NICPLD and the Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) recently wrote to pharmacists giving details of a series of FMD workshops to be held in February and March 2023. These letters are available HERE (NICPLD) and HERE (MRG).
Following feedback from pharmacy contractors, NICPLD has now added an additional training event on Thursday 9 March 2023, 7.30pm – 9.30pm, in the Everglades Hotel, L/Derry. Details of the training events can be found HERE.
It has been confirmed that NICPLD/MRG are happy to accommodate attendance of one member of pharmacy staff alongside a pharmacist at these workshops. Those wishing to avail of this opportunity, should contact NICPLD directly via email at nicpld@qub.ac.uk
ACTION
Contractors are asked to note:
The contents of the letters and bring them to the attention of relevant staff.
All queries should be directed to NICPLD in the first instance.
Kind regards – Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All eight SSPs (040 – 047) have had an extension of expiry date to 28 February 2023.
Additionally, SSP043 – SSP047 have now been updated to remove listed clarithromycin and azithromycin preparations as an additional alternative supply option to substitute for phenoxymethylpenicillin.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Contractor
The Department of Health has issued today an update in respect of eight Serious Shortage Protocols (SSP 040- SSP 047).
SUMMARY
Contractors should note the following:
The expiry dates for all eight SSPs have now been extended until Tuesday 28 February 2023.
SSP043 – SSP047 have now been updated to remove listed clarithromycin and azithromycin preparations as an additional alternative supply option to substitute for phenoxymethylpenicillin. Only the following oral antibiotics listed in the priority order below can be supplied using these SSPs: amoxicillin; flucloxacillin; cefalexin; co-amoxiclav.
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 040-047.
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 issues.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor,
In order to inform future provision of rota services SPPG will be collecting data during February on Sunday rota. Local SPPG offices will email the attached form on a Thursday or Friday to the pharmacies due to be on rota on the upcoming Sunday. They will also ring the pharmacy to ensure that they have received the email and are aware of the need to complete the form and return to the local office.
ACTION
All pharmacies providing Sunday rota during the month of February should complete the attached form and return to their local SPPG office.
The pharmacy should also continue to submit a claim form to BSO for rota payment in the usual way.
Please inform relevant staff within your pharmacy team.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor,
SPPG issued correspondence today in relation to Community Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Services.
SUMMARY
Medicines Adherence Services 2022/23
£22m funding has been secured for community pharmacy adherence services in 2022/23. This includes the additional £10.976m that is being allocated using the MAST methodology.
Payment associated with cohort 3 patients (via ARF) has now been suspended.
£8.232m (of the £10.976m) has been released with the January BSO payment to reflect 9 months of activity from April to December 2022. This will be shown on your January remittance advice as “Adherence Service 2022/23 – additional funding”.
A further allocation of £0.915m will be made with the February payment to reflect activity in January 2023.
In order to provide DoH with the necessary assurance in relation to this payment the declaration form must be completed and returned to your local SPPG Primary Care office by Friday 17th February 2023.
The remainder of the funding (£1.829m) will be allocated using the same payment methodology and will be dependent on delivery of the transitional service for the remainder of this financial year.
All community pharmacy contractors must hold a contract with SPPG for provision of this service. A signed copy must be returned to your local SPPG Primary Care office by email by Friday 17th February 2023.
Pharmacies are required to complete and submit a monthly monitoring form to the local SPPG Primary Care office. This should be submitted before the end of the first week of the month relating to service provision for the previous month. In the event where SPPG cannot assure service provision by a pharmacy, or where there is a failure to submit monitoring information, recovery of the payment will be sought.
Medicines Adherence Services 2023/24
SPPG and CPNI are now working towards the service specification that will be commissioned from 1st April 2023 onwards.
This is currently subject to wider funding constraints and may require prioritisation of patients subject to need.
A review of multiple dispensing fees will be taken forward as part of the 2023/24 service with the aim of instalment dispensing being used only for medicines at risk of misuse/abuse.
Return the declaration formby Friday 17th February 2023 to your local SPPG office to provide assurance on the service and funding covering from April 2022 to January 2023.
Read the service specification and share with relevant members of your pharmacy team.
Return the contractby Friday 17th February 2023 to your local SPPG office to inidcate service provision for February and March 2023.
Return the monthly monitoring formfor February and March 2023 to the local SPPG office by the end of first week of the following month. (February monitoring form should be submitted by the end of the first week in March and March monitoring form should be submitted by the end of the first week in April). This will enable the adherence funding to be released for the remainder of the financial year. Note: The monthly monitoring form only requires details of NEW patients who have been commenced on adherence support in the month to which the form relates. All other patients who receive adherence support should be included within the field at the bottom of the form “Total number of eligible patients provided with adherence support this month”. E.g. you may have 100 existing patients and 5 new patients in February: you would list the details of the 5 new patients on the form and insert “105” in the total patients box at the bottom.
This is a transitional arrangement until 31st March 2023 and CPNI will be working closely with SPPG and DoH colleagues over the coming weeks to define the service from 1st April 2023 onwards.
Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office if you require any further information.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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