• 15TH JUNE 2023

    Reminder: Data Security & Protection Toolkit 2023 guidance available

    Community Pharmacy England has published new guidance to help members to complete the 2022/23 Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPTK). The Toolkit is used to make a pharmacy’s information governance (IG) declaration and the deadline is Friday 30th June 2023. We collaborated with the NHS DSPTK team to keep the workload associated with Toolkit completion manageable

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    • 14TH JUNE 2023

    Medicine Supply Notification: Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal® ) 300mg and 600mg tablets

    Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) 300mg and 600mg tablets. MSN/2023/059 Tier 2 – medium impact Date of issue 14th June 2023 Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) 300mg tablets will be out of stock from late June 2023 until mid-July 2023. Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) 600mg tablets are out of

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    • 14TH JUNE 2023

    Worrying trend of pharmacy closures in England

    Mirror Following the closure of 237 Lloyds pharmacies in Sainsbury’s stores this week, we provided temporary and permanent closures as well as a comment from our CEO to the Mirror. Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said: “Our analysis highlights a very worrying trend of pharmacy closures over the past few years. It is a stark indicator

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    • 13TH JUNE 2023

    Lloyds Pharmacy closing all Sainsbury’s branches

    Which?  Following news reports of Lloyds Pharmacy closing all of its Sainsbury’s branches this week, we have issued the following statement. Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said: “These closures are deeply worrying and one of the clearest signals yet of just how much community pharmacies are struggling to make ends meet. Pharmacies are being chronically underfunded,

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    • 12TH JUNE 2023

    NMS: Voluntary quarterly data returns

    NHS England is asking members (pharmacy owners) to continue to voluntarily submit New Medicine Service (NMS) quarterly summary data to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022/23 (January to March 2023). The mandatory requirement to submit this data has been suspended since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NHS England want to continue

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    • 12TH JUNE 2023

    2023/24 Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) screening questionnaire

    The 2023/24 Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) screening questionnaire will be available for completion from approximately 1am on Monday 3rd July 2023 until midnight on Sunday 30th July 2023. As a result of NHS regulations introduced at the end of 2020, completion of CPAF is now a requirement of the Terms of Service. Therefore, contractors must complete

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    • 12TH JUNE 2023

    MPs to examine role of pharmacy services in future NHS

    Pharmacy press The Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Social Care launched a new inquiry looking at the future of community pharmacy. Steve Brine MP, Chair of the Committee, said “Pharmacy has a central role to play in the future of the NHS. With a greater focus on personalised and patient-centred healthcare, we will be asking

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    • 12TH JUNE 2023

    Increase in number of medicines recalls

    Pharmacy press Following reports that the number of medicines recalled by manufacturers due to defects has increased 153% in the UK since 2017, we were asked to comment on what this increase in medicines recalls means for pharmacy teams. Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, said: “Medicine recalls are a vital

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    • 12TH JUNE 2023

    NHS publishes report on prescription costs in England

    Pharmacy press The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) published its annual statistics report Prescription Cost Analysis – England 2022/23, which shows that in 2022/23, 1.18 billion prescription items where dispensing in the community in England at a cost of £10.4 billion. This was an 8% increase from £9.69 billion in 2021/22. Director of Pharmacy Funding,

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    • 9TH JUNE 2023
    Heat-Health Alert: resources for pharmacies

    Heat-Health Alert: resources for pharmacies

    Following the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announcing a heat-health alert for the next few days, Community Pharmacy England has developed materials for members to use to support patients during this time. The UKHSA has issued an amber alert across the Midlands and the South of England, whilst other areas are subject to a yellow

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