Latest news with #IndependentPharmaciesAssociation
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Trump drug tariffs ‘risk medicine shortages across Britain'
Donald Trump's plans to slap 'very, very high' tariffs on drugs risk fuelling medicine shortages across Britain, pharmacists have warned. Ministers have been told to draw up plans to ensure patients can keep accessing vital medicines, after the US president on Tuesday threatened new tariffs of up to 200pc on pharmaceutical imports. Mr Trump said the White House would be announcing 'something very soon on pharmaceuticals'. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, the chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said any new levies would have 'direct consequences for our patients and the community pharmacies they rely on'. The UK imports around £27bn worth of medicines and pharmaceutical products every year and exports £8.8bn of pharmaceutical products to the United States. Although the UK may be able to negotiate a rapid exemption from new US levies on medicine imports following its trade deal with Mr Trump, any tariffs would be expected to send shockwaves through the drug supply chain. Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said there were concerns over what would happen to drug prices in the UK if Trump followed through on his threats. He said the UK medicine supply chain was 'complex and dependent on many international factors, including events in the US'. Dr Hannbeck said higher prices could make it harder for local pharmacies to keep stocking medicines, adding: 'New tariffs threaten to push up the price of many vital medicines way beyond the level at which the NHS currently reimburses pharmacies. 'That would be unsustainable, presenting a real and present danger to the viability of independent pharmacies across the country and exacerbate medicines shortages that many patients are currently experiencing.' Price rise fears Dr Hannbeck said ministers needed to be ready to take 'immediate and decisive action to protect pharmacies' ability to buy the medicines patients need' if Mr Trump imposed new tariffs. She added: 'The medicine shortage can't get worse, the Government needs a plan.' It comes amid growing alarm at the high level of drug shortages in the UK after years of Britain being overly reliant on medicine ingredients manufactured abroad. A poll conducted by the National Pharmacy Association in March found that all 500 pharmacies surveyed were unable to dispense a prescription at least once a day as a result of supply issues. Earlier this week, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on pharmacy pointed to research suggesting shortages were a routine feature of daily practice for 84pc cent of pharmacists. MPs said shortages of medicines were becoming a 'permanent and escalating feature' of the UK healthcare system. The UK currently pays more than three times less for its medicine supplies than the US. It has been a gripe of Mr Trump, who is understood to be pressing the NHS to pay more for innovative drugs under the terms of a UK-US trade deal. Pharma bosses are currently locked in talks with the Government over an NHS spending cap, designed to keep the UK medicine bill down. However, both sides have yet to reach an agreement, delaying the Government's long-awaited life sciences strategy plan. Mr Gregg said: 'Medicine shortages and problems in the supply chain can be devastating for patients whose health depends on a reliable and predictable supply of medication.' Paul Callaghan, policy manager for patient group Healthwatch England, said: 'If supply issues risk worsening, it's more important than ever that action is taken... It is clear that many patients find current medicine shortages both frustrating and distressing.' Shares in drugmakers AstraZeneca and GSK initially slumped following Mr Trump's warning over pharma tariffs on Tuesday night. However, both stocks later recovered as investors realised companies would have time to prepare. Mr Trump said on Tuesday: 'We're going to give people a year, a year and a half to come in and after that they're going to be tariffed if they bring pharmaceuticals into the country.' A government spokesman said: 'The UK has well-established ways of managing the cost of medicines and clear processes in place to protect against risks to supply. Our trade agenda would never stop this. 'We were the first country to agree a deal with the US that lowered tariffs on key sectors, protected jobs and received one of the lowest reciprocal tariff rates in the world. Conversations with the US are ongoing and we will work closely with them to implement the best deal for the public and our economy.'
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Penis pump and Viagra prescriptions soar as NHS spends over £20MILLION helping blokes with erectile dysfunction
The NHS said erection problems are 'very common' in men over 40 BIG RISE Penis pump and Viagra prescriptions soar as NHS spends over £20MILLION helping blokes with erectile dysfunction DOCTORS prescribed a record number of bedroom aids for blokes such as penis pumps and Viagra last year, figures show. The NHS in England alone spent more than £20million helping men dealing with erectile dysfunction. Advertisement 1 Doctors prescribed a record number of bedroom aids for blokes such as penis pumps and Viagra last year Credit: Alamy A total of 24,231 erection devices, including vacuum pumps — as seen in 1997 comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery — and constriction rings were prescribed in 2024/25, the NHS Business Services Authority revealed. That was up by 10,000 on a decade ago. And the £2.8million cost has doubled since 2015. Meanwhile, prescriptions for drugs such as Viagra and Cialis reached 4.7million — up 100,000 on the year before — with a cost of £17.6million. Advertisement The NHS said erection problems are 'very common' in men over 40 and become more likely with age and illness. A spokesman added: 'Effective erectile dysfunction treatment is important for both sexual and mental well-being.' Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said the pumps were a useful option for people who cannot be prescribed Viagra. She said: 'Viagra and Cialis interact with medicines used to treat angina and certain blood pressure medicines so alternatives are available, including pumps, where taking them is unsuitable.' Advertisement The findings come days after actress Dame Emma Thompson suggested sex should be prescribed on the NHS. She spoke out at a a screening of her 2022 film Good Luck To You, Leo Grande — in which she plays a widow who hires a sex worker. Bionic willies on the rise as more than 500 men with severe erectile dysfunction have £8,000 NHS operation Dame Emma, 66, said: 'You need sex because it's part of our health plan, if you like. 'It should really be on the NHS. Advertisement 'It's so good for you.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Number of fat jab NHS prescriptions doubles in a year as 73% of Sun readers now think about using injections
ENGLAND has become a fat jab nation as weight loss drug prescriptions double to almost three million in a year. Demand for drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro show no signs of slowing, with the NHS splashing out £269million on them in 2024-25. 5 It comes as a new Sun survey reveals 73 per cent of our readers are thinking of using them as they struggle to shift weight. Official figures show prescriptions for the big three — Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — rocketed from 1.4million in 2023-24 to 2.7million last year. The increase was driven by Mounjaro, regarded as the strongest jab, with prescriptions surging to 1.1million from just 3,300 a year earlier. Most were prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes, as the injections were designed to treat that condition, and have only recently been approved for weight loss alone. NHS figures suggest prescriptions in Wales also doubled last year, from approximately 34,000 to 70,000, and in Scotland from 40,000 to 50,000. The numbers are expected to rise again this year as the NHS introduces them through slimming clinics. More than a million people are also already buying the jabs privately. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: 'Never in my career have I seen a product with as much hype as these injections. 'The demand is absolutely huge and I expect it to keep increasing — the only way is up.' Clare Butler, 48, said the jabs also helped her mental health. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons The mum, from Manchester, who has lost 4st 4lb, said: 'Mounjaro didn't only quieten the food noise, but it helped quieten the over-thinking, anxious thoughts that had consumed my life for so long.' She described it as, 'the best decision I've ever made for myself'. Research is revealing wide-ranging health benefits to the jabs, such as lowering risks of cancer, heart disease and dementia, yet warnings over weight loss drugs are also increasing. 5 Medics warn they must not be used in pregnancy, while trying to conceive or while breastfeeding, for fear they could lead to miscarriage or birth defects. They have also warned that rapid weight loss caused by the drugs could lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. Annual statistics from the NHS Business Services Authority show the total number of GLP-1 injections prescribed increased from 1,427,968 in the 2023-24 financial year to 2,734,499 in 2024-25. It was a 91 per cent spike — accounted for almost entirely by Mounjaro's growth. 5 5 The totals also included brands such as Saxenda, Ozempic and Wegovy. In the same period, the cost of prescribing rose from £137,808,297 to £269,276,366 — equal to 2.4 per cent of all NHS spending on pharmacy medicines, or £1 in every £42. The NHS said: 'We expect demand for weight loss drugs to continue to rise in the coming years.' The Department of Health added: 'We recognise the drugs' importance for treating type 2 diabetes and their exciting remit as new treatments for obesity.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Protests postponed after pharmacy funding boost
The government has agreed a new funding package with pharmacy negotiators in England, leading some pharmacies to call off protests that were planned for later this week. One group representing thousands of local pharmacies was preparing to take action involving cuts to opening hours from Tuesday, but they say that will be delayed while they consider the deal. Others have said the funding package is a "step in the right direction" but it still will not cover all cost increases pharmacies are facing, including a rise in National Insurance. Announcing the deal, ministers said they were working to turn around a "decade of underfunding and neglect". Community pharmacies have been warning of closures and cutbacks in the face of what they say are unsustainable pressures. Among these are a rising workload, funding which has not kept pace with inflation and the prospect of higher employer National Insurance contributions. And all this as they are expected to help more patients with some conditions to take the pressure off GPs. Government funding for pharmacies in England stood at £2.6bn in 2019/20. But over the next few years that did not go up with inflation. In the current financial year (2024/25) it has been at £2.7bn. The government has now announced a new deal for pharmacies in England, which will see funding rise to £3.1bn next year (2025/26). The deal will also include more mental health support for patients and increased consultations and blood pressure checks. And the deal includes a plan – announced on Sunday – to enable women to get the morning-after pill for free from pharmacies. As part of the deal, the government will also write off £193 million of debt for community pharmacy owners. Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We're working to turn around a decade of underfunding and neglect that has left the sector on the brink of collapse. "This package of record investment and reform is a vital first step to getting community pharmacies back on their feet and fit for the future." There was a cautious welcome from representatives of High Street chemists but warnings that the extra funding would not be enough to cover rising costs. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said the government's announcement was a "welcome step in the right direction" but it "does not alleviate pressures and will not stop closures". Community pharmacies in England are "on life support", she said, adding the rise in National Insurance and business rates makes the situation "even more acute". Another community pharmacy group, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), had announced that protest action would begin on Tuesday. It had previously warned that pharmacists were facing a "financial cliff edge" from 1 April, when many of their costs are due to rise. The NPA advised about 6,000 members in England to start "working to rule" from this date. This was due to involve cutting opening hours to around 40 hours a week – the minimum required under their contracts – and would have meant possible weekend closures. But the organisation says that this will be delayed while it consults members on the new deal. NPA chair Nick Kaye said Monday's announcement was a "step forward". "However, the truth is that because of a decade of neglect it also falls a long way short of the NHS's own estimates of the true cost of providing pharmacy services," he added. The NPA is "ready to work with ministers to close the funding gap, reform the system and deliver the sustainable, stronger pharmacy service that millions of people need so much", he said. Seven conditions that your local chemist can treat Morning-after pill to be made free at pharmacies in England
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Protests postponed after pharmacy funding boost
The government has agreed a new funding package with pharmacy negotiators in England, leading some pharmacies to call off protests that were planned for later this group representing thousands of local pharmacies was preparing to take action involving cuts to opening hours from Tuesday, but they say that will be delayed while they consider the deal. Others have said the funding package is a "step in the right direction" but it still will not cover all cost increases pharmacies are facing, including a rise in National the deal, ministers said they were working to turn around a "decade of underfunding and neglect". Community pharmacies have been warning of closures and cutbacks in the face of what they say are unsustainable these are a rising workload, funding which has not kept pace with inflation and the prospect of higher employer National Insurance contributions. And all this as they are expected to help more patients with some conditions to take the pressure off funding for pharmacies in England stood at £2.6bn in 2019/20. But over the next few years that did not go up with inflation. In the current financial year (2024/25) it has been at £2.7bn. The government has now announced a new deal for pharmacies in England, which will see funding rise to £3.1bn next year (2025/26). The deal will also include more mental health support for patients and increased consultations and blood pressure checks. And the deal includes a plan – announced on Sunday – to enable women to get the morning-after pill for free from part of the deal, the government will also write off £193 million of debt for community pharmacy Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We're working to turn around a decade of underfunding and neglect that has left the sector on the brink of collapse."This package of record investment and reform is a vital first step to getting community pharmacies back on their feet and fit for the future."There was a cautious welcome from representatives of High Street chemists but warnings that the extra funding would not be enough to cover rising Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said the government's announcement was a "welcome step in the right direction" but it "does not alleviate pressures and will not stop closures".Community pharmacies in England are "on life support", she said, adding the rise in National Insurance and business rates makes the situation "even more acute".Another community pharmacy group, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), had announced that protest action would begin on had previously warned that pharmacists were facing a "financial cliff edge" from 1 April, when many of their costs are due to NPA advised about 6,000 members in England to start "working to rule" from this date. This was due to involve cutting opening hours to around 40 hours a week – the minimum required under their contracts – and would have meant possible weekend closures. But the organisation says that this will be delayed while it consults members on the new chair Nick Kaye said Monday's announcement was a "step forward". "However, the truth is that because of a decade of neglect it also falls a long way short of the NHS's own estimates of the true cost of providing pharmacy services," he added. The NPA is "ready to work with ministers to close the funding gap, reform the system and deliver the sustainable, stronger pharmacy service that millions of people need so much", he said.
