NEWS
Inaugural Celtic conference addressed by Scottish CPO
The first pharmacy conference to bring together pharmacy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was recently held in Edinburgh.
More than 200 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and fellow healthcare professionals from across the UK signed up for the Celtic conference, which was developed as a showcase for some of the best practice in pharmacy across the three Celtic nations.
The conference speakers came from all three nations and Northern Ireland was well represented across both primary and secondary care.
Jonathon Lloyd, Director in Primarycare and Community Together (PACT) told the conference about the population approach for community pharmacy working within the IMPACTAgewell® Social Prescribing Project, while the province’s Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Cathy Harrison, focussed on the use of the Small business Research Initiative in pharmacy innovation.
Northern Ireland’s medicines optimisation initiatives have gained global recognition and the subject was well represented at conference. Anne Friel, Head of Pharmacy & Medicines Management at the Western Health & Social Care Trust considered the implications for practice with regard to optimising medicines in acute hospital wards,
Professor Rose Marie Parr
NPA IN FOCUS
Living Well The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has produced a new guidance to support members who are taking part in the Community Pharmacy Living Well service. The Living Well service will provide opportunistic information and advice to patients and other pharmacy visitors on public health issues as well and drive up participation in campaigns.
while Dr Glenda Fleming, Deputy Director of the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust, told delegates about the development of the centre, which has already gained international recognition for its work.
In her keynote address to the conference, Scotland’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Professor Rose Marie Parr, told delegates that she believed it was an important occasion for pharmacy:
‘The expectations on our profession are increasing across the UK regardless of where we live and work,’ she said.
‘As a profession, when we share and discuss innovative ideas and approaches to delivering pharmaceutical care, and we think how these approaches might translate into our own practice, we create new opportunities for patients.’
New diabetes prevention programme launched across NI
A new programme to tackle the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been launched by Public Health Agency (PHA).
The programme has been developed as part of Northern Ireland’s approach to providing innovative services which have a focus on prevention and has been supported by investment from the transformation fund.
The new Diabetes Prevention Programme is aimed at people who have been identified as pre-diabetic –
those who have been tested and have a blood sugar level slightly above the normal range – by their nurse, pharmacist or doctor.
‘Often, by making simple changes
to lifestyle, losing weight, adopting a healthier diet and increasing physical activity, people can alter a type 2 diabetes diagnosis or at least postpone it significantly,’ said Trudy brown, Regional Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme Manager at PHA.
PHARMACY IN FOCUS - 29
The NPA has previously welcomed the Health and Social Care board (HSCb) announcement that the service, which will run throughout 2019/20 pending confirmation of funding, would be available in participating pharmacies. A £500 grant has been made available to support preparations for the service, which includes having a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place.
The service will target ‘hard to reach’ sectors of the population who are not frequently exposed to health promotion activities in other parts of the health or social sector. The aim is to increase patient knowledge and understanding of key healthy lifestyle and public health messages so they are empowered to take actions that will improve their health.
The SOP produced by the NPA includes examples of situations whereby patients can be seen under the campaign and a flow chart to demonstrate how to cater for them. The Living Well SOP is available to NPA members on its website. For further information, including the SOP itself, visit the NPA website or call 01727 891 800.
Making TAX digital From Monday 1 April 2019, all businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT registration threshold, currently £85,000, must comply with the requirements of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT initiative.
As such, all VAT returns will need to be submitted digitally to HM Revenue & Customs. This means that from 1 April 2019 most businesses will no longer be able to use manual/paper based records to submit their VAT returns to the HMRC. Excel-based records may be submitted if ‘bridging software’ is used.
More details, including contact details for NPA business partners who can support you, are available from the NPA website. NPA board meeting
The NPA’s board and Committees convened in March. The board approved a business plan and associated budget for 2019/20, which commits the NPA to delivering member-centric services and secures community pharmacy’s position as the first port of call for wider health services. To read an account of the proceedings, by NPA Chair Nitin Sodha, visit the NPA website.
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