You will be aware of the announcement yesterday (27 February 2023) of the “Windsor Framework” regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol and, in particular, the impact of the agreement on the supply of medicines to and within Northern Ireland.
CPNI is aware that these proposals are still being considered by the various political parties and others and that these matters are not, as yet, resolved.
SUMMARY
The proposals in respect of medicine supply are, in summary:
Patients in Northern Ireland will be able to access the same medicines in the same packs, with the same labels, as the rest of the UK – permanently protecting the supply of UK medicines for Northern Ireland.
The UK regulator, the MHRA, will always be able to approve all medicines on the market in Northern Ireland, whatever the drug, whatever the setting.
This agreement removes any EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) packaging, labelling and barcode requirements for medicines.
Medicines sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will travel via the new Green Lane which means that goods staying in the UK will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, checks and duties, with only ordinary commercial information required.
Medicines produced in Northern Ireland will continue to enjoy frictionless access to the EU market – preserving access for Northern Ireland’s world-leading pharmaceutical and medical technology firms.
ACTION
Contractors do not need to do anything yet. Government, including the Departments of Health, will engage in due course on the operationalisation of these changes and will consult ahead of implementing any changes required by these arrangements.
Current guidance on the supply of medicines in Northern Ireland can be found on the GOV.UK page HERE and CPNI will continue to keep you advised as matters develop.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The Department of Health NI issued correspondence on 27 February 2023 in respect of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) SSP040-SSP047 relating to phenoxymethylpenicillin preparations.
SUMMARY
SSPs made under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are an additional tool to manage and mitigate medicines shortages.
SSPs enable community pharmacists to supply specified medicines in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber – saving time for patients, pharmacists and prescribers.
DHNI has advised that the expiry dates for SSP040 – SSP047 have been extended to 31 March 2023.
Pharmacists should refer to the latest versions of these SSPs which are now available on the Business Services Organisation dedicated page on its website HERE.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Note that DHSC has advised that the expiry dates for SSP040 – SSP047 have been extended to 31 March 2023.
Review the DHNI letter of 27 February 2023 and ensure that their dispensary teams are aware of these updates.
Note the details contained within this letter relating to the decision pathways for these SSPs; notification of GPs; the need for patient/carer agreement, and action to take when this is not given; professional judgement; and actions regarding unclear quantities.
Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required. CPNI colleagues are also available for assistance.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ALERT: An incident has been reported where patients are being contacted via telephone by a person pretending to be from a community pharmacy. The caller discusses medication delivery with the patient, and then requests bank details to enable payment for delivery. While this instance occurred in another part of the UK, patients in NI are to be advised to be vigilant.
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
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The Department of Health has issued today (22 February 2023) an update in respect of two Serious Shortage Protocols (SSP 048 and SSP 049) relating to Estradot patches.
SUMMARY
Contractors should note the following:
The expiry date for SSP 048 (Estradot® 50mcg patches) has now been extended until Friday 24 February 2023.
The expiry date for SSP 049 (Estradot® 100mcg patches) has now been extended until Friday 17 March 2023.
Contractors are reminded of the details contained within this letter relating to the decision pathways for these SSPs; notification of GPs; the need for patient/carer agreement, and action to take when this is not given; professional judgement; and actions regarding unclear quantities.
ACTION
Contractors should:
Read the attached letter and ensure that their dispensing teams are fully apprised of the updates to SSPs 048 and 049.
Note that the latest versions of these SSPs are now available on the Business Services Organisation dedicated page on its website HERE.
CPNI colleagues will continue to keep you up to date on any further SSP issue.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Further to the reminder issued to contractors yesterday and corrected below, NICPLD have advised that enrolment for the final EL webinars is no longer open on the NICPLD website, however places are still available. Those who wish to attend are asked to email Helen Hirst (NICPLD Community Pharmacy Lead for EL) h.hirst@qub.ac.uk to enrol and use the relevant links provided below to join the webinar.
Please also see the corrected date and time information and note that the final webinars will be taking place today at 12.30pm and tomorrow at 7pm.
NICPLD recently informed registrants through their newsletter of a series of upcoming information webinars on the introduction of experiential learning (EL) for pharmacy undergraduate students commencing in Autumn 2023. The final information webinars will be taking place Wednesday 22 February and Thursday 23 February.
SUMMARY
Experiential learning will involve students from Queen’s University and the University of Ulster undertaking a total of 12 week long placements in community, general practice and hospital settings, spread across their MPharm programme, 3 of which will be spent in a community pharmacy.
The placements will commence in participating community pharmacies in November 2023.
During their placements, students will be required to complete five designated learning activities, which should be overseen by an accredited pharmacist who has completed the necessary training to act as an EL “Practice Supervisor”.
Pharmacists acting as a Practice Supervisor are required to have been registered for a minimum of one year.
Contractors and pharmacists who are interested in offering EL will be provided with an overview and will be able to ask questions and/or express their interest at the end of the webinars.
Funding of £592 per week will be paid to Contractors providing EL placements at their pharmacies, with training and accreditation expenses also being allocated in 2022/23 for those pharmacists wishing to become Practice Supervisors.
Note that the remaining information webinars will be taking place Wednesday 22 February at 12.30pm and Thursday 23 February at 7pm.
Please ensure that your pharmacist(s) are made of aware of the webinars if you are considering becoming an EL provider at any of the pharmacy locations in which they work.
Please feel free to contact a member of the CPNI team should you have any questions, or alternatively queries can also be directed to NICPLD.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
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