment card with information about mouth ulcers. The card, for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, includes details on symptoms, causes and treatments, including information on Aloclair, and a section on when to refer customers for medical help. The card also features an ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched “myLibrary”. It is a new, free, online library for registered pharmacists. This new online resource allows pharmacists to download complete articles from over 1,700 full text journals and search abstracted references to published articles in pharmacy, medicine and health. myLibrary is available via myRPSGB ....Read Full Story

Nucare has announced details of its 2008 golf tournament.  The tournament is open to all Nucare members and will consist of three regional qualifying events. The first event will take place at The Roseberry Course at The Mentmore Golf & Country Club, near Leighton Buzzard on Wednesday 30th April. The second  ....Read Full Story

ALTARGO (retapamulin ointment 1 per cent), launched this week, is said to be the first new topical antibiotic launched in nearly a decade. The ointment is “effective” against localised impetigo, says manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. The last topical antibiotic formulation to be licensed in the UK was Bactroban on 28th October 1998, which ....Read Full Story

The CCA, AIMp, NPA, RPSGB, PSNC, CPS and CPW have released a joint response to the Department of Health’s initial consultation on Pandemic Influenza legislation. According to the organisations the response “outlines and describes the scale of the issues facing pharmacy which will apply to all community pharmacies across England, ....Read Full Story

A joint response from the CCA, AIMp, NPA, PSNC and RPSGB has been provided to the Department of Children, Schools and Families consultation on the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups legislation and the proposed scheme that will be administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The pharmacy bodies are asking that pharmacy be ....Read Full Story

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a six-week campaign aimed at encouraging pharmacists to highlight the Yellow Card scheme to their customers. Pharmacists will receive an information pack that will contain Yellow Card reporting forms, information leaflets and a poster. The online system www.yellowcard.gov.uk has also been ....Read Full Story

Plans were announced to today for the opening of an NHS GP surgery within a Boots store in Halifax. Spring Hall Medical Centre is opening a “branch surgery” within the Boots store on Market Street, Halifax. This is the second NHS GP surgery to open in the country the first was ....Read Full Story

The new Medicines Use Review form is now available from the National Pharmacy Association. According to the NPA the form is carbonated, to avoid transcription, saving pharmacists time and comes with “easy to use” guidance. It costs £9.99 and can be purchased from NPA sales on 01727 800401 or through ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has announced the appointment of His Honour Judge Mota Singh QC as the new Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and Patrick Milmo QC as the new Deputy Chairman. Judge Singh (pictured top right), previously the Deputy Chairman of the Society’s Disciplinary Committee, said: ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has launched a Dispensary Assistant Course (DAC). Completion of the course is intended to allow support staff to progress to NVQ Module 5 without the need to repeat the first four modules. The NPA says: “Trainees save time and employers save money – the price of the ....Read Full Story

AAH Pharmaceuticals, working with Patient Dynamics, are offering pharmacists help undertaking community pharmacy patient questionnaires. A 20 per cent discount will be given to pharmacists until the end of March who sign up to Patient Dynamics, via AAH (Tel: 02476 625256. Pharmacists will receive a “step by step” guide on carrying out ....Read Full Story

Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister, announced a £26.8 million “drive to improve young people’s access to contraception” at the launch of a new charity, the Association for Young People’s Health. Funding will be given to local health teams working with women to promote the full range of contraception methods including Long ....Read Full Story

The Government announced today (4 February) the launch of a national campaign to “remind doctors of the problem of antibiotic resistance and make clear to patients that antibiotics will not get rid of the common cold.” The Government said that the “over-use” of antibiotics, in many cases to treat viruses ....Read Full Story

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has written to Andrew Lansley, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, in response to a Conservative party press release regarding payments made to pharmacies. The PSNC stated in a letter released today: “It was extremely disappointing to see the press release you issued ‘Government has overpaid ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched a consultation on the types of cases suitable for non-referral to the Investigating Committee. The Society has proposed that the types of cases that are suitable for handling by the Society’s Inspectorate, instead of the Investigating Committee, should be extended. Currently cases that involve single ....Read Full Story

Paul Coleman has been appointed as Director of NPA Insurance. Mr Coleman will head up the newly formed NPA Insurance Limited, which was created from the renewal business of Pharmacy Mutual Insurance and the NPA’s Chemists’ Defence Association. Previously, Mr Coleman was the National Development Manager at MMA Insurance plc. He ....Read Full Story

Numark is launching a new trade advertising campaign that will begin in February. The recruitment and retention campaign features a series of case studies of Numark members, with each independent pharmacist talking about an aspect of their business and how being a member of Numark has “helped them”. Director of trade ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has said it would support moves to make oral contraceptives available over-the counter. David Pruce (pictured), RPSBG director of practice & quality improvement, says: “The RPSGB would support a proposal to reclassify oral contraceptives from prescription only to over-the-counter medicines. “Pharmacists are experts in medicines and have a ....Read Full Story

Quantum Specials newly built site on Hobson Industrial Estate in Burnopfield, County Durham, has been visited by HRH The Princess Royal. Buckingham Palace reportedly sent the company a letter after the visit stating: “Her Royal Highness was delighted with the tour of the premises meeting employees en-route, and sends her congratulations ....Read Full Story

Celesio have announced that Mark James has been appointed as the new Group Managing Director of AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Wolfgang Maehr, Group Managing Director Celesio Wholesale, says: “I am delighted to confirm Mark as the new MD of AAH. Over 15 years he has held several senior management and board ....Read Full Story

The Pharmacy Practice Research Trust is inviting applications from community pharmacist for the 2008 research training bursary scheme funded by Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust. The scheme is for pharmacists interested in “conducting research relating to everyday pharmacy practice,” says The PPRT. The Bursary scheme has £40,000 annually to fund a variety of ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has announced the focus for its 2008 Ask Your Pharmacist campaign. There will be three areas of focus, along with the continuing generic minor ailments messaging, and the areas will be Medicines Use Review, cardiovascular disease and sexual health. The NPA says: “The campaign will explain why ....Read Full Story

AAH has confirmed that Steve Dunn, managing director and Ian Davidson, finance director, have left the company. Mark James is acting as “interim managing director” and the company says he will continue in this role until an appointment has been made. The decision regarding the appointment of the new managing ....Read Full Story

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has launched an Internet Pharmacy Logo as a "visual tool to help the public identify if a website is being operated by a bona fide pharmacy in Britain". The logo, a voluntary scheme, will appear on the homepage of participating online pharmacies. It features the "unique" RPSGB ....Read Full Story

The National Pharmacy Association has announced that Alison White has "stepped down" as Chief Executive Officer of the NPA. Ms White joined the NPA as CEO in June of last year and prior to this post held an interim CEO position at Business Link. NPA Chairman, Dilip Joshi says: "We wish Alison ....Read Full Story

There should be changes to the government's drug pricing agreement with industry to safeguard pharmacy discounts. That is one of the recommendations made in the Office of Fair Trading Market study of medicines distribution, the report of which has recently been published. The study was sparked by the introduction of ....Read Full Story

John D'Arcy, former chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, has been appointed "interim managing director" of Numark. He took up the post on January 1. The appointment follows the death of Simon Colebeck, managing director since late 2005, who was appointed to the post after the acquisition of Numark by ....Read Full Story

Martyn Lewis (pictured left with Mike Smith), pharmacy manager at the Lewis Pharmacy in Exmouth, Devon, became the first pharmacist in the UK to stage a Coeliac Awareness Day on December 4, according to Unichem. Members of the public went to the pharmacy to undertake a free coeliac test to discover ....Read Full Story

Numark has launched a food intolerance testing service for its members. Mel Shah, who runs Canons Pharmacy in Edgware, was, according to Numark, the first member to take advantage of the service, which is provided by Health Diagnostics. Numark says: "Unlike most current food intolerance testing systems, the Kymatica ....Read Full Story