Archives: Contractor Email

FAO of Community Pharmacy teams providing the COVID-19 Vaccination Service. Cohort Update – Suspension of Service Provision of AZ vaccine to under 40s

• As notified in the HSCB COVID – CPVS Weekly Reminders and Round-Up issued today, 18 June 2021, I would like to draw your attention to the first section in that Update entitled “Cohort Update – Suspension of Service Provision of AZ vaccine to under 40s“. The section contains important information as follows: 
• We draw your attention to the first section entitled “Cohort Update – Suspension of Service Provision of AZ vaccine to under 40s“. This section contains important information as follows: 
• Due to a number of reasons including the recently improved availability of alternative non-AZ vaccines through the Trust regional vaccination centres, and potentially community pharmacies, the Department of Health has reviewed the current COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan and has temporarily paused the ‘informed consent’ option of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine to all under 40s in all vaccination settings, including community pharmacy. 
• This decision is in line with the current JCVI advice on the use of the AZ vaccine in the UK and will be kept under review should there be further changes in the spread of the disease, including new variants.
• The Department is working with HSCB and CPNI to develop alternatives to the AZ vaccine that can be deployed in community pharmacy in the under 40 age cohort, including the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and we will provide further detail on these arrangements as soon as possible.
• With immediate effect:
  • Pharmacies should not book any 1st dose appointments for AZ vaccination for any individuals aged under 40 years of age. Individuals aged under 40 years of age requesting vaccination with AZ should be advised that a non-AZ vaccine is the preferred vaccine for their age cohort and that they should book their vaccine through the Trust vaccination centres. There is currently good availability for vaccination slots in all Trust centres.
  • Individuals aged under 40 years of age who have already had their first dose of AZ in community pharmacy should continue to be offered their 2nd dose appointment as scheduled, in line with JCVI advice.
  • Pharmacies must contact any individuals booked for a 1st dose appointment to cancel their appointment, and should advise the patient that they can reschedule their vaccination appointment by booking with one of the Trust centres at this time, by clicking HERE. Arrangements are also being made for text message notification to be issued by health service officials to any individuals booked on VMS with an appointment on or after 26 June 2021, and who have a contact telephone number recorded on VMS informing them of the need to rearrange their vaccination appointment to a Trust centre.

CPNI has raised with DoH and HSCB the additional workload implications on pharmacy teams who are required, as a result of this update, to contact individuals under 40s booked with the pharmacy for their 1st vaccination to cancel the appointment and to re-direct affected individuals to make an alternative booking to receive a different vaccine at one of the Regional vaccination centres.

I would ask that you ensure all pharmacy staff involved in the provision of the CP-CVS are informed of this HSCB Cohort Update.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

The following concessionary prices have been granted for June 2021:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Baclofen 10mg tablets	84	£3.17
Chlorpromazine 50mg tablets	28	£14.55
Eplerenone 25mg tablets	28	£14.00
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£4.75
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets	28	£8.50
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets	28	£10.96
Methadone 5mg tablets	50	£5.50
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules	84	£8.10
Olmesartan medoxomil 10mg tablets	28	£6.97
Olmesartan medoxomil 20mg tablets	28	£7.95
Olmesartan medoxomil 40mg tablets	28	£12.30
Pregabalin 150mg capsules	56	£4.73
Pregabalin 200mg capsules	84	£6.95
Pregabalin 25mg capsules	56	£3.99

Pregabalin 300mg capsules	56	£6.63
Pregabalin 50mg capsules	84	£6.30
Pregabalin 75mg capsules	56	£5.53
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets	28	£1.79
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets	112	£18.19
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets	112	£17.45
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100ml	£10.77
Zonisamide 100mg capsules	56	£42.00

This is the first update of concessionary prices for June 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.

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague

As you will be aware, New Models of Prescribing (NMOP) aims to enable medical and non-medical prescribing at interfaces between primary and secondary care. This work will facilitate direct prescribing to appropriate patients at the interface via an HS21 prescription form. A number of small pilot projects were initiated to test the prescription process and governance frameworks required for successful roll-out of NMOP. Task and finish groups were established to oversee each of the following pilot projects:

• Physiotherapist prescribing
• Heart Failure Nurse Specialist (HFNS) prescribing
• Mental Health Home Treatment Teams medical and non-medical prescribing
• Dietitian-led ordering and supply of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for care home patients

The purpose of this survey is to hear your views and experiences of the NMOP pilot projects. A link to Online Stakeholder Feedback can be found HERE.

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague

As per CU210611A on Friday 11 June 2021 which gave Advance Notice for the CPNI Contractor Meeting to be held at 8pm Wednesday 23 June 2021, this email provides further information. 

I write to you to ask that you register your interest with your intention to attend no later than 5pm, Monday 22 June 2021 via email to ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. The Zoom link will subsequently be provided in advance of the Zoom Contractor meeting to the email address you provide.

I also write to advise that following security concerns raised by several contractors at a previous Zoom meeting all contractors will be asked to switch-on their camera at the beginning of the contractor meeting and to input their name in the chat-room facility.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) recently engaged the services of consultancy firm KPMG to provide commentary and views on a series of matters and associated challenges to community pharmacy in Northern Ireland, including its response to COVID-19 and to assess the cost of community pharmacy services in Northern Ireland.

This has been compiled into a report: Community Pharmacy Services in Northern Ireland 2020 and Beyond: Strengths and Pressures.

CPNI will be releasing this report today (Thursday 17 June 2021) and in conjunction with public affairs agency, Brown O’Connor we will be actioning a communications strategy to accompany the rolling out of the publication. Please find attached a press release and copy of the report.

The timing of the report is significant as it can play a supportive role in assisting Robin Swann in his role as Health Minister. On BBC Good Morning Ulster yesterday he talked about the need for a whole systems approach working with community pharmacy and the entire system to do things differently in the different settings. With correct and sustained investment, community pharmacy can offer many solutions to contribute significantly to the transformation in the delivery of health and social care. 

The communications activity will run over several weeks and will comprise of political representatives’ briefings including the Health Committee All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy members, press and social media activity.

We will be sharing several social media cards and video clips which we would invite you to also share on your social media channels, tagging in local MLAs.

I will be in touch soon with further information and details of the upcoming Contractor meeting scheduled for Wednesday 23 June 2021.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

You will have been contacted by NICPLD in respect of Educational Supervisor Accreditation Training for the Foundation Training Year 2021/2022. Full details can be accessed HERE.

To apply to undertake the ES accreditation programme, pharmacists must complete the application form and submit this by 12 noon on Monday 21 June 2021. The application form can be accessed HERE.

NICPLD has also sent a further email in response to contractor queries in respect of the standing of current accreditation as a Pre-registration Tutor. This can be accessed HERE:

ACTION

Contractors are advised to note:

1. Both emails from NICPLD in respect of Educational Supervisor Accreditation Training; and
2. The closing date for applications of 12 noon on Monday 21 June 2021.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs