Blog
EU Commission consultation on GDP
I have written before about the implications upon RPs from the current EU consultation exercise on GDP. There are other implications of the consultation, if it is implemented, concerning for example the Quality Systems operated by Wholesale dealers. At present in the...
New Medicines Service-making the most of it
In addition to the very welcome opportunity to use our professional knowledge to patient benefit, the NMS is undoubtedly an opportunity for pharmacists to earn some worthwhile additional income. Firstly, any pharmacy that implements the service, regardless of their...
Pharmacy in Europe
We can all learn from the differences between the way that pharmacy is practised in other countries. But not that many pharmacists get the opportunity to work abroad or to study how their profession earns a living elsewhere. Early in my career I worked in a Germany...
Property development including a Pharmacy
There is a well established and government encouraged trend for GPs to work together in larger groups and to work in purpose designed modern premises. Developments of such scale almost inevitably involve property developers. Property developers and pharmacists are not...
Wholesale dealers – Restricted Exports
Since my article on this subject last month, the ABPI (The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) have unsurprisingly now weighed into the subject debate by defending their member companies who they say have taken "many additional steps to ensure that UK...
Pharmacy Customer Service – NHS Choices
From this month, patients will be able to leave anonymous feedback on their experience of customer service at a particular pharmacy through the NHS Choices web site. Patients have been able to leave such feedback for doctors since 2009 and for dentists since 2010....
Relocating a pharmacy
** APRIL 2014 UPDATE ** In the old days not so long ago, as you can see below from the blog content, relocating used to be dependent on distance. Now, times have changed. The relocation rule is an exemption on the proviso of satisfying certain conditions. Will you be...
Pharmacy automation- a bit of history
The Financial times reported that George DEVOL, the American inventor of the first ever Robotic Arm machine died last week. He initially called his invention a "programmed article-handling device" Inspired by reading about Asimov's fictional robots, he invented the...
Wholesale Dealers – Restricted exports
Since 2009, by when the pound had significantly weakened against the Euro, there has been a monthly published list of UK branded medicines said to be in short supply in the UK market, that should therefore not be purchased in the UK for export. The list is published...
Pharmacy Automation – would help with increase in dispensing work
Recently published data suggest that on average 10 years ago, the average patient in England had just under 12 NHS items prescribed for them, about one a month. This average would of course arise statistically from many patients with no medication at all prescribed,...
Opening a new pharmacy
I well remember how excited I was the first time that I ran a pharmacy on my own as more than a locum, even though it was a long time ago! Today's young pharmacists are no less enthusiastic and ambitious than I was, and it is therefore a pity that NHS Pharmacy...
Responsible Person – New EU Commission Guidelines
The EU commission have just published for consultation new Guidelines on Good Distribution Practice (GDP) for human medicinal products. Ostensibly the reasons given for the consultation and proposed guidance updating are that the previous EU GDP guidance is 17 years...