The last 12 months was probably the most challenging period that community pharmacy has ever faced, certainly in our professional memory. A combination of underfunding and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a perfect storm for pharmacy owners, pharmacists and their teams. Yet those same people have been magnificent in their response, putting their patients and their communities before themselves. However, recompense for COVID-related costs remains unresolved and negotiations on additional funding … [Read more...] about Creating a new future
Leadership
The future is local?
As we work our way through lockdown 3 and all that means to the day-to-day operational pressures of pharmacy practice, the Government and NHSE&I are looking ahead to 2022 with enabling legislation to further integrate local health and care through a new White Paper. With Primary Care Networks (PCNs) increasingly becoming the building block of out-of-hospital care and the predicted demise of CCGs as Integrated Care Systems take on a single pot of funding to commission health and public … [Read more...] about The future is local?
A new year, a new resolve
2020 was probably the most challenging year that community pharmacy has ever faced, certainly in our professional memory. A combination of the ongoing funding cuts and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a perfect storm for pharmacy owners, pharmacists and their teams. Yet those same people have been magnificent in their response, putting their patients and their communities before themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we all think and act and it has accelerated changes in consumer … [Read more...] about A new year, a new resolve
Pharmacy Reset & Recover
As community pharmacy reflects on and learns from its excellent response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is now right to move forward and plan for reset and recover. Large multiple pharmacy groups are already announcing significant restructuring and remodelling plans in response to the financial, operational and landscape challenges, but where does that leave independent pharmacy? Negotiations on COVID-19 related costs have now begun plus discussions on next steps for implementation of the … [Read more...] about Pharmacy Reset & Recover
A new year, a new Government, a new NHS… what’s new for community pharmacy?
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, recently gave a speech on the newly elected Government's priorities for the NHS: Prevention: because prevention is better than cure People: because we need more people working smarter Technology: because patients and clinicians demand better Infrastructure: because buildings matter too. The following extract from the speech relates to Community Pharmacy and the prevention priority building on the Healthy Living Pharmacy … [Read more...] about A new year, a new Government, a new NHS… what’s new for community pharmacy?