Blog
Buying a Pharmacy
What's on the market now? What can you afford? And what's a good investment? I often talk to pharmacists wanting to buy their own pharmacy and enter the market as a business owner. I want be my own boss, I'm sick of being employed and I'm ready to do this are common...
NHS Litigation Authority
The NHS Litigation Authority have recently published statistics on their website relating to appeals for pharmacy contracts. The number of appeals since the new market entry regulations has decreased however this may be a market anomaly as applicants get their heads...
Technology in Health and the emergence of Apple
It was announced earlier this month that Apple were launching their own healthcare and fitness app called HealthKit. The app is part of iOS8 and has the potential to communicate patient health data to hospitals and clinicians. The idea behind all of this is Apple's...
Online Pharmacy – are patients better with a ‘face to face’?
Recent coverage in the Australian community pharmacy press has centred around the benefit and/or potential harm of prescribing and dispensing medicines without a face-to-face consultation. The discussion raised asked the question whether an online questionnaire is...
Recent MHRA Alerts
So much for all the wonders and claims of slimming tablets ... After investigation, the MHRA has recently issued alerts about a number of products found to have prescription only drug ingredients in them. All the alerts were raised by the Hong Kong Department of...
Export of medicines in short supply………
The PSNC is no longer maintaining a list as shortages have become part of every day life in pharmacy now. This posed a question by one of my clients: “Does this mean we can now export anything?” No I said you must not export drugs in short supply and I refereed him to...
RP & GDP Training for WDA(H)
RP - Responsible Person relating to MHRA GDP - Good Distribution Practice - the guidelines by which medicine wholesalers must adhere to WDA(H) - Wholesale Distribution Authorisation for Human Use - previously Wholesale Dealer's License Should you possess a WDL or WDA...
Out of Specification (OOS) Test Results
What are Out of Specification results (OOS)? It seems to be clear enough in the name but I thought I better check it out. One definition is: All test results which fall outside the specifications or acceptance criteria established in drug applications, drug master...
Wholesale Dealer or Distributor? Wholesale Licence or Authorisation?
Which one do you have? I know we now have to have a wholesale distribution authorisation (WDA ) to wholesale medicines but I still find myself saying wholesale dealers licence and wholesale dealers authorisation. Why the change? We have to come into line with the rest...
Today’s thought – small business
So here's my rant for the day ... it reflects just some of the difficulties of being a small business owner! It is a crazy old world in the same month I have had a letter form David Cameron, telling me he is saving me £2000 in NI contributions this year and then...
Quality Agreements- Technical Agreements- Good ones are invaluable!
TAs - when do we need them in place and who with and what should be in them? PCL have been reviewing a few TAs over the last few weeks and we have put a few tips and hints together. If you only follow GDP or GMP; the principals are the same. If you are a manufacturer...
The current state of Pfizer
Pfizer’s bid for AstraZeneca scrutinised - should it be only the shareholders who decide? AstraZeneca employs over six thousand people in the UK. Pfizer has made nine promises in a letter to David Cameron which are said to reflect Pfizer’s commitment to the UK. The...