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NEWS


ONLINE MEDICINES LAW CHANGE


From 1 July 2015 online sellers of medicines to the general public (including pharmacies) need to be registered in the UK with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) if established in the UK and to be on the MHRA’s list of UK registered online retail sellers.


If selling medicines online you will also need to display, on every page of your website that offer medicines for sale, the new EU Common Logo which verifies the registration of the seller with MHRA.


The EU Common Logo is now a legal requirement across all states of the European Union.


Selling medicines online without being registered and not displaying the logo will be illegal and may result in prosecution.


The illegal sale of medicinal products to the public via the Internet by retailers is a serious danger, as falsified medicinal products may reach the public in this way.


The common logo will help identify those websites which are operating legally.


The general public will be guided in future to only purchase medicines from a legally operating seller or pharmacy which will give the purchaser confidence in the quality and safety of the products.


The regulatory authority for the EU Common Logo is the MHRA; information and guidance on how to register for the new logo can be found on its website.


Register for the EU common logo by visiting: https://pclportal.mhra.gov.uk/?utm_s ource=psni&utm_medium=comms& utm_campaign=registration


PHARMACISTS ARE BEING URGED TO HELP RELAY THE MESSAGE ABOUT EARLY SCREENING OF AAA – ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM.


The Northern Ireland AAA Screening Programme offers a quick, free and painless scan to all men in their 65th year.


The aim of the programme is to reduce deaths from an AAA, which is a swelling of the main artery in the body as it passes through the abdomen.


The NI Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme invites men for an ultrasound scan of their abdomen in the year they turn 65.


Men over the age of 65, who have never attended for AAA screening, can ask to be screened by calling the Screening Programme Office on 028 9063 1828.


8 pharmacyinfocus.co.uk


Men are six times more likely than women to have an AAA which is why the Programme is aimed at them. The chances of having an aneurysm increase with age.


The programme relies on fellow HSC professionals, including community pharmacists and GPs, to help get this message out to the local population and spread awareness of this straightforward one-off test.


Members of the programme team would be delighted to hear from any community pharmacists who would be willing to display a poster, awareness leaflets or some business cards in their pharmacy.


The team are also very happy to provide a range of other professional and public information materials or come along and talk to any pharmacy staff, or related groups, about AAA screening throughout Northern Ireland.


NICPLD Recruitment in Foundation Learning


THE NORTHERN IRELAND CENTRE FOR PHARMACY LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT (NICPLD) WOULD LIKE TO RECRUIT 10-20 PHARMACISTS FROM COMMUNITY OR PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR EXTENSION OF THE FOUNDATION PROGRAMME.


The trend of increased participation in the NICPLD education programmes continued in 2014/15. Undoubtedly mandatory CPD has played a part in this, but pharmacists increasingly view programmes linked to workforce development as important in upskilling them for new roles, say the organisation.


One such example is foundation training. This is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours that collectively form the building blocks for all pharmacy practitioners.


“We know that practitioners who are well supported and understand what is required in their early years of practice are better equipped to adapt and deliver pharmaceutical care. The Foundation Programme provides a structured approach to paving the way for young pharmacists to realise their competence, demonstrate their experience and facilitate advancement or develop special


interests. During this two-year workbased programme, pharmacists build a portfolio of evidence and are supported by face-to-face learning and work-based mentoring,” they add.


“Initially offered to all newly qualified hospital pharmacists, we see foundation training as the development pathway for all new or recently qualified pharmacists, regardless of practice.”


Pharmacists interested in the programme should contact Laura O’Loan at NICPLD on Tel: 028 90974477.


Pharmacies urged to support AAA


The Programme has recently celebrated its third birthday. To help mark this anniversary the Public Health Agency (which commissions and quality assures the service) and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (which is responsible for the management and delivery of the programme) are keen to engage the support of community pharmacies across Northern Ireland to encourage all men aged 65 and over to seriously consider taking up the offer of having this vital health check – a simple procedure which could be life-saving.


Dr Adrian Mairs, Public Health Lead for the programme, explains, “As some people get older, the wall of their aorta can become weak and balloon out to form an aneurysm; rather like a bulge in a worn tyre. If this bursts, it is often fatal, and each year around 80– 100 people in Northern Ireland die from this disease.


Most people will be unaware that they have an aneurysm, as it usually produces no symptoms until it ruptures. The good news is that AAAs can be detected early by the screening programme. They can then be monitored and, if necessary, treated. Research shows that screening men aged 65, using an ultrasound scan, will reduce the death rate from ruptured AAAs by around 50%.”


Pharmacies wishing to find out more about the programme are invited to contact Ms Diane Stewart, Programme Manager at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (on 02890 638256 or by e-mail at diane.stewart@belfast trust.hscni.net) or Mrs Jacqueline McDevitt, Quality Assurance Manager at the Public Health Agency (on 02890 311611 or by email at Jacqueline.mcdevitt@hscni.net).


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