Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

Ask Your Pharmacist Week is taking place from Monday 30 October to Monday 6 November. This year’s theme is “Meet your local pharmacy team” and the National Pharmacy Association annual campaign is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the extensive skill set of the entire pharmacy team and some of the services available.

During this campaign we would like to raise the profile of community pharmacy across multiple media platforms to:

• Demonstrate the value of the whole community pharmacy by looking at the role of the different team members.  This could include the pharmacist, dispensary assistant, over the counter staff and delivery driver.
• Communicate some of the ‘unseen contributions’ the community pharmacy network makes by highlighting the everyday health interventions carried out by community pharmacy teams.
• These interventions could range from treating patients with anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrest, first aid to general sign posting.
• Other opportunities include team members who have received long service awards or a case study from a patient who would like to share their own or a family member’s positive patient experience.

If you or a member of the team would like to get involved in the campaign, please get in touch with Jude Austin on judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk for more information.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor,

As part of the CPNI Public Affairs strategy, we continue to engage with local political representatives to provide updates on the community pharmacy landscape and to reinforce the need for urgent prioritisation and investment in the network.

This engagement includes meeting MLAs alongside contractors in their local community pharmacies, briefing the All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy and most recently we met with the leaders of the local political groups and their senior members at Stormont.

Despite the absence of the Assembly, this engagement is important as it means that when the Assembly is restored the politicians will be strong advocates of community pharmacy, helping to ensure that the network, with investment, plays a central transformative role within the health service. During all these discussions we provide a summary of the challenges impacting the profession across Northern Ireland, whilst also reinforcing the value and contribution of community pharmacy, and highlighting the opportunities that exist to develop services which benefit patients and the health service.

If you would like to get involved in CPNI’s political engagement, please contact Jude Austin at judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk for more information.

Kind regards,

Dear Contractor

PHA have shared the Needle Exchange Training Calendar for 2023-24.  Please enrol with Extern using the booking form if you would like to avail of this.

Please share with relevant members of your pharmacy team.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for September 2023:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets	168	£23.67
Aciclovir 800mg tablets	35	£3.81
Amiloride 5mg tablets	28	£14.24
Amisulpride 100mg tablets	60	£18.11
Amisulpride 200mg tablets	60	£32.15
Atorvastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.39
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets	28	£1.95
Atorvastatin 40mg tablets	28	£2.25
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel	30	£11.95
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel	60	£22.21
Betahistine 16mg tablets	84	£8.85
Betahistine 8mg tablets	84	£4.09
Betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream	30	£2.28
Bicalutamide 150mg tablets	28	£3.63
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops	3	£3.97
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets	60	£4.59
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops	5	£9.20
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml eye drops	5	£4.99
Bumetanide 1mg tablets	28	£2.80
Buprenorphine 8mg sublingual tablets sugar free	7	£4.21
Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution	300	£7.49
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets	28	£1.30
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment	4	£4.99
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets	28	£7.25
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension	70	£4.10
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets	14	£3.25
Clotrimazole 1% cream	20	£1.94
Clotrimazole 1% cream	50	£3.99
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries	1	£9.45
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets	21	£4.50
Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg tablets	100	£6.62
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules	100	£3.96
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£8.25
Docusate 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	300	£17.77
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free	60	£19.56
Doxycycline 100mg capsules	8	£0.90
Enalapril 2.5mg tablets	28	£8.48
Eplerenone 25mg tablets	28	£11.15
Eplerenone 50mg tablets	28	£5.89
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets	28	£2.50
Flecainide 100mg tablets	60	£3.47
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	100	£3.62
Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules	10	£9.93
Hydrocortisone 1% cream	15	£1.98
Hydrocortisone 1% cream	30	£3.45
Hydroxychloroquine 200mg tablets	60	£3.45
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules	30	£11.49
Ivabradine 2.5mg tablets	56	£44.19
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets	56	£2.15
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets	56	£1.94
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops	2.5	£1.88
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free	300	£10.36
Lofepramine 70mg tablets	56	£14.50
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets	25	£9.42
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets	30	£3.08
Metoprolol 50mg tablets	28	£2.25
Mometasone 0.1% cream	30	£4.14
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	30	£4.20
Montelukast 10mg tablets	28	£1.44
Moxonidine 200microgram tablets	28	£5.29
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets	50	£7.15
Orlistat 120mg capsules	84	£24.19
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	250	£9.60
Pantoprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£3.85
Perindopril erbumine 4mg tablets	30	£1.50
Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets	30	£1.87
Pizotifen 1.5mg tablets	28	£1.81
Pramipexole 180microgram tablets	30	£9.00
Pregabalin 225mg capsules	56	£2.57
Pregabalin 300mg capsules	56	£3.12
Pregabalin 75mg capsules	56	£2.10
Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets	50	£8.09
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets	28	£1.96
Quetiapine 25mg tablets	60	£1.48
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets	28	£8.45
Risperidone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free	100	£3.13
Risperidone 500microgram tablets	20	£3.19
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets	12	£6.15
Rosuvastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.15
Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets	28	£3.74
Rosuvastatin 5mg tablets	28	£1.00
Sodium chloride 0.9% nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules	20	£9.50
Spironolactone 100mg tablets	28	£4.56
Spironolactone 25mg tablets	28	£1.84
Spironolactone 50mg tablets	28	£3.98
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment	60	£39.41
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment	30	£21.78
Tamsulosin 400microgram modified-release capsules	30	£1.44
Terbinafine 1% cream	15	£3.07
Terbinafine 1% cream	30	£6.15
Warfarin 5mg tablets	28	£1.34
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free	6	£20.69
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£16.50
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	12	£33.00
Zopiclone 3.75mg tablets	28	£1.78
Zopiclone 7.5mg tablets	28	£1.53

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor

You will be aware that the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland has launched two consultations relating to Knowledge of English (one relating to the regulations and one to the associated guidance).

https://www.psni.org.uk/publications/consultations/

CPNI will be submitting a response to these consultations and any comments should be forwarded to Ennis or myself by 29 September 2023.  Alternatively, contractors can respond directly using the link above.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Contractor

You may be aware that DOH has launched a UK-wide consultation seeking views on the proposal to enable registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under a patient group direction (PGD).

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposal-for-the-use-of-patient-group-directions-by-pharmacy-technicians

CPNI will be submitting a response to this consultation, and comments from contractors are welcomed.  The consultation closes on 29 September 2023 and comments should be submitted to Ennis or myself by 22 September 2023. Alternatively, contractors can respond directly using the link above.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs