Graham Clews
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Pharmaceutical Journal news editor. Green Party councillor for Lewes Priory ward. Views mine.
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Articles by Graham Clews
New pharmacy minister confirmed
Diana Johnson has been appointed as the new pharmacy minister, the government has confirmed. Johnson was appointed as a junior health minister on 21 July 2026, in the days after Andy Burnham became prime minister. In the new prime minister’s first reshuffle, former pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock was moved to become secretary of state for Wales, while Yvette Cooper was appointed health secretary.
Social media companies must prioritise registered pharmacies to protect patients, says regulator
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has called for social media companies and search engines to prioritise registered pharmacies in search results as part of efforts to tackle illegal online pharmacies. The call came following a roundtable held in Parliament on 22 June 2026, chaired by Sadik Al Hassan, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy, to discuss joint action on fake online pharmacies.
Assisted dying Bill reintroduced to Parliament
A Bill to allow assisted dying has been reintroduced to the House of Commons after the progress of previous legislation was ended in the House of Lords. On 17 June 2026, a Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was added to the order paper in the House of Commons by Lauren Edwards, Labour MP for Rochester and Strood.
Regulator vows to prioritise racism review recommendations
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has said it will prioritise the implementation of recommendations made to health regulators as part of the Mann review on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS. The pharmacy regulator said in a statement, made following publication of the review on 4 June 2026, that it would also “carefully consider the review’s findings and recommendations as we review and update our standards and guidance”.
Regulator opens consultation on one-year route to registration for overseas pharmacists
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published a consultation on proposals that would allow internationally qualified pharmacists register to practise in Great Britain after a one-year postgraduate diploma.
Government pledges support for more safer drug consumption facilities in ten-year alcohol and drug strategy
Support for more local areas to develop proposals for safer drug consumption facilities and the exploration of options to expand access to drug checking — which could include mobile units or postal services — have been promised by the Scottish government and local authorities. The proposals are included in a number of commitments made in ‘Preventing harm, promoting recovery: Scotland’s alcohol & drugs strategic plan 2026 – 2035‘, published on 10 March 2026.
Everything you need to know about PrEP provision in community pharmacy
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or ‘PrEP’, for HIV has been shown to be highly effective in several real-world studies. Results from the ‘PrEP Impact Trial’ — one of the world’s largest PrEP studies, including data from 24,000 participants recruited between October 2017 and July 2020 — were published in The Lancet in 2023, revealing that the use of PrEP among participants reduced the chances of developing HIV by 86%.
Government to consult on widening access to take-home naloxone 'before year end'
The government is to consult on changing the law to increase access to take-home and emergency use naloxone before the end of 2025, a minister has said. In a written answer to a parliamentary question, published on 9 December 2025, asking what the timeline is for the establishment of the naloxone supply network coordinators, health minister Ashley Dalton said that the proposals follow delays in implementing a previous law change designed to make the opioid antidote more widely available.
Pharmacy regulator chief executive joins from police watchdog
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced Kathie Cashell as its new chief executive and registrar. Cashell, who currently holds the position of deputy director general at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), will take up her role on 2 March 2026. She began her career as a nurse and previously worked for the Healthcare Commission, a forerunner of the Care Quality Commission, where she led work to redesign the processes for handling NHS complaints.
Boots pharmacists agree to a 4% pay rise
Boots pharmacists have agreed to a 4% pay rise, following the multiple’s negotiations with the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) Union. In a joint statement published on 30 September 2025, the PDA Union and Boots said that pharmacists working for the company would be given the pay increase from 1 November 2025, “which recognises the unique role of the pharmacists within the community pharmacy sector and the business”.
Polypharmacy programme could have saved NHS more than £1m, report finds
A programme to tackle polypharmacy could have saved over £1m across the NHS in England, a report published by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) has found. The report, ‘Polypharmacy programme: getting the balance right’, published on 25 September 2025, revealed that HIN worked with over 12,000 healthcare professionals to provide training and support to help them tackle overprescribing, as well as developing resources to help patients in conversations about their medicines.
IPA chief executive writes to pharmacy minister over ‘deep crisis’ in community pharmacy sector
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), has written to pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock, warning of a “crisis in community pharmacy finances”. In a letter sent on 4 September 2025, Hannbeck said she wanted to “share the alarming outcomes of our latest survey and the deep disquiet of our members at the current funding deal for community pharmacies”.
GPhC registration assessment pass mark reaches 77%
The pass rate for the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) summer 2025 registration assessment was 77%, two percentage points higher than the pass rate for the summer 2024 exam. The exam results, published on 29 July 2025, show that of 2,913 candidates who sat the summer 2024 assessment, 2,247 passed (77%) and 666 failed (23%), following a ‘technical problem‘ earlier in the day, meaning pharmacy trainees were unable to access their results.
Regulator to trial independent complaint handling service as fitness-to-practise reports reach ‘record high’
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is expected to trial an independent complaint handling service as an alternative to fitness-to-practise (FtP) reporting. In council papers due to be discussed by the regulator at a meeting on 17 July 2025, the GPhC said it would “develop a feasibility option and pilot for an independent complaint handling service as a means of diverting low-level concerns about our registrants to a more appropriate service”.
Two early-career pharmacists named joint winners of OPERA 2025
A pharmacist developing microneedle patches, and another who produced a model predicting the risk of medicines-related harm in older patients, have been announced as joint winners of the 2025 ‘Outstanding Pharmacy Early-Career Researcher Award’ (OPERA).
Pharmacy bodies warn that demand for weight-loss drug will outstrip supply
Pharmacy bodies have warned that demand for the weight-loss drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro: Eli Lilly) — which can now be prescribed by GPs — will exceed supply. In statements given to The Pharmaceutical Journal, pharmacy bodies added that pharmacies could offer support services to patients newly prescribed the drug.
Long-term plan for NHS workforce must follow 2026 Senedd elections, says RPS
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has added its name to a call for political parties in Wales to commit to a funded long-term plan for the future of the NHS workforce, ahead of Senedd elections in 2026. The call, published on 4 June 2025 and co-signed by 37 other health and social care bodies in the Welsh NHS Confederation and Wellbeing Alliance, outlines four health and social care priorities for the incoming Welsh government. The next Senedd elections are expected to take place by May 2026.
Take-home naloxone: could community pharmacies be the answer to tackling drug deaths?
A staggering 4,790 people died as a result of drug misuse in Great Britain in 2023, according to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). ONS figures reveal that there were 3,618 drug-misuse deaths in England and Wales in 2023 — a 16% increase from 3,127 drug-misuse deaths in 2022.
No increase in NHS prescription fees for the first time in three years
The government has announced that prescription charges in England are to be frozen for the first time in three years. In a statement published on 28 April 2025, the government announced that the prescription charge for 2025/2026 will remain at £9.90 per item, a three-month prescription prepayment certificate will be frozen at £32.05, and a 12-month certificate will stay at £114.50. Prescription fees were most recently frozen in 2022, which at that point was the first time in a decade.
Community pharmacy funding boosted by £617m in two-year contract
Community pharmacies in England have had their funding boosted by £617m over the next two years, following agreement on a new two-year contract. In a statement published on 31 March 2025, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said overall funding for community pharmacy would rise in 2025/2026 to more than £3bn per year for the first time.
RPS members vote 'yes' to becoming Royal College of Pharmacy
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) members have voted in favour of becoming a royal college. The results of a special resolution vote, announced on 26 March 2025, show that 71.1% of members voted to support proposed changes to the RPS’s Royal Charter and a transition to royal college status.
What does the assisted dying legislation mean for pharmacy?
Speaking during a debate in the House of Commons in November 2024, Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Spen Valley, West Yorkshire, described a surge of public opinion in favour of the legalisation of assisted dying for terminally ill patients.
UK medicines regulation disincentivising investment in research development, finds survey
The majority of pharmaceutical manufacturers responding to a survey have said the UK’s medicines regulatory environment has an ‘unfavourable’ impact on their decision to invest in research development.
Will reshoring medicines manufacturing solve shortages in the UK?
Medicines shortages have presented the government, pharmacists and patients with one crisis after another in recent years. For example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines, antiepileptics, the pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy Creon (pancreatin; Mylan) and diabetes medicines — such as insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — have all been subject to shortages in the UK since 2022.
NICE overturns decision on blood cancer treatment elranatamab
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has overturned previous draft guidance on elranatamab (Elrexfio; Pfizer), removing restrictions on the use of the treatment for multiple myeloma, following an agreement with the manufacturer to make the drug available to the NHS at a discount.
Free pharmacy advice saves 38 million GP appointments a year, CPE audit finds
Community pharmacies provided almost 38 million unpaid consultations over a year that otherwise would have resulted in patients visiting their GP, an audit of advice given in pharmacies has found. Published on 29 October 2024, the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) 2024 Pharmacy Advice Audit found that 61,837 unpaid consultations were completed in one day across 3,916 community pharmacies when the audit was carried out in the summer of 2024.
High deprivation areas given funding to boost structured medication reviews, says HIN
The NHS will provide funding for 25 primary care networks (PCNs) in areas of high deprivation to offer supportive material for structured medication reviews (SMRs).
NICE rejects second Alzheimer's disease treatment for NHS use
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has rejected a second Alzheimer’s disease treatment for use across the NHS in England and Wales. In draft guidance published on 23 October 2024, NICE said that donanemab (Kisunla; Eli Lilly) did not provide good value for the NHS and that more evidence was needed on its clinical and cost-effectiveness for the treatment of mild Alzheimer’s disease.
RPS to survey members before responding to government consultation on NHS ten-year plan
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced plans to survey members to help shape its response to the government’s consultation on the future of the NHS in England. In a statement published on 21 October 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on three big shifts in the way the NHS in England is provided: from hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention.
Regulator misses fitness-to-practise timeliness standard for sixth year in a row
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has failed to meet a regulatory standard on the timeliness of its fitness-to-practise (FtP) system for the sixth year in a row. In its annual report on the performance of the GPhC, published on 25 September 2024, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) — which sets standards for all UK health regulators, including the GPhC — said that the pharmacy regulator did not meet its standard for dealing with FtP cases in a “timely manner”.
Manufacturer withdraws treatment for sickle cell disease following concern over deaths
Pfizer has withdrawn voxelotor (Oxbryta) worldwide for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), owing to the emergence of clinical data that links “fatal events” to the drug. In a published on 25 September 2024, the company said that its decision was “based on the totality of clinical data that now indicates the overall benefit of Oxbryta no longer outweighs the risk in the approved sickle cell patient population”.
Is the General Pharmaceutical Council making progress to improve its fitness-to-practise processes?
In June 2024, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) reported yet another “record high” in the number of fitness-to-practise (FtP) concerns it received within a three-month period. The 1,423 concerns the regulator received between January and March 2024 brought the final total for 2023/2024 to 5,477 concerns. This was a 31% year-on-year increase from 2022/2023, when 4,178 concerns were submitted, and a 78% increase from 2021/2022, during which there were 3,080 concerns received.
Mark Drakeford appointed as Welsh health and social care cabinet secretary
The former Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has been appointed as cabinet secretary for health and social care for Wales. Drakeford, who was previously health and social care minister between 2013 and 2016, resigned as first minister in March 2024. In a statement published on 7 August 2024 by Eluned Morgan, who has been appointed as the new first minister of Wales, she said she had asked Drakeford to join the ministerial team “on an interim basis”.
EMA tells countries to prioritise weight loss drugs for patients ‘with greatest need’
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that member countries develop guidelines to prioritise glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for patients who have the greatest need for the medicines, owing to ongoing shortages of the products.
Bristol pharmacist given RPS Charter Award
Ade Williams, a Bristol-based pharmacist, has been given the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Charter Award, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to pharmacy and patient care. The RPS said that Williams, who is director and superintendent pharmacist of M J Williams Pharmacy Group and lead prescribing pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, had “consistently demonstrated pharmacy’s role in providing comprehensive and affordable healthcare solutions for the community”.
GPhC reveals lowest summer registration assessment pass rate for five years
The pass rate for the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) summer registration assessment has fallen to the lowest level for five years. The results of the assessment, which was undertaken across the UK on 25 June 2024, were published on 30 July 2024 and showed a pass rate of 75%, down 2 percentage points from the 77% pass rate for the summer assessment held in 2023. The pass rates in 2022, 2021 and 2019 were 80%, 82% and 72%, respectively.
The PJ Pod wins 'best podcast' at British Society of Magazine Editors awards
The Pharmaceutical Journal’s podcast, The PJ Pod, has been named best podcast in the B2B category at the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) Talent Awards ceremony 2024. Announcing the award at the ceremony, held in central London on 4 June 2024, the judges said that The PJ Pod “used the podcast format to bring to life its well-researched investigative journalism for not only its audience, but the wider public too, while showcasing its core written content”.
MMR vaccinations offered at more than 40 community pharmacies until 2025
A scheme that uses community pharmacies to provide measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations to children has been extended to cover a total of 43 pharmacies and will run until the end of March 2025, NHS England has said. NHS England has said that the programme, which includes pharmacies across the north west of England, will also support a planned call for people aged 16–25 years who have missed one or both doses of their MMR vaccinations, due to launch on 18 June 2024.
Making skill mix a reality: the advancing role of pharmacy technicians
Pharmacy technicians have not had an easy path to recognition for their contributions in pharmacy settings. A survey of 236 pharmacy technicians carried out by The Pharmaceutical Journal in 2018 revealed that pharmacy technicians felt they were taking on extra work without being properly resourced, with half of respondents considering leaving the profession as a result.
Serious shortage protocols for clarithromycin reactivated as whooping cough cases rise Original
Serious shortage protocols (SSPs) for the antibiotic clarithromycin have been reactivated, at the same time as the number of whooping cough cases hit a 15-year high. Two SSPs — for clarithromycin 125mg/5mL and 250mg/5mL oral suspension — were reactivated on 22 May 2024 and are set to expire on 21 June 2024.
RPS announces results of 2024 national pharmacy board elections
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the names of eight pharmacists in England and four pharmacists in Wales who have successfully been elected to positions on its national pharmacy boards. The election results, published on 21 May 2024, follow a ten-day voting period in England and Wales. No election took place in Scotland, where seven candidates ran unopposed for eight substantive vacancies on the Scottish Pharmacy Board.
Designated prescribing practitioners in primary care to be funded under ARRS scheme
Designated prescribing practioners (DPPs) will be able to be funded for primary care networks (PCNs) under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), a senior NHS England figure has said. Speaking at the Clinical Pharmacy Congress, held at ExCeL London on 9 and 10 May 2024, Liz Fidler, senior adviser on pharmacy technicians at NHS England, presented a slide that said that the role could be funded under the “direct patient contact” element of the ARRS.
King Charles III to become patron of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
King Charles III has agreed to become the new patron of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). In a statement published on 13 May 2024, the RPS said that Buckingham Palace confirmed the news to mark the first anniversary of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, which took place on 6 May 2023. It follows an analysis by Buckingham Palace of more than 1,000 patronages of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the former Prince of Wales and the former Duchess of Cornwall.
Chief pharmacist role should be mandatory, says RPS
In its response to a consultation from the pharmacy regulator, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) said that the chief pharmacist role at hospitals and in similar settings should be mandatory.
Standardised approach to developing designated prescribing practitioners needed, says Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists
There should be a standardised approach to “creating” a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP), according to the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP). In a position statement on DPPs for foundation training year pharmacists, published on 28 March 2024, the GHP also called for formal guidance to be produced on the “expected time commitment” needed to act as a DPP, educational supervisor (ES) or designated supervisor (DS) for foundation year pharmacists.
First Scottish consultant pharmacist appointed
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has appointed Scotland’s first consultant pharmacist, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced. Jennifer Laskey was appointed as a consultant cancer pharmacist after demonstrating her consultant-level practice through a rigorous portfolio assessment that showed cross-boundary working and leadership across four pillars of practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research.
Pharmacists must be able to refer young people with gender dysphoria for support, says regulator
All organisations providing gender identity services should make sure that there are clear routes for pharmacy professionals to refer children and young people for the support and care they need, the pharmacy regulator has said.
Almost a third of Pharmacy First consultations have been carried out in most deprived areas of England
Nearly a third of Pharmacy First consultations completed by pharmacy multiples in the first month of the service were carried out in the most deprived parts of England, according to the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA). In January 2023, The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that pharmacies in areas of high deprivation provide 50% more NHS services to their local populations overall.
UK government backs all recommendations made following review of bias in medical devices
The government has backed all 18 recommendations made in a review of racial and other biases in the design and use of medical devices. In April 2021, the NHS Race and Health Observatory called for a review of pulse oximeters, after an analysis by Michigan University in the United States found that pulse oximeter readings of blood oxygen levels were three times more likely to be inaccurate among African-American patients.
Pharmacy2U purchase of LloydsDirect given go ahead by competition regulator
The purchase of LloydsDirect by Pharmacy2U has been approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following an investigation. Publishing its decision on 12 March 2024, the CMA said that further details on its ruling would be published “shortly”. Pharmacy2U announced in October 2023 that it had bought LloydsDirectfor an undisclosed sum, bringing together the two companies that have the most patient nominations under the electronic prescription service (EPS).
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