Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

SUMMARY

• Additional funding is available for community pharmacies in relation to dedicated COVID-19 vaccination clinics during February and March 2022. The following options are available:
  • Provide clinic(s) in current Pharmacy premises outside of normal commercial
    opening hours
  • Provide clinic(s) at an off-site location (non-pharmacy) premises at any time
• Funding of £200 per eligible vaccination clinic is available.
• The following eligibility criteria apply:
  • February clinics must have operated for a minimum of 2 hours
  • March clinics must operate for a minimum of 2 hours and have a minimum of 10 patients booked for vaccination. The HSCB will honour payment for those clinics where patients do not attend, and where vaccinations are subsequently administered to less than 10 patients.

ACTION

• Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
• If you wish to claim this funding, please complete the attached claim form and return to your local Integrated Care office.
• 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, Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

• The Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply during a Pandemic Service commenced on Monday 6 April 2020.
• Approximately 9,500 items are supplied each month, via the service, to patients in Northern Ireland.
• As we move out of the current phase of the pandemic, the HSCB will be seeking to commission a routine Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service.
• To better inform the transition to routine service, HSCB in conjunction with CPNI, are inviting community pharmacists to participate in a data collection survey for a period of one week. The collection form can be found HERE.
• A newsletter supplement highlighting some of the learning identified has been developed and is available HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• From Monday 28 February 2022 until Sunday 6 March 2022, community pharmacists are invited to capture  data for all patients who are requesting an emergency supply.
• If you have any queries in relation to the completion of the survey please contact your local HSCB office.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

• HSCB is seeking completion of the Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) declaration form for your pharmacy, for the 2021/2022 year.
• The aim and purpose of the framework is to monitor compliance with Terms of Service, service specifications, related professional standards and best practice guidance.
• HSCB has recently worked with CPNI to review, update and agree the Assurance framework for the 2021/22 year.
• A payment of £1200 will be made to each pharmacy, upon return of the completed declaration, for compliance with the CPAF process in 2021/22.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Complete and return the individual prepopulated declaration form which you will have received by secure email. Please submit a return for each pharmacy you operate, to your local HSCB office via email today, Monday 28 February 2022.
• You are also required to submit a copy of your practice leaflet and complaints procedure.
• CPNI have produced a guidance document and resources to support you with this submission, including a template practice leaflet, available on CPNI’s website HERE.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The final update of concessionary prices were granted for February 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Atenolol 50mg tablets	28	£0.86
Clonidine 25microgram tablets	112	£9.67
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets	28	£18.24
Dipyridamole 100mg tablets	84	£22.22
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£4.17
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£5.01
Loratadine 5mg/5ml oral solution	100	£5.64
Losartan 12.5mg tablets	28	£7.07
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£35.95
Mometasone 0.1% cream	30	£3.97
Morphine sulfate 10mg/5ml oral solution	300	£5.09
Rivastigmine 1.5mg capsules	28	£3.50
Tolterodine 2mg tablets	56	£3.08
Valsartan 160mg capsules	28	£7.74

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

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.
  • Medicines Defect Information – Naprosyn 250mg and 500mg tablets 23 February 2022
  • Abbott recalls two infant formula powders (Update) 23 February 2022
  • Abbott recalls two infant formula powders because of the possible presence of Salmonella 22 February 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Levomepromazine 25mg/1ml solution for injection 23 February 2022
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

• Third Concessionary Prices – February 2022 24 February 2022
• Living Well Pharmacies – Invite To Be Involved In Launching: Know, Check, Ask 24 February 2022
• Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply During A Pandemic Service 23 February 2022
• Reminder Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework 23 February 2022
• Pharmacy Collect (LFT Distribution) Update 23 February 2022
• Reminder – Pharmacy First Service For Winter Conditions 22 February 2022
• Reminder Community Pharmacy ECHO Session Pharmacy First EHC 21 February 2022

HSCB ALERTS 

• COVID-19-CPVS Update Letter 24 February 2022
• Private Prescriptions for Controlled Drugs – Online Prescribing Platforms and Proforma 23 February 2022
• Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply During A Pandemic Service Newsletter and Collection Form 23 February 2022
• Learning Matters Newsletter – 19th Edition 22 February 2022

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

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The third update of concessionary prices were granted for February 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Aqueous cream	100	£0.75
Calcium and Ergocalciferol tablets	28	£35.00
Losartan 100mg / Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg tablets	28	£13.99
Methocarbamol 750mg tablets	100	£14.00
Mometasone 0.1% cream	100	£10.33
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	30	£3.37
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	100	£8.87
Pioglitazone 45mg tablets	28	£2.68
Pravastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.38
Sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules	56	£3.80
Solifenacin 5mg tablets	30	£1.70
Timolol 0.5% eye drops	5	3.14

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