Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS

• Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Medicines Recall – Lacidipine 4 mg Film-Coated Tablets 19 January 2023
  • Medicines Recall – Dioctyl 100mg Capsules 18 January 2023
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Vigabatrin 500mg Tablets 17 January 2023
  • Insuman (Insulin Preparations) 17 January 2023
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS

• Second Concessionary Prices – January 2023 20 January 2023
• First Concessionary Prices – January 2023 19 January 2023
• Falsified Medicines Directive Training 17 January 2023
• PSNI Changes to Responsibilities of Responsible and Superintendent Pharmacists 16 January 2023
• Information to Contractors Following the Standing Down of Actions in December 2022 16 January 2023

DOH(NI) ALERTS

• Introduction of Reforms to the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists in Northern Ireland 20 January 2023
• Social Prescribing Resources 20 January 2023
• Changes to the HPV Vaccination Schedule 16 January 2023
• Living Well Campaign Update “Live Longer and Stronger Ageing Well” 16 January 2023

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

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

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

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for January 2023:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution	300	£8.50
Cinnarizine 15mg tablets	84	£7.51
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets	14	£10.48
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/125mg tablets	21	£3.54
Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules	30	£8.40
Erythromycin 250mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£2.52
Flucloxacillin 250mg capsules	28	£2.98
Flucloxacillin 500mg capsules	28	£4.48
Frovatriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£15.05
Fusidic acid 1% modified-release eye drops	5	£26.63
Gabapentin 600mg tablets	100	£25.00
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£13.19
Levetiracetam 1g tablets	60	£7.62
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets	30	£3.55
Omeprazole 10mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£1.35
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets	24	£3.66
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets	100	£15.25
Pregabalin 150mg capsules	56	£2.42
Pregabalin 75mg capsules	56	£2.30
Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets	56	£34.19
Topiramate 50mg tablets	60	£19.85
Trazodone 100mg capsules	56	£5.99
Trazodone 50mg capsules	84	£7.56
Venlafaxine 75mg tablets	56	£14.21
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free	6	£8.76

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 Colleague

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

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Amisulpride 100mg tablets	60	£20.29
Amisulpride 200mg tablets	60	£33.92
Amisulpride 50mg tablets	60	£13.09
Amoxicillin 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100	£3.70
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension	100	£4.34
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules	15	£3.02
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules	21	£4.23
Aripiprazole 15mg tablets	28	£25.24
Atenolol 25mg tablets	28	£1.46
Bicalutamide 150mg tablets	28	£4.09
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops	3	£3.96
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets	60	£4.99
Bisoprolol 2.5mg tablets	28	£1.02
Carbocisteine 375mg capsules	120	£14.75
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets	28	£1.02
Celecoxib 100mg capsules	60	£6.26
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment	4	£4.30
Chlorpromazine 100mg tablets	28	£28.50
Chlorpromazine 25mg tablets	28	£28.97
Chlorpromazine 50mg tablets	28	£28.99
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets	28	£13.55
Citalopram 40mg/ml oral drops sugar free	15	£9.99
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension	70	£4.93
Clindamycin 150mg capsules	24	£3.00
Clotrimazole 1% cream	20	£2.22
Clotrimazole 1% cream	50	£5.55
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries	1	£10.35
Co-amilofruse 2.5mg/20mg tablets	28	£4.32
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	32	£3.52
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	100	£10.99
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£13.90
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets	84	£4.01
Digoxin 125microgram tablets	28	£4.75
Digoxin 250microgram tablets	28	£4.86
Digoxin 62.5microgram tablets	28	£4.83
Donepezil 10mg tablets	28	£1.28
Donepezil 5mg tablets	28	£1.30
Dosulepin 25mg capsules	28	£6.44
Duloxetine 30mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£3.68
Escitalopram 10mg tablets	28	£1.70
Finasteride 5mg tablets	28	£4.99
Ivabradine 5mg tablets	56	£9.70
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets	56	£2.63
Lamotrigine 25mg dispersible tablets sugar free	56	£8.72
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets	56	£2.39
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops	2.5	£2.25
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free	300	£14.42
Levetiracetam 500mg tablets	60	£4.19
Mebeverine 135mg tablets	100	£6.39
Methocarbamol 750mg tablets	100	£12.93
Metoprolol 50mg tablets	28	£1.95
Mometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray	140	£4.25
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets	50	£8.61
Naproxen 250mg gastro-resistant tablets	56	£2.76
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets	56	£5.57
Naproxen 500mg tablets	28	£1.89
Nebivolol 2.5mg tablets	28	£18.20
Nebivolol 5mg tablets	28	£1.76
Nitrofurantoin 100mg tablets	28	£15.65
Norethisterone 5mg tablets	30	£7.39
Paroxetine 20mg tablets	30	£1.71
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg tablets	28	£3.99
Prednisolone 5mg soluble tablets	30	£60.83
Pregabalin 100mg capsules	84	£3.70
Pregabalin 25mg capsules	56	£1.83
Pregabalin 300mg capsules	56	£4.11
Pregabalin 50mg capsules	84	£2.63
Quetiapine 300mg tablets	60	£4.47
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets	28	£4.89
Rasagiline 1mg tablets	28	£4.68
Risedronate sodium 35mg tablets	4	£3.02
Rivastigmine 3mg capsules	28	£5.49
Tamsulosin 400microgram / Dutasteride 500microgram capsules	30	£19.80
Telmisartan 20mg tablets	28	£5.59
Telmisartan 80mg tablets	28	£4.12
Temazepam 10mg tablets	28	£28.79
Topiramate 25mg tablets	60	£12.00
Tranexamic acid 500mg tablets	60	£6.92
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets	60	£14.40
Valsartan 160mg capsules	28	£8.99
`Valsartan 40mg capsules	28	£6.82
Zopiclone 3.75mg tablets	28	£1.27

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 Colleague

NICPLD and the Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) have written 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). These training events are aimed at improving knowledge and understanding of the pharmacists’ role in the implementation of the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD).  The events will be hosted by representatives from MRG, SecurMed and a software provider who will give an overview of the legislation, common error messages and a practical demonstration of the system. 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 it 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

Dear Contractor,
 
Contractors were notified on 1 December 2022 of correspondence received from the Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) on 30 November 2022 in respect of changes to the responsibilities of Responsible and Superintendent Pharmacists, some of which came into effect on 1 December 2022.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

• Read the attached correspondence, note the changes coming in with immediate effect and take any appropriate action.
• Should contractors have queries on these changes which they would like to be addressed in the FAQ document referred to in the Registrar’s letter, please email these to Mike and Ennis so that they can be collated and forwarded to PSNI.

Any immediate queries on these changes should be raised directly with the Registrar, PSNI via the contact information given in the attachment.

Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require further information.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor,

Further to the contractor update on 20 December 2022 I write to update you as follows:

• CPNI has met with DoH and SPPG officials to progress several aspects associated with Adherence Service provision in 2022/23 and 2023/24. This includes on-going work to finalise the service specifications for commissioned adherence services in 2023/24 and to undertake modelling work for budgeting and remuneration of the new services that will be commissioned.
• The additional £10.976m for Adherence services in 2022/23 will be paid to contractors in this financial year. SPPG will provide CPNI with details of when BSO will process these payments to contractors; CPNI will advise contractors accordingly.

CPNI has drafted guidance HERE to assist Contractors and staff in relation to the resumption of service elements included in last December’s Contractor Actions. You may wish to share the guidance document with your pharmacists and relevant pharmacy staff.
 
These are on-going and evolving matters; SPPG and CPNI will continue to provide updates to you over the coming days and weeks.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.

Kind regards