This May, the Department of Health is launching a national NHS campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer. It reinforces the message that finding lung cancer early makes it more treatable and encourages people who have symptoms to go to their doctor straight away.

The 'EPS Release 2' smartcard model requires that all pharmacy staff will be registered with an organisation identifier that represents the ODS code of the pharmacy site where they operate the service on a regular basis.

Both pharmacy technicians and dispensing assistants can be called on to work at other community pharmacies at short notice. Typically this is to cover staff sickness or holidays or to provide interim cover until permanent staff can be recruited.

PSNC and NHS Employers have today announced that Department of Health Ministers have agreed changes to the New Medicine Service (NMS) payment structure.

From May 2012 contractors will earn between £20 and £28 for each NMS full service intervention they provide depending on the total number of patients who receive the service in the month.

NHS Hampshire Medicines Management Team have produced a post-it pad for prescribers to highlight patients who are starting a new medicine in one of the four groups of medicines eligible for inclusion in the New Medicine Service which is being carried out by community pharmacies.  These pads are being issued to GPs over the next few weeks via the Medicines Management Team.