Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

Further to the Contractor Update issued on 17 October 2022, I write to remind you to register  for the contractor meeting that will take place tomorrow at  8pm Thursday 20 October 2022 at the Seagoe Hotel, 22 Upper Church Lane, Portadown, BT63 5JE.

I would ask that you make every effort to attend this important meeting where an outline of the recent engagements with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials will be will be outlined and discussed with contractors.

At the CPNI Board Meeting, Directors considered a letter received from the Health Minister on Wednesday evening that outlined the following immediate interventions for the sector:

  • A proposal to pause the repayment of the Special Advance by contractors for October, November, and December 2022.
  • A proposal to increase the concessionary price allowance paid to each contractor by £1,000 per contract from the current level of £2,000 to £3,000.
  • A proposal for an in-year modulation of drug tariff fees and allowances for 2022/23 equating to approximately £0.6m being distributed to the community pharmacy sector.

These 3 elements make up the £5.3m interventions referred to in the statement released by the Department of Health yesterday.

Zoom facilities will be available in the event that you cannot attend the meeting in person. I would ask you confirm your attendance HERE no later than 10am on Thursday 20 October 2022.

A further reminder email will be issued tomorrow with Zoom joining details being provided to those Contractors wishing to attend remotely. If you have any further queries, please contact CPNI via email ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

I look forward to seeing you on tomorrow evening.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for October 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Amisulpride 100mg tablets60£15.25
Amisulpride 200mg tablets60£33.92
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for
injection ampoules		5£10.70
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops5£4.32
Duloxetine 60mg gastro-resistant capsules28£5.23
Escitalopram 20mg tablets28£1.69
Ezetimibe 10mg tablets28£1.99
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules84£10.55
Nebivolol 2.5mg tablets28£19.99
Paroxetine 20mg tablets30£1.85
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg tablets28£2.45
Rasagiline 1mg tablets28£6.45
Tamsulosin 400microgram / Dutasteride
500microgram capsules		30£19.80
Telmisartan 20mg tablets28£4.59
Telmisartan 40mg tablets28£2.50
Telmisartan 80mg tablets28£2.15
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets60£11.90
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
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • Existing supplies of aQIV in Community Pharmacies must be prioritised for vaccinations of the remaining Care Home resident population. For patients aged 65 years and over not in care homes, where aQIV is unavailable, QIVc may be offered as an alternative.
  • From today, all quotas of aQIV will be set to zero and any requests for aQIV must be authorised in advance by SPPG.
    • Requests for additional aQIV will only be approved if the stock is required for vaccination of Care Home residents.
    • Requests for additional aQIV to meet the needs of Care Home residents should be sent to Deirdre McAree (Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net) stating the number of vaccines required and the Care Home to be vaccinated.
  • If a patient is eligible for the aQIV vaccine, and the pharmacy does not have any stock it is acceptable to offer QIVc.
  • This is covered within the PGD, service specification and JCVI guidance.
    • If patients aged 65 years and over decline QIVc and wish to avail of aQIV, they should be signposted to another pharmacy that has stock, or to their registered GP.
    • Patients should be informed of the preferred vaccination for their cohort.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • SPPG have asked community pharmacy contractors and pharmacists involved in the service to assess current aQIV stock levels to ensure there is sufficient quantities to vaccinate all remaining Care Home residents, and ringfenced for use in Care Home resident population.
  • SPPG have asked community pharmacy contractors and pharmacists involved in the service to use any surplus for those 65 years and over presenting in the pharmacy.
  • If you have any queries in relation to any elements of this service, please contact Deirdre McAree (Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net).
  • Please contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Further to the Contractor Update issued on 14 October 2022, I write to confirm that a contractor meeting will take place at 8pm Thursday 20 October 2022 at the Seagoe Hotel, 22 Upper Church Lane, Portadown, BT63 5JE.

I would ask that you make every effort to attend this important meeting where an outline of the recent engagements with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials will be will be outlined and discussed with contractors.

Zoom facilities will be available in the event that you cannot attend the meeting in person. I would ask you confirm your attendance HERE no later than 5pm on Wednesday 19 October 2022. 

A further reminder email will be issued with Zoom joining details being provided to those Contractors wishing to attend remotely. If you have any further queries, please contact CPNI via email ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday evening.

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

Dear Contractor

Contractors are invited to attend a contractor meeting on Thursday evening, 20 October 2022 in the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown where an outline of the recent engagements with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials will be provided.

At yesterday’s CPNI Board Meeting, Directors considered a letter received from the Health Minister on Wednesday evening that outlined the following immediate interventions for the sector:

  • A proposal to pause the repayment of the Special Advance by contractors for October, November, and December 2022.
  • A proposal to increase the concessionary price allowance paid to each contractor by £1,000 per contract from the current level of £2,000 to £3,000.
  • A proposal for an in-year modulation of drug tariff fees and allowances for 2022/23 equating to approximately £0.6m being distributed to the community pharmacy sector.

Commitments were also given by the Minister in relation to the adherence service and prioritisation of reform work being taken forward in relation to the Northern Ireland Drug Tariff.

It is expected that SPPG will write to contractors directly with an update on these matters.

CPNI Directors considered the proposal to fall significantly short of the funding required to address current financial and operational difficulties but will ask the Minister to implement the three proposals to assist with contractor cash-flow in the short-term.

The contractor meeting will enable CPNI to provide you with further information in relation to these and other current matters including adherence services, drug tariff, medicines supply and workforce issues.

CPNI will also outline the next steps that will have to be considered by contractors and CPNI going forward.

Further details for the contractor meeting in Portadown will be provided next week.

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

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive