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opinion

crying-wolf-concept

Opinion: Crying wolf about the elephant in the room...

Have community pharmacy owners and their representatives been crying wolf for the past 30 years? One of our readers* has been crunching the numbers and draws some interesting conclusions. But is he or she right?

06 Sep 2024

andrew-mccoig

Opinion: Hoarding, shoplifting and a new Government

We have a new Government. Let’s hope we also have a more sympathetic approach to all the problems facing the sector. I have high hopes – pharmacy has always fared better under a Labour administration, writes retired pharmacist Andrew McCoig.

02 Aug 2024

person-falling-water-warning-concept-summary

Opinion: Strategy needed for the bigger picture

Alongside a strategy for the health service, the new Government needs a strategy for health. The NHS is but one component in a much broader picture, says Berkshire community pharmacist Graham Jones.

18 Jul 2024

nick-kaye-npa-chair

Weekend opinion: We must help the Government find the solutions it needs

New health secretary Wes Streeting has made it clear that cutting waiting times for GPs and hospitals are among his top priorities for the NHS, says NPA chair Nick Kaye. This is where pharmacy can help.

12 Jul 2024

new-project65

Opinion: Patients are our strongest advocates

My patients were more than happy to sign the latest Save Our Pharmacies petition for fair funding, says NPA board member Sanjeev Panesar.

04 Jul 2024

paul-rees-summary

Opinion: Pharmacy has been dealt a double whammy

National Living Wage increases and Drug Tariff changes are a double whammy for cash-strapped pharmacies, says NPA chief executive Paul Rees.

19 Apr 2024

reena-barai

Blog: First week thoughts on Pharmacy First

I feel immensely proud of how pharmacy teams, like mine, have stepped up within a short space of time to be ready to deliver Pharmacy First, says Reena Barai.

14 Feb 2024

look-ahead

Opinion: We need one vision and one voice

The lack of a single voice in pharmacy continues to hold the sector back, says Mike Holden, associate director, Pharmacy Complete.

16 Aug 2023

keith-ridge

Long read: Why does the NHS need all these extra staff?

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out a huge expansion in personnel – up from 1.4 million to 2.4 million by 2036, making it roughly the size of the population of Birmingham, says Keith Ridge, former chief pharmaceutical officer for England.

11 Aug 2023

opinion

Commentary: The RPS needs to be replaced

Pharmacy’s professional leadership body is not in a good place, mired in controversies of its own making. It should consider the bold step of dissolution, argues former president Steve Churton.

31 Jul 2023

burnout lead.jpg

Insight: I feel like toast but better times ahead?

With the Government having imposed a new set of utterly reckless regulatory requirements on the sector, morale has never been lower. The announcement of new investment in community pharmacy will do well to redress this sorry state of affairs...

15 May 2023

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NAPC view: Fund care, not just supply

It is time to recognise that all pharmacists in all settings are clinicians, who apply their knowledge in different ways, says National Association of Primary Care president Ash Soni.

15 May 2023

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