Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
CPNI representatives met with the Permanent Secretary (Department of Health NI) and health service officials yesterday afternoon in Belfast.

The Permanent Secretary confirmed that the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Mrs Cathy Harrison will undertake a rapid review of community pharmacy services, as outlined in the DoH(NI) statement released on Friday 18 November 2022.

CPNI conveyed again the grave nature of the current community pharmacy funding crisis and the need for urgent intervention to avert further service difficulties.

A further meeting with the Permanent Secretary and health service officials will take place w/c 5 December 2022.

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

Yours sincerely

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from the Department of Health.

SUMMARY

  • A number of individuals remain eligible for LFD tests and should be able to access these freely without the need to purchase privately. This is particularly important for those in advance of inpatient admission or treatment.
  • Pharmacies may experience an increase in demand due to the recommencement of the PANORAMIC antiviral study. Recruitment for the study closed on 27 April 2022.
  • From 23 November 2022, eligible members of the public in Northern Ireland can register for the study. More information on the study, including study eligibility and how people can sign up, is available at the PANORAMIC trial website.
  • PANORAMIC is open to anyone that meets the following criteria:
    • You are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, beginning in the last 5
      days;
    • AND You have had a positive PCR or Lateral Flow test for COVID-19;
    • AND You are aged 50 or over, or aged 18 or over with a LISTED pre-existing condition.
  • Further information for the public is also available on NI Direct Treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage which details the above eligibility information and states if a person is in an eligible group. If they wish to take part in the study they can collect lateral flow tests from participating pharmacies.
  • People are advised they should not collect tests from a pharmacy if they have symptoms but should ask someone who does not have symptoms to collect the lateral flow tests on their behalf.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the attached correspondence and ensure pharmacy teams are aware of the communication.
  • Please ensure you retain sufficient stock to meet any increases in demand.
  • If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

CPNI has produced the following resources to help pharmacy teams explain to their patients the reasons why some of their medicines may be out of stock, unavailable or delayed. We have also included a guide on how to use Twitter.

  1. Shortages of Medicines Poster
  2. Shortages of Medicines Patient Leaflet
  3. Shortages of Medicines Social Media Card
  4. Prescriptions Social Media Card
  5. How to Use Twitter Guide

To ensure we can continue to monitor the situation we ask you to please continue to report using CPNI’s online reporting form:

  • any medicine shortages or
  • a medicine unavailable to purchase from your supplier(s) at or below the Drug Tariff listed price

We can continue to build an evidence base of issues affecting community pharmacies and patients, enabling us to liaise accordingly with the Department of Health NI (DHNI).

ACTION

  • Contractors are advised to bring these resources to the attention of pharmacy teams and those involved in the ordering and purchasing of medicines for your pharmacy(-ies).

If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted yesterday for November 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Alendronic acid 70mg tablets4£5.36
Amisulpride 100mg tablets60£20.29
Amisulpride 200mg tablets60£33.92
Amisulpride 50mg tablets60£13.09
Amorolfine 5% medicated nail lacquer5£7.34
Aripiprazole 10mg tablets28£29.95
Aripiprazole 15mg tablets28£25.85
Baclofen 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free300£6.00
Benzydamine 0.15% oromucosal spray sugar free30£3.80
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops3£3.81
Brimonidine 0.2% eye drops5£4.85
Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution300£9.00
Carbocisteine 375mg capsules120£17.04
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets28£2.07
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment4£3.86
Chlorpromazine 100mg tablets28£28.36
Chlorpromazine 50mg tablets28£29.51
Cilostazol 100mg tablets56£15.56
Citalopram 10mg tablets28£1.29
Citalopram 40mg tablets28£1.48
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets14£3.35
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets14£7.64
Clotrimazole 1% cream20£2.50
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries1£10.50
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets32£2.88
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets100£8.99
Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules30£7.95
Co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg tablets28£3.79
Desloratadine 5mg tablets30£5.99
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets84£5.08
Digoxin 62.5microgram tablets28£5.00
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops5£4.39
Dosulepin 25mg capsules28£4.99
Doxycycline 100mg capsules8£0.96
Escitalopram 10mg tablets28£1.99
Escitalopram 20mg tablets28£1.63
Febuxostat 80mg tablets28£3.40
Finasteride 5mg tablets28£4.99
Flucloxacillin 500mg capsules28£2.73
Fluoxetine 20mg capsules30£1.25
Fluoxetine 60mg capsules30£2.23
Frovatriptan 2.5mg tablets6£15.00
Gabapentin 600mg tablets100£12.50
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£7.50
Lacidipine 4mg tablets28£4.18
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£2.19
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets56£2.43
Lercanidipine 20mg tablets28£8.21
Levetiracetam 1g tablets60£6.68
Levetiracetam 500mg tablets60£4.62
Mebeverine 135mg tablets100£3.70
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules84£11.00
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets56£5.57
Norethisterone 5mg tablets30£7.65
Oxybutynin 5mg tablets56£2.20
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£9.71
Paracetamol 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free200£9.81
Paroxetine 20mg tablets30£1.64
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg tablets28£2.45
Pregabalin 150mg capsules56£2.43
Pregabalin 300mg capsules56£3.33
Pregabalin 50mg capsules84£2.36
Pregabalin 75mg capsules56£2.30
Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets56£34.19
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets28£4.50
Rabeprazole 10mg gastro-resistant tablets28£6.68
Rabeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets28£11.34
Risedronate sodium 35mg tablets4£3.59
Risperidone 500microgram tablets20£3.83
Tamsulosin 400microgram / Dutasteride
500microgram capsules		30£19.80
Telmisartan 40mg tablets28£2.50
Temazepam 20mg tablets28£34.93
Topiramate 100mg tablets60£6.16
Tranexamic acid 500mg tablets60£7.10
Travoprost 40micrograms/ml / timolol 5mg/ml
eye drops		2.5£5.99
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets60£12.95
Venlafaxine 75mg tablets56£13.65
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

As discussed at last week’s contractor meeting, the frequency of abusive behaviour directed at community pharmacy teams specifically relating to medicine shortages has increased and to capture this rise in abuse, contractors are encouraged to complete this short survey HERE.

Please complete by 12 noon on today, Monday, 21 November 2022.

CPNI would ask community pharmacy teams in addition to notifying CPNI, to liaise with local PSNI teams and with their crime prevention officers, and to report all instances of abuse, aggression, or attacks to the Department of Health.

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.

BSO ALERTS

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

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

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist