Dear Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for December 2024:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Ascorbic acid 200mg tablets28£56.45
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% gel60£27.96
Chloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops10£4.99
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment4£3.85
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension70£8.47
Domperidone 10mg tablets100£2.63
Domperidone 10mg tablets30£0.79
Fenofibrate micronised 200mg capsules28£3.61
Isosorbide mononitrate 20mg tablets56£4.00
Isosorbide mononitrate 40mg tablets56£2.44
Lactulose 3.1-3.7g/5ml oral solution500£4.63
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops2.5£4.27
Metformin 500mg modified-release tablets56£2.50
Morphine sulfate 10mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules10£5.97
Nortriptyline 10mg tablets100£3.90
Olanzapine 20mg tablets28£3.25
Ondansetron 8mg tablets10£4.78
Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets30£2.19
Quetiapine 100mg tablets60£10.17
Quetiapine 150mg tablets60£9.54
Quetiapine 200mg tablets60£13.45
Quetiapine 25mg tablets60£2.85
Telmisartan 20mg tablets28£2.24
Venlafaxine 225mg modified-release capsules28£20.71

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Background

The Department of Health’s Controlled Drug Accountable Officer (CDAO) has issued correspondence dated 16 December 2024 in respect of a planned change to the process for notifying the CDAO of controlled drugs concerns and incidents.  The documents can be accessed here and here.

On 6 January 2025, it is planned that the CDAO notification process will move to an online reporting mechanism specifically for Northern Ireland which is available at www.cdreporting.co.uk.

Action

Contractors are asked to:

  • Note the recent correspondence detailing the new online reporting system;
  • Note that the new reporting system was covered in an ECHO session on the 19 November 2024 and is available to watch again at Dashboard | Project ECHO, and that a guide is also appended to the CDAO letter; and
  • Ensure that all relevant dispensary staff are made aware of the new system.

If you have any queries, please direct them in the first instance to SPPGCDOccurrence@hscni.net.  CPNI colleagues are also here to help you.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing the Autumn 2024 COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service
Dear Colleague
SPPG have issued correspondence providing an update in relation to the Autumn 2024 COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza vaccination programme.

SUMMARY

  • The target date of 6 December 2024 for completion of care home vaccinations has now passed. Any outstanding vaccination records should be added to VMS as soon as possible to ensure clinical governance and to provide assurance to the PHA and DoH that residents are vaccinated.
  • The CPVS service specification states: ‘A vaccination record should be made on VMS on the same date as the vaccination’. Payment is based on the record being added to the system.
  • High-risk poultry and avian animal health workers are eligible for the flu vaccination this Autumn 2024 and have been added to the list of eligible cohorts. Further information can be found in the CMO letter here.
  • VMS has been updated to include the option of ‘bird culler’ when selecting patient risk category.
  • The vaccination download report on VMS has been updated to only include records from the past 18 months. All patient records and vaccination history will still be visible on VMS and will not be affected by this change.
  • The correspondence includes the schedule for Movianto over the Christmas holidays. The last delivery dates before Christmas and New Year will be 24th December 2024 and 31st December 2024. Orders should be placed in a timely manner.
  • Due to annual stock taking at Movianto, orders for Flu vaccines only, that are needed for 31st December 2024 will need to be placed by 10am on Monday 30th December 2024. NB: Any orders that include Covid vaccines will need to be placed on Tuesday 24th December to be delivered by 31st December 2024.

ACTION

Contractors providing the service should:

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
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Chronic Underfunding in the Northern Ireland Community Pharmacy Sector Raised Directly with UK Government

A delegation has travelled to London to seek UK Government NIO Minister Fleur Anderson MP’s support for vital community pharmacy services that are in financial crisis and at risk of collapse in Northern Ireland.

Representatives from Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), including local pharmacy owners were led by Ulster Unionist peer Lord Rogan as they met the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to seek stabilisation of the community pharmacy network. Further information is available at the link below:

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter and Situation Reporter.

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

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for December 2024:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Apixaban 2.5mg tablets60£3.02
Apixaban 5mg tablets56£2.90
Carbimazole 20mg tablets100£4.10
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension70£4.72
Co-tenidone 50mg/12.5mg tablets28£5.40
Escitalopram 10mg tablets28£1.65
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sugar free100£5.63
Glimepiride 4mg tablets30£1.19
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£12.65
Irbesartan 300mg tablets28£1.99
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£12.49
Ketoconazole 2% shampoo120£22.40
Levetiracetam 500mg tablets60£4.95
Nefopam 30mg tablets90£3.86
Nicorandil 20mg tablets60£12.05
Olanzapine 10mg tablets28£3.06
Olanzapine 2.5mg tablets28£1.35
Olanzapine 5mg tablets28£1.93
Olanzapine 7.5mg tablets28£1.43
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£8.66
Perindopril erbumine 2mg tablets30£1.25
Perindopril erbumine 4mg tablets30£1.49
Pregabalin 200mg capsules84£4.25
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment30£25.92
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment60£47.28

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
ReminderAny contractor who has yet to submit the MS forms relating to the refresh of handheld scanners to SPPG, still have an opportunity to do so. If a pharmacy or Head Office has not received SPPG correspondence to their secure email address regarding this, please contact local integrated care offices.
Dear Contractor

SUMMARY

SPPG have issued correspondence regarding the refresh of handheld barcode scanners within community pharmacy. Each Head Office/pharmacy should now have received an email from SPPG which includes a Microsoft Forms link to complete. This should be submitted by Friday 6th December 2024.

ACTION

Please check that you have received this correspondence from SPPG and that you submit the information requested in the MS forms link by the deadline stated.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI if you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive