Please see attached correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.
SUMMARY
As of 13 June 2022, 82.8% of the Care Home resident population has been vaccinated. 10,841 Spring Boosters have been administered by Community Pharmacy within the Care Homes.
From 16 June 2022, any booster vaccinations for missed residents who require vaccination, will be administered by the Trust vaccination teams.
As part of the handover to trusts, the SPPG pharmacy team will continue to liaise with pharmacies, trust teams and PHA to ensure any individual handover queries are addressed and facilitated.
Community Pharmacy teams can continue to vaccinate the other cohorts of patients included within the Spring Booster programme as outlined HERE.
ACTION
Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the COVID-19 Spring Booster Programme in Care Homes are asked to review the attached correspondence.
CPVS contractors are asked to input any final records or corrections onto VMS including coding the Care Home with the RQIA code.
If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from SPPG Pharmacy & Medicines Management team.
SUMMARY
The contract for Pharmacy Collect NI has been extended to 31 March 2023.
Eligibility to collect free Lateral Flow Tests may change according to the latest public health guidance and advice. The up-to-date list of specified groups can be found HERE.
Community pharmacies may order one carton per pharmacy per day (six per week) from Alliance Healthcare.
Alliance will be delivering one extra box of stock to all contractors participating in the service w/c 13 June 2022. This will be sent as a one-off exercise.
Community pharmacies that wish to sell Lateral Flow Tests to people who are not eligible for free supply under Pharmacy Collect NI, can view tests from the approved list which can be found HERE.
ACTION
Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the provision of the Pharmacy Collect NI service are advised to review the attached correspondence.
If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.
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.
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive, Public Health Agency (PHA).
SUMMARY
Moderna have advised the PHA that they no longer endorse an extension to post-thaw expiry date of Spikevax® vaccines from 30 to 60 days.
Therefore, the PHA have advised community pharmacies with remaining stock of Spikevax® vaccines to use stock with the 30-day post-thaw expiry date annotated on the vial by Movianto and continue to store the vaccine between 2-8°C.
The PHA have also noted that expired stock should be segregated within a separate area of the refrigerator.
ACTION
As per the PHA correspondence, contractors are advised to:
Check Spikevax® stock and ensure all vaccines are used within the 30-day post-thaw expiry date (annotated on the vial by Movianto).
CPNI colleagues have agreed a response with the CPNI Board which is attached HERE.
SUMMARY
This consultation seeks views on proposals to enable all community pharmacies to access ‘hub and spoke’ dispensing. Currently this is only possible when the hub pharmacy forms part of the same retail business as the spoke pharmacy. The key proposals included in the consultation include two possible new hub and spoke models, access to hub dispensing by dispensing doctors, and a change in the legal terminology. In summary:
Model one allows hub and spoke dispensing to operate between pharmacies owned by separate legal entities and the spoke supplies to patients.
Model two allows arrangements where the hub pharmacy supplies medicines directly to patients as opposed to returning them to the spoke for onward supply to the patient.
It is proposed that Dispensing Doctors will be allowed to use the services of a hub but cannot themselves operate as a hub.
There are also proposed amendments to the language in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 which will clarify that medicines can be supplied “at or from” a registered pharmacy premises, as opposed to the previous wording which referred to supplies “at” the pharmacy. This aims to enable hub and supply dispensing and aims to ensure the legislation better reflects current pharmacy practices such as medicines delivery.
It is proposed that there will be no restriction on the number of spokes which a hub may serve, and equally no restriction on how many hubs a spoke may wish to use.
A requirement for the hub and spoke to have arrangements in place to address accountability is proposed as are specific requirements in terms of notices displayed in the spoke pharmacy and information included on the medicine labels and packaging.
The proposals also include a requirement that all hubs and spokes must be registered pharmacies but that the hub will not necessarily need to hold an HS contract. The consultation suggests that there will be further engagement on those requirements with the PSNC. Arrangements in Northern Ireland are not discussed.
Proposed amendments to the legislation so that the supply of medicines from hub to spoke will be considered a retail transaction and as such will not require a wholesaling licence are also included.
KEY ASPECTS OF THE CPNI RESPONSE
The main thrust of the response is to accept model one with caveats regarding consideration for the unique NI factors.
Model two is strongly opposed throughout.
The lack of a Northern Ireland impact assessment is emphasised as totally inappropriate and inequitable, and calls are made for this to be conducted and consulted on prior to further progression of any aspects of the proposals.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Note the consultation (closing date of 11.45pm on 8 June 2022), and the attached CPNI response; and
Respond directly to the consultation HERE utilising any or all of the CPNI response as required.
Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.
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.
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
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