The evidence gathered to date suggests that workplace pressures, and the subsequent impact on mental health and wellbeing, is still a significant issue in the pharmacy workforce.

Northern Ireland Health Minister, Robin Swann announced on March 21, a consultation on the introduction of statutory regulation of the pharmacy technician workforce in Northern Ireland.

The percentage of pharmacists who reported that their workplace always has safe staffing levels has dropped more than 6% since 2020.

£1.7m is being made available to further improve telephony infrastructure and improve accessibility, such as the use of online systems for ordering repeat prescriptions, helping to free up telephone lines and staff time.

“Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health” is the theme of this year’s World Pharmacists Day on 25 September 2021.

Many patient-pharmacist relationships are grounded in trust built over time. The public trusts the advice of a Pharmacist. They trust them to maintain confidentiality.

The majority of Northern Ireland Pharmacies are currently only supplying the AstraZeneca vaccine at this time.

The Health Minister, Robin Swann’s recent statement was an exciting read for the MedicComs team as Minister Swann highlighted the importance of digital innovation.

Health Minister Robin Swann has launched a new Elective Care Framework for Northern Ireland, setting out a detailed roadmap for tackling hospital waiting lists.

General Medical Services for Northern Ireland has recently produced its statistics for 2020/2021 in relation to Family Practitioner Services in Northern Ireland.

MedicComs Managing Director, Charles Ensor recently had the opportunity to take part in Invest NI’s Accelerator programme designed to support technology-based start-ups.