Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

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

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Bumetanide 1mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£235.00
Celecoxib 100mg capsules	60	£5.72
Celecoxib 200mg capsules	30	£5.41
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution	150	£4.09
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£2.80
Citalopram 40mg/ml oral drops sugar free	15	£15.95
Clindamycin 150mg capsules	24	£4.42
Co-amilofruse 2.5mg/20mg tablets	28	£4.07
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets	21	£5.99
Domperidone 1mg/ml oral suspension sugar free	200	£47.90
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 500mg tablets	28	£13.49
Famotidine 40mg tablets	28	£35.44
Fluoxetine 40mg capsules	30	£2.47
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops	2.5	£1.97
Liothyronine 5microgram tablets	28	£100.94
Methylphenidate 5mg tablets	30	£3.60
Mometasone 0.1% cream	30	£4.30
Mometasone 0.1% cream	100	£14.33
Mometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray	140	£4.49
Naratriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£2.99
Naratriptan 2.5mg tablets	12	£5.98
Rivastigmine 3mg capsules	28	£4.75
Tolterodine 2mg tablets	56	£8.85
Topiramate 25mg tablets	60	£10.39
Topiramate 50mg tablets	60	£17.98
Yellow soft paraffin solid	500	£5.65

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

Dear Colleague

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

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules	15	£1.85
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules	21	£2.59
Omeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£2.60
Prednisolone 5mg soluble tablets	30	£62.00
Pregabalin 25mg capsules	56	£1.69

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.
  • Class 4 Defect – Hyoscine Butylbromide 20 mg Tablets 21 November 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

• CPNI Meeting With DoH(NI) Permanent Secretary 25 November 2022
• Guidance On Update To LFT Eligibility 25 November 2022
• Shortages of Medicines Public Awareness Resources 24 November 2022
• Second Concessionary Prices – November 2022 23 November 2022
• REMINDER Contractor Survey: Abusive Behaviour Relating to Medicine Shortages 21 November 2022

DOH(NI) ALERTS 

• Update of Community Pharmacy Needle and Syringe Exchange Service 25 November 2022
• Guidance on Update to LFT Eligibility 24 November 2022 
• Family Practitioner Services (FPS) General Pharmaceutical Services Statistics for Northern Ireland: To QE September 2022 24 November 2022
• Safety Considerations Due to Bioavailability Differences Between Metolazone Preparations 22 November 2022
• Medicines Management November 2022 Newsletter 22 November 2022
• Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service Update 22 November 2022
• Spikevax COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (Nucleoside Modified) – Important Shelf-life Update When Stored at Ultra-low-temperature Conditions 22 November 2022

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

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

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

Kind regards

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

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

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