Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Since joining the COVID-19 vaccination programme in March 2021, community pharmacy teams have worked incredibly hard to deliver the service, helping to maximise the levels of protection against COVID-19 across our communities. With over 317,000 vaccinations administered to date, the success of the service is credit to the hard work and dedication of our local teams.   Community pharmacy is the main provider of COVID-19 primary vaccinations, as well as delivering the booster. As we move through the pandemic and into a new phase of the programme, we are looking at new ways of delivering the community pharmacy service. This is particularly important as initial demand for the vaccinations has decreased overall.   To help do this we are asking community pharmacy teams to share their experience of delivering the service. We hope by capturing a range of case studies we can share good practice, support contractors, and help to increase patient uptake.   It is also an opportunity to highlight the network’s ability to introduce new services quickly and effectively, whilst continuing to deliver daily services such as dispensing.   If you would like to share your experience, please get in contact on 028 9069 0444 and a member of the team will contact you or send an email to info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk outlining what you planned, what went well, what the outcome was (include number of vaccinations administered if possible),  any novel measures you introduced to increase patient access to your service and what you would do differently in future.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Reminder

CPNI have prepared some resources to support pharmacy teams answer any subsequent queries in relation to the cessation of Non-Commissioned Adherence Service to new patients. 

These include:

• *New* MDS Briefing is now available to inform discussions with other stakeholders such as MLAs etc.
• Patient/Carer Information Leaflet: Adherence Service
  • Patients are invited to contact the Health and Social Care Board, details of which are on the patient and carer information leaflet.
  • Should a patient wish to make a complaint to HSCB, details can be found HERE.

• Patients may wish to contact their local elected representatives:
  • Cllr contact details are available HERE
  • MLA contact details are available HERE
  • MP contact details are available HERE
• Pharmacy Staff briefing: Adherence Service
• GP Practice Letter: Adherence Service
• Pharmacy Posters
  • As some pharmacies have reported that they have already stopped taking on new patients for several months due to workload, there are two versions are available.
    • Adherence Service Poster (1 December 2021)
    • Adherence Service Poster (Current)

To continue with adherence support in its current format would put patient safety and core pharmacy services at risk and contractors have taken this step to protect and support increasingly stretched community pharmacy teams.

Please ensure that these materials are shared with your pharmacy team members in each pharmacy you operate.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI Office on 028 9069 0444 for further advice or support.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find attached updated correspondence HERE from Prof. Sir. Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY

DoH(NI) Correction

In line with the announcement of changes to the self-isolation guidance for those who have received a positive COVID-19 test result, health and social care staff who test positive will be able to leave self-isolation and return to work, if they test negative on days 5 and 6 after the date that symptoms started or the date of their initial positive test, whichever is the sooner. This means if a staff member tests negative on the morning of day 6 and was also negative 24 hours earlier, they can return to work on day 6 provided they meet the  requirements as outlined in correspondence:

• The staff member should continue to undertake daily LFTs until day 14.

ACTION

• There have been multiple changes to COVID guidance in recent weeks therefore Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The fourth update concessionary prices were granted for January 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Cinnarizine 15mg tablets	84	£3.92
Fenofibrate micronised 160mg tablets	28	£4.08
Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100	£1.70
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets	28	£3.15
Prasugrel 5mg tablets	28	£34.95
Valsartan 160mg capsules	28	£11.95

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

FAO ALL Pharmacies delivering CCPVS services

VACCINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VMS) UPDATE RUNNING ON TUESDAY 25th JANUARY – 8pm to 10pm
The VMS software update will run on Tuesday 25th January from 8pm to 10pm. The system will be offline during the update and pharmacies will not be able to access the system during this period.
If you are administering any vaccinations during a time when VMS is unavailable, please record these manually in the interim so that you can enter into VMS after the release window is over. Paper vaccination record forms are available online at the BSO website.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY

Name changes to COVID-19 vaccines
The VMS is updating the names of the vaccines in line with the licensed products.
In summary:
Moderna vaccine brand = Spikevax®
AZ vaccine brand = Vaxzevria®
Pfizer vaccine brand = Comirnaty®
Addition of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (0.5ml)
The software update will add the option to record Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (0.5ml). As this NOT part of the current Community Pharmacy Vaccination service, please be careful when selecting from the drop down menus to ensure the correct vaccine is chosen and recorded on VMS.

ACTION

• If you are administering any vaccinations during a time, please record these on paper vaccination record forms, in the interim so that you can enter into VMS afterwards.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Further to my update on 24 December 2021 I write to provide you with a further short update on the progress of discussions with DoH(NI) and HSCB in relation to MDS and Adherence services. You will be aware that discussions before the Christmas and New Year holiday period did not result in a resolution to the ongoing issues with community pharmacy adherence and MDS services. Contractors decided they would no longer take on new patients for MDS or adherence services from 1 December 2021. That remains the case, although I wish to advise that progressive discussions with DoH and HSCB have intensified throughout January and we expect those to continue. The discussions will also involve a meeting with the Minister Mr Robin Swann, who we anticipate will recognise the progress that has been made in the negotiations and the urgent need for the investment to underpin commissioned adherence support services through community pharmacy. CPNI Board reviewed progress of the negotiations at the meeting of Directors, held on Thursday 13 January 2022, and agreed that further time was needed to reach a resolution. As matters sit, whilst progress has been made in the discussions and negotiations with HSCB and DoH, the circumstances remain that led to the Contractor decision on 16 November 2021 to no longer provide adherence support to new patients from 1 December 2021. I acknowledge that Contractors will have expected a resolution to have been reached and CPNI is aiming to resolve matters in a way that provides sustainable funding and resources for you and your teams going forward. The unrelenting pressures being faced by the community pharmacy sector are such that a longer term solution, as well as immediate relief, is required and CPNI is committed to achieving this. A contractor meeting will be held as soon as we are in a position to update Contractors further, but be assured this is the priority issue for CPNI at present. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any CPNI Director should you require any further information.

Kind regards,