Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
The countdown is on to the Community Pharmacy “Big Jab Weekend” which is taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December 2021.

To raise awareness of the upcoming weekend and to help encourage uptake in your area, we have drafted promotional cards which you can share on your pharmacy’s social media channels.  Contractors can add their own local messaging alongside these cards, tailoring for their specific vaccine offering. For e.g. 1st, 2nd primary or booster, opening times, location etc. The first card is HERE, and a further card will be issued later this week.

To help increase online reach, I would ask you to please tag in the following organisations in social media posts as they will share posts relating to the weekend:
  • CPNI – Twitter: @compharmacyni, Facebook: @communitypharmacyni and Instagram: @compharmacyni
  • Department of Health – Twitter: @healthdpt
  • Health and Social Care Board – Twitter: @HSCBoard, Facebook: @healthandsocialcareboard and Instagram: @health_and_social_care
  • Public Health Agency – Twitter: @publichealthni, Facebook: @publichealthagency and Instagram: @publichealthni
  • NICVA – Twitter: @NICVA and Facebook: @NICVA 

In some areas, demand could be higher than capacity and to manage expectations, pharmacists may need to signpost patients to other providers in their areas, such as Trust clinics. It is important for community staff supporting this weekend to be aware of the closest alternative vaccination options. This information can be found HERE.

To date over 211,000 vaccines have been administered by community pharmacy. The outstanding contribution of the profession in the vaccination programme has been widely recognised and we are excited to be able to build on this through the “Big Jab Weekend”. It is a further opportunity to demonstrate the value of delivering vaccinations through community pharmacy. To help illustrate the positive impact this weekend can have on improving local vaccine uptake, I would ask your teams to please capture positive case studies and photos, when possible.

I would ask community pharmacies who intend to participate in the Big Jab Weekend to advise CPNI of their plans by emailing kkidd@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

Thank you once again to you and your teams and please do not hesitate to contact CPNI Office on 028 9069 0444 for further advice or support.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The final update concessionary prices were granted for November 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets28£8.98
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets100£6.19
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets30£1.86
Omeprazole 10mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free75£106.46
Omeprazole 20mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free75£206.00
Prednisolone 5mg soluble tablets30£10.35
Simvastatin 20mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free150£173.89
Simvastatin 40mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free150£250.63
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets112£23.12
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets112£21.35
Topiramate 100mg tablets60£8.09
Topiramate 25mg tablets60£8.09
Topiramate 50mg tablets60£2.89
Trazodone 100mg capsules56£3.52
Trazodone 150mg tablets28£3.31

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

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find attached HERE correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

  • A full travel history must be obtained for all individuals presenting to health and social care services with immediate effect. Enquiry must be made about travel to or via Southern Africa or through any of the countries identified HERE.
  • All individuals who have a travel history from any of the listed countries in the past 10 days and who present to health services including primary care must be tested for COVID-19, they should be tested through Pillar 1 testing arrangements – that is through HSC Trust laboratory services and not through Pillar 2 arrangements.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  1. Review the attached correspondence and share it with community pharmacy staff.
  2. Contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE

Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The second update concessionary prices was granted for November 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Amisulpride 50mg tablets60£2.99
Donepezil 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free150£81.23
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£7.87
Lercanidipine 20mg tablets28£3.04
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£36.15
Mirtazapine 15mg/ml oral solution sugar free66£97.89
Orphenadrine 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£87.09
Procyclidine 2.5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£37.39
Procyclidine 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£55.61
Promazine 25mg/5ml oral solution150£60.19
Promazine 50mg/5ml oral solution150£75.36
Quetiapine 20mg/ml oral suspension sugar free150£166.31
Ramipril 2.5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£164.12
Ropinirole 1mg tablets84£56.71
Sodium fluoride 0.05% mouthwash sugar free250£1.57
Sulfasalazine 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free500£94.22
Tamoxifen 10mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£74.52
Timolol 0.25% eye drops5£3.73
Trihexyphenidyl 5mg/5ml oral solution200£82.54
Trimethoprim 100mg tablets28£2.10
Warfarin 1mg/ml oral suspension sugar free150£156.07

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

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS 

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

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

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Further to yesterday’s contractor update please find the CPNI Response to the HSCB Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Consultation that was submitted to HSCB earlier today. The KPMG Report was also submitted as part of the CPNI Response.

ACTIONS 
  • Please read and consider the CPNI response to this important HSCB PNA consultation.
  • CPNI recommends that you submit a response to the consultation on or before 30 November 2021, using the CPNI response to help inform the response you submit.
  • Your response can be completed and submitted online by answering the questions, or by submitting a written response to:

Declan Beare
Directorate of Integrated Care
Gransha Park House
Clooney Road
Co. Derry
BT47 6FN
Or by email: PNAconsultation@hscni.net

We would also encourage you to also share the CPNI Response, with any stakeholders in your locality, who may also wish to refer to or use the CPNI Response when submitting their own response to the consultation.

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

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive