Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
Communication was issued 16th February 2024 by SPPG to those pharmacies involved in the Community Pharmacy Care Home Support Service (CPCHSS).  

SUMMARY

  • A requirement for the Community Care Home Support Service is to complete two care home visits each financial year.
  • The second care home visit is due to be completed by the end of March 2024.
  • SPPG have recently introduced a process for partial recuperation of payments made to community pharmacists who are contracted to provide the service but have not completed the required visits in line with service specification.
  • SPPG will be in contact in early April to seek confirmation and dates of the visits completed for 23/24.

ACTION

  • Contractors should review the correspondence issued by SPPG 16th February 2024.
  • Any pharmacy yet to complete the second required care home visit should organise a date before the end of March 2024.
  • Please share this information with all relevant members of the team.

If you have any queries in relation to this service please contact Breege Brogan Breege.Brogan@hscni.net or Gillian Plant Gillian.Plant@hscni.net

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

CPNI ALERTS 

 DOH(NI) ALERTS 

BSO ALERTS 

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter and Situation Reporter.

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor

As a follow up to the Contractor Meeting on Wednesday evening I write in relation to the following points:

  1. NI Assembly Health Committee – invitation for CPNI to attend on Thursday 7th March 2024.
  2. Contractor Letters of representation and follow-up letters to the Health Minister and MLA’s.
  3. Request for NMW/NLW information.
  4. Foundation Training Year (FTY) 2025/26.
  1. NI Assembly Health Committee – I can confirm that CPNI have been invited and will attend the NI Assembly Health Committee meeting next Thursday, 7th March 2024.
  2. Contractor Letters to the Health Minister – Contractors agreed at Wednesday’s Contractor meeting to send any remaining letters of representation that still had to be written to the Heath Minister and MLA’s as a matter of priority. With CPNI’s attendance at the next week’s Health Committee it is recommended that these letters are sent prior to next Thursday’s Health Committee meeting. Information, if needed, to assist contractors in the drafting of letters of representation is available at CPNI CU#240207A. Contractors writing their first letter should also acknowledge receipt of, and the importance of the funding released by the Health Minister following the meeting with CPNI earlier this month

Similarly, it was agreed that those Contractors who may have received a pro-forma type letter of reply, via SPPG, should send a follow-up letter to the Health Minister, copying in MLA’s if you are not satisfied with either the reply or the nature of the reply. Such follow-up letters should also be sent in advance of next Thursday’s Health Committee meeting.

3. Request for NMW/NLW information – further to the request in CPNI CU#240228C  to provide information on cost increases associated with NMW/NLW changes in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 I want to thank those contractors who have already forwarded the relevant information. When compiling your information please annotate your 2023/24 information according to whether 11-months data has been provided or whether you have provided extrapolated 12-month cost increase information. Also, please note that the majority of the Covid Staff Recognition Payments (SRP @ £500 per F/T e’ee) were processed to pharmacies/staff in Dec’21; again I would ask that you annotate your information with the total amount of SRP you received in the relevant year(s). It is important that CPNI can provide cost increase evidence to SPPG associated with recent NMW/NLW increases and I would ask you to make every effort to provide the information to office@communitypharmacyni.co.uk on or before Tuesday 5th March 2024.

4. FTY 2025/26 – Finally, as discussed at Wednesday’s Contractor meeting the manner in which arrangements for FTY 2025/26 including the differential salary terms, as referred to in CPNI CU#240227A has resulted in Contractors who attended the meeting deciding to step back from the 2025/26 FTY application process at this stage, whether they:

  • had already applied to NICPLD or
  • were considering applying to NICPLD for a 2025/26 FTY training grant.

For any Contractors who had either applied or who were intending to apply to NICPLD for a 2025/26 FTY training grant, and who wish to step back from the 2025/26 FTY application process at this stage, it is recommended that you notify NICPLD accordingly by email to nicpld-fty@qub.ac.ukno later than Monday 4th March 2024

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices or your local CPNI Board representative should you require any additional information at this stage.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see the attached correspondence issued by Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer 1st March 2024 regarding Covid-19 testing guidance.

SUMMARY

  • The correspondence issued today by the CMO contains updated information on the requirements for Covid-19 testing following a review by the Department’s Expert Advisory Group on Testing.
  • The Public Health Agency (PHA) has refreshed operational guidance to health and social care settings, setting out updated advice on COVID-19 testing. This guidance can be accessed here.
  • COVID-19 testing of symptomatic staff across health and social care settings, including hospitals, primary care, community, care homes and hospices, is no longer required. 
  • There are exceptions to this advice which is detailed within the guidance.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to read the letter issued by the CMO 1st March 2024 and familiarise themselves with the updated PHA guidance here.
  • Please share this information with all relevant members of the pharmacy team.

Do not hesitate to contact CPNI for any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) issued correspondence to all registrants, on behalf of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, on 28 February 2024.

The CPO’s letter asks registered pharmacists in all sectors who are qualified Independent Prescribers (IPs), to consider taking on the role of Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) for a community pharmacist wishing to undertake IP training. 

THE DPP ROLE

  • Any pharmacist applying to train as an IP must first secure the support of a suitably qualified DPP.  
  • The DPP role is a voluntary, unpaid role which involves mentoring a pharmacist who is training to become an IP.
  • The DPP can be a medical or non medical prescriber and must have a minimum of 3 years recent and frequent prescribing experience in a patient facing role, in the IP trainee’s intended area of practice. 
  • The DPP must directly supervise the IP trainee for a minimum of 20 of their 90 hours of learning in practice. 
  • The DPP is responsible for assessing the IP trainee, confirming their clinical competence, and must sign-off on the IP trainee’s learning in practice.
  • Full information on the eligibility criteria and requirements for DPPs can be found here. 
  • The CPO’s letter indicates that pharmacists considering acting as a DPP for a fellow pharmacist can contact NICPLD for further clarity on the role and whether they meet the criteria.

COMMUNITY PHARMACIST APPLICATIONS FOR IP

  • Since NICPLD released information on the IP application process for 2024 (CU#240117B) CPNI has received concerns from contractors regarding the difficulty facing community pharmacists when trying to secure a DPP for IP training.
  • CPNI conducted a survey (CU#240103A) in January which indicated:
    • 95% of community pharmacist respondents would like to apply for the NICPLD IP training course.
    • 71% of respondents had made attempts to secure a DPP.
    • The majority indicated that they asked GPs and/or General Practice Pharmacists to be their DPP. 
    • A small number indicated that they asked Hospital Pharmacists and/or other non-medical prescribers.
    • None of the community pharmacists who responded had been successful in obtaining a DPP to support their IP training. 

CPNI REPRESENTATIONS

CPNI have raised these issues with the CPO and NICPLD since mid-January 2024.  The CPO’s letter seeking DPP support and the recent extension to the NICPLD IP application window (outlined in CU#240201D) have come about in response to CPNI representations.

While CPNI acknowledges the steps taken by the CPO and NICPLD, we are of the opinion that DoH(NI) need to do more to demonstrably support and enable community pharmacists to take up the 50 IP places that have been ring-fenced for the sector. CPNI will therefore continue to make representations to the CPO and NICPLD seeking further supports for DPP provision for community pharmacists and equitable access to further learning and development, in parity with pharmacists in other sectors, and in accordance with the recommendations of the Pharmacy Workforce Review 2020 which include: 

  • All pharmacists should be supported to undertake foundation training, progressing to independent prescribing and advanced pharmacy practice.
  • A career pathway should be developed for community pharmacists.

ACTION

  • Contractors should read the CPO letter and share the information with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
  • Contractors should direct any community pharmacists considering NICPLD IP training to review the NICPLD application information.
  • As was discussed by contractors at the CPNI contractor meeting on 28 February 2024, contractors and/or their pharmacists may wish to make direct representations to the CPO on this matter, in which case they should address their concerns to the contact details provided in the CPO letter: cathy.harrison@health-ni.gov.uk, and nicpld-prescribing@qub.ac.uk.

Should you wish to speak to a member of the CPNI team, please do not hesitate to contact the office or email queries to Ennis.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

The final update of concessionary prices were granted yesterday for February 2024:

DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Aripiprazole 10mg tablets28£9.53
Aripiprazole 15mg tablets28£9.69
Aripiprazole 5mg tablets28£7.57
Baclofen 10mg tablets84£2.78
Baclofen 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free300£3.46
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel30£12.07
Benzylpenicillin 600mg powder for solution for injection vials2£6.01
Betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream30£1.43
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops3£4.60
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets60£4.25
Cabergoline 500microgram tablets8£17.52
Calcium and Ergocalciferol tablets28£52.70
Cefalexin 500mg capsules21£2.64
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets28£8.72
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension70£3.87
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets14£2.88
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension70£5.50
Clobazam 10mg tablets30£4.99
Clonidine 25microgram tablets112£15.98
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/125mg tablets21£3.51
Co-careldopa 12.5mg/50mg tablets90£4.59
Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg tablets100£8.90
Cyclizine 50mg tablets100£3.99
Digoxin 125microgram tablets28£2.90
Digoxin 250microgram tablets28£2.56
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops5£4.20
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops5£3.12
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules28£8.40
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets28£4.02
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets28£15.14
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets28£12.52
Famotidine 40mg tablets28£28.51
Fenofibrate micronised 160mg tablets28£3.29
Hydrocortisone 1% cream15£2.49
Hydrocortisone 1% cream30£5.75
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/ml solution for injection ampoules5£11.14
Itraconazole 100mg capsules15£15.40
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops2.5£7.48
Lofepramine 70mg tablets56£16.96
Lofepramine 70mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free150£147.67
Lorazepam 500microgram tablets28£19.57
Melatonin 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free150£122.86
Memantine 10mg tablets28£1.19
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets25£8.62
Methenamine hippurate 1g tablets60£16.81
Metoclopramide 10mg tablets28£1.47
Metoprolol 100mg tablets28£2.75
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules10£5.71
Mometasone 0.1% cream30£3.60
Mometasone 0.1% ointment 30£3.55
Mometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray140£4.60
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets50£6.19
Nebivolol 5mg tablets28£5.84
Ondansetron 4mg tablets10£5.80
Permethrin 5% cream30£14.78
Prednisolone 5mg soluble tablets30£51.51
Pregabalin 200mg capsules84£4.12
Pregabalin 300mg capsules56£3.08
Primidone 250mg tablets100£86.95
Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets56£13.46
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets112£108.44
Pyridostigmine bromide 60mg tablets200£22.27
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets28£7.65
Rizatriptan 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free3£8.87
Ropinirole 1mg tablets84£32.83
Ropinirole 2mg tablets28£28.19
Sodium chloride 0.9% nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules20£9.50
Sodium valproate 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free300£7.78
Sulpiride 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£99.05
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment30£15.59
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment 60£31.17
Tamsulosin 400microgram / Dutasteride 500microgram capsules30£14.83
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets60£10.89
Zolmitriptan 5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free6£23.86
Zonisamide 100mg capsules56£18.88

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 Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive