Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
Please find correspondence HERE for the attention of all Community Pharmacies Contractors from Joe Brogan, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management, Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

  • HSCB is making available funding of up to £2,000 per community pharmacy for community pharmacies to claim to help with additional pharmacy staff costs incurred in the period July 2021 to September 2021 inclusive.
  • This Grant Funding is being made available by HSCB in recognition of the significant work force pressures and resultant increased staff costs that have been experienced in the sector during this period. 

ACTION

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague
The following concessionary prices have been granted for September 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Baclofen 10mg tablets84£2.34
Olmesartan medoxomil 40mg tablets28£9.45
Orlistat 120mg capsules84£21.45
Pregabalin 50mg capsules84£4.05
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets112£17.15
Trazodone 50mg capsules84£3.59
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£11.15

This is the first update of concessionary prices for September 2021.

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 correspondence HERE for the attention of all Community Pharmacies offering Living Well service, from HSCB Pharmacy & Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • The first campaign of 2021/2022, Know Your Units, finished on 31 July 2021.
  • Pharmacies offering Living Well are required to complete an online evaluation survey for this campaign.
  • It is vital that all pharmacies contracted to provide “Living Well” submit their evaluation survey as it allows HSCB to collate data to demonstrate the value and impact of the service to other sectors. Additionally, it supports future commissioning and service development. 
  • The HSCB monitors compliance with the service requirements, in particular evaluation submission. Should your pharmacy fail to submit an evaluation survey response, the HSCB reserves the right to recover all, or part of, this funding via an adjustment to the pharmacy’s BSO payment account.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Pharmacies offering Living Well service are required to complete an evaluation survey, for the ‘Know Your Units‘ campaign available HERE by 20 September 2021.
  • If you have already completed this, you do not need to do anything further. 

Kind regards

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

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE for the attention of all Community Pharmacies offering Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme, from Prof Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, Prof Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer and Mrs Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • Community pharmacy service providers should proactively offer influenza vaccination to any patient they identify as being eligible to receive it on the basis of age i.e. those aged 50 years and over, should they present in the pharmacy for any reason. 
  • Community pharmacy service providers should offer the vaccine to eligible health and social care workers.
  • Community pharmacy service providers should also encourage uptake by at risk groups by signposting to patients’ GPs. 
  • Please note the recommended vaccines relating to the community pharmacy programme are:
    • for those aged 65 years and over an adjuvanted Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (aQIV) as the aQIV is more effective and cost-effective in the elderly than non-adjuvanted vaccines and reflects current JCVI advice and Green Book guidance. 
    • For under-65s a Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (cell-based) (QIVc). 
  • Further guidance on the roll-out of the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme in Northern Ireland, which may encourage co-administration with flu vaccination, where possible, will be provided by the Department in due course.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are advised to use the social media cards for Health and Social Care Workers and over 50s to help promote the service online.
  • CPNI colleagues will continue to keep you updated on these matters.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

14 September 2021

Dear Colleague

As you may be aware, Northern Ireland’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer recently issued correspondence to Pharmacy Students asking them to consider using any spare capacity they may have, after their academic commitments, to work in our hospital or community pharmacy services.   

Students who have capacity and an interest in providing support to the community pharmacy network have been asked to contact CPNI.  

ACTION:
In order to match any Students who come forward to suitable pharmacies, we would ask that you register your pharmacy’s interest in being connected by completing this short form.

Kind regards

Ennis Shields

Ennis Shields
Governance & Support Pharmacist