SPPG issued correspondence on 26 April 2023 regarding the COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023.
SUMMARY
Pharmacies vaccinating care home residents should order enough vaccine to vaccinate care home residents plus pharmacy walk-ins. Pharmacies planning to vaccinate walk-in patients only should order one box initially (one box = 60 doses).
Community Pharmacists are reminded that the SPPG COVID-19 vaccine Patient Group Direction (PGD) is the only legal authority to allow administration of the Spring Booster and this covers registered healthcare professionals only. There is no national protocol in place for the Spring 23 vaccination programme.
A VMS update is planned for the evening of Thursday 27 April 2023.
A number of care homes have dual registration status whereby one section of the home will have a nursing home registration and another section of the home a residential home registration. It is essential that the correct RQIA code is attributed to each care home resident vaccinated on VMS to assure the PHA that all registered homes are vaccinated.
Community Pharmacists are reminded that the eligible Spring Booster cohorts are defined by Department of Health policy. Those eligible for the 2023 Spring Booster are:
Care home residents 18 years +
Immunocompromised 18 years +
Individuals 75 years +
Note: care home staff are not eligible for the Spring 23 Booster programme
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Place a vaccine order to meet their requirements.
Clarify with care home staff which RQIA registration code applies to each patient as both registered premises are in many cases under one roof.
Liaise with care home leads no later than 48-72 hours before clinic date to ensure that:
care home staff have completed and shared all the required paperwork in relation to residents to be vaccinated and best interest decisions
the care home has prepared to have adequate staff in place to assist vaccinators and
there is a base for the pharmacy vaccination team to use and
whether there will internet access on the day.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
CPNI wishes to make community pharmacies aware that while SPPG are seeking to put a rota in place for Monday 8 May 2023 in recognition of the bank holiday for the Coronation of King Charles III, any pharmacy that is contracted to open on Saturday 6 May 2023 would still be expected to open. If you are contracted to be open on Saturday 6 May 2023 and would wish to close, you are advised to contact your local SPPG office who are dealing with any specific contractor requests on an individual basis.
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
Dear Colleague
The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for April 2023:
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 Colleague
The Pharmaceutical Society NI has issued a reminder that the deadline for receipt of Extenuating Circumstances applications in respect of CPD is 30 April 2023. Further details can be found in the attached letter HERE.
ACTION
Contractors and pharmacists within their teams should note the deadline for receipt of Extenuating Circumstances applications in respect of CPD.
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.
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 Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for April 2023:
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Bicalutamide 150mg tablets
28
£3.99
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets
60
£4.99
Bisoprolol 2.5mg tablets
28
£1.02
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets
28
£11.95
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
70
£5.50
Clotrimazole 1% cream
20
£2.22
Clotrimazole 1% cream
50
£4.20
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets
21
£5.79
Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg tablets
100
£7.80
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets
32
£3.36
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets
100
£10.50
Desloratadine 5mg tablets
30
£4.30
Doxycycline 100mg capsules
8
£1.05
Finasteride 5mg tablets
28
£3.84
Frovatriptan 2.5mg tablets
6
£13.95
Gabapentin 600mg tablets
100
£25.50
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules
5
£12.99
Lofepramine 70mg tablets
56
£13.49
Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets
56
£30.80
Spironolactone 25mg tablets
28
£2.52
Tolterodine 1mg tablets
56
£3.22
Valsartan 40mg capsules
28
£7.51
Valsartan 80mg capsules
28
£8.75
Zopiclone 7.5mg tablets
28
£2.13
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
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