By Professor John Robertson
From the Guardian today, not Anglocentric, for once:
Drug shortages in England are now at such critical levels that patients are at risk of immediate harm and even death, pharmacists have warned.
The situation is so serious that pharmacists increasingly have to issue “owings” to patients – telling someone that only part of their prescription can be dispensed and asking them to come back for the rest of it later, once the pharmacist has sourced the remainder.
The above makes no mention of Scotland. Searching for reports of shortages in Scotland gets the same story of shortages in England, in the Herald and the National plus, this intriguing suggestion:
One potential solution lies in affording community pharmacy greater latitude in altering prescriptions – a practice that could save immense amounts of NHS funds and ease the mounting pressure on pharmacy resources.
A change to medicines legislation is needed to enable pharmacists to speed up access to medicines. This would allow pharmacists to make minor adjustments to prescriptions to help alleviate some of the issues for patients and reduce burdens on primary care – with the added benefit of reducing the workload of GPs.
Pharmacists in hospital, and in community pharmacies in Scotland, already routinely alter prescriptions for the benefit of patients.
Also, in the same journal in August 2023:
Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future
As pharmacies in Scotland receive renewed government backing, Steve Anderson takes a look at the future of English pharmacy against the backdrop of a damning new report.
I must commend Scotland’s Pharmacy First model, which has set the standard for the delivery of patient services through pharmacies. With PHOENIX’s presence in 29 European countries, I can see that Scotland’s approach stands out for its reach and ambition. The key, however, to its success has been borne out of years of government investment and commitment to maintain a financially viable network based upon sustainable long-term funding.
Unlike in England, where community pharmacies have faced cumulative funding cuts of more than £750 million per year, Scotland’s investment has allowed pharmacies to focus on patient care without the constant financial pressures. Community pharmacies should not be viewed as disposable figures on a spreadsheet. Our pharmacy teams provide vital care in our communities, improving healthcare outcomes and helping to manage long-term conditions.
If England wishes to develop its own Pharmacy First approach, that is a key lesson it must learn. If Scotland had failed to offer a fair funding commitment to pharmacy, politicians in England would have been forgiven for thinking they could get away with a cut-price Pharmacy First model from a steadily shrinking number of pharmacies.
In Scotland, the outlook on community pharmacy is that it plays a crucial role in enhancinghealthcare outcomes and increasing patient access to essential care. Community pharmacies are an important part of the overall system, but one that clearly differs from that of a GP or hospital.
Community pharmacies do have the potential to reduce pressures on the NHS, particularly as healthcare demands increase, but further action is essential to enable community pharmacy to play an enhanced role delivering more patient care services. While funding is vital, the issue is not exclusively based on money.
The lesson from Scotland could not be clearer: invest in a robust and sustainable pharmacy network that increases patient access to essential NHS care. This in turn will reduce cost and demand pressures on other parts of the NHS, improving patient satisfaction and health outcomes.
Imagine Reporting Scotland wondering what they can make of the above?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Reporting Scotland Editor – bin the story on ‘Pharmacy First’. Lead with ‘stolen car found a mile from Swinney’s house’.
Alasdair Macdonald
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Three observations –
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‘If the unionist (sic) get control of Hollyrood’ – This headline from LabourList (8th May, 2024) is notable in this regard: ‘Scottish Labour may have to scrap free tuition fees, Kezia Dugdale warns’.
See https://labourlist.org/2024/05/scotland-scottish-labour-holyrood-elections-2026-kezia-dugdale/
‘… Dugdale argued that the widening gap between government spending and revenue north of the border means that “something’s going to have to give” with respect to current Holyrood policies like free prescriptions, free personal care, free tuition fees and new child payments.’
So the issue is not under-resourcing of public services and the social security safety net in England? Really? And a Labour government in Westminster won’t be fixing under-resourced public services in England so suck it up Scotland. In this Union is Scotland government’s fault and its Scotland’s people that must lose what they already have?
Adding: “It’s going to be incredibly difficult for whoever comes into office in 2026 [the year of the next Scottish parliamentary elections], because a lot of these very difficult things have been kicked down the road by the current administration in the box marked too difficult.”
Of course it couldn’t be ‘incredibly difficult’ because of the constraints on Scotland of the Union? And it wouldn’t be the constraints of the Starmer/Reeves ‘fiscal rules’ and upcoming austerity?
And then the delusional bit: ‘“I’m not sympathetic to independence, but what I do want is to rewire Britain. I want to change the voting system, I want greater devolution and I want employment law. I want immigration powers, I want to change the way that the fiscal framework operates in practice so that Scotland grows its economy.”
Scotland to grow its economy aided by a set of changed circumstances – a ‘rewired’ Britain, a changed UK voting system, greater devolution for Scotland with employment law and immigration powers, a changed fiscal framework – NONE of which is in prospected from ANY Unionist party governing in Westminster.
Is Ms Dugdale still under the impression that the Union is capable of such changes and if so based on what evidence? Gordon Brown’s federalism, Labour’s abolition of the Lords etc. etc. anyone?
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Indeed stewartb….her arguments are flawed and seem to be excusing the real ‘Elephant in the room’ for Scotland as in the UK….whose UK government (and Labour as opposition to the SNP) try to prevent progressive policies that our Scottish SNP led government implement, that do so much to improve the lives of many of us who live here in Scotland, who otherwise would not have the choices available to them as Scottish citizens…..thanks to the SNP….Labour in Scotland’s only answer or non solution for our government to do is to mitigate UK government policies…as in robbing Peter to pay Paul (where some then lose a benefit in order to give a little bit more to others….but overall everyone loses out)
Is she weakly pre-empting that both a Labour UK government and perhaps, she assumes also, a Labour branch office , winning in both 2024 & 2026 the UK GE & also the Scottish election at Holyrood, in her using excuses for current benefits via the SNP Scottish government no longer being sustainable under the Labour party…..yet them renewing Trident, participating in wars , not increasing Corporation tax , committing to not imposing a wealth tax etc etc is somehow sustainable within their UK….how regressive that is….and reminiscent of what we have seen being done under the Tory UK government.
I think that she is destroying her own argument….while making the argument for Scottish independence more urgent, more logical and indeed more inevitable.
NMRN
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Yes this is a positive story for Scotland and it’s government in it’s progressive and working initiative with Pharmacies….
However Brexit is having an impact in some shortages of certain medicines being available in Scotland.
My husband gets regular medication which now seems to be a problem for him to get from the pharmacists , via his last few visits , where his prescription has failed to be complete and they keep saying he will need to come back another time to get it filled….our neighbour across the road from us, whose husband is very ill, mentioned to my husband that she is having the same problems getting her husband’s prescription at the Chemist processed/completed as well…..
Then I read this in April 2024 via SKY News online where: “Brexit has weakened the ‘country’s’ ability to tackle shortages in medicine”…..I assume by “country’s’” they mean the whole UK !
Shortages have become the new ‘normal’ in medicines since leaving the EU as some of these products no longer flow as smoothly across the borders with the EU.
This is our health….and recalling what we were assured via Brexiteers like Boris Johnson in the Leave campaign…..as in that our NHS would have additional funding via us leaving the EU but where he and others failed to mention what would happen with medicines crucial to some people’s survival and well being would then, for them, be seriously impacted by the now UK self imposed borders with the EU that they, as Brexiteers, have imposed via Brexit…….that has now resulted in medicine shortages for some medicines (also noting that Pharmacy staff have been impacted via Brexit as in some leaving the UK post Brexit to return to their own EU countries)
Cue the Scottish newspapers and televised media making up a story on this that lays the blame upon the Scottish government somehow failing to support Pharmacists in Scotland thus risking the lives of those who live in Scotland …….as is that not how it usually plays out with the media here ?
Where they as a media fail to get the real story so they just create their own version that just so happens to be another #SNPBAD instigated problem…..plus your above article clearly shows that our government has instigated an initiative in them having worked to try to “invest in a robust and sustainable pharmacy network that increases patient access to essential NHS care”.
Brexit and it’s many negative consequences is only being ignored as a huge story purely because it was not, as a policy, one that was instigated , implemented or supported by the SNP….indeed the opposite is the case….hence why Omerta is applied…..as the truth would then politically disadvantage both the Tories and Labour parties in elections as they both embrace it as a continued policy for the whole UK…..even for the parts, like Scotland , who voted against it in every region in Scotland….and where the SNP have consistently opposed it as a policy that was forced upon us in Scotland all because ,we as a country , are still a part of their UK !
Brexit cannot be made to work…..but the media can hide some very pertinent information, which then may makes some voters in Scotland , assume (wrongly) that it’s impact on them is less than was anticipated and indeed any negative impacts via Brexit , like say medicine shortages are, via the media, then twisted (and omitted as being due to Brexit) to then allow the media in Scotland to lay all of the blame upon some supposed (but not) incompetence which they promote as being generated via the SNP as the Scottish government as them being the guilty party who have caused this particular problem to arise and grow…..and thus remain unresolved.
Hence why Labour in Scotland are not being taken to task by the media on it, Brexit, as a flawed and failed policy…..pre this forthcoming UK GE……so not just Dark money at work in this up and coming GE there is also dark forces at play with a not fit for purpose Pro UK media that infiltrate Scotland with their lies, omissions and propaganda……all to currently benefit a not fit for purpose political party aka the Labour party in Scotland.
NMRN
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This is an interesting read on that subject:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-they-broke-britain/james-obrien/9780753560365
He is coruscating in his descriptions of the main “players” in all of it.
He should retitle it, The UK sh*tshow.
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“He should retitle it, The UK sh*tshow”
LOL….indeed he should.
Have a nice day groaver
🙂
NMRN
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O/T
This was reported two days ago…..
“Taxpayers must give £3million to MPs shortchanged on their pensions despite millions of Waspi women still having to wait for compensation. HM Treasury is being asked to find the extra cash to cover tax bills incurred by politicians who were caught up in a major reform of retirement funds that was later ruled unfair”
“Ruled unfair”….but Waspi women are supposed to ignore how they were “unfairly” treated via a change in their pension retirement age being sneaked in and thus imposed upon them, which then saw Waspi women losing out financially in what was also a “major reform” on their pension rights thus they too were “short changed” by HM Treasury a La Tory party……and seems as if a new anticipated Labour UK government will continue to ignore what the previous Tory government have also ignored and failed to address with Waspi women not being compensated….based on what Keir Starmer ordered his Labour branch office to do in a vote at Holyrood where they abstained and thus failed to back “the Scottish Government in a call for “compensation in full” to be paid to women impacted by state pension inequality”
Labour the party that just keeps giving…..as in giving more reasons not to vote for them in Scotland …..LOL
NMRN
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Any take on this article about whooping cough. https://news.sky.com/story/five-babies-have-died-with-whooping-cough-this-year-uk-health-officials-say-13131985
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You may be interested to learn the following about childhood vaccination take-up rates.
Source: NHS England (28 Sep 2023) Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics, England, 2022-23.
See the section of the report entitled ‘Coverage in UK countries – 2022-23’: it has a table which displays the latest annual (2022-23) coverage values for all childhood vaccinations across the four UK countries. Overwhelmingly, the take-up rates in Scotland are the highest of any UK country across the full range of childhood vaccinations.
(See https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics/england-2022-23/6in-1-vaccine )
To prevent whooping cough, the childhood disease in the news today from England, the relevant vaccine is termed the ‘6-in-1’. This is what the NHS England table reveals:
‘Coverage’ – i.e.. take-up – at age 12 months: England = 91.8%; Scotland = 95.5%
Coverage at age 24 months: England = 92.6%; Scotland = 96.5%.
I have two ‘takes’ on this: (i) Scotland like everywhere else cannot – and I suspect will not – be complacent about take-up rates; and (ii) this is just one more piece of evidence on the relative effectiveness of Scotland’s health services – so different from what Unionist politicians and their MSM allies portray in their gaslighting of Scotland’s electorate!
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Forgot to add this for further context on the comparative data of rates of take-up on the 6-in-1 vaccine at age 12 months:
For Scotland in 2023: ‘Uptake ranged from 93.0% in the most deprived areas (SIMD quintile 1) to 97.4% in the least deprived areas (SIMD quintile 5), ..’
Recall, the figure for England overall for the same vaccine in 2022-23 was 91.8% i.e. lower that the rate for Scotland’s most deprived areas.
Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/26192/2024-03-26-childhood-immunisation-report.pdf
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Scotland is not immune to shortages of medications but may have systems in place via community pharmacies that help slow disruption in supply but it will come. Dr Whitford warned time and again in HoC that this situation would arise because of Brexit.
Many of our medicines and medical supplies come from the EU. I am on regular medication which comes from Germany. Last month there was a big notice on the bag containing my prescription warning me about possible supply issues. Thinking about it on the way home it occurred to me that this was a situation ripe for some profiteering by the unscrupulous and, worse still, counterfeit medicines.
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‘Any take on this ..?’
My suspicion – because I’ve never come across anything about whooping cough in the mainstream media that supposedly ‘serves’ Scotland – is that there may well be a favourable story on Scotland’s health services somewhere here. And indeed there is!
From Public Health Scotland on 26 March 2024 (‘Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland – Quarter and year ending 31 December 2023’) , we learn that the vaccination for pertussis, or whooping cough since October 2017, has been ‘part of the combined 6-in-1 vaccine, consisting of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and Hepatitis B. A booster dose is also given to children at around 3 years 4 months of age.’
Here are the 2023 take-up rates for the combined 6-in-1 vaccine in Scotland (https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/26192/2024-03-26-childhood-immunisation-report.pdf) :
‘Protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio can wane over time. … From the age of 3 years 4 months, children should be invited to receive booster doses of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (given as a single injection, the 4-in-1 booster vaccine) and a second dose of MMR vaccine.’
Rates of uptake for all childhood vaccinations across the UK are available for comparison: see the table given in NHS England (28 September, 2023) Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics, England, 2022-23 (see https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics/england-2022-23/6in-1-vaccine ).
Inspection of the table will show that on every metric (bar two) Scotland has the highest percentage take-up rates of the UK countries. (Scotland’s rate is slightly lower than Wales on 12 month coverage for PVC (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) and equal to Wales on coverage at 5 years for first MMR1 dose.)
Specifically on the 6-in-1 vaccine relevant to preventing whooping cough, the figure for Scotland is 94.5% and for England 91.8%. The figure for the most derived areas of Scotland was 93%. At 24 months the uptake of the same vaccine in Scotland was 96.5% and in England 92.6.
Reflections? Firstly, there is no room for complacency in Scotland on the subject of vaccine take-up.. Secondly, once again the available facts about Scotland’s health services run counter to the gaslighting of Scotland’s electorate perpetrated by Unionist politicians and their mainstream media allies.
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Westminster Gov. No money for NHS, Education or Welfare. Monies wasted on HS2, Hinkley Point, decommissioning nuclear, Trident, redundant weaponry, Brexit.
Tax cuts. Westminster Gov raising £731Billion. Spending £1090Billion. Going, going. …….. gone.
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