Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

You will be aware that the Spring Booster Vaccination Programme is now underway and is being offered to: Care home residents Adults aged 75 years and over Individuals aged 18 years and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the Green Book. This is the first time community pharmacy has been the primary provider of COVID-19 vaccinations to care home residents and presents a unique opportunity to cement the role of community pharmacy within vaccination services. It is testament to the work that has already been undertaken by community pharmacy within the COVID-19 vaccination programme. The timeframe for the Spring Booster Programme is tight to avoid any potential impact on an Autumn Programme and it is therefore aiming to complete by the end of May 2022. We appreciate this is an extremely busy time for community pharmacy. PHA and SPPG request that all participating community pharmacy complete the online submission that can be found HERE to ensure all care homes are paired with a community pharmacy to offer vaccinations to their residents. You do not have to have completed any vaccinations to return this information it is to indicate you have linked with a care home and will be arranging clinics in the coming weeks. If you offer the community pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination service you may be asked to vaccinate a care home you do not normally provide medicines to and this is appropriate as not all community pharmacies offer vaccination services. Care homes are also being asked to make contact with a community pharmacy who offers COVID-19 vaccination services to arrange clinics for their residents. We would encourage you to return this initial information as soon as possible so that any gaps can be identified at an early stage to ensure there is full coverage of care homes. Contractors are also advised to contact their indemnity provider to ensure they are covered for providing COVID-19 vaccinations within the care home setting to residents. Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI should you require any further information.

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.
  • MPS 2874 – Medicines Recall – Olopatadine Eye Drops 12 April 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Frusene tablets 13 April 2022
  • Toviaz 4mg and 8mg modified release tablets  11 April 2022
  • Clomifene 50mg tablets 11 April 2022
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

• COVID-19 Spring Booster Programme 15 April 2022
• CPVS Update 14 April 2022
• COVID-CPVS Clinics In Care Homes 14 April 2022
• First Concessionary Prices 14 April 2022
• Changes To The COVID-19 Pharmacy Collect NI 14 April 2022
• Pharmacy Spring Booster Care Home Campaign 13 April 2022
• Consent And Best Interest Decisions On COVID-19 Vaccination In Care Homes 11 April 2022
• Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply During a Pandemic Service 11 April 2022

SPPG ALERTS 

• CPVS Update 14 April 2022
• Update G13 COVID-CPVS Clinics in Care Homes – Operational Considerations 14 April 2022
• Spring Booster Covid-19 Vaccination in care homes plus Pharmacy proforma 11 April 2022
• GP information to support COVID-19 vaccinations in care homes 11 April 2022
• GP COVID vaccination best interest sharing template 11 April 2022
• Emergency Supply Service Update 8 April 2022
  • Survey Results

DoH(NI) ALERTS 

• NI Regional Framework For Vaccine Administration By Health Care Support Workers 13 April 2022
• Regional Framework For Vaccine Administration By Health Care Support Workers (HCSWs) In Northern Ireland (NI) 13 April 2022

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

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.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

You will be aware that the Spring Booster Vaccination Programme is now underway and is being offered to: Care home residents Adults aged 75 years and over Individuals aged 18 years and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the Green Book. This is the first time community pharmacy has been the primary provider of COVID-19 vaccinations to care home residents and presents a unique opportunity to cement the role of community pharmacy within vaccination services. It is testament to the work that has already been undertaken by community pharmacy within the COVID-19 vaccination programme. The timeframe for the Spring Booster Programme is tight to avoid any potential impact on an Autumn Programme and it is therefore aiming to complete by the end of May 2022. We appreciate this is an extremely busy time for community pharmacy. PHA and SPPG request that all participating community pharmacy complete the online submission that can be found HERE to ensure all care homes are paired with a community pharmacy to offer vaccinations to their residents. You do not have to have completed any vaccinations to return this information it is to indicate you have linked with a care home and will be arranging clinics in the coming weeks. If you offer the community pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination service you may be asked to vaccinate a care home you do not normally provide medicines to and this is appropriate as not all community pharmacies offer vaccination services. Care homes are also being asked to make contact with a community pharmacy who offers COVID-19 vaccination services to arrange clinics for their residents. We would encourage you to return this initial information as soon as possible so that any gaps can be identified at an early stage to ensure there is full coverage of care homes. We would encourage you to return this initial information as soon as possible so that any gaps can be identified at an early stage to ensure there is full coverage of care homes. Contractors are also advised to contact their indemnity provider to ensure they are covered for providing COVID-19 vaccinations within the care home setting to residents. Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

• The transfer of the responsibility for the strategic operational planning and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme from DoH to the Public Health Agency took effect from the 1 April 2022 as outlined HERE.
• Vaccination of the residents of Care Homes in Northern Ireland is underway. Community Pharmacies operating the CPVS service may provide vaccination to residents of Nursing homes and Residential homes (18 years and over).
• An electronic form was developed to collate data on CPVS clinics that are planned to take place in Care Homes and can be found HERE.
• Please refer to Update G13 which addresses some practical considerations when planning to vaccinate Care Home residents with the spring booster.
• Further information on consent and best interests decisions detailing responsibilities was issued HERE.
• Contractors are reminded that the interactive maps are available online should they receive enquiries about a vaccine service they are unable to provide.
• Where a pharmacist considers they need to supplement their vaccination workforce, they can make a request for access to PHA vaccinators HERE.
• Waste reports and DNA figures must be completed using the online form, even if it is a nil report. The report can be
  accessed HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Contractors are reminded if they have any queries relating to the CPVS service requiring input from a Pharmacy Adviser, they should contact their local office/adviser.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

• A response via e-form, see HERE, from community pharmacies is vital to assure program leads that appropriate plans are in place to fully achieve the delivery of the Spring booster programme in care homes with their vulnerable cohort of patients.
• Small numbers of residents who have missed clinics will be followed up by Trust vaccination colleagues. When arranging clinic dates and gathering information on the number of residents to be vaccinated, please note the number who DO NOT wish to be vaccinated.
• If supplementing your vaccinator workforce is considered to be necessary please note that access to PHA vaccinators will be subject to local availability. The process to be followed is detailed in Update G10.
• Please select “Care Home Resident” as per screenshot below. When recording patient vaccination on VMS. The RQIA number for Care homes can be located by accessing information HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Contractors are asked to ensure that clinics have been arranged by 22 May 2022.
• Please note the number of residents in a care home who do not wish to be vaccinated HERE.
• Submit requests to the PHA for vaccinator support via email communitypharmacyvaccinatorsitrep@hscni.net.
• If you have any queries in relation to this update, please contact Deirdre McAree at Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The first update of concessionary prices were granted for April 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Aqueous cream	100	£0.74
Atenolol 50mg tablets	28	£0.82
Celecoxib 200mg capsules	30	£7.21
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets	14	£1.78
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets	28	£19.80
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£6.45
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops	5	£1.99
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£5.25
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£5.50
Famotidine 20mg tablets	28	£17.95
Famotidine 40mg tablets	28	£25.54
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£5.75
Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100	£3.75
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets	28	£2.99
Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets	28	£4.97
Loratadine 5mg/5ml oral solution	100	£5.39
Losartan 100mg tablets	28	£3.00
Losartan 12.5mg tablets	28	£7.19
Losartan 25mg tablets	28	£1.54
Losartan 50mg tablets	28	£2.06
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£32.17
Methocarbamol 750mg tablets	100	£12.68
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules	10	£6.22
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	100	£9.92
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	30	£4.60
Montelukast 4mg granules sachets sugar free	28	£6.04
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules	84	£7.99
Nizatidine 150mg capsules	30	£23.95
Nortriptyline 10mg tablets	100	£1.97
Nortriptyline 25mg tablets	100	£1.99
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets	12	£3.73
Ropinirole 2mg tablets	28	£17.70
Ropinirole 500microgram tablets	28	£6.00
Sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules	56	£3.99
Tolterodine 2mg tablets	56	£2.92
Topiramate 100mg tablets	60	£2.89
Topiramate 25mg tablets	60	£1.89
Topiramate 50mg tablets	60	£1.95
Valsartan 80mg capsules	28	£3.95

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

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