exclusive

‘High volumes’: Fifth pharmacy suspended from Pharmacy First

 
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Another pharmacy has been suspended from the Pharmacy First service, with its integrated care board (ICB) citing “high volumes” and “the types of conditions referred” as reasons, C+D has learned.

Boots warns Chancellor budget will cause ‘inevitable’ job losses

 
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Boots has signed a letter to the Chancellor stating that the “sheer scale of new costs” introduced by the budget – including a rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the national living wage – will “make job losses inevitable”.

‘Immediate need’: Council mulls temporary pharmacy in shipping container

 
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A proposal for a temporary pharmacy in a shipping container has been submitted to address an “immediate need” while a “permanent location” is under development.


Change legislation so pharmacists can amend prescriptions, says RPS

 
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The RPS has called on the government to change legislation to allow community pharmacists to amend prescriptions when medicines are in short supply, a new report published today (November 26) has said.

LloydsDirect pharmacist suspended for attempting to smuggle tramadol from warehouse

 
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A pharmacist has been suspended for six months by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) for attempting to remove a “strip of Tramadol” from a LloydsDirect Pharmacy warehouse.

CAT upholds £62m Pfizer fine for gouging NHSE with ‘unfair’ epilepsy pill prices

 
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An appeal tribunal has upheld almost £70m in fines for two companies’ “illegal behaviour” that upped NHS spending on phenytoin sodium capsules by £48m in a year.


NHSE 'really very tight’ on pharmacy, Hancock reveals

 
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The previous health secretary revealed NHSE’s “lack of enthusiasm” in supporting community pharmacy is “inbuilt” and it is “by tradition, really very tight on pharmacists” during his evidence at the latest Covid-19 Inquiry hearing.

C+D senior reporter wins Content of the Year at PPA Awards for Wegovy exclusives

 

Kate Bowie, senior reporter at C+D, picked up the award for Content of the Year at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards for a series of exclusives reporting on the weight loss jab phenomenon.

Pharmacy collective action ‘will put immense pressure’ on GPs

 
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Pharmacy collective action would put strain on GPs who are “already struggling to keep up with appointments”, a GP practice has told C+D.


breaking news

In full: ‘We cannot afford a race to the bottom’: GP leaders vote for an ‘immediate’ end to pharmacy blood pressure checks

 
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GP leaders have voted “overwhelmingly” for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect” at the BMA’s annual GP conference – also calling for Pharmacy First to be “immediately discontinued” and funds “redirected” into general practice.

John Bell & Croyden fails inspection standard over P-meds in ‘retail area’

 
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The pharmacy regulator has ruled that the luxury pharmacy, which held the Royal Warrant as pharmacist to Queen Elizabeth II, has not met its inspection standard on “governance”.

PDA: GPhC consultation ‘watering down’ online pharmacy guidance

 
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The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns that proposed changes to online pharmacy regulations would embed “potentially poor practice” and allow pharmacies to “circumvent” guidance.


Boots launches £245 private RSV vaccination service

 
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Boots has launched a private respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination service in 75 stores across the UK for those who aren’t eligible for a free NHS vaccination.

Pharmacy sore throat services provide antibiotics less than GPs, study reveals

 
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A study of Welsh sore throat services has found that 24% of pharmacy consultations ended with an antibiotic prescription, compared with 39% of GP consultations.

exclusive

Pharmacy group urges BMA to reject ‘short-sighted’ GP vote on pharmacy BP checks

 
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A pharmacy group has urged the BMA to reject a GP leaders’ motion for pharmacy blood pressure checks to be “terminated with immediate effect”, which is set to be debated at the BMA’s annual GP conference tomorrow.


RPS board member resigns over royal college strategy

 
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Previous RPS president Steve Churton has resigned from its England board after taking a “principled stance” over how the body is working towards becoming a royal college.

Pharmacists must not ‘directly engage’ patients in assisted dying debate

 
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The UK chief pharmaceutical officers (CPhOs) have set boundaries around pharmacist involvement in the assisted dying debate, amid calls for a “clear” role for pharmacists in the Scottish assisted dying bill.

Repeat offender online pharmacy warned over weight loss POM ads

 
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The medicines regulator has ordered an online pharmacy to amend its advertising for medication “not licensed for weight loss” following a complaint, it has revealed.


Government to cut pharmacy business rates from 2026

 
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The government has introduced draft legislation to “permanently cut business rates” for pharmacies and other high-street retailers from 2026 as it continues to come under fire over its recent budget tax hikes, it has revealed.

US pharmacies endorse ‘vaccine-sceptic’ new health sec RFK Jr

 
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A US community pharmacy body has welcomed the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as health secretary under Donald Trump’s new administration, despite his controversial comments about vaccines.