Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

SUMMARY

• Following up from previous correspondence, on the prioritisation of care home vaccinations, it is necessary for programme planning to provide the requisite level of assurance to the PHA, on the timely completion of care  home vaccinations for COVID-19 and Flu, to both the residents and staff of all care homes.
• All CPs who are planning vaccination visits to care homes from today, are urgently requested to provide the information below:
  • Complete the table enclosed and return this information to the SPPG.
  • Please provide the relevant RQIA codes for the care homes which still require to be vaccinated as referenced from your data response to question 1.  A separate listing is required for each care home.
  • Please do not complete data for care homes which have been recorded on VMS prior to today, 24 October 2022.
  • Please return all data for each Care Home with the requested detail on the planned dates for vaccinations by 3pm Tuesday 25 October 2022. The data should be returned directly to Brendan Kerr (Brendan.kerr@hscni.net).
  • Please ensure that all vaccinations are recorded as quickly as possible on the VMS to ensure that the vaccinations are visible to all medical professionals utilising the VMS and to the PHA. 

ACTION

• Contractors involved in the provision of the vaccination services within care homes are asked to review the attached correspondence.
• Should you require any further clarity please contact Brendan Kerr (Brendan.kerr@hscni.net).
• If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor

At the CPNI Contractor Meeting held at 8pm Thursday, 20 October 2022 , an outline of the 2022/23 community pharmacy funding reduction and the recent engagement with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials was provided to Contractors.

Community pharmacy contractors discussed a number of options open to them and we would like to confirm Contractor views in the following survey which can be found HERE.

The information provided will be collated in an anonymous manner and considered by CPNI ahead of the next Contractor meeting.

The next Contractor meeting will be an in-person only meeting in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast on Tuesday, 15 November 2022.

If you require any further information in relation to financial information provided at the Contractor meeting please do not hesitate to contact your local CPNI Board Director or CPNI offices.
Please complete by 5pm on Monday, 24 October 2022.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

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

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Aciclovir 800mg tablets	35	£3.32
Amorolfine 5% medicated nail lacquer	5	£7.33
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension	100	£2.69
Atenolol 25mg tablets	28	£1.46
Benzydamine 0.15% mouthwash sugar free	300	£4.65
Benzydamine 0.15% oromucosal spray sugar free	30	£3.80
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops	3	£3.57
Celecoxib 100mg capsules	60	£6.26
Celecoxib 200mg capsules	30	£5.23
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets	28	£13.96
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets	14	£3.00
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	32	£2.75
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	100	£8.59
Febuxostat 80mg tablets	28	£3.42
Fluoxetine 60mg capsules	30	£2.22
Lacidipine 2mg tablets	28	£3.05
Lacidipine 4mg tablets	28	£4.01
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets	56	£2.05
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops	2.5	£2.41
Lercanidipine 20mg tablets	28	£8.22
Mebeverine 135mg tablets	100	£3.90
Naratriptan 2.5mg tablets	12	£5.45
Naratriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£2.75
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets	100	£14.40
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets	24	£3.46
Pregabalin 25mg capsules	56	£1.77
Pregabalin 300mg capsules	56	£3.20
Pregabalin 50mg capsules	84	£2.36
Pregabalin 150mg capsules	56	£2.43

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

At the CPNI Contractor Meeting held at 8pm Thursday, 20 October 2022 , an outline of the 2022/23 community pharmacy funding reduction and the recent engagement with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials was provided to Contractors.

Community pharmacy contractors discussed a number of options open to them and we would like to confirm Contractor views in the following survey which can be found HERE.

The information provided will be collated in an anonymous manner and considered by CPNI ahead of the next Contractor meeting.

The next Contractor meeting will be an in-person only meeting in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast on Tuesday, 15 November 2022.

If you require any further information in relation to financial information provided at the Contractor meeting please do not hesitate to contact your local CPNI Board Director or CPNI offices.
Please complete by 12 noon on Monday, 24 October 2022.

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 1 Recall – Targocid 200mg Powder for Solution for Injection/Infusion or Oral Solution 21 October 2022
  • Medicines Recall – Ephedrine Hydrochloride 30mg/ml Injection 20 October 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Medroxyprogesterone (Provera) 10mg Tablets Updated 21 October 2022
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS

• LFD Pharmacy Collect NI October 2022 21 October 2022
• Survey Monkey: Options Following October 2022 CPNI Contractor Meeting 21 October 2022
• Zoom Details CPNI Contractor Meeting 8pm Thursday 20 October 2022 20 October 2022
• Second Concessionary Prices – October 2022 20 October 2022
• Reminder To Register CPNI Contractor Meeting 8pm Thursday 20 October 2022 19 October 2022
• First Concessionary Prices – October 2022 18 October 2022
• Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza AQIV / QIVc Stock Update 18 October 2022
• CPNI Contractor Meeting Seagoe Hotel, Portadown, 8pm Thursday 20 October 2022 17 October 2022

DOH(NI) ALERTS

• MHRA National Patient Safety Alert – Recall of Targocid 200mg Powder for Solution for Injection/Infusion or Oral Solution, Aventis Pharma Limited t/a Sanofi, due to the Presence of Bacterial Endotoxins 21 October 2022 
• Updated Link – New Regional N. Ireland Pathways for the Managed Access of Continuous and Flash Glucose Monitoring Devices 20 October 2022
• Liothyronine Prescribing: Choice of Formulation 20 October 2022
• Private Controlled Drugs – Information for Community Pharmacists 20 October 2022
• Update A6: aQIV Stock for Prioritisation of Care Home Vaccinations and Use of QIVc As an Alternative for Other Cohorts 18 October 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

SUMMARY

• Further to the Contractor Update in August we wish to remind contractors that the Pharmacy Collect Service for distribution of lateral flow tests is still operating.
• While there have been a number of changes made to the eligible cohorts, the service offered by community pharmacy has not changed. Community pharmacies are not expected to ‘police’ the service and if someone presents asking for a supply of tests then they can be provided.
• Community pharmacies should ensure they have adequate supplies in stock. CPNI have been advised that there are currently no supply issues with test kits from Alliance.

ACTION

• Contractors involved in the provision of the Pharmacy Collect NI service are advised to:
  • Ensure pharmacy teams are aware the service is still operating
  • Ensure they have a supply of test kits in stock
  • Remind pharmacy teams that they are not expected to assess if a patient is eligible to receive the service
  • If a patient presents for test kits then they can be provided
• If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards