The PJ Pod: Recent Episodes
Pharmaceutical Journal
Keeping you one step ahead of developments in pharmacy, medicines and the pharmaceutical sciences. Brought to you by the team behind The Pharmaceutical Journal.
In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Joanna Robertson, senior clinical reporter, talks to Mark Stuart, a sports pharmacist whose 25-year career has spanned Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games, as well as anti-doping education at the International Testing Agency.Our conversation also touches on the growing use of supplements, how a pharmacist's expertise helps athletes think through how their medication might impact their performance and how to navigate doping regulations.Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice and explore more resources relating to sports pharmacy below.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
E to managing complex infections with limited treatment options. Also, playwright Becky Hope-Palmer explains how the musical demonstrates that AMR remains an urgent global challenge.The episode also explores the wider context of AMR in England. Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead pharmacist for AMR at the UK Health Security Agency, outlines the current state of AMR, using the latest surveillance data. She discusses why — despite some progress in reducing antibiotic use — resistance remains a significant and growing threat.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Over the past two years, around 200 community pharmacies in England have been involved in NHS England’s ‘Community pharmacy independent prescribing pathfinder programme’, trialling different clinical models to discover what a community pharmacy prescribing service could look like.In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior clinical reporter Joanna Robertson shares on-the-ground reporting from two pharmacies involved in the programme, as well as discussions with pharmacy leaders about what building blocks will need to be in place for a nationally commissioned service in England.With thanks to the contributors featured on this episode: Omar Sawar, pharmacy manager at Farah Chemists in Newcastle, Mark Burdon, community pharmacist at Burdon Pharmacies, Ewan Maule, clinical director for medicines and pharmacy at North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and Harry McQuillan, chair of Numark and former chief executive of Community Pharmacy Scotland.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
On 15 April 2026, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society became the Royal College of Pharmacy and — as Karen Baxter, the organisation's interim chief executive, says — that date “isn't the end of this story: it's just the foundation stone”.In this episode of The PJ Pod, Baxter and outgoing chief executive Paul Bennett reflect on the journey up until this moment, the path that now lies ahead and the sense of optimism that surrounds this historic moment.Thank you to Karen and Paul for taking time out to share their thoughts with us. This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Alex Clabburn, senior editor — research and learning, talks to Shane Kailla, a principal pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner working in acute and emergency medicine.Shane has worked as an emergency department pharmacist since 2021, with his current role focused on establishing the first dedicated pharmacy provision within a large NHS trust in the West Midlands.Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Siobhan Chan talks to Li Shean Toh.Toh is an astropharmacist, who is currently based at Monash University in Australia and also holds roles at the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency. She carries out clinical consultations, research and teaching into medicines management and the way our bodies process medication in microgravity. She also develops policy, works in space tourism and has co-founded a company called Apotech in Extreme, which aims to find pharmaceutical solutions for space exploration.Before moving to her current role, Toh worked as a paediatric leukaemia pharmacist, as well as a GP pharmacist in rural Malaysia.Listen to this episode to find out how to follow your academic interests and carve out your own niche in pharmacy research.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.Pharmacy Inside JobsOur PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — has been developed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out which skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.In case you missed it, our first three Pharmacy Inside Jobs episodes featured prison pharmacist Kaniksha Aggarwal, who lifts the lid on what it is like to work as an advanced pharmacist specialist in a men’s prison; Gurmat Khangura, a specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions, who talks about his role conducting ADHD assessments for young people; and Sanjay Gudimetla, who reveals what it’s like to be a senior medical affairs manager within the pharmaceutical industry.
This episode of The PJ Pod looks at the importance of speaking up whenever you have a safety or wellbeing concern, and how exactly to go about that. We speak to Beth Carter, interim director of operations and strategy at the National Guardians Office; and Mark Pitt, pharmacist and director of defence services at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who set out what anyone working in pharmacy should know if they are thinking about raising concerns.For links to further resources and sources of support when getting started in research visit The Pharmaceutical Journal website. This episode is presented by Katherine Sole, editor of research and learning at The Pharmaceutical Journal, and produced by Geoff Marsh.
The PJ Pod’s final episode of the year looks ahead to our editorial team’s predictions for pharmacy in 2026. What big changes are coming for the world of pharmacy — and what impact will this have on pharmacists’ day-to-day work?We also look at the biggest stories of 2025, including a new contract that was deemed the best deal in the past decade, the ten-year health plan and the greater role that pharmacists will play in preventing ill-health within the community, as well as a government consultation on pharmacists combatting medicines shortages by being able to amend prescriptions in limited ways.Tell us about your own predictions and join our conversation on social media using the hashtag #PJPod, or email us at: editor@pharmaceutical-journal.com.This episode is presented by Siobhan Chan, senior features editor, and produced by Geoff Marsh.Thank you to Corrinne Burns, Royal Pharmaceutical Society correspondent; Graham Clews, news editor; Caitlin Killen, clinical editor; Joanna Robertson, senior clinical reporter; and Sophie Willis, investigations editor, for their contributions.
Article Supported ByPfizerFinancial support was provided from Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer have provided only financial support and have had no input into the development or content of the project and associated materials.In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior editor Alex Clabburn shares insights from a recent expert round table meeting hosted and organised by The Pharmaceutical Journal exploring how pharmacists can contribute to improved migraine care for patients.For links to further resources and sources of support when getting started in research visit the PJ website. Many thanks to Callum Duncan, Sandip Patel, Bethany Hill, Katy Munro, Rob Music and The Migraine Trust for their contributions and support in the production of this episode.This programme is presented by Alex Clabburn, senior editor, research and learning and was produced by Geoff Marsh. In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior editor Alex Clabburn shares insights from a recent expert roundtable meeting hosted and organised by The Pharmaceutical Journal, which explored how pharmacists can contribute to improved migraine care for patients.By the end of the episode, you should be able to:Understand how to recognise symptoms and identify patients with undiagnosed migraine;Know which treatments are recommended for acute migraine and when preventative medications are indicated;Understand the long-term nature of migraine and need for ongoing patient support and optimised treatments, Know the importance of lifestyle adjustments and headache diaries to help patients reduce their exposure to migraine triggers and frequency of attacks.Many thanks to Callum Duncan, consultant neurologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Sandip Patel, Bethany Hill, a headache and facial pain clinical nurse specialist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Katy Munro, a senior GP headache specialist at the National Migraine Centre, Rob Music, chief executive of the Migraine Trust, and the Migraine Trust for their contributions and support in the production of this episode.This programme is presented by Alex Clabburn, senior editor, research and learning and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this episode of The PJ Pod, we explore the main changes and implications for practice of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)’s chronic heart failure guidance update.On 3 September 2025, NICE released its updated guidance on ‘Chronic heart failure in adults: diagnosis and management’.The guidance mentions the role of pharmacy for the first time and has implications for an expanded role for primary care in managing heart failure. The guidance makes several recommendations, including on the use of combination treatment of the four main types of treatment: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), beta-blockers (BBs), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2s (SGLT2s) inhibitors — also known as the four pillars — in the early treatment of heart failure. In this episode of The PJ Pod, clinical editor Caitlin Killen talks to Paul Wright, consultant cardiovascular pharmacist at Barts Health NHS Trust, to learn more about the guidance and its implications for practice.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Dawn Connelly talks to Sanjay Gudimetla.Gudimetla has worked within the pharmaceutical industry for around nine years and is currently senior medical affairs manager at Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He is also a qualified final medical signatory.Before moving to his role within the pharmaceutical industry, Gudimetla gained his independent prescriber qualification and worked within clinical practice, including roles in community pharmacy, primary and secondary care.Listen to this episode if you want to find out how to secure a role in the pharmaceutical industry, the diverse opportunities available and whether it is possible to achieve a work–life balance.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from Alex Clabburn, senior editor, research and learning.--Our new PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — has been developed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out which skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.
From rising stress to expanding clinical roles, pharmacists are facing mounting pressures.Chronic understaffing combined with increased demand and limited resources arecompromising patient safety and leaving many pharmacists working alone or rushed.Emotional strain is also growing, with reports of increased abuse and burnout.Despite these challenges, pharmacists remain deeply committed to patient care — butwithout meaningful support, the cracks in the system are becoming harder to ignore.In this PJ Pod 'Spotlight' episode, interim executive editor Carlotta Eden and senior features editor Siobhan Chan unpack the results of The Pharmaceutical Journal’s latest salary and job satisfaction survey.This episode was recorded in July 2025.If you'd like to hear us cover any specific topics in our podcasts or have any suggestions, please contact us at editor@pharmaceutical-journal.com
In this episode of The PJ Pod, we look at the benefits of effective patient engagement and speak to the OPERA 2025 shortlist and joint winners, to explore some of the ways that they are working patients and the public to improve the relevance, accessibility and quality of their work. For links to further resources and sources of support when getting started in research visit the PJ website. Many thanks to the OPERA 2025 shortlist Qonita Anjani, Ryan Hamilton, Wallis Lau, Smita Salunke and Jennifer Stevenson the for their contributions.This programme is presented by Alex Clabburn, senior editor, research and learning and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Our new PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — has been developed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out which skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Dawn Connelly talks Gurmat Khangura, a specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions.Khangura has more than 15 years of experience as a mental health pharmacist and is currently working within the neurodevelopmental pathway of a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service covering Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.He is an independent prescriber and is responsible for conducting ADHD assessments for young people and providing evidence-based interventions to support them and their families following a diagnosis. Khangura has also founded his own private practice, where he provides ADHD and autism assessments for children and adults.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
Our new PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — is aimed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role, and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out what skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Dawn Connelly talks to prison pharmacist Kaniksha Aggarwal.Aggarwal has recently founded Prison Pharmacy Connect, a platform dedicated to raising awareness of prison pharmacy professionals and sharing the lived experiences of people who have been on the receiving end of pharmacy services while in prison. She completed the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellowship scheme in 2024 and is currently employed by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust as an advanced pharmacist specialist working in a men’s prison.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
On the 27th of November 2024, the British Thoracic Society (BTS), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) released joint guidance on ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’. The guidance is the first collaboration of its kind between the organisations. The guideline makes a number of recommendations, including a strong recommendation to stop prescribing Short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) inhalers without inhaled corticosteroids. While there has been a move towards this treatment regimen in recent years, this is the first recommendation of its kind in national guidance. In this episode of The PJ Pod, Caitlin Killen, clinical editor, talks to Toby Capstick, Consultant pharmacist in respiratory medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, to learn more about the guidance and its implications for practice. Many thanks to Toby for his expertise. This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
The Pharmaceutical Journal’s third analysis of MPharm awarding gap data has revealed that the percentage point difference between the proportion of white students and minority ethnic students awarded a first or 2:1 degree increased to 11 percentage points in 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.This comes after previous analyses of the data from before and during the pandemic indicated a narrowing of the gap from 12 percentage points in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 to 8 percentage points in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.In this Spotlight episode of The PJ Pod, senior features editor Dawn Connelly shares what she learned from experts about why the gap has rewidened and what pharmacy schools and other pharmacy bodies, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, are doing to help produce more equitable MPharm outcomes.
Disagreement and conflict are unavoidable realities common to all working environments, but for pharmacists and pharmacy teams faced with potentially long hours, stretched resources, increasing complexity and high expectations, it does not take much for problems to escalate. This can put patient safety at risk and contributes to stress and burnout. In this learning episode of The PJ Pod, we explore some of the common underlying causes of conflict in the pharmacy workplace and consider how individuals, whether managers or not, can take practical steps to avoid or resolve conflict situations.By the end of the episode, you will be able to:- Understand how pharmacy working conditions and external factors can make conflict within teams more likely;- Spot early warning signs of conflict in the workplace;- Use simple strategies to address conflict early and avoid problems growing;- Understand the importance of a safe, welcoming work environment and what you can do to promote one.Many thanks to Harpreet Chana, pharmacist and founder of the Mental Wealth Academy, and Melissa Cochrane, well-being director at Pharmacist Support, for their expert contributions. This programme is presented by Katherine Sole, editor, research and learning, and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Despite national incentives and locally commissioned services designed to improve availability of palliative care medicines from community pharmacies, access is not evenly distributed across the country.This problem is only set to get worse with demand for these services expected to increase in the coming decades. Marie Curie has estimated that, if the proportion of people requiring palliative care remains the same, the number of people with palliative care needs in the UK would increase by more than 147,000 between 2023 and 2048 — a rise of 25%.In this episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Carolyn Wickware and senior features editor Dawn Connelly discuss what the NHS is doing at local and national levels to ensure patients can maintain their quality of life for as long as possible.
As has become tradition, The PJ Pod’s final episode of the year looks back over some of the most significant stories in pharmacy in the past 12 months, before members of The PJ editorial team make their predictions for 2025.Big stories of 2024 have included the launch of Pharmacy First in England, a persistent ethnicity pay gap in the profession, the emerging threat of nitazines, slumping vaccination rates and new legislation allow pharmacy technicians to take on a wider role.Please do let us know what you think we have missed in this episode on social media, using the hashtag #PJPod or email us at: editor@pharmaceutical-journal.com.This episode is presented by Carolyn Wickware, executive editor, and produced by Geoff Marsh.Thank you to Dawn Connelly, senior features editor; David Lipanovic, senior clinical reporter; Sophie Willis, investigations editor; Corrinne Burns, RPS correspondent; and Caitlin Killen, clinical editor, for their contributions.
In September 2024, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) put forward proposals to take on royal college status, pending a vote of the membership in early 2025.The RPS said the proposals were in response to strategic ambitions amid rapid changes in the pharmacy profession, and followed an independent, 18-month-long review of its constitution and governance, led by consultancy firm Firetail.To share more information with members about why the changes are being proposed and how a Royal College of Pharmacy might operate, the Society's executive team — comprising president Claire Anderson, chief executive Paul Bennett, deputy chief executive Karen Baxter and head of strategic communications Liz North — toured Great Britain to speak with members directly.The Pharmaceutical Journal attended two of these ‘roadshow’ events to hear from pharmacists and pharmacy students about their opinions on the proposals and to find out what questions they were asking RPS leaders.More information about the proposals can be found on the RPS website or in The Pharmaceutical Journal’s interview with Bennett, published in September 2024. If you have any questions that have not yet been answered, you can email them to feedback@rpharms.com.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and presented by RPS correspondent Corrinne Burns with support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
High levels of patient safety incidents related to time-critical medicines (TCMs) — medicines that need to be given or taken at a specific time — have persisted for decades. In 2022/2023 alone, there were 17 deaths recorded as a result of medicine dose delivery being delayed or omitted entirely.Solutions, such as using e-prescribing systems, has been successful on a local level but scaling them up nationally to accommodate a variety of platforms is a challenging task.However, a new national focus from NHS England on reducing the number of these events, may finally deliver a solution.In this episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Carolyn Wickware and senior clinical reporter David Lipanovic take a closer look at how TCMs can be administered more safely.Lipanovic’s full feature on this topic can be found here: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/every-minute-counts-taking-a-national-approach-to-time-critical-medicines
Green social prescribing, which can include activities such as community gardening, mindful walks and conservation volunteering — as well as 'blue' activities like kayaking and wild swimming — is gaining traction.Results from a government-backed green social prescribing programme were published in September 2024, showing that it had a positive impact on measures of wellbeing and was able to reach a broader range of people than many other social prescribing initiatives. However, there are challenges to implementing green social prescribing, including commissioning arrangements, funding, and data collection and sharing.In this episode of The PJ Pod, Dawn Connelly, senior features editor, visits a charity that helps people to connect with nature in order to improve their mental wellbeing, hears about the latest evidence from researchers evaluating these nature-based interventions and talks to a mental health pharmacist who is working with social prescribing link workers to connect patients with nature.With thanks to Georgina Gould, clinical lead at Dose of Nature; Ruth Garside, professor of evidence synthesis at the University of Exeter; Julze Alejandre, a health promotion and policy specialist at the University of Edinburgh; and Dimple Khatiri, a mental health pharmacist and personalised care lead at a primary care network in Hertfordshire.A special thank you to Dose of Nature service-user Steve for sharing his story with us.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
Over the last decade, the development of targeted therapies has significantly changed the way that chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is treated. Survival and life expectancy has improved, and this patient cohort is living and receiving treatment for longer than ever before. These changes have meant that the involvement of pharmacists across all sectors in the treatment of CLL patients has also evolved significantly. In this episode of The PJ Pod, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, speaks to a patient who has been living with CLL for 17 years, as well as with two pharmacists involved in the care of CLL patients, to understand how pharmacists can best support patients with CLL. Many thanks to expert patient Anthea Holland; Catherine Parbutt, consultant pharmacist for cancer services, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; and Tejal Gorasia, principal cancer pharmacist, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, for their expertise. This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this learning episode, we look at the latest developments in migraine treatment where new classes of drugs are starting to provide additional options for patients and prescribers. For links to relevant articles and further resources on migraine treatment visit the PJ website. Many thanks to Kerri Spalding, a migraine patient, advocate and fundraiser, and Mathew Garrod, lead pharmacist for neurosciences and specialist pharmacist at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, for their expertise and insights. This programme is presented by Alex Clabburn, senior editor — research and learning and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Drones are already being used to transport medicines in several countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, Switzerland and Rwanda, but what’s the story in the UK, where the road infrastructure is good and the airspace is small and busy? Is there a need for medical drone deliveries? Are they safe and would they be a viable option for the NHS?These are questions that senior features editor Dawn Connelly investigates in this episode of The PJ Pod. We hear from the experts behind several projects across the UK as they test the feasibility of using drones to deliver NHS medicines.Thank you to Paul Royall, senior lecturer in pharmaceutics at King’s College London; Arthur Mendez, a research and development engineer with drone development company HeroTech8; Mark Knowles, head of production at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Christopher Law, co-founder of healthcare drone logistics start-up Apian; Jamie Hogg, clinical lead for the CAELUS project for the north of Scotland; and Anthony McDavitt, director of pharmacy for NHS Shetland.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
In this episode of The PJ Pod, we look at how pharmacists can become more involved in research, by hearing directly from those who have done just that. We speak to the members of our OPERA 2024 shortlist, and winner, as well as Parastou Donyai, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to explore some of the practical steps that individuals can take when starting out, while also considering the skills and characteristics that can help pharmacists thrive as researchers.Many thanks to the OPERA 2024 shortlist: Zoe Edwards, Ryan McNally, Anneka Mitchell, Anna Robinson-Barella and Sion Scott, and to Parastou Donyai, for their contributions.This programme is presented by Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, research and learning, and produced by Geoff Marsh.
The ‘NHS mental health implementation plan 2019/20–2023/24’, published by NHS England in July 2019, identified a need for “new and integrated models of primary and community mental health care” to support 370,000 adults and older adults with severe mental illness (SMI).With many of these patients on psychotropic medication, such as clozapine, lithium, valproate and antidepressants, to treat a range of conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and eating disorders, the plan aimed to recruit 260 pharmacists into integrated community care teams by April 2024.However, an investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal in May 2024 revealed that there are 160.95 whole-time equivalent pharmacists in adult SMI community services across 43 out of 49 mental health trusts that responded to a freedom of information request.In this ‘Spotlight’ episode of The PJ Pod, Carolyn Wickware, executive editor, and reporter Tammy Lovell discuss the funding that was offered to set up these teams and how it was used, and what happens now that the implementation plan has ended.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Please note that this episode includes discussions of war and injury that may be distressing to some listeners, with stories from pharmacists working in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.Horrific stories of injury and death in war zones across the world have become a staple of daily news headlines since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In an effort to help, the UK government and grassroots organisations have sent packages of aid — including medicines — to support local healthcare systems. However, pharmacists on the ground have reported that large portions of the supplies sent go to waste and have called for a shift towards aid that is more targeted to the needs of their patients.In this episode of The PJ Pod, David Lipanovic, senior clinical reporter, speaks to pharmacists with first-hand experience in sourcing medicines to treat patients with both chronic and acute conditions in areas of conflict. We hear from them about what medicines their patients desperately need and what happens to when medicines that are not needed go to waste.Thank you to Saleyha Ahsan, a humanitarian doctor undertaking research into how patients are impacted by the destruction of healthcare in war zone at the University of Cambridge; María Alejandra Martin Escalona, a humanitarian pharmacist working for Doctors Without Borders; Mark Koziol, chair of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association; and Catherine Duggan, chief executive of the International Pharmaceutical Federation.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with editorial support from executive editor Carolyn Wickware.
As we reach the end of 2023, this final podcast episode of the year continues our annual tradition of looking back at the biggest stories to affect pharmacy teams across the UK, while reflecting on our highlights from The PJ Pod over the past 12 months.While 2023 has been a significant year for pharmacy, with the announcement of a new NHS 'Pharmacy First' service in England and accelerating plans for pharmacist prescribers, we also venture to make our predictions for the year ahead.Please do let us know what you think we have missed in this episode on social media, using the hashtag #PJPod or email us at: editor@pharmaceutical-journal.com.This episode is presented by Carolyn Wickware, executive editor, and produced by Geoff Marsh. Thank you to Alex Clabburn, senior editor — research and learning; Dawn Connelly, senior features editor; Michael Dowdall, executive editor — research and learning; David Lipanovic, senior clinical reporter; and Tammy Lovell, RPS correspondent, for their contributions.
From 2026, all pharmacists will be independent prescribers when they first qualify. But that leaves a whole cohort of non-prescribing pharmacists already in the workforce, many of whom do not want to be left behind.In this episode of The PJ Pod, we accompany three pharmacists — Isabel Macho and Isheeta Mendiratta, who work in primary care, and community pharmacist Rachael Patel — as they train to become independent prescribers. We get the inside track on what motivates them and how they have managed to complete the course alongside a demanding job, as well as the highs and the lows, and whether it was all worth it.We also hear from Danny Bartlett, a primary care network pharmacist, who is a designated prescribing practitioner and teaches on the University of Brighton's independent prescribing course. He gives insights on how to succeed on the course and what needs to change to smooth the path for more pharmacists in the workforce to become independent prescribers. This episode was presented by Dawn Connelly, senior features editor, and produced by Geoff Marsh.
In November 2023, an investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that two-thirds of patient safety incidents related to homecare medicine provision were for services provided by the company Sciensus, according to the latest data provided by NHS trusts.The findings came after the House of Lords Public Services Committee opened an inquiry into homecare medicines services in May 2023, following press reports of complaints from patient organisations and others about the service provided. The inquiry has since published its findings, warning that “serious problems” with the provision and governance of homecare medicines services in England are putting patients’ health at risk.In this ‘Spotlight’ episode of The PJ Pod, Carolyn Wickware, executive editor, Dawn Connelly, senior features editor, and freelance journalist Alison Moore explain the investigation’s findings, as well as the impact on patients and what the next steps are towards improving homecare services.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
The term 'deprescribing' refers to the tapering, stopping, discontinuing, or withdrawing of medications for the benefit of patients. It was first used 20 years ago in an article titled 'Deprescribing: achieving better health outcomes for older people through reducing medications' by Michael C. Woodward. Since then, the body of literature has exploded.In this 'spotlight' episode of The PJ Pod, we talk to the author of a paper about deprescribing inappropriate analgesia in community pharmacy, from our sister journal, the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice (IJPP), and to the guest editor of a themed collection on deprescribing, which was recently published by IJPP. The collection features a range of article types from across the globe and captures the breadth of research that is taking place across sectors in different patient groups, to better understand how deprescribing can become part of routine practice.
Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are used to treat cancers caused by defective B cells, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B-cell lymphomas and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). While B-cell malignancies are relatively rare cancers, their incidence is increasing. There are significant side effects and drug interactions associated with these therapies, and as the clinical use of BTK inhibitors increases, so does the need for pharmacists and pharmacy teams to be aware of them.In this episode of The PJ Pod, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, speaks to a patient who has received these therapies, as well as with two experts to find out more about the different BTK inhibitor classes, their mechanisms of action and considerations for their use in practice, with a focus on WM.
In June 2023, The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that the number of adults in England prescribed medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has more than doubled since January 2020.
The increase, which was particularly pronounced in females, has been largely fuelled by increasingly frequent opportunities for adults to pinpoint the symptoms of ADHD in themselves, either as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns or owing to growing awareness of famous faces recounting their own ADHD diagnoses.
While the added demand is already seeing patients wait years for treatment from over-extended NHS services for the condition, experts say ADHD is still vastly underdiagnosed.
In this episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Carolyn Wickware and senior features editor Dawn Connelly take a closer look at the prescribing data and talk about what this increase in diagnoses means for patients and the NHS going forward.
Medicines play a critical role in ensuring that people at the end of their lives, and their carers, can manage symptoms, including pain, and remain comfortable at home.
But there is evidence that the systems supplying these medicines are difficult, complex and often lead to delays in vital care that leave patients in unnecessary suffering. This in turn can increase costs for the NHS if these patients then have to receive emergency care.
In this episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Nigel Praities examines how this situation can be improved, looking at how medicines supply could be protected, the use of "just-in-case" boxes and how specialist pharmacists can ensure that patients with life-limiting illnesses have effective and compassionate care.
Thank you to Tarun Nayyar, specialist clinical pharmacist at Birmingham Hospices; Sue Latter, professor of health services research at the University of Southampton; and Emyr Jones, consultant pharmacist and national lead for community healthcare in Wales for their input into this episode. Special thanks to patient Suzie*, who allowed us to record her consultation in her home.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
*The name of this patient has been changed and other details omitted to protect her confidentiality.
The UK government has said it will introduce a ‘Pharmacy First’ service for England by the end of 2023, as part of a plan for recovering access to primary care.Negotiations are ongoing, but the new service is designed to enable pharmacists to supply medicines for seven common health conditions, including earache, sore throat and urinary tract infections. However, it is not clear whether community pharmacies have the capacity to take on such a large new NHS service and some academics are warning of the potential for “extremely serious” consequences for antimicrobial resistance.In this episode, executive editor Nigel Praities and investigations editor Carolyn Wickware take a closer look at the plans and the main stumbling blocks to the service’s implementation by the end of 2023.More information regarding the independent prescribing pilots mentioned in the episode can be found here: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/all-integrated-health-boards-in-england-submit-bids-for-pharmacy-independent-prescribing-servicesThis episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Warning: this episode contains some potentially upsetting content about suicidal thoughts and miscarriage. If you would like to skip this part please fast forward from 09:50 to 17:00Julia Robinson speaks with experts in the field of psychedelics and mental health, and hears the personal account of someone with first-hand experience of participating in one of these trials, to uncover the truth behind the hype.Thanks to Sarah Bateup, therapy lead at Clerkenwell Health; David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology; and David Taylor, director of pharmacy and pathology at the Maudsley Hospital and professor of psychopharmacology at King’s College London.A special thank you to Mat for sharing his story with us.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh, with support from Nigel Praities.
So-called ‘skinny jabs’ have been heralded as game-changers for weight management.Wegovy (semaglutide) is due to be launched in the UK imminently, will soon be available from community pharmacies, with large chains already setting up waiting lists for people wanting to get the weekly injection privately.In this episode, Nigel Praities, executive editor, talks with Dawn Connelly and Emma Wilkinson about how these injections work, who is eligible for them and concerns about whether community pharmacies can provide the long-term lifestyle and psychological support needed for weight loss to be successful.This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
TV personality Davina McCall has been at the forefront of a much-needed sea change in the awareness of menopause symptoms, leading to many more women seeking HRT.However, as demand as risen, there have also been major shortages of certain products and there have also been claims that, in some cases, hormone therapies are being overprescribed.In this episode, Katherine Sole and Julia Robinson speak with two experts on how best to prescribe HRT and how pharmacists can manage difficult conversations when it comes to shortages. Thanks to Paula Briggs, consultant and chair of the British Menopause Society, and Hayley Berry, lead learning development pharmacist at the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, for their help.British Menopause Society’s tools for clinicians: https://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/Newson Health Menopause Society’s ‘Easy HRT Prescribing Guide’: https://www.nhmenopausesociety.org/resources/easy-hrt-prescribing-guide/This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this second Spotlight episode, we talk through an investigation that has shown the awarding gap between white pharmacy graduates and their ethnic minority counterparts in the UK has narrowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.PJ journalists Dawn Connelly and Corrinne Burns share the inside story on how they put the investigation together, what the results show and their potential implications for more inclusive teaching on the pharmacy degree after the pandemic.Read the full investigation here: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/infographic-the-ethnicity-awarding-gap-for-the-pharmacy-degree-during-covid-19This episode is presented by Nigel Praities, executive editor, and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this learning episode, we have enlisted the help of two experts to explore what it takes to deliver effective deprescribing and ask what pharmacists can do to help patients get the most from their medicines.For links to relevant articles and further resources on deprescribing visit the PJ website: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/effective-deprescribing-getting-the-most-from-medicine Many thanks to Lelly Oboh, consultant pharmacist in the care of older people at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Community Health Services, and Tony Avery, GP and NHS England’s national clinical director for prescribing, for their expertise. This programme is presented by Alex Clabburn, senior editor, research and learning, and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In the UK, three babies are still being born each month after being exposed to sodium valproate. This is despite the risk of foetal valproate spectrum disorder being known about for many years.In the first of a series of shorter ‘Spotlight’ episodes, executive editor Nigel Praities speaks with senior data journalist, Julia Robinson, about her recent investigation into this issue and whether NHS England is on track to meet its target to reduce the use of the drug in people who can get pregnant by 50% by the end of 2023.Julia also gives an insight into new research that may suggest the risks from sodium valproate and other drugs used for epilepsy may have been underestimated.Click here to read the full investigation: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/why-is-the-uk-struggling-to-contain-its-sodium-valproate-problemThis episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed how inequalities in health can be affected by factors such as ethnicity, gender or geography — and all the evidence points to these getting worse.But in this episode, we hear from two pharmacists trying to turn this around.First, Ade Williams, superintendent pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, explains how he used a "Pulse in the Pub" blood pressure checking service as a springboard to better understand his local community’s health needs.Second, Suhayla Dhanji Merali, advanced specialist pharmacist at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, speaks about her outreach work in perinatal mental health, going into local mosques to help people get the support they need.Lastly, Carolyn Wickware, investigations editor, outlines new data that shows how funding cuts are putting much-needed pharmacy services at risk in England’s most deprived areas.This episode was presented by Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.
Will pharmacists go on strike over pay? Will medicines shortages improve? What will be the biggest clinical developments next year?The team unpicks some of the biggest pharmacy stories of 2022 and shines a light on what pharmacists should expect in the coming 12 months.Please do let us know what you think we have missed in this episode on social media, using the hashtag #PJPod. See you next year!This episode is presented by Nigel Praities, executive editor, and produced by Geoff Marsh. Thanks to PJ journalists Corrinne Burns, Dawn Connelly, Carolyn Wickware and Julia Robinson for their contributions.
Two years since the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) took on responsibility for approving consultant pharmacist posts, we look at how these roles are evolving.
We also ask how many consultants the profession needs, look at the barriers to reaching this level of practice and explore how the path to becoming a consultant could be made easier.
Thanks to Hannah Beba, consultant pharmacist in diabetes at West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership; Paula Crawford, consultant pharmacist for older people services within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; Rani Khatib, consultant pharmacist in cardiology and cardiovascular clinical research at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Andrew Radley, consultant in pharmaceutical public health at NHS Tayside.
Thank you also to Paul Forsyth, lead pharmacist in clinical cardiology (primary care) at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Joseph Oakley, associate director of education and professional development at the RPS.
This episode is presented by features editor Dawn Connelly and produced by Geoff Marsh.
Anticholinergic drug use is on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK medicines regulator is also considering extending access to the anticholinergic bladder drug oxybutynin over the counter.
In this episode, we will look at the potential implications of these changes, particularly in older people, and examine the case for deprescribing. We will also assess emerging evidence that suggests that the cumulative burden of anticholinergics over a lifetime could be a causal factor for dementia.
Thank you to Graham Stretch, chief pharmacist at the Argyle Group in west London, his patient Miriam* who agreed for us to record her consultation, and also to Chris Fox, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of East Anglia.
This programme is presented by executive editor Nigel Praities and senior data journalist Julia Robinson. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.
*Some details have been changed to ensure confidentiality.
In this episode, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, and Alex Clabburn, senior editor, enlist the help of two experts to explore what the rise in immunotherapy treatment means for the ongoing care of cancer patients.
Many thanks to Dharmisha Chauhan, lead genomic clinical pharmacist for North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and specialist oncology pharmacist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and Stuart Evans, cancer pharmacist at South West Wales Cancer Centre at Singleton Hospital and Swansea Bay University Health Board for their expertise.
For a list of related immunotherapy resources and links to the research mentioned in the podcast visit the PJ website: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/immune-related-cancer-toxicities-what-pharmacists-need-to-know
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and was supported by Merck.
In this episode, assistant clinical editor Caitlin Killen, looks at the practical implications of a recent update to NICE guidance on diabetes treatment in adults, with the help of two experts.
Many thanks to Michelle Lam, pharmacy team leader for education & training at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Sallianne Kavanagh, an advanced clinical pharmacist at Sheffield Teaching Hospital and clinical lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, for their expertise.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Here is a link to the NICE guideline: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28
Click here for a list of related diabetes resources from the PJ: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/updated-nice-guidance-for-type-2-diabetes-what-do-you-need-to-know
What if you could pop into your local pharmacy to get tested for how your genes affect the way you metabolise drugs, such as statins or antidepressants? In several countries, you can.
Features editor Dawn Connelly travels to those countries and speaks with community pharmacists that are already providing this routinely. She starts by visiting the Netherlands, where she talks to Fleur van Gelder and Jesse Swen about their pharmacogenomics testing service, and gets to experience it for herself.
She then speaks with community pharmacists Fabio de Rango, in Canada, and Nami Nagar, in Australia, about what testing they provide and how it has enhanced their relationships with both patients and GPs.
Finally, Connelly returns to the UK to assess when community pharmacies here might get to provide such a service. She speaks with Munir Pirmohamed, NHS chair in pharmacogenetics, who advises the health service, and breaks some exclusive news about one UK pharmacy chain.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Which combination is most effective? Should I take this with food? The public often ask for advice on how to treat acute pain conditions, such as headaches, period pain or soft tissue injuries.
At first glance, it may seem straightforward; however, there are some common misconceptions around the changing evidence in this area.
In this episode, Caitlin Killen, assistant clinical editor, and Nigel Praities, executive editor, debunk some of these myths, and ask two experts to give the science on how acute pain should be treated.
Many thanks to Yousaf Ahmad, chief pharmacist at Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System and co-chair of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association Pain Committee, and Dominic Aldington, pain consultant and clinical lead for pain management at the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, for their expertise.
This episode is supported by Reckitt and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Cochrane review on OTC oral analgesics for acute pain: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010794.pub2/full Learning resources on acute pain: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/learning/acute-pain/all
In this episode, Carolyn Wickware, investigations editor, looks at the emerging evidence that UK rivers are becoming a dangerous ‘breeding ground’ for bacteria resistant to antibiotics that could adversely affect human health.
Alistair Boxall, professor of environmental science at the University of York, describes his concerns over the level of antibiotics that he has measured in our water system, and Jason Snape, global head of environment at AstraZeneca, gives the pharmaceutical industry perspective on the issue.
Sharon Pfleger, a consultant in pharmaceutical public health at NHS Highland and professor at Robert Gordon University, also describes her work looking at how to remove traces of drugs from hospital waste water, which is being funded by the Scottish government.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
There have been claims that COVID-19 oral antivirals, such as molnupiravir and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir), will “change the course of the pandemic”.
But with limited supply, a short treatment window and only a few patient groups eligible to receive them — can these drugs really turn things around?
In this episode, Dawn Connelly, features editor, and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, answer questions from PJ readers on how they will be used in practice.
They are joined by Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London, and Fiona Marra, a consultant infectious disease pharmacist based in Scotland.
Thank you to Rob Ardley, Nicola Vasey, Umeh Ali and Gareth Malson for their questions. This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In this episode, we explore the arguments for and against the planned introduction of degree apprenticeships as an alternative for the traditional MPharm degree in England.
Reporter Corrinne Burns speaks with Mark Koziol, chair of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who is sceptical about the benefits for future pharmacists.
Exploring the other side of the argument, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, explains how degree apprenticeships could become a debt-free access route into pharmacy.
Finally, a group of just-qualified and future pharmacists give their views on whether their younger selves would have been attracted to a degree apprenticeship.
Many thanks to Osayuki Igbinoba, Vivien Yu, Adam Ismail and Aman Sehdev for speaking to us about this topic. This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
In our last PJ Pod of the year, we eat some mince pies and ruminate over what has been a momentous 12 months in the history of the pharmacy profession.
We also stake our journalistic reputations on some predictions of what might be the big news for pharmacists in 2022. Should pharmacists in the NHS be preparing for industrial action over pay? What will health secretary Sajid Javid's next move be? Will degree apprenticeships be introduced in pharmacy? Are COVID-19 antivirals really what they cracked up to be?
Hosting this episode is executive editor Nigel Praities, who is joined by the lateral flow-confirmed COVID-19 negative PJ team, including Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, Carolyn Wickware, deputy news editor, Corrinne Burns, RPS correspondent and Angela Kam, senior research and learning editor.
The episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Over the past few years, pharmacy student Adanna Anthony-Okeke has been leading a project to "decolonise" the curriculum at the University of Nottingham’s school of pharmacy.
In this episode, we speak to her and MPharm course leader Helen Boardman about how this work has led to significant and ongoing change to the syllabus.
Clinical and science editor, Julia Robinson, also investigates the progress being made in universities across the UK to make the pharmacy degree more inclusive.
Robinson also speaks to Vini Lander, director of the centre for race education and decoloniality at Leeds Beckett University, to find out what decolonisation means within the context of the healthcare sciences and where this movement might be heading in the future.
Click here for links to learning resources supporting skin equality referred to in the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/equalskinrecs and https://tinyurl.com/equalskinrecs2
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and supported by Reckitt. The Pharmaceutical Journal retained editorial responsibility at all times.
Stomach acid-suppressing medicine ranitidine disappeared from pharmacy shelves two years ago, owing to fears of contamination with probable human carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
In this episode, features editor Dawn Connelly finds out why.
She speaks with David Light, chief executive officer of Valisure, the online pharmacy that first identified the contamination in ranitidine, and Michael White, professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut, about the implications for other similar medicines.
Connelly also assesses evidence ranitidine could be about to make a comeback and discusses the problems of switching to alternative treatments with Mikin Patel, lead pharmacist in gastroenterology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, and Alisdair Jones, a primary care network pharmacist in Folkestone, Kent.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and additional research was carried out by Emma Wilkinson.
Until recently, the withdrawal symptoms some people experience after stopping an antidepressant were not recognised as a serious problem.
However, they can be extremely distressing, and so patients have been forced to set up their own online support groups to share information how best to taper antidepressant doses.
In this episode, executive editor Nigel Praities talks with Adele Framer, founder of SurvivingAntidepressants.Org, one of the largest peer-support groups, about her and many other patients' experiences.
Wendy Burn, former chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, describes what has led to a remarkable turnaround in attitudes among specialist doctors to withdrawal symptoms in the UK, and David Taylor, professor of psychopharmacology at King's College London, explains the latest evidence on how to prevent serious these symptoms from occurring.
Specialist mental health pharmacist Chris Johnson also speaks about his work with GP practices in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to review the antidepressants taken by more than 10,000 patients.
Here is the guidance on stopping antidepressants from the Royal College of Psychiatrists: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/stopping-antidepressants
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh and additional research was carried out by Abigail James. We are grateful to Peter Groot from Utrecht University, Netherlands, for his help with this episode.
There have been some promising trial results recently regarding the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) in patients with COVID-19.
In this podcast, features editor Dawn Connelly and clinical and science editor Julia Robinson investigate the science behind these exciting new treatments and the potential role of pharmacists in preparing, supplying and assessing patients for their use.
Robinson also visits the aseptics lab at King's College Hospital in London to find out from senior pharmacist James Cheung how mAbs are made.
With thanks to associate professor Al Edwards from the Reading School of Pharmacy and PJ deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware for their help in preparing this podcast.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Our exclusive on NHS plans for a community-based mAbs service: https://tinyurl.com/mabsservice
Here is a link to more information on the clinical trials discussed in this podcast: tinyurl.com/COVIDtxs
The stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on everyone’s mental health; however, the impact on frontline healthcare workers has been particularly acute.
For some of these individuals, it will have a long-lasting effect and they may require support for a number of years to come.
In this podcast, Julia Robinson investigates the experiences of pharmacists redeployed to intensive care units during the height of the pandemic and the impact it has had on their mental health and wellbeing.
Robinson also looks at the longer term implications for the whole of the pharmacy profession, speaking with Nina Barnett, a consultant pharmacist with extensive experience in providing coaching, mentoring and education for healthcare professionals, and Clare Gerada, medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, a free confidential counselling service previously just available to doctors and dentists, about the support that is needed going forward.
Thank you to Paresh, Sarah, Hira and "Jane" for sharing their personal stories with us. This podcast was produced by Geoff Marsh.
For support and to access resources from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Wellbeing hub: https://www.rpharms.com/resources/pharmacy-guides/your-wellbeing#2
Amazon has been shaking up the US pharmacy market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has just been granted a trademark in the UK.
In this podcast, deputy news editor Carolyn Wickware looks at whether Amazon Pharmacy really is a threat to community pharmacies in the UK, which is a very different market to the US.
Wickware speaks with the CEO of McKesson UK, Toby Anderson, about its progress on implementing a digital pharmacy brand, and Jay Badenhorst, chair of the National Pharmacy Association’s Online Pharmacy Services Group, about what smaller pharmacies can do to prepare for the arrival of the online retail giant.
She also finds out the long-view for community pharmacy from Matthew Lee, managing director at investment bank Lincoln International.
This podcast was produced by Geoff Marsh.
This podcast uncovers the problem of ‘hidden disabilities’ in pharmacy, and what can be done to make the profession more supportive for those with health conditions, such as hearing or mobility issues, that may be hard to see.
We speaks with two pharmacists, Nalwenga Mutambo and Aamer Safdar, about their experiences working as a pharmacist with a hidden disability and how they came to the realisation that they needed help.
We also speak with Paul Day, director at the Pharmacists’ Defence Union, and Diane Lightfoot, chief executive of the Business Disability Forum, about the laws that are in place and how employers can make adjustments to ensure that pharmacy is a more welcoming profession.
This episode is presented by Abigail James and was produced by Geoff Marsh. It is part of The Pharmaceutical Journal‘s ‘Mind the Gap’ campaign to highlight the social inequalities that pharmacists face. Click here to find out more: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/mind-the-gap-campaign
A written transcript of this episode is available here: https://tinyurl.com/shatteringsilence
Over the past year, the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for those trying to enter the pharmacy profession has been profound.
In this podcast, we investigate how pharmacy’s own “Generation COVID” is feeling, with two recording audio diaries in the weeks leading up to their long-delayed registration assessment.
Proregs Regan McCahill and Andrew Moy share their day-to-day lives, thoughts about the exam and their future beyond.
We also speak with Janet Whittam, senior clinical pharmacist at Salford Royal NHS foundation trust and North West regional pre-registration facilitator at the University of Manchester, and Gail Fleming, director of education and professional development at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, about how they think the experiences of proregs could inform the changes planned to pharmacy training long-term, including the new foundation training year and the registration exam.
This episode is presented by Corrinne Burns and Nigel Praities. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.
With three COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK, the focus is now shifting towards how the vaccination programme is being rolled out
This podcast picks up where we left off in our previous one, answering a new set of readers questions submitted through the PJ website and social media.
Nigel Praities, executive editor, Dawn Connelly, features editor, and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, attempt to answer these questions using the latest available information and the help of some external experts.
Thanks to Steve Griffin, associate professor in the school of medicine at the University of Leeds, Fazila Jumabhoy, lead pharmacist for Central North Leeds Primary Care Network and John Tregoning, a reader in respiratory disease at Imperial College London.
This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.
LINKS Phase 3 trials Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577?query=pfw&jwd=000020100690&jspc= Oxford/AstraZeneca: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32661-1/fulltext
Information for healthcare professionals Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19/information-for-healthcare-professionals-on-pfizerbiontech-covid-19-vaccine Oxford/AstraZeneca: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca/information-for-healthcare-professionals-on-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca
Summary of product characteristics Pfizer/BioNTech: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/comirnaty-epar-product-information_en.pdf
Recently, it emerged that Billy Caldwell — the young boy who sparked a change in the law over medical cannabis — has received an NHS prescription for the cannabis oil to treat his severe epilepsy.
However, two years after its legalisation, Billy is only one of a handful of patients who have received an NHS prescription for medical cannabis in the UK. This is despite many thousands of patients using cannabis for medical reasons around the world.
In this podcast, we look at why so few patients are receiving NHS prescriptions and whether this may change anytime soon.
We speak with Matt Hughes, the father of Charlie, who has been refused medical cannabis on the NHS; Mike Barnes, a neurologist who runs a number of private medical cannabis clinics and Janine Barnes, a specialist pharmacist who was a member of the NICE clinical guideline development group for medical cannabis.
This episode was presented by Corrinne Burns and Nigel Praities. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.
For more information: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/special-reports/special-report-medical-cannabis
We asked PJ readers to submit their questions regarding the different COVID-19 vaccines being developed around the world, the phase III trial results and the practicalities of how these vaccines will be administered.
In this podcast, Dawn Connelly, features editor and Julia Robinson, clinical and science editor, will try to answer these questions using the latest available information and the help of some external experts.
Thanks to Charles Bangham, chair in immunology and co-director of the Institute of Infection at Imperial College London and Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
A link to the infographic referred to in the podcast is here: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/infographics/the-race-to-stop-covid-19/20207792.article
Please do let us know if you have any outstanding questions regarding the COVID vaccines after listening to this podcast. Email us at dawn.connelly@rpharms.com — if there are enough, we may do another podcast!
This podcast is presented by Nigel Praities, Dawn Connelly and Julia Robinson. It was produced by Geoff Marsh.
This podcast celebrates the shortlisted entries to The Pharmaceutical Journal's 2020 writing competition.
Hosted by executive editor Nigel Praities and opinion editor Abigail James, we hear all the shortlisted entrants read out their pieces, give an insight into what makes a winning entry and announce the winners!
Senior staff at two UK pharmacy schools - Reading and Wolverhampton - outline how they are tackling their ethnicity awarding gaps for MPharm degrees and the head of education at the General Pharmaceutical Council explains how its new standards may help improve the situation.
Looking outside of pharmacy, our careers editor Angela Kam also speaks with a recognised expert in how universities can tackle their ethnicity awarding gaps and discuss what works and, crucially, what does not.
Read more about this issue: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/careers-and-jobs/careers-and-jobs/career-feature/making-the-mpharm-fairer-what-can-be-done-about-the-ethnicity-awarding-gap/20208184.article
Careers editor Angela Kam speaks with four ethnic minority students about their experiences of going to university to study pharmacy and explores new evidence there is an "awarding gap" between them and white students studying the MPharm degree.
Publications officer at the British Pharmacy Students Association, Isobel Lowings, also speaks about her organisation’s position on the ethnicity awarding gap and what she thinks should be done about it.
Read more about this issue: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/careers-and-jobs/careers-and-jobs/career-feature/making-the-mpharm-fairer-what-can-be-done-about-the-ethnicity-awarding-gap/20208184.article