New emerging Pharmacy chain in 2021!
Avicena a venture capitalist group has been busy seeing the acquisition of Dudley Taylor Pharmacy group (57 branches across England and Wales) and Shepherds pharmacy group (34 branches across Wales) placing them in the top ranks of pharmacy chains at 135 branches above Morrisons changing the landscape in the space (1).
With such an achievement while everyone is battling COVID 19 brings the question of who is set to streamline the Pharmacy procedures to bring the group operating in unison? The business acquisition undertaken with the guidance of Charles Russel Speechys leads to a new pharmacy chain with the distribution to support their own WDA(H).
Patient Safety reminder
Do you know what to do when the person asks for ANI? Ask for ANI (Action Needed Immediately) allows victims of domestic abuse to discreetly tell pharmacy staff that they need help and support. The acronym was coined to signal HELP with support from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacob, and the Victim’s Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, SafeLives proposed the scheme to the Home Office and worked with them to create Ask for ANI (3).
Further training:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ask-for-ani-and-safe-spaces-schemes-training-toolkit
GPhC and MHRA inspections
With the lifting of COVID19 restrictions, the pharmacies and WDA(H) holders are now seeing an increase in inspections on both fronts.
With an emphasis on investigations of pharmacies that have allegations of asking staff to come in despite having positive COVID19 test and isolation instructions pertaining to pharmacies (2).
Our teams have noticed some similarities in the questions being conducted to match wholesale requirements bringing front line pharmacies onto the same platform as wholesale. On all fronts best make sure you are prepared.
Ref:
3. SafeLives