The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has re-determined the February 2024 concessionary prices for the following medicines
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Baclofen 10mg tablets
84
£4.33 (previously £2.78)
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets
28
£18.17 (previously £12.52)
Mometasone 50mcg/dose nasal spray
140
£9.47 (previously £4.60)
The improved prices will apply to prescriptions submitted for payment for the dispensing month of February 2024. Please note that these revised prices do not apply to March 2024 prescriptions. The first concessionary prices for March 2024 will be published soon.
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.
Please see attached correspondence from the Public Health Agency providing information for pharmacies wishing to sign up to the Breastfeeding Welcome here campaign.
Recognition of Excellence Awards 2024
There is one month left until entries close for the Recognition of Excellence Awards 2024, categories include the Pharmacy Team of the Year Award. More information is available here.
Your Diabetes UK Update
Diabetes UK NI have asked if we could share the latest edition of their newsletter – available here.
Collaborative Forum for Community Pharmacy ECHO Network
The Following ECHO sessions are available to community pharmacists:
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Contractor,
CPNI representatives attended yesterday’s meeting of the NI Assembly Health Committee to brief MLA’s on the current funding crisis in Community Pharmacy and to seek the Committee’s support for the provision of further stabilisation funding, in the short-term, and the re-setting of Community Pharmacy’s funding going forward.
CPNI’s attendance at the Health Committee meeting was covered on yesterday’s news on BBC Radio Ulster and the UTV News, with the Healthcare Distributors Association, the representative body for UK Medicines Wholesalers, also releasing a statement.
Contractor representations, whether through letters or meetings with MLA’s have been vital in obtaining MLA support for our sector at this important time. I would encourage those contractors who have not had the opportunity to make representations to the Health Minister and MLA’s to still do so, using the briefing information in CU#240207A.
Further collective work is required as we continue to seek a resolution to our long-standing community pharmacy funding difficulties.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI office, or your local CPNI Director representative if you require any additional information.
Yours sincerely,
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The DoH have issued correspondence 8th March 2024 regarding the Spring 2024 COVID-19 booster campaign.
SUMMARY
The COVID-19 Autumn 2023/24 booster programme officially ends on the 31 March 2024.
The PHA are working with providers to finalise the Spring 2024 booster campaign and aims to start mid-April 2024 until 30th June 2024.
Care Homes will be paired with a community pharmacy who will attend and offer the vaccine to all residents. Community pharmacies should prioritise care home residents from the beginning of the Spring booster programme.
Those aged 75 years or older or immunosuppressed individuals aged 18 years or older, also have the option to receive their vaccination via a participating community pharmacy.
The vaccination programme is operating under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) which will be issued by PHA/SPPG. Spring boosters may only commence when the PGD is in place and providers will be notified by the relevant bodies.
ACTION
Contractors should review the correspondence issued and share this information with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI for any further information.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Correspondence has been issued by SPPG 6th March 2024 regarding LFD distribution.
SUMMARY
The PHA have updated the COVID testing policy on the 29th February 2024 resulting in a reduction in the cohort of individuals who need to continue to test.
In response to this update SPPG are now pausing the ordering of LFDs through Pharmacy Collect NI until 18th March 2024.
It is anticipated that ordering will reduce and therefore BSO will limit ordering to one carton (30 boxes of 7) per week.
ACTION
Contractors should read and review the correspondence received from SPPG regarding the LFD Distribution Service.
Note that ordering of LFDs has been paused by SPPG, and will reopen on 18th March 2024.
Please share this information with all relevant team members.
If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this email please contact your local Primary Care Office.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Communicationwas issued 16th February 2024 by SPPG to those pharmacies involved in the Community Pharmacy Care Home Support Service (CPCHSS).
SUMMARY
A requirement for the Community Care Home Support Service is to complete two care home visits each financial year.
The second care home visit is due to be completed by the end of March 2024.
SPPG have recently introduced a process for partial recuperation of payments made to community pharmacists who are contracted to provide the service but have not completed the required visits in line with service specification.
SPPG will be in contact in early April to seek confirmation and dates of the visits completed for 23/24.
ACTION
Contractors should review the correspondence issued by SPPG 16th February 2024.
Any pharmacy yet to complete the second required care home visit should organise a date before the end of March 2024.
Please share this information with all relevant members of the team.
If you have any queries in relation to this service please contact Breege Brogan Breege.Brogan@hscni.net or Gillian Plant Gillian.Plant@hscni.net
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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