Pharmacy Phorts
Pharmacy, Technology. Better Healthcare
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Pharmacy is at a crossroads (those of a certain age will groan at that one). The frontline is increasing in clinical complex – patients arriving with undifferentiated diagnoses via Pharmacy First, supply chain dysfunction creating medicine shortages across many sectors, and funding that hasn’t kept pace with the demands we’re being asked to meet. We…
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So I thought I would add to this blog, as I travel along on the journey as proposed by the new UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board.I’m not going to reinvent the wheel by reposting some of the background (or the politics) around the formation of this board – so I suggest you pop along…
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A story caught my attention this week. Thousands of NHS patients were exposed to potential infection risk during surgical procedures because a supplier failed to adequately document calibrations for sealing equipment and sterilisation sensors. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/20/patients-exposed-superbugs-nhs-safety-breaches-ppe/ Not a deliberate act of negligence – but a failure of process assurance. 150 NHS trusts. A mass recall. Disruption…
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AI is one of the NHS’s five big bets, but are we building the fundamentals fast enough? Reflecting on accelerating through the internet’s 30-year adoption journey and what this means for safe AI in healthcare.
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I’ve spent my entire adult life working in healthcare. As a pharmacist, I’ve counselled countless patients, navigated prescribing complexities, and witnessed the intricate dance of our NHS from the inside. For the most part, I’ve been fortunate—blessed with good health, save for the occasional chest infection, a bout of COVID, and that peculiar post-COVID gift…
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I’m looking at my calendar, pen poised over Thursday, 10th July. The PM Healthcare Digital Technology & AI Conference at the Royal College of General Practitioners in London promises exactly the kind of insight I thrive on—digital health and AI from a pharmacist’s perspective. A colleague is presenting, the agenda looks compelling, and I know…
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AI is the current panacea of all humanities woes. The claims (and some of the hype cycle claims) are in the headlines nearly every day, and this seems especially so within the healthcare sphere. I’m certainly not a Luddite, but perhaps I’m not so assured that adding AI to anything and everything will solve problems,…
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Innovation vs. Inertia in NHS Technology Have you noticed how our everyday lives have been transformed by seamlessly connected digital services? Banking, shopping, travel—all accessible through sleek apps that talk to each other effortlessly. Yet when it comes to healthcare technology, particularly within our NHS, things aren’t quite so fluid. Why is that? The Green…
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Community pharmacy must evolve past outdated systems and workflows to enhance service delivery and integration. By implementing a connected ecosystem, pharmacists could better manage services, coordinate care, and improve patient experiences through real-time data and efficient appointment allocation. Collaboration and investment in digital infrastructure are essential for this transformation.
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A Critical Look at the RPS Royal College Vote As the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) approaches a pivotal moment in its history, with members soon to vote on transforming into a royal college, a critical question emerges about the democratic process itself. While the debate around the merits of becoming a royal college continues, we…
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Over the coming weeks there are going to be significant, and I suspect at times, heated debate about the current proposals of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to transition to the Royal College of Pharmacy. I like many pharmacists am now reviewing the “information” being shared and placed in the public arena by many organisations and…