Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for November 2023:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets	168	£22.76
Aciclovir 800mg tablets	35	£3.60
Amiloride 5mg tablets	28	£16.50
Amisulpride 200mg tablets	60	£30.96
Atorvastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.17
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets	28	£1.14
Atorvastatin 40mg tablets	28	£1.75
Atorvastatin 80mg tablets	28	£4.44
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel	30	£11.95
Betahistine 16mg tablets	84	£8.84
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops	5	£10.17
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml eye drops	5	£4.60
Bumetanide 1mg tablets	28	£2.80
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% ointment	30	£9.57
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets	28	£1.24
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment	4	£4.72
Clotrimazole 1% cream	20	£1.77
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries	1	£9.59
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets	28	£10.95
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules	100	£4.40
Codeine 30mg tablets	28	£1.08
Codeine 30mg tablets	100	£3.86
Dexamfetamine 5mg tablets	28	£22.90
Docusate 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	300	£18.32
Eplerenone 50mg tablets	28	£3.94
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets	28	£2.49
Flecainide 100mg tablets	60	£3.25
Haloperidol 5mg tablets	28	£3.67
Hydrocortisone 1% cream	15	£2.55
Hydrocortisone 1% cream	30	£3.45
Hydrocortisone 1% cream	50	£2.96
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules	5	£11.96
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules	30	£11.15
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets	56	£4.48
Lamotrigine 200mg tablets	56	£6.50
Lamotrigine 25mg tablets	56	£3.26
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets	56	£4.00
Lansoprazole 30mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£1.29
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free	300	£10.36
Mebeverine 200mg modified-release capsules	60	£6.02
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets	25	£9.42
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets	30	£2.99
Mometasone 0.1% ointment	30	£3.79
Mometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray	140	£3.50
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets	50	£7.10
Pantoprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets	28	£2.51
Paracetamol 500mg effervescent tablets	100	£8.26
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets	28	£1.79
Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets	56	£17.17
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets	28	£7.92
Risperidone 500microgram tablets	20	£2.95
Rosuvastatin 10mg tablets	28	£1.17
Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets	28	£2.36
Rosuvastatin 40mg tablets	28	£1.65
Spironolactone 50mg tablets	28	£3.99
Terbinafine 1% cream	15	£2.96
Timolol 0.25% eye drops	5	£1.90
Warfarin 1mg tablets	28	£0.79
Warfarin 3mg tablets	28	£0.93
Warfarin 5mg tablets	28	£1.82
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free	6	£19.00
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	6	£16.45
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets	12	£32.90
Zopiclone 3.75mg tablets	28	£1.57
Zopiclone 7.5mg tablets	28	£1.57

Atomoxetine 10mg capsules (28) have been removed from the list of rolled over concessionary prices.  For prescriptions dispensed in November 2023, the new reimbursement price for Atomoxetine 10mg capsules (28) is now £50.11.

Products in italics in the table below received a concessionary price that rolled over from October 2023 to November 2023.

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules	28	£9.45
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets	28	£1.79
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets	28	£2.14
Itraconazole 100mg capsules	15	£9.85
Ketoconazole 2% shampoo	120	£19.40
Memantine 10mg/ml oral solution sugar free	50	£5.49
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£27.51
Morphine sulfate 10mg/5ml oral solution	300	£5.45
Quetiapine 25mg tablets	60	£1.38
Rosuvastatin 5mg tablets	28	£1.25
Timolol 0.5% eye drops	5	£2.00
Zonisamide 100mg capsules	56	£21.95

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

For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing vaccination services and/or needle exchange services

Dear Contractor

SUMMARY

• CPNI and SPPG are in the process of identifying the numbers of staff who require Hepatitis B vaccination due to participation in vaccination and/or needle exchange services.
• CPNI are pharmacy contractors to fill in the attached survey to collate the numbers of staff that require Hepatitis B vaccination.
• Multiple Pharmacy Groups may choose to complete the survey by filling in the attached Excel file and emailing the response back to contractorupdate@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.
• To avoid duplication for those pharmacists that provide services to both vaccinations and needle exchange, and who require Hepatitis B vaccination, please only submit numbers on the vaccination services question.

ACTION

• Contractors are requested to fill in the survey attached
• Multiple Pharmacy Groups may choose to fill in the attached excel file and emailing responses to: 

          contractorupdate@communitypharmacyni.co.uk

• Please can returns be submitted by Friday 17th November 2023.

        Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Kind regards

**FAO LIVING WELL PHARMACIES ONLY**

Dear Contractor

SPPG have released an important update regarding the Living Well service. 

SUMMARY

• Correspondencefrom SPPG for Living Well Pharmacies has been received 16th November 2023 and has been added to the BSO website.
• The campaign ‘keep antibiotics working’ ends 30th November and the survey will open 1st December 2023.
• A new campaign ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ is due to start 1st December 2023
• The Living Well summary report for the campaign “Home accident prevention” is now available at Campaign Summary Reports – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website (hscni.net)

ACTION

• Contractors who provide the Living Well Service should ensure that they read and review the correspondence issued 16th November 2023
• The campaign ‘keep antibiotics working’ ends 30th November and the survey will open 1st December 2023
• A new campaign ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ is due to start 1st December 2023
• If you have not received your ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ resource pack by 29th November 2023, please email reception.pha@hscni.net immediately and ensure your email subject heading is titled “LIVING WELL PHARMACY CAMPAIGN”. Failure to report by 8th December 2023 will result in no replacement resources being provided.
• Please contact CPNI for any assistance required.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

I write to advise that CPNI considers the current DoH(NI)/SPPG community pharmacy funding arrangements to be neither fair nor reasonable and that an urgent meeting has been sought with the DoH(NI) Permanent Secretary.

The Category-M Drug Tariff reductions that have been applied to the Oct’23 Northern Ireland Drug Tariff, in addition to the July’23 Category-M Drug Tariff reductions and the reduced opening funding allocation for 2023/24 (relative to 2022/23), coupled with the repayment of the Covid Advance when set against rising costs in the sector mean that the community pharmacy funding deficit in Northern Ireland has never been greater than at present.

Ahead of last Thursday’s CPNI Board meeting BSO confirmed the financial impact that the overall Category-M reductions from Oct’23 onwards would have on Northern Ireland contractors, and this precipitated an urgent meeting request being sent to the Permanent Secretary. CPNI also put forward a proposal to the Permanent Secretary that would stabilise the sector and help contractors to meet wholesaler, business and banking obligations at the end of this month and going forward.

Because of mounting concerns through-out 2023/24 CPNI had previously written to, and advised SPPG that significant funding difficulties are endemic in the sector and that funding investment is required, but these have not been acted upon by SPPG. Accordingly, and considering the impact that the Oct’23 Category-M reductions will have on you going forward, this matter was escalated immediately and directly to the Permanent Secretary.

Confirmation has been received today that a meeting will take place next Tuesday with the Permanent Secretary.

A further update will be provided to you at the earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely

For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing vaccination services and/or needle exchange services

Dear Contractor

SUMMARY

• CPNI and SPPG are in the process of identifying the numbers of staff who require Hepatitis B vaccination due to participation in vaccination and/or needle exchange services.
• CPNI are requesting Contractors to please fill in the survey to collate the numbers of staff that require Hepatitis B vaccination.
• Multiple Pharmacy Groups may choose to complete the survey by filling in the attached Excel file and emailing the response back to contractorupdate@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.
• To avoid duplication for those pharmacists that provide services to both vaccinations and needle exchange, and who require Hepatitis B vaccination, please only submit numbers on the vaccination services question.

ACTION

• Contractors are requested to fill in the survey attached
• Multiple Pharmacy Groups may choose to fill in the attached excel file and emailing responses to: 

          contractorupdate@communitypharmacyni.co.uk

• Please can returns be submitted by Friday 17th November 2023.

        Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Kind regards

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

• For the Attention of Vaccination and Needle Exchange Service Pharmacies – Survey for the Provision of Hepatitis B Vaccination 10 November 2023
• SPPG Correspondence Re: Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework Visits 9 November 2023
• REMINDER Declaration of Completion of Care Home Vaccinations 8 November 2023
• Correspondence Regarding Supply of Valproate 8 November 2023
• Addition of Omeprazole 1mg/ml Suspension to NI Drug Tariff 7 November 2023
• Living Well Pharmacies Only: Update and Review 6 November 2023

DOH(NI) ALERTS

• Antimicrobial Update Newsletter 10 November 2023
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – Isotretinoin (Roaccutane): Introduction of New Safety Measures, including Additional Oversight of the Initiation of Treatment for Patients Under 18 Years of Age 10 November 2023
• Recommencement of Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework Visits 9 November 2023
  • Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework Visit Guidance 23-24
  • Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework Visit Protocol 23-24
• Urgent Reminder: Declaration of Completion of Care Home Vaccinations by 31 October 2023 8 November 2023
• Medicines Management “Specialist Medicines” Newsletter Supplement – November 2023 7 November 2023
• Counter Fraud – Alert to Community Pharmacies 7 November 2023
• MHRA Drug Safety Update – Valproate – Dispense Full Packs of Valproate-containing Medicines and Medsafety Week November 2023 7 November 2023
• SPPG Correspondence: Community Pharmacy Service Living Well Campaign Surveys – Care in the Sun 7 November 2023
• Community Pharmacy Service Living Well Campaigns: Update and Review 6 November 2023
• Pharmacy First Pilot Service: Sore Throat – Letter to GP Practices and OOH 1 November 2023

BSO ALERTS

• Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg/5ml Oral Suspension Sugar Free 7 November 2023
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

Northern Ireland Public Health Research Network

CPNI have been made aware of an upcoming series of free seminars based on NI public health research with a focus on pharmacy.  One of the presentations will include data from the community pharmacy Living Well service.  Further information including how to register to view the seminars is available the flyer attached.

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