Politicians

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.

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.

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.

Community pharmacists are set to meet with a Northern Ireland Office (NIO) minister to discuss the sector’s funding crisis after the National Pharmacy Association’s (NPA) ballot received near unanimous support in favour of collective action.

MPs have urged the government to “go back to the drawing board” and “invest” in community pharmacies as concerns grow about the upcoming hike in employer National Insurance Contributions.

Labour MP Sadik Al-Hassan has voiced concerns about the “decline of community pharmacies” in his first parliamentary speech.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has stressed that the budget will have a “devastating impact” on the health sector, “but none more so than NHS GP services”.

The national living wage will increase by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour from April next year, the Chancellor has confirmed in her first budget.

A new health and social care committee (HSCC) member has stressed that the committee will ensure the government’s months-long NHS consultation makes “some proper changes” amid concerns that it will just result in “more and more paperwork”.

Stephen Kinnock has visited a community pharmacy for the “first” time since his appointment as pharmacy minister in July to “better understand the challenges” facing the sector.