RPS

The clinical pharmacist role's expansion in PCNs could leave “a big hole” in community pharmacy, Mark Lyonette warns.

Candidates running for election to the English Pharmacy Board have vowed to bring transparency to the RPS.

Paul Bennett has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). He will take up his post at the beginning of July.    

The RPS is supporting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, saying that pharmacists have a ‘vitally important’ role to play in the early detection of cancer

If you would like to represent the membership at national level and help influence and shape the profession, now is your chance!

Pharmacy Voice, PSNC and RPS launch next phase of Community Pharmacy Forward View project

Friday September 2 I see an email from a Capita official which simultaneously acknowledges a problem and abdicates responsibility. Apparently, the regional team received a large number of queries from London contractors regarding missing payments for August but the email states: “As Capita is contracted to manage and make monthly payments on behalf of NHS England, they should be contactedat PCSE.enquiries@nhs.net, copying the London Regional team at england.lon- pharmacy@nhs.net.” The email does not make any apology nor does it mention the financial impact on contractors.

Community pharmacists should be routinely prescribing for patients with long-term conditions, says RPS

Helen Gordon to leave RPS in February to become chief executive of the Royal Society of Medicine

It was gratifying to see the media coverage of the government’s cost-cutting measures for community pharmacy this past week or so. No matter that the spokeswoman from Pharmacy Voice on Radio 4’s Today programme seemed a bit nervous, the message was clear: community pharmacy is facing big cuts and pharmacies will close. Establishment payments will reduce from December, with a 12 per cent cut in the global sum from December to March, followed by a 7.4 per cent cut in 2017-18. The pharmacy minister, David Mowat, calls them ‘efficiency savings.’ They are weasel words.

Over 75 per cent of people seek diagnostic advice from the internet, according to RPS survey

Pharmacy bodies react with anger and disappointment at news of a proposed 12% funding cut

Pharmacy minister announces decision on cuts to be delayed, but gives no more details

We take a look at recent developments in the specials market

Ash Soni awarded honorary Doctor of Science by Kingston University

As a result of the Brexit vote, the free movement of pharmacists to the UK from EU countries could eventually come to an end. But presumably this will not mean that they could not come at all. If there is, as promised, an Australian-style points-based system for immigration then some might pass the points barrier. However, if points are related to need they might not be welcome, since the unrestrained schools of pharmacy in the UK are churning out too many pharmacists and the DH wants to reduce pharmacy numbers with its remuneration cuts.

RPS wants more prescribing mentors to allow more pharmacists to qualify as prescribers

Ash Soni loses position as Royal Pharmaceutical Society president in apparent political manoeuvring

Suzanne Scott-Thomas re-elected as chair of the Welsh Pharmacy Board, Paul Harris as vice-chair

GPhC announces plans to investigate workplace pressures