Ticker Update

Customer level recall-Specific brands of carbomer eye gel

Specific batches of carbomer gel are being recalled as a precaution due to possible microbiological contamination.

MHRA Drug alert link:

https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/specific-brands-of-carbomer-eye-gel-recall-of-aacarb-eye-gel-aacomer-eye-gel-and-puroptics-eye-gel-potential-risk-of-infection-dsi-slash-2023-slash-11?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=c596e044-f42d-4f51-8f4f-16dc07374147&utm_content=immediately

·  

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023: Alliance Healthcare UK and Alphega Pharmacy Reiterate Their Commitment

Alliance Healthcare UK and Alphega Pharmacy are once more rallying behind World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) this year. This marks a continuation of their support from the previous year, as they aim to tackle the global challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The theme for WAAW 2023 is "Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”. This decision was made after a comprehensive online consultation by the World Health Organisation, with stakeholders spanning human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors in search of an impactful campaign theme.

This year's WAAW runs from the 18th till the 25th of November. The week-long initiative aspires to raise awareness about global antimicrobial resistance (AMR), driving best practices regarding antimicrobial usage to curtail the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

Marie Evans, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare said: “We are once again proud to be supporting AMR week to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices for using antimicrobials. It is important to continue to share awareness of this and pledge our support along with the NHS.”

The campaign alerts people that unnecessary intake of antibiotics could lead them towards having more serious or prolonged infections and strongly encourages adherence to doctor’s advice on antibiotic use.

Support us and the NHS during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Alliance Healthcare continues its pledge to be an Antibiotic Guardian and is proud to support this campaign once more. Find out more here.

Alliance Healthcare UK and Alphega Pharmacy UK support Pharmacist Support’s ACTNow campaign

Alliance Healthcare UK and Alphega Pharmacy UK are once again proudly supporting Pharmacist Support’s ACTNow campaign.

The campaign supports pharmacists and pharmacy teams to encourage a mental health and wellbeing culture shift in the workplace, this year’s focus is to highlight real life workplace wellbeing practices that have made a positive impact.

ACTnow encourages individuals to:

• - Allow time for wellbeing
• - Consider the needs of others
• - Take action

In 2022, the ACTNow campaign achieved remarkable milestones, with a 49% increase in sign-ups and a 197% rise in social media engagement compared to the previous year. The campaign garnered over 16,000 website page views, reached a broader audience, including more male pharmacists, and received overwhelming positive feedback, with 88% of participants finding it very useful or useful, and 85% expressing the desire for future campaigns.

To find out more about the ACTNow Campaign please click here.

Alliance Healthcare Team Member Completes Blenheim Palace Triathlon in Aid of Cancer Research UK

Alliance Healthcare UK Chessington Support Centre team member, Roslyn Glover, has raised over £2,900 for Cancer Research UK taking part in this year’s Super Sprint Triathlon.

Roslyn was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2019 and started running as part of her recovery. In 2020, she took part in the Race for Life 5km race and then, inspired by the GB Triathlon Team, Roslyn decided she would train for a triathlon.

The Super Sprint Triathlon is a 400-meter lake swim, 13.3km cycle and then a 2.9km run set in the grounds of UNESCO World Heritage Site Blenheim Palace. Each year, over 7,000 participants of all ages and abilities take part in the triathlon.

Roslyn finished the lake swim and closed road course in an impressive 1 hr 22 mins 51 secs this June.

The Cencora Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Alliance Healthcare’s parent company Cencora, is proud to show support for Roslyn by donating $2,500 USD bringing the total to almost £5,000. You can still donate here.

Ros Glover, AHUK customer finance team member, said:

“I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2019, so the Cancer Research charity is, quite literally, very close to my heart. I was inspired by the GB Triathlon Team at the Tokyo Olympics and set my sights on completing a triathlon with the ambition to raise funds for the charity. It was an incredible challenge but completing the race gave me a real sense of achievement. A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported me.”

Sam Unsworth, Head of Communications at Alliance Healthcare UK, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement and Roslyn should be proud of the extraordinary sum she has raised for Cancer Research, which has been matched by the Cencora Foundation. We are pleased that so many Alliance Healthcare UK team members showed their support for Roslyn, and we look forward to seeing what challenge she takes on next.”

class 4 caution in use- Zinacef Vials (all strengths)

Sandoz has detected that information on the diluents in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) and Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) of cefuroxime contain incorrect information.

MHRA drug alert date: 23rd October 2023

MHRA drug alert link: https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-4-medicines-defect-information-sandoz-limited-zinacef-powder-for-solution-for-injection-or-infusion-vials-all-strengths-including-stock-in-gsk-livery-el-23-a-slash-38?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=deab3b91-5e05-461a-94d7-cc812d40c9b7&utm_content=immediately

This is a caution in use only we are not accepting stock returns

Further Information

For more information, medical information queries, please contact: sandozgb@EU.propharmagroup.com, Telephone: +44 1276 698 101. For stock control queries, please contact: sales.sandoz-gb@sandoz.com, Telephone: +44 1276 698607

Company led recall-Smith And Nephew products

Smith and Nephew have informed us of an issue with some batches of their products

Reason: certain batches of No-Sting SKIN-Prep Wipes and No-Sting SKIN-Prep Swabs had a manufacturing error resulting in the presence of acetic acid causing a vinegar-like odor and potential minor skin irritation.”

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

Please note that anything not returned to us, or notified to us, within 3 months of this notification, cannot be reimbursed by way of a credit.

Company-led recall Temozolomide 5mg Capsules (Sun Pharma)

Sun Pharma UK Ltd has informed us of an issue with a batch of Temozolomide 5mg Capsules 

MHRA drug alert date: 17th October 2023

Please be aware this product is cytotoxic and must be stored and packaged carefully in the interest of health and safety 

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

Please note that anything not returned to us, or notified to us, within 3 months of this notification, cannot be reimbursed by way of a credit.

Alliance Healthcare UK to enter into a new solus wholesale agreement with Vitaflo: November 2023

We are pleased to announce that, as of 06 November 2023, Alliance Healthcare UK will become the only wholesaler to supply Vitaflo’s product portfolio to all pharmacies, hospitals and doctors in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.

Click here for full product details.

Alliance Healthcare UK Raises Over £100k for Charity Following Three Fitness Challenges

Alliance Healthcare UK has raised over £100k for Action Medical Research, Vitamin Angels UK, and the Theodora Children’s Charity, following three charity fitness challenges: Race the Sun, Tour D’Alliance, and Sports Championship event.

The total distance travelled by Alliance Healthcare team members in the three events is roughly 2,300 miles, which is roughly the same distance as London to Türkiye.

In Autumn 2023 three teams of Alliance Healthcare colleagues took part in the Action Medical Research Race the Sun Challenge in the Lake District. The race consisted of a 28-mile off-road cycle loop, a two-mile water course across Coniston Lake, and finally climbing the summit of The Old Man of Coniston to an altitude of 803m.

In September, seven team members took part in the 2023 Tour D’Alliance cycle challenge, pedalling over 300 miles from Great Yarmouth to Swansea Service Centre. Now in its fourth year, the race saw two teams - Team Vos and Team Merckx, race across the country to a heroes welcome in Swansea.

Finally, Alliance Healthcare hosted its Sports Championship event in October, where colleagues competed in various football and netball tournaments. The tournament raised valuable funds for all of Alliance Healthcare UK’s children’s charities, Action Medical Research, Vitamin Angels UK, and the Theodora Children’s Charity.

Matt Addison, Operations Director of Alliance Healthcare UK, said: “I am so pleased that we were able to raise over £100k for charity through three huge fitness challenges. Thank you to all team members who ran, cycled, walked, and swam to raise money for our various partner charities.”

Marie Evans, Managing Director of Alliance Healthcare UK, said "Every step, pedal, and climb taken by our dedicated team members in our charity initiatives reflects our commitment to positively impacting those in need. Together, we've turned compassion into action, and I couldn't be prouder of our Alliance Healthcare UK team members."

Howard Schiffer, Founder of Vitamin Angels, said: “Currently, Vitamin Angels UK reaches over 1,600 children daily. The need is much greater than that. With one in four children at risk of food insecurity, our work is only just starting. Through our partnership with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), Vitamin Angels UK has the potential to work with over 677 nurseries in the future reaching over 30,000 children daily with the supplementary feeding programme.”

Thank you to our generous sponsors of all three events, including:

Tour D’Alliance: LCM, Mertrux, LF&E, Lexmark, Knapp, Driver Hire, Asset Alliance, DTM, HBC Logistics, Carlton Packaging, Global Trading, Circom, Dakota and Fen-Bay Services.

Race the Sun: Momentous Studios, TB Cardew, Caramba and Essity.

Championship: Bristol Laboratories, Ennogen, Noumed, Rudipharm, Crescent Pharma Limited, Macleods, tillomed, HDA UK and Viatris. 

Celebrating Pharmacy Innovation

James Martin, Chapel Pharmacy was winner of the Pharmacy Innovation Award, sponsored by Alliance Healthcare, at the recent Independent Pharmacy Awards 2023. Martins led his pharmacy to roll out some inspirational innovations. HE and his team were chosen to take part in a pilot aimed at the early detection and diagnosis of valve disease within the community. Employing a digital stethoscope couple with AI technology, eMurmur, they performed auscultations on eligible patients in the pharmacy to identify pathological murmurs and refer patients for further evaluation.

Presenting the award last Friday at the prestigious House of Commons, Members’ Dining Room, Sam Unsworth, Head of Communications at Alliance Healthcare UK said: “Alliance Healthcare is exceptionally proud to support community pharmacy and I am personally very honoured to be here with such talented healthcare professionals and to present this award… Congratulations to James and our finalists Muhammad Zaheer, Shelley’s Pharmacy and Paul Mayberry, Mayberry Pharmacy.”