Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

The fourth update of concessionary prices were granted today for August 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension	100	£1.67
Baclofen 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	300	£5.42
Benzydamine 0.15% oromucosal spray sugar free	30	£4.03
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops	3	£3.19
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% gel	60	£34.44
Chlorpromazine 25mg tablets	28	£27.39
Chlorpromazine 50mg tablets	28	£26.56
Citalopram 10mg tablets	28	£1.55
Citalopram 40mg tablets	28	£1.30
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries	1	£8.50
Desmopressin 200microgram tablets	30	£22.89
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops	5	£3.86
Dosulepin 25mg capsules	28	£3.62
Escitalopram 10mg tablets	28	£1.39
Escitalopram 20mg tablets	28	£1.98
Ezetimibe 10mg tablets	28	£1.97
Gabapentin 600mg tablets	100	£5.64
Glyceryl trinitrate 500microgram sublingual tablets	100	£3.34
Ibandronic acid 150mg tablets	1	£3.78
Ibandronic acid 50mg tablets	28	£98.14
Lercanidipine 20mg tablets	28	£7.80
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free	300	£7.75
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	30	£3.43
Nebivolol 2.5mg tablets	28	£28.48
Nebivolol 5mg tablets	28	£3.10
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets	28	£4.20
Risedronate sodium 35mg tablets	4	£2.48
Risperidone 500microgram tablets	20	£2.79
Rivastigmine 3mg capsules	28	£3.94
Telmisartan 20mg tablets	28	£4.32
Topiramate 100mg tablets	60	£3.99
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets	60	£16.70
Venlafaxine 37.5mg tablets	56	£3.01
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£2.56
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	12	£5.12

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

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.
  • Dysport 500 Units Powder for Solution for Injection 22 August 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS

• REMINDER Access NI Requirements for Vaccination Services in Care Homes 26 August 2022
• Phase 2 of The Know Check Ask Campaign and World Patient Safety Day 25 August 2022
• Third Concessionary Prices – August 2022 24 August 2022
• LFD Pharmacy Collect NI August 2022 23 August 2022

DOH(NI) ALERTS

• UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership – NI Stakeholder Event Save the Date 31 August 2022
  • Open Letter to Registered Pharmacy Professionals in the UK
  • Background Information
• Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service Update 26 August 2022
• Access NI Check for Care Home Vaccinations – Claim Form 25 August 2022
• Quarterly Family Practitioner Services (FPS) General Pharmaceutical Services Statistics for Northern Ireland: To QE June 2022 25 August 2022
• Living Well Campaigns Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme 24 August 2022
• Living Well Campaigns Spot Cancer Early 22 August 2022
• Limited Supplies of Varivax® and Varilrix® Injection Available Until Mid-October 2022 19 August 2022

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 Contractor

Please see here correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

• There will be a requirement that all pharmacy team members who visit Care Homes have obtained an Access NI certificate and shared this with their employer, before proceeding to vaccinate care homes residents in the Autumn Vaccination Programme.
• Access NI certification can be completed by creating or entering an account HERE. To obtain a basic Access NI check you will need:
  • Home addresses for the last five years
  • National Insurance number
  • Three different types of ID
  • A valid debit or credit card
• The SPPG will reimburse each pharmacy contractor up to a maximum of four individuals undertaking Access NI certification. The fee from Access NI is £18 per applicant.
• A claim form can be accessed HERE for reimbursement of the Access NI checks.

ACTION

• Contractors are advised to review the attached correspondence.
• Contractors are asked to identify staff and obtain Access NI certification before 31 August 2022.
• Contractors are asked to submit a claim form for reimbursement by 31 September 2022.
• If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact Deirdre McAree via email (Deirdre.Mcaree@hscni.net).
• If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor

Please see attached correspondence from Dr Brenda Bradley, SPPG Pharmacy Lead.

SUMMARY

• Pharmacies will receive materials for the “Know Check Ask – Medicines Without Harm” campaign over the coming days. 
• Community pharmacies contracted to provide the Living Well service will have already taken part in Phase 1 of this campaign by participating in the Know Check Ask Living Well campaign earlier this year.  
• These materials are intended to allow all community pharmacies to support Phase 2 of the “Know Check Ask – Medication Without Harm” campaign which will involve the wider health and social care sector.
• Phase 2 of the campaign will be launched on 12th September to coincide with World Patient Safety Day on 17th September.

ACTION

• Contractors and pharmacy teams are asked to review the correspondence.
• Pharmacies are asked to use and display the materials where possible as outlined in the letter.
• Note: Pharmacies who are contracted to provide the Living Well service will also be receiving materials for the Spot Cancer Early campaign in the coming days and these should not be confused with the wider Know Check Ask campaign materials.
• Note: As it it is a requirement of the Living Well contract that posters must be displayed in at least one window unit of the pharmacy premises, pharmacy teams may wish to prioritise their available window space accordingly.
• If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for August 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Amisulpride 100mg tablets	60	£12.95
Amisulpride 200mg tablets	60	£21.95
Amisulpride 50mg tablets	60	£7.49
Amorolfine 5% medicated nail lacquer	5	£7.49
Atenolol 25mg tablets	28	£0.99
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets	60	£4.75
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets	14	£1.86
Co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg tablets	28	£2.71
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets	84	£2.28
Dipyridamole 100mg tablets	84	£26.80
Duloxetine 60mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£6.99
Escitalopram 5mg tablets	28	£1.15
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£5.38
Febuxostat 80mg tablets	28	£2.93
Finasteride 5mg tablets	28	£4.95
Fluoxetine 20mg/5ml oral solution	70	£10.58
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets	50	£9.04
Norethisterone 5mg tablets	30	£6.41
Oxybutynin 5mg tablets	56	£1.97
Paracetamol 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	200	£3.38
Paroxetine 20mg tablets	30	£1.99
Pravastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.49
Telmisartan 40mg tablets	28	£1.99
Telmisartan 80mg tablets	28	£2.17
Tizanidine 2mg tablets	120	£8.49
Tranexamic acid 500mg tablets	60	£8.05
Trazodone 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	120	£11.39

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 Contractor

Please see here the written statement to the assembly from Health Minister Robin Swann MLA and correspondence from COVID-19 Response Directorate regarding changes to COVID-19 LFD testing introduced on 22 August 2022.

SUMMARY

• From 22 August 2022, those in the general population with symptoms of COVID-19 will no longer be advised to take a lateral flow test.
• The updated advice also lists the eligible groups that community pharmacies, who provide the LFD Collect service, are still able to provide LFD tests to, as follows: 
  • Those with symptoms who are potentially eligible for COVID-19 treatments.
  • Those without symptoms who work in or visit others in care homes and hospitals.
  • Those without symptoms providing close personal care to someone in their own home at higher risk should they contract COVID-19.
  • Those who are asked to test by a healthcare professional.
  • Health & Social Care Workers will continue to test and isolate in line with current guidance.
  • Testing to support clinical care and treatment in line with current guidance.
• Testing in all of the above areas is being kept under active review and is subject to further change.
• Community pharmacies providing the ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service there are no other operation changes to the LFD service you provide. You are asked to ensure that stocks of lateral flow test kits are maintained to meet continued requirements from eligible groups.

ACTION

• Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the provision of the Pharmacy Collect NI service are advised to review the attached correspondence and Ministerial statement.
• If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
• If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards