This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Pharmacy Research Focus Groups

CPNI has been contacted by the Pharmacy Professionals Incubator, a three-year project supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.  The project team are currently examining ways to increase the levels of research conducted by and within the pharmacy profession.  Part of this work will involve focus groups with pharmacists and technicians from each sector.  Community pharmacists and community pharmacy technicians are invited to join the focus group on Tuesday 24 September 7pm-8.30pm.  Participants will receive a £50 voucher for their time.  Further information, including the link to register an interest in participation is included in the flyer.

Pharmacy Incident Reporting Form

This is a reminder to contractors and their teams that incidents that occur in the pharmacy should be reported to the Department of Health using the following form.  Whilst the form references details of robberies and attempted robbery, the form can be used to highlight any adverse incident that has occurred in the pharmacy.

The completed form can be submitted electronically to mrg.survey@health-ni.gov.uk.

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 second update of concessionary prices were granted today for August 2024:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Amantadine 100mg capsules56£21.49
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel30£12.16
Brimonidine 0.2% eye drops5£3.48
Cabergoline 500microgram tablets8£18.66
Carbimazole 5mg tablets100£1.82
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£2.85
Clotrimazole 1% cream50£3.50
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£4.08
Co-codamol 15mg/500mg tablets100£3.40
Codeine 30mg tablets28£1.31
Codeine 30mg tablets100£4.67
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops5£7.09
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules28£7.78
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant capsules28£2.32
Famotidine 20mg tablets28£17.34
Famotidine 40mg tablets28£28.41
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£10.45
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£3.84
Metformin 500mg modified-release tablets56£4.00
Naproxen 250mg gastro-resistant tablets56£2.69
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets56£7.51
Olanzapine 15mg tablets28£3.70
Orlistat 120mg capsules84£24.75
Pregabalin 200mg capsules84£4.30
Pregabalin 25mg capsules56£1.48
Pregabalin 300mg capsules56£3.27
Pregabalin 50mg capsules84£14.40
Pregabalin 75mg capsules56£1.75
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets112£103.99
Quetiapine 300mg tablets60£16.50
Sertraline 100mg tablets28£1.50
Sertraline 50mg tablets28£1.22
Telmisartan 80mg tablets28£17.00
Temazepam 10mg tablets28£24.69
Zonisamide 50mg capsules56£20.84

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 Colleague
SPPG issued correspondence dated 21st August 2024 in relation to the Pharmacy First Service for Uncomplicated UTIs in women aged 16-64 years.

SUMMARY

The SPPG letter states:

  • Recurrent funding has been secured for the Pharmacy First UTI Service to allow continued provision via community pharmacy.
  • 458 community pharmacies are contracted to provide the service, and 106 of these pharmacies have yet to submit any consultations.
  • Resources to support service delivery are available on the BSO website and can be accessed here.
  • Patient feedback in relation to the Pharmacy First UTI Service has been very positive, and SPPG are asking contractors to continue to encourage patients to complete a survey using the following link or via the QR code detailed in the letter.
  • NIECR access is a key component of service delivery, and recent correspondence in relation to this can be referred to here.
  • Pharmacists who are qualified prescribers can provide the service using their own HSC prescription pad. Independent prescribers are encouraged to use their qualification when appropriate to do so, and can contact Siobhan O’ Hare at SPPG for further information.

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Read and note the SPPG correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
  • Contact the relevant SPPG local office for further support if required. 

For those contracted pharmacies who require additional support to provide the Pharmacy First UTI Service, CPNI colleagues can also be contacted via email.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

CPNI representatives met with Mr. Mike Nesbitt MLA, DoH(NI) Minister of Health and officials yesterday afternoon.

At the meeting, the Minister acknowledged the contribution of community pharmacy in supporting patients and the health service and he said that community pharmacy was a key sector in the reform of health services as recommended under the Bengoa review. He also reaffirmed the budgetary pressures and shortfall facing the health service this year.

In relation to community pharmacy funding and the additional costs that are being incurred as a result of NMW/NLW etc. his lead Departmental professional lead disappointedly stated that, excluding potentially some winter pressures services funding, there would be no additional funding for Community Pharmacy in 2024/25 over and above the opening £147m funding allocation as outlined to Contractors in the SPPG letter on 25th Apr’24.

CPNI outlined that fundamental differences between NI and other parts of the UK have not been factored into the community pharmacy funding allocation and that an agreed way forward was required to enable community pharmacy to support patients and the health service in a sustainable manner.

CPNI Directors will now fully consider the matters discussed at the Ministerial meeting at the September CPNI Board meeting, with Contractors being kept fully informed on next steps going forward.

Thank-you.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
This is a reminder to those pharmacies yet to submit an evaluation survey for the Living Well campaign ‘MMR vaccination‘.

SUMMARY

  • The survey for the campaign ‘MMR vaccination‘ is open and can be accessed here.
  • The survey must be completed by 6pm on 2nd September 2024, please ensure to reach the final screen to confirm submission.

ACTION

Contractors who have yet to complete the Living Well survey for the campaign ‘MMR vaccination‘ are asked to do so using the following link before 6pm on 2nd September 2024.

For any further information please contact CPNI offices.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
SPPG issued correspondence dated 19 August 2024 in relation to the Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) visits.

SUMMARY

The SPPG letter states:

  • The CPAF visit is a key element of the assurance process.
  • Pharmacies that are selected for a visit are contacted by SPPG staff to arrange a suitable date and time.
  • Appropriate notice of the visit is given and SPPG staff are flexible when agreeing a time that suits best.
  • In some cases SPPG staff have not yet been able to make the necessary pharmacy visit arrangements.
  • In these cases, SPPG staff will contact these pharmacies again to request cooperation in ensuring that visits are undertaken before the 30th September 2024.
  • Where the visit has not been completed by this date, SPPG will consider next steps to recover funding.
  • There is a £1200 payment associated with the CPAF process, which includes facilitation of the visit and completion of the annual declaration.
  • An additional fee of £230 is also made available for locum costs to facilitate visits where applicable.

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Read and note the SPPG correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
  • Contact the relevant SPPG local office for further support if required.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact a member of the CPNI team.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive