PSNC

Frustration at Easter opening instruction to pharmacies

All pharmacies in England are to open from 2pm to 5pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday without any additional payment, said NHSE&I.

Some community pharmacies must open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, NHS England & Improvement confirmed last night.

Pharmacists outraged as the price of sertraline rockets past the £13 mark before falling again. “It’s a scandal,” says one.

Pharmacies in England will receive a £300 payment for installing protective barriers in order to reduce teams’ risk of Covid-19 infection.

Pharmacy bodies are urging the Government to scrap all prescription charges in England for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government has signed off on £300 million in advance funding for community pharmacies in England over the next two months.

An emergency cash injection and an NHS emergency supply service are two items in PSNC’s ‘negotiations action list’.

The PSNC has said it is pushing for an urgent cash injection from the government before the weekend.

PQS is to be postponed for at least three months in order to release £18.75m for community pharmacies’ COVID-19 response.

Pharmacists have been critical of the response from the government to the coronavirus epidemic.

PSNC chief Simon Dukes warns government funding is needed if pharmacies are to avoid closure as the coronavirus crisis escalates.

Pharmacy contractors are reporting that wholesaler prices for paracetamol have risen substantially in recent weeks.

Ahead of the results of David Wright's review of contractor representation, do public statements hint at the conclusions? Sasa Jankovic reports

Year 2 of the contract will see changes such as the launch of a new NHS Discharge Medicines Service.

Patients discharged from hospital will be referred to pharmacies for advice on newly prescribed medicines.

Community pharmacy contractors are being urged to respond to a survey that asks how effective representative structures are.

Simon Dukes has provided an update on progress on the first annual contract review.

Figures provided by the regulator suggest there may have been a net decrease of 166 community pharmacies last year.

The new GP contract is described as placing additional financial stress on the community pharmacy sector.

Pharmacy trade bodies recommend a reduction in the number of LPCs to save money and improve support.