Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • The transfer of the responsibility for the strategic operational planning and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme from DoH to the Public Health Agency took effect from the 1 April 2022 as outlined HERE.
  • Vaccination of the residents of Care Homes in Northern Ireland is underway. Community Pharmacies operating the CPVS service may provide vaccination to residents of Nursing homes and Residential homes (18 years and over).
  • An electronic form was developed to collate data on CPVS clinics that are planned to take place in Care Homes and can be found HERE.
  • Please refer to Update G13 which addresses some practical considerations when planning to vaccinate Care Home residents with the spring booster.
  • Further information on consent and best interests decisions detailing responsibilities was issued HERE.
  • Contractors are reminded that the interactive maps are available online should they receive enquiries about a vaccine service they are unable to provide.
  • Where a pharmacist considers they need to supplement their vaccination workforce, they can make a request for access to PHA vaccinators HERE.
  • Waste reports and DNA figures must be completed using the online form, even if it is a nil report. The report can be
    accessed HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are reminded if they have any queries relating to the CPVS service requiring input from a Pharmacy Adviser, they should contact their local office/adviser.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • A response via e-form, see HERE, from community pharmacies is vital to assure program leads that appropriate plans are in place to fully achieve the delivery of the Spring booster programme in care homes with their vulnerable cohort of patients.
  • Small numbers of residents who have missed clinics will be followed up by Trust vaccination colleagues. When arranging clinic dates and gathering information on the number of residents to be vaccinated, please note the number who DO NOT wish to be vaccinated.
  • If supplementing your vaccinator workforce is considered to be necessary please note that access to PHA vaccinators will be subject to local availability. The process to be followed is detailed in Update G10.
  • Please select “Care Home Resident” as per screenshot below. When recording patient vaccination on VMS. The RQIA number for Care homes can be located by accessing information HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are asked to ensure that clinics have been arranged by 22 May 2022.
  • Please note the number of residents in a care home who do not wish to be vaccinated HERE.
  • Submit requests to the PHA for vaccinator support via email communitypharmacyvaccinatorsitrep@hscni.net.
  • If you have any queries in relation to this update, please contact Deirdre McAree at Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted for April 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Aqueous cream100£0.74
Atenolol 50mg tablets28£0.82
Celecoxib 200mg capsules30£7.21
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets14£1.78
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets28£19.80
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£6.45
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops5£1.99
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets28£5.25
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets28£5.50
Famotidine 20mg tablets28£17.95
Famotidine 40mg tablets28£25.54
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£5.75
Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£3.75
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets28£2.99
Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets28£4.97
Loratadine 5mg/5ml oral solution100£5.39
Losartan 100mg tablets28£3.00
Losartan 12.5mg tablets28£7.19
Losartan 25mg tablets28£1.54
Losartan 50mg tablets28£2.06
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£32.17
Methocarbamol 750mg tablets100£12.68
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules10£6.22
Mometasone 0.1% ointment100£9.92
Mometasone 0.1% ointment30£4.60
Montelukast 4mg granules sachets sugar free28£6.04
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules84£7.99
Nizatidine 150mg capsules30£23.95
Nortriptyline 10mg tablets100£1.97
Nortriptyline 25mg tablets100£1.99
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets12£3.73
Ropinirole 2mg tablets28£17.70
Ropinirole 500microgram tablets28£6.00
Sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules56£3.99
Tolterodine 2mg tablets56£2.92
Topiramate 100mg tablets60£2.89
Topiramate 25mg tablets60£1.89
Topiramate 50mg tablets60£1.95
Valsartan 80mg capsules28£3.95

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

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • From the 23 April 2022 the service specification and eligibility for this service are changing.
  • To view the updated specification for this service, please see HERE.
  • The purpose of the updated Pharmacy Collect NI service is to provide access to LFD test kits at community pharmacies for specified groups as directed by the Department of Health NI available at HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are asked to update relevant SOPs in light of these changes and make staff aware.
  • If you have any queries in relation to the changes please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead HSCB.

SUMMARY

  • It is recommended that the Spring Booster in all Care Homes in Northern Ireland, should be completed no later than the end of May 2022 to avoid having a knock on impact on the timing of a possible autumn vaccination programme.
  • To provide a dashboard to review the weekly vaccination activity and to monitor that all care homes are paired with a community pharmacy to offer vaccinations to their residents, an electronic form has been developed to collate data on CPVS clinics that are planned to take place in Care Homes and can be found at HERE.
  • The SSPG pharmacy team will also be reviewing separate data from RQIA to capture vaccinations figures from care homes on a weekly basis.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are asked to complete the submission form each Wednesday.
    • All care home vaccinations must be recorded on VMS in the usual manner.
    • Payment for the vaccination service continues to be based on the VMS data entries
  • If you have any queries please contact Deirdre McAree at deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Margaret O’Brien, AD and Head of General Medical Services, Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group and Rodney Morton, Director Nursing and AHP, Public Health Agency.

SUMMARY

  • Care homes residents are vulnerable to COVID-19. For the COVID-19 Spring booster, participating community pharmacies will offer COVID-19 booster vaccination to care home residents during April and May 2022.
  • The attached correspondence gives guidance to community pharmacy teams, GPs and Care Home Managers on a range of issues including:
    • Best interest decisions
    • Existing information to help a community pharmacist to make a best interest decision in a care home environment
    • Information from GPs for new residents or other situations
    • Role of the Care Home Managers for the Spring Booster Programme

ACTION

  • Contractors and community pharmacists providing this service to care homes are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Community pharmacists will forward a Pharmacy Proforma to care home managers in advance of the planned vaccination date. This must be completed by the care home and returned to Community Pharmacists prior to the date of clinics
  • If contractors or community pharmacists have any queries about this service, please contact your local SPPG Integrated Care Office.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive