Contractor Email Archive - Page 91 of 347

Dear Colleague

The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for August 2024:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Amantadine 100mg capsules	56	£21.49
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel	30	£12.16
Brimonidine 0.2% eye drops	5	£3.48
Cabergoline 500microgram tablets	8	£18.66
Carbimazole 5mg tablets	100	£1.82
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£2.85
Clotrimazole 1% cream	50	£3.50
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100	£4.08
Co-codamol 15mg/500mg tablets	100	£3.40
Codeine 30mg tablets	28	£1.31
Codeine 30mg tablets	100	£4.67
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops	5	£7.09
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£7.78
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£2.32
Famotidine 20mg tablets	28	£17.34
Famotidine 40mg tablets	28	£28.41
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules	30	£10.45
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets	56	£3.84
Metformin 500mg modified-release tablets	56	£4.00
Naproxen 250mg gastro-resistant tablets	56	£2.69
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets	56	£7.51
Olanzapine 15mg tablets	28	£3.70
Orlistat 120mg capsules	84	£24.75
Pregabalin 200mg capsules	84	£4.30
Pregabalin 25mg capsules	56	£1.48
Pregabalin 300mg capsules	56	£3.27
Pregabalin 50mg capsules	84	£14.40
Pregabalin 75mg capsules	56	£1.75
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets	112	£103.99
Quetiapine 300mg tablets	60	£16.50
Sertraline 100mg tablets	28	£1.50
Sertraline 50mg tablets	28	£1.22
Telmisartan 80mg tablets	28	£17.00
Temazepam 10mg tablets	28	£24.69
Zonisamide 50mg capsules	56	£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 l etter 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

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,

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

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

Dear Colleague

SPPG issued correspondence dated 19 August 2024 in relation to the rollout of NIECR access for community pharmacies.

SUMMARY

The SPPG letter details:

The majority of pharmacies in Northern Ireland now have at least one pharmacist registered to access NIECR.
The invitation to register for NIECR access remains open to those pharmacies who have not yet registered.
Further information on NIECR access is available on the BSO website, including a community pharmacy user guide and frequently asked questions.
Training on NIECR is available on the NICPLD website (under the pharmacy practice menu).

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.
Refer to the BSO website and NICPLD for further resources and training supports.

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

Kind regards