This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.
Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via the 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
Ask Your Pharmacist Week is taking place from Monday 30 October to Monday 6 November.

This year’s theme is “Meet your local pharmacy team” and the National Pharmacy Association annual campaign is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the extensive skill set of the entire pharmacy team and some of the services available.

During this campaign we would like to raise the profile of community pharmacy across multiple media platforms to:

  • Demonstrate the value of the whole community pharmacy by looking at the role of the different team members.  This could include the pharmacist, dispensary assistant, over the counter staff and delivery driver.
  • Communicate some of the ‘unseen contributions’ the community pharmacy network makes by highlighting the everyday health interventions carried out by community pharmacy teams.
  • These interventions could range from treating patients with anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrest, first aid to general sign posting.
  • Other opportunities include team members who have received long service awards or a case study from a patient who would like to share their own or a family member’s positive patient experience.

If you or a member of the team would like to get involved in the campaign, please get in touch with Jude Austin on judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk for more information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

As part of the CPNI Public Affairs strategy, we continue to engage with local political representatives to provide updates on the community pharmacy landscape and to reinforce the need for urgent prioritisation and investment in the network.

This engagement includes meeting MLAs alongside contractors in their local community pharmacies, briefing the All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy and most recently we met with the leaders of the local political groups and their senior members at Stormont.

Political Party Briefing – Monday 18th of September

Despite the absence of the Assembly, this engagement is important as it means that when the Assembly is restored the politicians will be strong advocates of community pharmacy, helping to ensure that the network, with investment, plays a central transformative role within the health service. During all these discussions we provide a summary of the challenges impacting the profession across Northern Ireland, whilst also reinforcing the value and contribution of community pharmacy, and highlighting the opportunities that exist to develop services which benefit patients and the health service.

If you would like to get involved in CPNI’s political engagement, please contact Jude Austin at judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk for more information.

Kind regards,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
PHA have shared the Needle Exchange Training Calendar for 2023-24.  Please enrol with Extern using the booking form if you would like to avail of this.

Please share with relevant members of your pharmacy team.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for September 2023:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets168£23.67
Aciclovir 800mg tablets35£3.81
Amiloride 5mg tablets28£14.24
Amisulpride 100mg tablets60£18.11
Amisulpride 200mg tablets60£32.15
Atorvastatin 10mg tablets28£1.39
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets28£1.95
Atorvastatin 40mg tablets28£2.25
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel30£11.95
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel60£22.21
Betahistine 16mg tablets84£8.85
Betahistine 8mg tablets84£4.09
Betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream30£2.28
Bicalutamide 150mg tablets28£3.63
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops3£3.97
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets60£4.59
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops5£9.20
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml eye drops5£4.99
Bumetanide 1mg tablets28£2.80
Buprenorphine 8mg sublingual tablets sugar free7£4.21
Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution300£7.49
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets28£1.30
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment4£4.99
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets28£7.25
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension70£4.10
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets14£3.25
Clotrimazole 1% cream20£1.94
Clotrimazole 1% cream50£3.99
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries1£9.45
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets21£4.50
Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg tablets100£6.62
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules100£3.96
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£8.25
Docusate 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free300£17.77
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free60£19.56
Doxycycline 100mg capsules8£0.90
Enalapril 2.5mg tablets28£8.48
Eplerenone 25mg tablets28£11.15
Eplerenone 50mg tablets28£5.89
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets28£2.50
Flecainide 100mg tablets60£3.47
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sugar free100£3.62
Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules10£9.93
Hydrocortisone 1% cream15£1.98
Hydrocortisone 1% cream30£3.45
Hydroxychloroquine 200mg tablets60£3.45
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£11.49
Ivabradine 2.5mg tablets56£44.19
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£2.15
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets56£1.94
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops2.5£1.88
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free300£10.36
Lofepramine 70mg tablets56£14.50
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets25£9.42
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets30£3.08
Metoprolol 50mg tablets28£2.25
Mometasone 0.1% cream30£4.14
Mometasone 0.1% ointment30£4.20
Montelukast 10mg tablets28£1.44
Moxonidine 200microgram tablets28£5.29
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets50£7.15
Orlistat 120mg capsules84£24.19
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£9.60
Pantoprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets28£3.85
Perindopril erbumine 4mg tablets30£1.50
Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets30£1.87
Pizotifen 1.5mg tablets28£1.81
Pramipexole 180microgram tablets30£9.00
Pregabalin 225mg capsules56£2.57
Pregabalin 300mg capsules56£3.12
Pregabalin 75mg capsules56£2.10
Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets50£8.09
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets28£1.96
Quetiapine 25mg tablets60£1.48
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets28£8.45
Risperidone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free100£3.13
Risperidone 500microgram tablets20£3.19
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets12£6.15
Rosuvastatin 10mg tablets28£1.15
Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets28£3.74
Rosuvastatin 5mg tablets28£1.00
Sodium chloride 0.9% nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules20£9.50
Spironolactone 100mg tablets28£4.56
Spironolactone 25mg tablets28£1.84
Spironolactone 50mg tablets28£3.98
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment60£39.41
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment30£21.78
Tamsulosin 400microgram modified-release capsules30£1.44
Terbinafine 1% cream15£3.07
Terbinafine 1% cream30£6.15
Warfarin 5mg tablets28£1.34
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free6£20.69
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets6£16.50
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets12£33.00
Zopiclone 3.75mg tablets28£1.78
Zopiclone 7.5mg tablets28£1.53

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 new Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

You will be aware that the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland has launched two consultations relating to Knowledge of English (one relating to the regulations and one to the associated guidance).

https://www.psni.org.uk/publications/consultations/

CPNI will be submitting a response to these consultations and any comments should be forwarded to Ennis or myself by 29 September 2023.  Alternatively, contractors can respond directly using the link above.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs