The PJ Pod

For Tase Oputu, becoming the first president of the Royal College of Pharmacy is “the greatest honour of my career”, and she says the move to a royal college is already changing how pharmacy is received by policymakers.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, Oputu talks to reporter Corrinne Burns about her career in hospital pharmacy and commissioning, her long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity, and what is happening to the recommendations handed over by the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board.

She also urges members and non-members alike to weigh in on the College's long-term draft strategy: "If you don't agree with things, come and talk to us about it as well.”

Thank you to Tase for taking the time to speak to us. This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior editor, research and learning Alex Clabburn talks to Ed Hindle.

Ed is an advanced specialist pharmacist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and leads the ocular inflammation therapeutics service, which manages the ongoing care of patients with sight threatening inflammatory eye disease — the largest service of its kind in the UK. Our conversation touches on the type of interventions pharmacists at Moorfields are delivering for patients and what it’s like working at a specialist trust. We also discuss the opportunities that exist for professional development, while Ed provides advice on where pharmacists can go if they are interested in pursing a specialism in ophthalmology.   

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of practice.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Electronic Prescription System (EPS) nominations connect patients with the pharmacy where they can collect their medication – and often access other services, help and advice while they’re there.

Only patients can set up or change their nominated pharmacy – it can’t be done by the pharmacy or GP unless at the patient’s request.

But recently, reports have emerged that nominations have been changed without patient consent, sometimes in bulk, and possibly using an automatic system. One integrated care board received as many as 92 complaints about this in the last year.

In this ‘Spotlight’ episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Carolyn Wickware and investigations editor Joanna Robertson discuss the impact that nomination switching has on patients and pharmacies, the scale of the issue and what’s being done about it.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Joanna Robertson, senior clinical reporter, talks to Mark Stuart, a sports pharmacist whose 25-year career has spanned Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games, as well as anti-doping education at the International Testing Agency.

Our conversation also touches on the growing use of supplements, how a pharmacist's expertise helps athletes think through how their medication might impact their performance and how to navigate doping regulations.

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice and explore more resources relating to sports pharmacy below.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior features editor Siobhan Chan examines how the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being communicated outside of traditional clinical and policy settings. 

The episode talks about Lifeline, a musical that brings together the history of antibiotics and the modern realities of drug-resistant infections.

We speak to two practising pharmacists who perform in the chorus of Lifeline: Marsha Boltova, an emergency department pharmacist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust; and Shay Khan, a specialist infection pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner. They describe how their day-to-day work places them at the forefront of antimicrobial stewardship, from influencing initial antibiotic prescribing in A&E to managing complex infections with limited treatment options.

Also, playwright Becky Hope-Palmer explains how the musical demonstrates that AMR remains an urgent global challenge.

The episode also explores the wider context of AMR in England. Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead pharmacist for AMR at the UK Health Security Agency, outlines the current state of AMR, using the latest surveillance data. She discusses why — despite some progress in reducing antibiotic use — resistance remains a significant and growing threat.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.