breaking news

BREAKING: PDA Union recognition secured at Superdrug with 94% voting in favour

 
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Some 94% of pharmacists and pharmacist trainees employed at Superdrug have voted in favour of the PDA representing employees at the company.

Tesco relaunches free blood pressure checks for shoppers

 
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Tesco has partnered with the British Heart Foundation to launch a free NHS blood pressure check for shoppers to “help detect cases of undiagnosed high blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes”.

GPhC to spend £300k on legal fees as FtP performance slides to red

 
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The pharmacy regulator has set aside an extra £0.3m for external legal advice as its fitness-to-practice performance falls from amber to red.


‘Don’t sign up!’: LPC chief advises against new smoking service over fees and safety concerns

 
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A new SLA sent out for a local varenicline smoking cessation service means pharmacists who take up the service will be operating at a loss, and result in “clinical risk” if they take up the service.

‘Violently sick’: ‘Predatory’ pharmacist jailed for abusing two patients

 
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A pharmacist who sexually assaulted two patients in pharmacy consultation rooms will serve two years in prison.

analysis

Salary Survey: What does community pharmacy think about Hub and Spoke?

 

If you wanted to describe the potential effect of Hub & Spoke as transformational, you’d be right. What the ultimate effect of that transformation might be remains up for debate.


GPhC considering AI-written ‘on-demand’ calculations paper

 
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The pharmacy regulator has considered using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ‘clone’ questions in part of the registration exam – and contemplated scrapping the calculations paper entirely.

Public want more services offered at pharmacies, YouGov reveals

 
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Three quarters of the respondents to a YouGov poll said they support pharmacies providing treatment for additional conditions, including chest infections and skin conditions.

analysis

Salary Survey: Do you have faith in the government?

 

After 14 years of Conservative rule, Labour stormed to an election victory in July. Does community pharmacy think the new regime understands pharmacy better than the last one?


Hope for 2025/26 funding deal by April, says CPS

 
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The Scottish pharmacy negotiator would be “delighted” for funding deal to be reached by April but admit it is “out of our control”.

‘Tear down the regs and make PrEP readily available’, say MPs

 
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Describing the situation as "ridiculous", MPs have called for HIV drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to be made “more readily available” outside of sexual health clinics and to “tear down” the regulations stopping community pharmacies from prescribing the medicine.

Government needs a ‘reality check’ on services and pharmacy funding, warns minister

 
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Northern Ireland’s Mike Nesbitt said the demand for more services will “require investment” and budgets need to reflect this.


sponsored

Voltarol introduces muscle pain relief medicated plaster

Voltarol is launching the new, one a day dosing Voltarol ONE A DAY Muscle Pain Relief Medicated Plaster, now providing up to 24 hours relief from pain and inflammation.

CPE mulling over ‘initial’ funding offer - as it bumps up LPC levy 2%

 

The negotiator said it had spent a “significant amount of time analysing and discussing the initial offer put to us” during a meeting spread across two days in February.

analysis

Salary Survey: Do you get value from your trade associations?

 

Community pharmacy has multiple trade associations representing differing priorities. Does the industry believe they are offering value?


‘Overwhelming opposition’: 93% of pharmacists reject P-med self-selection

 

A new survey has revealed that the vast majority of PDA members are opposed to making Pharmacy medicines (P-meds) available for self-selection.

Flu: ‘No changes’ to eligibility as autumn start dates announced

 
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The government has announced the dates for pharmacies to begin delivering free flu vaccinations in the autumn with no changes made to the eligible cohorts.

Kinnock: Employers must make pharmacy jobs ‘attractive’

 
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The pharmacy minister has told MPs that the responsibility “clearly” falls on employers to keep community pharmacists in work by making their jobs “attractive”.


PDA reveals 14% Boots trainee pharmacist pay uplift

 

The pharmacy union has revealed that it has agreed an increase of up to 14% in the pay rate for trainee pharmacists with Boots.

‘Modernised corporate structure’: RPS reveals dates for ‘Royal College’ vote

 
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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has proposed changes to its Royal Charter to help create “a robust foundation” for the membership body, with the vote on its royal college bid to open in just over a month's time.