Kieran Reynolds talks to Dr Stephanie Gallard and Liz Kramer about some of the clinical issues you may encounter when providing the impetigo service under Pharmacy First. Discussion includes how patients with impetigo usually present, differential diagnoses, advice to prevent the spread of impetigo and information about how what to when first line treatments are out of stock, including information about the SPS Medicines Supply Tool. (11m)

Dr Stephanie Gallard – GP with special interest in dermatology, PCDS Executive committee member  

Kieran Reynolds – Advanced Specialist Pharmacist (Medicines Governance), SPS 

Liz Kramer – Community Pharmacist  

Useful links:  

Information on how to stop impetigo spreading available via: Impetigo - NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

Patient information leaflet from the British Association of Dermatologists 
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/impetigo/
 
SPS Medicines Supply Tool 
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sps.nhs.uk%2Fhome%2Ftools%2Fmedicines-supply-tool%2F&reauth=1

Pharmacy First: Impetigo

Rakhi talks to Antonio about newer therapies for lipid management, incliseran and bemepdoic acid.  They discuss their place in therapy and how they may be initiated in primary care. 

This is the final part of our three-part series. 
 
Antonio Ochoa-Ferraro: Consultant Pharmacist, Inherited Metabolic Disorders; University Hospitals of Birmingham 
Rakhi Aggarwal: Primary Care Lead, Medicines Use and Safety; NHS SPS 

Useful links 

Cholesterol and Cholesterol levels 
https://www.heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol/overview  

NICE guidance 
Inclisiran: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA733  
Bempedopic acid with ezetimibe: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta694  

NHS England summary of national guidance for lipid management 
https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/publication/summary-of-national-guidance-for-lipid-management/ 

NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB procurement & prescribing of inclisiran  
https://www.birminghamandsurroundsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/files/Procurement%20and%20Prescribing%20of%20Inclisiran.pdf?UNLID=93161104220252141045  

Novartis inclisiran resources 
https://www.pro.novartis.com/uk-en/medicines/cardio-metabolic/leqvio/resources 

Open Access Articles 

Harnessing RNA Interference for Cholesterol Lowering: The Bench-to-Bedside Story of Inclisiran 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38456415/  

Inclisiran administration potently and durably lowers LDL-C over an extended-term follow-up: the ORION-8 trial 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38753448/ 

Bempedoic Acid for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in People With Obesity: A CLEAR Outcomes Subset Analysis 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39921511/ 

Familial hypercholesterolaemia is underdiagnosed and undertreated in the general population: guidance for clinicians to prevent coronary heart disease: consensus statement of the European Atherosclerosis Society 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23956253/

Lipid management and newer therapies

Claire Davies chats to Neera Shah about the challenges and considerations with insulin safety in health and justice and secure settings.  

Claire Davies – Advanced Specialist Pharmacist, SPS – Project Lead, Insulin Safety  
Neera Shah -  Area pharmacist, Offender Health 


MSATS: Insulin safety considerations in Health and Justice and secure settings

Claire Davies chats with Toby, a person living with diabetes, as to why it is essential that the voice of those with lived experience is heard and is central to any system-wide discussions about insulin safety and what is important to him to ensure his insulin therapy is safe alongside visual impairment. 

MSATS: Voice of people living with diabetes - insulin safety and visual impairment

In this episode of Pharmacy Podcast that provides regular interviews with Pharmacy leaders, entrepreneurs, and members of The Independent Pharmacies of Australia (IPA), host Melody Mugari, a Pharmacist and Programs and Corporate Partnerships Manager at Independent Pharmacies Australia (IPA)  sits down with Nader Mitri, General Manager of PharmaPrograms, to explore how innovation, strategic thinking, and patient-first models are reshaping the Pharmacy landscape. With over two decades of experience, including owning three community pharmacies and holding a Master’s in Health Economics, Nader brings deep industry insight into how Pharmacists can expand their impact beyond the dispensary. Together, Melody and Nader unpack the challenges, opportunities, and future pathways for Pharmacists looking to create meaningful, lasting change in healthcare delivery.


Pharmacy Podcast  - Ep 11 - How to Increase your Pharmacy’s Revenue while Achieving Better Patient Outcomes

Audio from our webinar held on the 4 March 2025 which featured a facilitated case-based discussion about the complexities of polypharmacy and deprescribing. This was a follow on from our first webinar, which lays the foundations of some of the deprescribing tools available. (57m02s)

Speakers: 
Lelly Oboh: Older people lead, NHS SPS
Jasvir Singh Dhillon: Clinical pharmacist, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin ICB, & GP practices
Rakhi Aggarwal: Primary care lead, NHS SPS

Primary care discussions: personalised evidence-based medicine to minimise polypharmacy

Kieran Reynolds talks to Arron Jones, Lead Hepatology Pharmacist about metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Discussion includes what MASLD/MASH stands for, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment; including advice to give to patients accessing GLP-1 RAs online, and emerging therapies.  

Arron Jones - Lead Hepatology Pharmacist, Bart’s Health Trust 
Kieran Reynolds - Advanced Specialist Pharmacist (Medicines Governance), SPS 

Useful links:  
The British Liver Trust’s information on MASLD, NAFLD and fatty liver disease 
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/masld-nafld-and-fatty-liver-disease/
The NHS Eatwell Guide 
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/
The South Asian Eatwell Guide  
https://mynutriweb.com/the-south-asian-eatwell-guide/
SPS article on using statins in liver impairment   
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/using-statins-in-liver-impairment/
The General Pharmaceutical Council’s FAQs on weight loss medications (including a guide for patients on how to keep safe when getting medicines or treatment online: scroll to bottom of page to access) 
https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/patients-and-public/standards-you-can-expect-using-pharmacy-services/weight-loss-medications-faq

Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Kieran Reynolds talks to Sonal Patel, Lead Hepatology Pharmacist about autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Discussion includes what AIH is, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and how pharmacy professionals can contribute to the management of patients with AIH.  

Sonal Patel - Lead Hepatology Pharmacist, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Trust and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow 2024/25 at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)  
Kieran Reynolds - Advanced Specialist Pharmacist (Medicines Governance), SPS 

Useful links:  
SPS article on assessing liver function and interpreting liver blood tests 
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/assessing-liver-function-and-interpreting-liver-blood-tests/
NHS website information on prednisolone  
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/prednisolone/
NHS website information on budesonide  
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/budesonide-tablets-capsules-and-granules/about-budesonide-tablets-capsules-and-granules/
NHS website information on azathioprine  
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/azathioprine/
The Society of Endocrinology information on adrenal crisis 
https://www.endocrinology.org/clinical-practice/clinical-guidance/adrenal-crisis/
SPS Medicines Monitoring tool 
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/home/tools/drug-monitoring/
The Green Book: information on vaccines for vaccine preventable diseases 
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book#the-green-book
AIH support website  
https://aihsupport.org.uk/
The British Liver Trust’s information on autoimmune hepatitis 
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/autoimmune-hepatitis/

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)

Kieran Reynolds talks to Yun Jung Kim, Senior Specialist Pharmacist in Hepatology about primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Discussion includes what PBC is, symptoms (and symptom control), diagnosis, treatment and how pharmacy professionals can contribute to the management of patients with PBC.  

Yun Jung Kim - Senior Specialist Pharmacist in Hepatology University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Vice-Chair, BHPG 
Kieran Reynolds - Advanced Specialist Pharmacist (Medicines Governance), SPS 

Useful links: 
The British Liver Trust’s information on primary biliary cholangitis  
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/primary-biliary-cholangitis/
The British Liver Trust’s information on diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis 
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/primary-biliary-cholangitis/diagnosis/
The British Liver Trust’s information on treating primary biliary cholangitis 
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/primary-biliary-cholangitis/diagnosis/
PBC Foundation website  
https://www.pbcfoundation.international/
The British Society of Gastroenterology primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) care bundle
https://www.bsg.org.uk/clinical-resource/primary-biliary-cholangitis-(pbc)-care-bundle 

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)

Sheetal Ladva, Senior Medicines Advice Pharmacist at SPS, presents a summary of the resources published by SPS between 21st and 27th June.  To easily find a list of newly published pages go to sps.nhs.uk, select ‘search’, click in the search bar, and press enter.    

Quick links to highlighted resources:      
Safe handling of monoclonal antibodies 
Considerations for occupational safety when preparing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/safe-handling-of-monoclonal-antibodies/ 

Tranexamic acid injection for treatment of severe haemorrhage 
SPS PGD template for administering tranexamic acid injection for treatment of severe haemorrhage by registered Paramedics and Nurses 
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/tranexamic-acid-injection-for-treatment-of-severe-haemorrhage/  

June edition of Spotlight  
A digest of NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service support for professionals working in all areas of the healthcare system for June 2025  
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/spotlight-june-2025/  

Next events – forthcoming webinars and conferences      
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/home/events/next-events/        

Podcast description:    
NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service serves healthcare professionals across the NHS who are involved in all aspects of buying, making and using medicines. Our motto is 'do once and share'.   

1 July: Monoclonal antibodies, tranexamic acid PGD, SPS going to QATS symposium

NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service serves healthcare professionals across the NHS who are involved in all aspects of buying, making and using medicines.  Our motto is 'do once and share'.

Welcome to Pharmacy View – Technology in Pharmacy Business Podcast Series where we provide regular interviews with Pharmacists and key industry people within the Australian Pharmacy and associated industry. In each podcast we look to discuss aspects of Pharmacy operation and how technology is improving or interacting with each guest’s current role or Pharmacy related business.

New tracks tagged #communitypharmacy