Delighted to share a @pharmaj.bsky.social podcast I’ve been working on about community pharmacist prescribing in England. Give it a listen and let me know what you think! pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feat...

I asked CPhO for England David Webb about rumoured plans to deliver NHS weight loss jabs through community pharmacy. He said the service would be delivered through general practice in the first instance, but there is an ‘ambition’ to explore other routes of delivery. #cpcongress #PharmSky

Seen media reports about weight-loss jabs being available on the NHS from high-street pharmacies? The government confirmed that these reports are 'speculative' but England's community pharmacy negotiator told us that it would be open to discussing such a plan. Read everything we know so far ⬇️

BREAKING: Hub and spoke changes expected to come into force in October #PharmSky #CommunityPharmacy #HubAndSpoke

Harry McQuillan was the chief executive of Scotland's pharmacy negotiator for more than 17 years. In this interview with The Pharmacist, the now chair of Numark shared his reflections on the new deal in England. Read more: buff.ly/HUDvjpf #PharmSky

There are so many changes to the pharmacy sector in the coming years - from hub and spoke and automation to skills mix, more services and prescribing. It was fascinating to speak to leaders within the sector about what this could look like for contractors.

The Pharmacist is on BlueSky! 🦋 UK community / GP / PCN pharmacists - give us a follow ➡️@thepharmacistnews.bsky.social And please spread the word with your #PharmSky networks!

We're surveying UK #PCN and #GeneralPractice #pharmacists to find out what you think about morale, premises, assisted dying and more. This will help us cover issues that are vital to the future of practice pharmacy. #PharmSky

The pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has promised a 'major new funding package' for community pharmacy that is due to be announced 'shortly'. #PharmSky www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/ministe...

Community pharmacy funding negotiations have concluded, with the deal set to be announced on Monday, Community Pharmacy England has said. Read more ⬇️ www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin... #PharmSky

BREAKING: Economic analysis of community pharmacy published www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin... #PharmSky

#PharmSky Pharmacy minister calls NPA action 'premature and unnecessary' www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/pharmac...

BREAKING: RPS to become Royal College of Pharmacy after member vote www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

Community pharmacies are still waiting for their new contract deal, which will be informed by the economic analysis of community pharmacy, commissioned by Frontier Economics. #PharmSky #MedSky #GPSky

At 8:30 on a Saturday morning in a small town in County Durham, a queue is already forming outside contractor Kevin Simpson's pharmacy. Within an hour, 'there'll be 20 people stood waiting for attention', Kevin tells The Pharmacist.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has advised its members in England to reduce their opening hours, as a funding deal for the sector has still not yet been announced. #PharmSky #PharmacyFunding #PharmacyContract

Pharmacists in general practice are popular with patients and with GP employers – but their recruitment from a struggling community pharmacy sector has left its mark. #PharmSky #MedSky #GPSky

#PharmSky news this week on The Pharmacist: 💸 Contractors are still awaiting the community pharmacy 24/25 and 25/26 funding arrangements, with the pharmacy minister 'unable' to give an update (www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/pharmac...).

A little foray into entertainment writing with this interview with Amit Dhand about his major new BBC drama #Virdee. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/community/in...

Great to have @grahamstretch.pharmsky.app writing for The Pharmacist about why GP/PCN pharmacists should consider hosting a trainee, what foundation trainee pharmacists can do, and how to get employers & local partners on board. #PharmSky #PrimaryCare #GPSky www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

BREAKING: Community pharmacy contract negotiations have now begun for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 agreements, the government has announced. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin...

Prescribers should be required to conduct a 'full two-way consultation' with patients before supplying weight loss injections and other 'higher risk' medication, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has said. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/clinical/dia...

All pharmacy team members have been asked to feed into a vision and common purpose for pharmacy professional leadership. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

My colleagues at Cogora have put together this report into the general practice workforce - including the changing landscape of pharmacists working in general practice and its impact on the community sector. Give it a read and let me know your thoughts! www.thepharmacist.co.uk/investigatio...

Almost every area in England has seen a drop in pharmacy provision between 2022 and 2024, new analysis shows. Find out how many pharmacies per 100,000 people your area has on my visualisation below, and head to www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/pharmac... for my full write-up of the NPA analysis.

The government is considering enabling pharmacists to substitute a different dose or formulation in specified circumstances, it has confirmed.

BREAKING: The government has responded to recommendations made by a parliamentary committee's report on pharmacy in May. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin...

An exclusive for The Pharmacist published today Seven in 10 pharmacists working in general practice or primary care networks (PCNs) see themselves working in the sector in five years' time, our snapshot survey suggested. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

BREAKING GPs have been offered a contract for the next financial year while pharmacies are still waiting for theirs that should have begun in April this year. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin...

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting is 'working through' a funding package to stabilise the community pharmacy sector, he has said. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/streeti... #PharmSky

BREAKING: Pharmacy contract negotiations to start 'early in the new year' www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/breakin...

BREAKING: Multi-sector pharmacist training no longer mandatory for 2026/27 www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

Non-clinical pharmacy managers in England could come under the scope of regulation proposals launched by the Department of Health and Social Care. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/in-practice/...

This week I spoke to James Davies from the RPS about 'concerning reports' of 'increasing numbers of websites that appear to the public to be reputable pharmacies providing medicines but are not registered with the GPhC'.

Medicines shortages ‘increasing tensions’ between GPs and pharmacists. Detail here from @joanna-journals.bsky.social www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinica...

Read the new RPs report "Medicines Shortages: Solutions for empty shelves" shortages/,https://www.rpharms.com/medicinesshortages

Paul Rees is set to step down from his role as chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and become the interim chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) from January. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/paul-re...

Looking for UK community pharmacists to follow? Try this starter pack - and let me know who I've missed! go.bsky.app/2psS5VG #PharmSky #MedSky #GPSky

Hello #PharmSky bluesky-ers 🦋 I'm following and sharing UK primary care / GPP / PCN pharmacy news here: bsky.app/profile/joan... Who else should I add? Please add people and follow the list!

This was only a matter of time. I hope good honest conversations takes place so that patient care is not compromised. Local LMC met yesterday for GP collective action and planned steps to be agreed. My head is already overthinking. #PharmSky #MedSky #GPSky www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Pharmacy owners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have voted in favour of taking collective action, according to a ballot carried out by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/pharmac...

As the RCGP reports 'regional spikes' in scabies cases, I spoke to two pharmacists who told me the over-the-counter treatment is too expensive for some patients, causing some to visit the GP to get it on prescription instead. Read more on The Pharmacist 👉 www.thepharmacist.co.uk/clinical/der...

Almost two-thirds (62%) of pharmacy team members have reported a reduced ability to offer services or advice to patients because of staffing shortages , a survey by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has revealed. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/communi...

Pharmacists working in general practice / PCN - how has collective action / 'working to rule' from GPs impacted you? Let me know in comments or DMs, or let's arrange a chat 📲

Some pharmacists are being expected to fulfil flu vaccination bookings as frequently as every five minutes, potentially impacting workload, stress and the delivery of other pharmacy services, the Pharmacists' Defence Association has suggested. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/clinical/vac...

Changes to hub and spoke regulation will not come into effect on 1 January 2025, as was previously intended, according to Community Pharmacy England. Read more www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/hub-and...

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Calling all UK community, GP and PCN pharmacists - we want to hear from you! Our survey covers workforce, meds shortages, prescribing & more - please take 10 minutes to fill it out, help us cover the issues that matter, and potentially win £100 vouchers. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/take-ou...

I'm writing about community and primary care pharmacy news for The Pharmacist. Today: Disproportionately low pharmacy provision and over-reliance on one pharmacy group could put rural areas at risk of becoming a 'pharmacy desert', the NPA has warned. www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/npa-war...

I'm new to bluesky! Who should I follow in the community pharmacy / primary care world?👇