As biosimilars become embedded in routine NHS practice, the conversation is no longer about whether they work. Instead, the more pressing question for pharmacists and the multidisciplinary team is how to implement biosimilar transitions in a way that is clinically sound, grounded in patient trust and operationally seamless.
That’s why Hospital Pharmacy Europe is delighted to be welcoming Aya Alomari, lead pharmacist of biologics and homecare at Harrogate District Hospital, to examine this question in depth at our upcoming Biosimilars Virtual Study Day.
Her session will focus on a critical distinction at the centre of this debate: the difference between seamless switching and silent substitution.
Register now to secure your free place and visit the agenda to explore the full programme so you can select the sessions on the practical, clinical and policy considerations shaping the next phase of biosimilar adoption that are most relevant to you.
Seamless switching vs silent substitution
When carefully planned and communicated, switching from a biologic medicine to a biosimilar can strengthen medicines optimisation strategies while maintaining patient confidence. It involves clinical oversight, informed discussion and clear documentation.
Silent substitution, however, introduces different governance considerations. While biosimilars are highly similar to their reference products, they are not generics and brand prescribing, pharmacovigilance and traceability remain essential components of safe practice.
Therefore, removing transparency from the process risks undermining both patient trust and professional accountability.
The practical challenge is compounded by increasingly complex care pathways. Biologics are prescribed in secondary care and dispensed and monitored across multiple specialist settings including primary and homecare. Without strong governance frameworks, variation in approach can create confusion for patients and clinicians alike. Delivering a truly seamless transition demands coordination, clear local policy and strong multidisciplinary collaboration.
This is precisely the focus of Aya Alomari’s session, entitled ‘Seamless Switching or Silent Substitution? Delivering Clinically Safe Biosimilar Transitions’, in which she will draw upon her own experience and practical evidence for switching, safeguards for implementation and strategies to mitigate risk – positioning pharmacists not simply as implementers of policy, but as leaders of clinically responsible change.
Discover the full biosimilars agenda
The wider Hospital Pharmacy Europe: Biosimilars Virtual Study Day programme broadens the lens further. A session on paediatrics and the use of biosimilars will explore how switching considerations differ in children, where immunogenicity, dosing and long-term data require scrutiny.
Turning attention to pharmacovigilance, ‘Managing Adverse Events: What Changes with a Biosimilar?’ will clarify how adverse event reporting and assessment should be approached during and after biosimilar transitions.
The day will conclude with ‘NHS England, Payment by Results tariff reform and biosimilars: What 2026 holds for pharmacists’, considering the evolving commissioning landscape and the financial reforms that will influence prescribing decisions in the years ahead.
Taken together, the day reflects the reality that biosimilar adoption is no longer a single initiative but an ongoing process requiring vigilance, leadership and confidence.
For pharmacists seeking to strengthen governance around switching and stay ahead of policy developments, now is the time to engage. Register to attend for free and be part of the conversation around safe biosimilar practice across the NHS.
You can visit the full agenda to explore the full programme and identify the sessions most relevant to you, before joining us live on 4 March and revisiting your favourite sessions on demand after the event.
