In this week's pod: good week for award-winning Community Pharmacy Scotland, self care and Angela Merkel; bad week for pharmaceutical wholesalers, political journalists and Brexit. Also – sorry, where did you say vanilla extract came from?

In this week's podcast: Poundland under fire over paracetamol multi-buys, good week for Matt Hancock (yes, really) and pharmacy teams in Scotland get an unexpected Christmas bonus. Also pharmacy lauded over dementia care during the pandemic, a date is finally set for the registration exam and the sector saves 35,000 GP consultations a week in Wales. Plus South African lottery numbers and our favourite newspaper Covid vaccine puns. Jabba Dabba Doo!

In this week's podcast we celebrate the nation's wonderful pharmacy support staff as the spotlight is thrown onto the Recognition of Excellence Awards, organised by Training Matters magazine. It is the only national awards scheme exclusively for community pharmacy team members that recognises and rewards their fantastic work, going above and beyond in supporting their local communities. See a full round up of our finalists’ stories in our Hall of Fame: https://www.tmmagazine.co.uk/roe-hall-of-fame

With thanks to the RoE Awards sponsors Alphega, Bayer, Klearvol, Numark, RB, Rosemont and SMA for their generous support, and our charity partner The Mental Health Foundation.

And thank you to our expert judging panel for their time and assistance: Ade Williams, Emma Charlesworth, Harry Mahmood, Janice Perkins, Leyla Hannbeck, Liz Fidler, Louise Baglole, Mike Holden, Paula Woodgate, Rekha Shah, Richard Dunne, Richard Stephenson, Richard Thomas, Salim Jetha, Steve Howard and Tim Rendell.

Register your interest for the Recognition of Excellence Awards 2021: https://www.tmmagazine.co.uk/roe-the-awards

Access Pharmacy Magazine’s pharmacist CPD module on suicide prevention and the role of community pharmacy teams: https://www.pharmacymagazine.co.uk/suicide-prevention-the-role-of-community-pharmacy-teams

Access Training Matters’ CPD module for pharmacy technicians on suicide prevention and the role of community pharmacy teams: https://www.tmmagazine.co.uk/suicide-prevention-2020

Access Training Matters’ CPD module for pharmacy technicians on supporting the mental health of the pharmacy team: https://www.tmmagazine.co.uk/mental-health-and-the-pharmacy-team

Donate to our charity partner The Mental Health Foundation, here: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/roe-awards-2020

In this week's podcast: Amazon eyes up the US pharmacy market, the latest on the Wright review and the demise of FMD. Also good week for Elsy Gomez Campos of the UK Black Pharmacist Association, bad week for Dominic Cummings – plus aspirin and Covid, freedom of the (pharmacy) press, the shocking NAO report and RIP Liverpool great, Ray Clemence

This week's podcast sees the CIG editors each send a postcard from home with their take on the week's events in pharmacy. The sector's role in a national Covid vaccination programme, promised twice-weekly testing for pharmacy staff, Jo Churchill's letter, Sandra Gidley and independent prescribing training as part of the foundation year all feature. As does Spanish golfer Jon Rahm's Augusta hole-in-one. All feedback welcome!

This week's podcast pores over all the current big issues in pharmacy including calls for EHC to be made GSL, another own goal for NHSE in its relations with the pharmacy press, good week for Mark Lyonette and Andrew Lane of the NPA, bad week for GPhC over its fitness to practise processes – plus pharmacy technicians, patient safety reporting, Covid testing (again), the US presidential election (again) and lots more.

In the latest in our In Conversion With podcast series Pharmacy Magazine editor Richard Thomas talks to NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette about pharmacy’s continuing fight for proper recognition and its funding struggles, both severely exacerbated by the Covid crisis. Also discussed is the public perception of pharmacy, workplace pressures, pharmacy’s relationship with NHS England and the importance of rebuilding trust between minsters, officials and sector representatives. Why is the Government is stiull getting it badly wrong over funding. We also discussed how he thinks the NPA has performed in this difficult year.

On this week's podcast: tribulations continue for test & trace, why the more certain someone is about Covid-19 the less you should trust them and welcome news at last over PPE for pharmacy teams. Good week Andy Burnham, bad week Purdue Pharma, continuing struggles at Boots and frustration for pharmacists before the ancient autumn ritual of Revalidation Weekend...

The latest in our In Conversation With series features an exclusive interview with AIM chief executive Leyla Hannbeck, who talks about funding and recognition for pharmacy, pharmacy’s response to the Covid crisis, what AIM members want from the Wright review, and describes her personal vision for the organisation after just over a year in charge. Also, funding issues apart, does she detect a change of tone from NHSE as far as community pharmacy in England is concerned, something that gives her optimism for the future? Extracts of this interview first appeared in the October 1st edition of the Talking Pharmacy podcast.

On the podcast this week: test & trace tribulations, the brilliant pharmacy-run flu vaccination centre in Preston, good news on Priadel, bad week for Rowlands, quotas raise their ugly head again, a lively debate on the ‘conscience clause', Rishi Sunak's slipping halo, James Bond and lots more. You'll be left both shaken and stirred.