Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
DHNI has issued a letter (dated 17 July 2024) relating to the supply of medicines to paramedics.

Guidance is given on a range of matters including due diligence, supplying controlled drugs, wholesale dealing, labelling, supplying whole packs, and record keeping.

The letter also includes a number of useful links.

Action

Contractors are advised to:

  • Note the content of the letter and bring the matters to the attention of their dispensary teams.

If you have any concerns in relation to the registration of a paramedic or about the items being requisitioned, please contact an inspector (mrg_inspectors@health-ni.gov.uk) before making any medicine supplies.

CPNI colleagues are also available for advice.

Regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

MHRA UPDATE

For the attention of pharmacies providing the Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service: The service specification has been updated by SPPG and can be accessed here.  Please review this update and share with all relevant team members.

REMINDER  Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF)
SPPG issued correspondence on 9th November 2023 to inform contractors that visits will be restarting as part of CPAF.  Pharmacies which have never received a visit as part of CPAF will be prioritised.  If your pharmacy is selected for a visit you will be contacted by your local office to make the necessary arrangements.  Any queries in relation to the visit process can be directed to your Pharmacy Adviser or to the CPNI team.

REMINDER  Pharmacy First Service for UTI 
Pharmacies that are contracted to provide the Pharmacy First Service for UTI are asked to encourage patients to complete the feedback survey.  A QR code is included in previous SPPG correspondence, or the patient can be directed to the MS forms using the following link.

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 Contractor,

I write to provide a brief update in relation to our on-going engagement with Department of Health officials and the new Health Minister, Mr. Mike Nesbitt MLA and to confirm that CPNI will meet Mr. Nesbitt on 21st August 2024 to discuss various community pharmacy matters and current difficulties.

CPNI also continues to engage with Department Officials in relation to opportunities for addition investment being allocated to the community pharmacy sector in 2024/25. While it appears that funding was not allocated to community pharmacy through the June Monitoring Round, CPNI has since followed up by asking that the sector be factored into any funding allocations released to Northern Ireland, and consequently health, as a result of Labour forming the new Government in Westminster after last week’s General Election.

CPNI is aware of the continuing funding, workforce and workload difficulties in the sector and we continue to input and seek resolution through a number of fora and groups to the wide range of issues faced by Contractors and their teams.

We continue to be notified by contractors that BSO prescription payments have fluctuated significantly in recent months; it is important that you notify CPNI offices if you have any concerns in relation to variations between the actual BSO payment(s) and your anticipated BSO payment(s) in any given month.

CPNI welcomes the opportunity to meet with the new Health Minister on 21st August 2024 and an update on that meeting will be provided in due course.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information at any stage.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

CPNI is aware that patients suffering or recovering from mental health crisis may reach out to their community pharmacy for trusted information and support.  The CPNI team have recently engaged with the national suicide prevention charity Papyrus, to explore the resources that pharmacy teams might use to signpost patients, and the supports available for staff wellbeing.  More information about Papyrus is available here.  Should contractors wish, they can access the Papyrus website to obtain information posters, leaflets and tools for patients, links to support Apps, and training for healthcare teams.  Paper copies of the resources can also be requested by emailing: northernireland@papyrus-uk.org.

The prescribing and use of gabapentinoids such as pregabalin has been associated with high risk of dependence and misuse. Co-prescribing with opioid medicines has been linked with respiratory failure, coma, and death. This has led to the removal of pregabalin from the NI formulary for neuropathic pain. A pregabalin de-prescribing programme is currently being undertaken in GP practices within the Northern Trust area, and community pharmacy play a vital role in supporting patients through this.

NICPLD currently have a recorded lecture on the Misuse of Gabapentinoids which is available until September 2024 which may be of use to community pharmacists in answering queries on gabapentinoid use.

The Northern Trust has also developed a pain management booklet to provide up to date resources for people living with longterm pain conditions.

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 Contractor
Two pieces of correspondence have been issued by SPPG 5th July 2024 regarding LFD distribution and can be found:
1.    LFD Orders HERE 
2.    New LFD stock HERE

SUMMARY

  • Pharmacies that have placed orders this week for LFDs will receive a quantity of 15, as opposed to the normal 30.
  • Due to the increased demand for LFDs, the PHA have ordered new stock, which is now available in NI.
  • The previous stock (Getein) contained 7 tests per one box, whilst the new stock (Hotgen) contains 1 test per sachet.
  • Hotgen tests will come in one carton containing 400 test sachets.
  • The order form and the service specification on the BSO website will be updated to reflect the stock change, and orders can be placed from Wednesday 10th July 2024.
  • When a community pharmacy places an order for Hotgen stock, they will receive one carton of 400 tests.
    • Three Hotgen sachets can be given per transaction for non-care home patients.
    • Twenty Hotgen sachets can be given per transaction for requests from care homes.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to read the following correspondence issued
    by SPPG 5th July 2024 regarding LFD Distribution.
    • 1.    LFD Orders HERE 
    • 2.    New LFD stock HERE
  • Due to increased demand for LFDs, orders placed this week for LFDs will be reduced to a quantity of 15, as opposed to the normal 30.
  • The PHA have procured new LFD stock, and there are some differences in supply that contractors should be aware of. 
    • Previous stock (Getein) contained 7 tests per box.
    • New stock (Hotgen) contains 1 test per sachet.
  • Contractors are asked to continue to use Getein tests until all stock is exhausted, and then begin to supply Hotgen tests.
    • 3 Hotgen sachets may be given per transaction for non-care home patients.
    • 20 Hotgen sachets may be given per transaction for care home requests.
  • SPPG have requested that stock is checked before ordering to avoid stockpiling.
  • Please ensure that the weekly e-claim form is returned each Monday for transactions carried out on the preceding 7 days.

If you have any queries in relation to this email, please contact your local Primary Care Office

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Important
Dear Contractor
To enable CPNI to represent the community pharmacy sector in the planning underway to introduce the regulation and registration of technicians in Northern Ireland, CPNI is asking all pharmacy contractors to complete our 2024 Community Pharmacy Technician Workforce Survey.  The closing date for the survey is Friday 26 July 2024.

To assist contractors, CPNI has developed an 18 minute recorded presentation which provides the background to technician registration, the work carried out to date, the purpose of the CPNI survey and some important points to consider when providing your responses.

SUMMARY

  • The CPNI Community Pharmacy Survey is available here.
  • The CPNI recorded presentation is available here.
  • A copy of the presentation slides is available here.
  • Background information on the pharmacy technician regulation and development project is available on the DoH website here.
  • The DoH 2020 pharmacy workforce survey report is available here.
  • The CPNI 2019 pharmacy workforce report is available here.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to:

Please note that it is important that Contractors complete this survey as the findings will be crucial for CPNI in advocating for equitable resourcing to support the technician workforce in the community sector, as required to sustain the community pharmacy workforce going forward.

Should you have any queries, please contact a member of the team or email your query to Ennis.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive