The chemist and druggist, 18/25. December 2010 (issue 6778)

C+D announces the results of its Salary Survey 2010, which shows pharmacists experienced an average pay rise of 2 per cent in the previous year, but 33 per cent of contractors were forced to cut their own pay during the same period. Meanwhile, following the lengthy process of deciding who is in charge after the first hung parliament in 35 years, Earl Howe is named pharmacy minister, a move welcomed by many in the sector. Good month for: Elizabeth Lee The court of appeal rules the locum convicted of a dispensing error should pay a fine of just £300, and overturns her jail sentence. OBad month for: Sandra Cidley. After losing her parliamentary seat, the pharmacist-politician warns that the House of Commons is a "black hole" for pharmacy, as other key political pharmacy champions are also ousted from the house in the general election In an unprecedented act of rebellion, Guernsey pharmacists threaten to break from the RPSCB, stating that they are set to form their own regulatory body Following Elizabeth Lee's appeal success the previous month, the industry is disappointed by the CPS's failure to deliver clearer guidance on dispensing errors. And the third annual C+D Awards honours the best in pharmacy at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. Good month for: Healthy Living Pharmacies. Six pharmacies are accredited with Healthy Living status in Portsmouth PCT, attracting adulation from the rest of the profession for the scheme's achievements so far. The most-read news stories of 2010 As viewed at www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk been promised. But the sector is frustrated to hear they "change nothing", according to legal experts. C+D exclusive: Boots boss Stefano Pessina talks to I C+D in July George Romanes, Romanes Pharmacy, Duns "The highlight of my year was finally getting Scotland's chronic medication service off the ground. It's a big thing for us. The worry is that we now have to fit it into our routine - it's about culture change." Bad month for: Dispensing errors. The CPS finally delivers guidance on the prosecution of dispensing errors, a year after they had July The summer starts on a high for health secretary Andrew Lansley, as he launches his health white paper, Liberating the NHS. PCTs are to be abolished, GP consortia are to take the commissioning reins and a new pharmacy contract is to be built on payment by performance, the policy document for England says. The reaction from pharmacy is mixed, with some saying the removal of patchy PCTs could be a good thing, but always wary of the new commissioning powers for GPs. Meanwhile the stock shortages situation continues, as C+D reveals the DH has been in secret talks with manufacturers of affected drugs, and Northern Ireland contractors win £28 million in compensation for outstanding money owed to them from illegal category M reductions Good month for: Alliance Boots. Executive chairman Stefano Pessina tells C+D he thinks sustained double- digit growth is possible for the group, saying: "It is our mantra and we strongly believe we can achieve it." OBad month for: PCTs and minor ailments services. The NHS white paper sees the announcement that PCTs will be scrapped by 2013, while C+D reveals trusts across England are considering stopping minor ailments schemes in a bid to cut costs. August As the sun shines down all pharmacy eyes are on the English capital, where London mayor Boris Johnson is busy backing C+D's campaign to highlight pharmacy services such as HPV vaccination and minor ailments. Unfortunately, just a week later the good news is tarnished as C+D reveals London pharmacies were targeted over 200 times by criminals in 2009, with crimes including assault, armed robbery and sexual offences. CPD also claims its first victims, with five unnamed pharmacists referred to the RPSGB's Investigating Committee for failing to meet standards Good month for: Machines Sainsbury's announces it will be trialling "Express Prescription" vending machines in two stores, which some C+D readers say reduces the profession to glorified vending machines; Boots says it will trial telemedicine services in two of its flagship stores OBad month for: Enhanced services. After Surrey pharmacists see their smoking cessation service axed in what the LPC calls a "major hatchet operation" to reduce the PCT's budget, tales of service suspensions follow from across the country. Quote of the month, July: PharmaPlus MD Hiten Patel, on the plans to scrap PCTs 18.12.10 23 r