Further to my previous update, CPNI has received a final offer from SPPG which was considered at an emergency meeting of CPNI Directors yesterday afternoon. The offer is comprised of a number of elements outlined as follows:
Medicines Adherence: a Without Prejudice offer of £22m to deliver a medicines adherence service for 2022/23. This represents an additional £10.8m to be released to Contractors in the final quarter of 2022/23.
Special Advance: a further suspension of repayment until March 2023. The repayment would therefore commence again in April 2023 at a rate of £1.45m per month for 13 months. SPPG have stated that this will be the final suspension in repayment.
Historic fees: an agreement to review instalment dispensing fees associated with patients in cohort one (drugs of misuse/abuse) over the next few months to be completed by the end of the financial year to inform fee rates for 2022/23.
The Permanent Secretary agreed to implement a Sustainability Review of Community Pharmacy, which would consider reforms needed to assure access to pharmacy services for the population.
The Permanent Secretary and SPPG have clearly stated that the proposals above are conditional on the withdrawal of services/actions previously notified by CPNI on 17 November 2022 being stood down. The Permanent Secretary also committed to a further meeting with CPNI in March 2023 to ensure that various elements within the proposal are being progressed satisfactorily.
CPNI Board has considered this offer within the context of the current difficulties facing community pharmacy, but also alongside the wider issues facing the Health Service and the political instability that currently exists.
While it does not fully resolve all of the current problems and underlying funding challenges within community pharmacy, CPNI Directors view this as a transitional and workable way forward for the remainder of 2022/23. It will provide some much-needed cash flow for contractors and allow a further three months of engagement with SPPG and DoH(NI) on the wider issues, when there should be further clarity on budgets for 2023/24. CPNI will remain committed to addressing the difficulties that face the community pharmacy network.
CPNI has written to SPPG to agree that the offer represents a workable and transitional way forward for the remainder of 2022/23, while highlighting the fundamental issues that still need to be addressed going into 2023/24.
The detail of how the funding will be allocated and the associated timelines will be further considered by CPNI and SPPG, but we will keep you informed as the discussions progress.
There will still be a need for your pharmacy teams to carefully manage new community based patients seeking compliance support via the community pharmacy. Actions, including the requirement for ARF referral for existing patients who received compliance support from their community pharmacy prior to being admitted, as well the position on Christmas Rota and Belfast On-Call can be stood down. SPPG will now liaise with pharmacies who have been notified to provide Rota and the Belfast On-call services over the Christmas and New Year period. If contractors require local amendments to the SPPG proposed Christmas and New Year Rota arrangements please contact ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI has asked SPPG to be flexible in arriving at workable Christmas and New Year rota arrangements and, where relevant, you are asked to put forward any suggested amendments to SPPG when contacted by local offices.
This Contractor Update provides you with key information on the proposals received from SPPG. Further information will also be provided in due course.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for December 2022:
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
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a further five Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) (SSP043 – SSP047) in response to current concerns across the UK regarding the availability of antibiotic preparations required for the treatment of Group A Streptococcus infection. These SSPs, which are detailed in the attached letter from DHNI, came into operation in all parts of the UK on 19 December 2022 and have an expiry date of 31 January 2023.
SUMMARY
SSPs, made under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, are an additional tool to manage and mitigate medicines shortages.
SSPs enable community pharmacists to supply specified medicines in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber – saving time for patients, pharmacists and prescribers.
DHSC has developed a further five SSPs in response to current concerns across the UK regarding the availability of antibiotic preparations required for the treatment of Group A Streptococcus infection.
These SSPs will allow community pharmacists to consider different oral antibiotic preparations to enable the continued supply of antibiotics to patients and mitigate the ongoing supply disruptions affecting phenoxymethylpenicillin.
For each SSP, DHSC has included specific patient counselling points which must be considered when deciding whether supply in accordance with an SSP is suitable for a patient.
Before supplying an alternative antibiotic, the pharmacist must firstly consider if a suitable supply can be made by using an alternative formulation of phenoxymethylpenicillin in accordance with the relevant SSP (SSP040 – SSP042). Where that is not possible, only specified antibiotics can be substituted for prescriptions for duration of no longer than 10 days, in order of preference depending on availability and the dosing needs for the patient (see specific SSP for details).
Full details on these SSPs are available on the dedicated page on the Business Services Organisation website HERE.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Note the issue of five SSPs (SSP043 – SSP047) in response to current concerns across the UK regarding the availability of antibiotic preparations (in addition to the three SSPs (SSP040 – SSP042) issued on 15 December 2022).
Review theattached letterfrom DHNI detailing these five SSPs, ensure that they are familiar with the detail contained within each SSP, and to ensure that their dispensary teams are aware of these new protocols.
Note that the ‘Addendum – Supporting information on notifying other healthcare professionals’ does not apply in Northern Ireland. Pharmacists in Northern Ireland should refer to the existing SSP operational guidance on the BSO website HERE.
Note also the specific guidance on professional judgement and patient/carer consent detailed in the letter and in the operational guidance.
Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required. CPNI colleagues are also available for assistance.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Contractor,
CPNI attendees met with Mr Peter May, Permanent Secretary, DoH(NI) along with other SPPG and DoH(NI) officials on Wednesday 14 December 2022.
At the meeting Mr May, in listening to representations made by CPNI, gave a commitment that correspondence would be issued to CPNI no later than Monday 19 December 2022 containing a proposal, including financial aspects, for CPNI to consider in relation to current service and funding issues.
CPNI therefore expects to receive a proposal within the next working day or so. A meeting of CPNI Directors will be called on Monday as soon as is practicable after any proposal is received, with the decision of CPNI being conveyed to Contractors shortly thereafter.
For those Contractors who have been notified to provide Rota services over the Christmas and New Year holiday period your position of not being able to confirm rota service provision to SPPG is still applicable. I would ask that you share with CPNI offices info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk the details of the rota service that SPPG have asked you to provide.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you require any additional information.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
