Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS 

• Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Sodium Bicarbonate 1.26% Solution for Infusion 28 April 2022
  • Paroxetine 40mg tablets 27 April 2022
• Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
• Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

• Final Concessionary Prices 29 April 2022
• Third Concessionary Prices 29 April 2022
• Pharmacy Collect NI Update 29 April 2022
• Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccination Service Weekly Update 29 April 2022
• Recent Political Party Representatives Pharmacy Visits 28 April 2022
• Adherence Payment And Advance Repayment Update 28 April 2022
• REMINDER COVID-19 Spring Booster Programme Care Home eForm 27 April 2022

DOH(NI) ALERTS 

• Medicines Management Newsletter 29 April 2022
• Learning Matters Edition 20 29 April 2022
• PANORAMIC Study Update 29 April 2022
• COVID-CPVS Update 28 April 2022
• Pharmacy Collect NI Update 28 April 2022
• Update Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing Arrangements for Care Home 22 April 2022

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

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.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The final update of concessionary prices were granted for April 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops	3	£3.10
Celecoxib 100mg capsules	60	£7.22
Clonidine 25microgram tablets	112	£11.52
Dipyridamole 100mg tablets	84	£21.89
Exemestane 25mg tablets	30	£3.40
Fluoxetine 40mg capsules	30	£3.40
Lercanidipine 10mg tablets	28	£4.24
Losartan 100mg / Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg tablets	28	£11.66
Losartan 50mg / Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg tablets	28	£5.62
Mometasone 0.1% cream	100	£10.94
Mometasone 0.1% cream	30	£3.28
Moxonidine 200microgram tablets	28	£6.63
Prasugrel 10mg tablets	28	£12.97
Rizatriptan 10mg tablets	3	£3.63
Solifenacin 5mg tablets	30	£3.54
Solifenacin 10mg tablets	30	£4.01
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets	112	£39.93
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets	112	£33.96
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	100	£9.48

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

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

Dear Colleague

The third update of concessionary prices were granted for April 2022:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	32	£2.03
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg effervescent tablets	100	£6.34
Co-tenidone 100mg/25mg tablets	28	£1.42
Ibandronic Acid 50mg tablets	28	£145.99
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules	30	£16.02
Sulfasalazine 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free	500	£94.22
Tamoxifen 10mg/5ml oral solution sugar free	150	£74.52
Valsartan 160mg capsules	28	£7.08

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

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

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

• The updated Pharmacy Collect poster has been redesigned. This version will be shared with community pharmacies when printed.
• The e-form by which contractors submit the number of transactions to BSO will be amended in line with the updated Pharmacy Collect service specification. This will take effect from Tuesday 3 May 2022.
• Contractors are reminded that submission of this data is used to populate the payment claim. It is also used for monitoring, reporting and service evaluation purposes.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this email please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

• If you are planning to vaccinate a care home, please complete the e-form to assure us that plans are now in place to deliver the Spring booster programme in all Care Homes.
• The PHA has issued correspondence to Care Home Managers, which provides details for LFD testing by visiting professionals to Care Homes.
• Pharmacies should continue to plan vaccination clinic dates for those homes that are experiencing an outbreak. Whether a care home outbreak is declared or not, the PHA Duty Room will continue to provide advice to Care Home Managers on further actions to take.
• Prior to the visit to a Care Home, the pharmacist clinical lead should ask the care home manager to inform them of any residents undergoing Aerosol Generating procedures.
• A claim form is available for contractors wishing to claim eligible off-site fees for clinics
  delivered at Care Homes during April and May 2022.
• JCVI has not included Care Home Staff as an identified cohort for the COVID-19 spring booster. However when visiting a care home to vaccinate the residents with the Spring booster, it would be possible for a community pharmacy to arrange to vaccinate the staff members who have not received their first or second primary dose or their first booster dose.
• PHA COVID-19 vaccine toolkit has now been published HERE, which aims to support organisations in promoting the Covid-19 vaccine and increasing uptake.
• MHRA recently provided an update reassuring on safety and that the vaccine can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding which can be accessed HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Please complete e-form submissions as soon as you have agreed an arrangement to provide vaccinations to a Care Home.
• Contractors are reminded if they have any queries relating to the CPVS service requiring input from a Pharmacy Adviser, they should contact their local office/adviser.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

2022 NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY ELECTION CANDIDATES COMMUNITY PHARMACY VISITS

• As part of CPNI public affairs strategy we have been engaging with election candidates, namely deputy and party leaders inviting these political representatives to visit their local community pharmacy to find out more about the valuable role the network plays.
• These meeting have been hugely positive and shared on the candidates social media channels, these can be viewed using the links below. To date community pharmacy contractors have hosted the following visits:
  • Robin Swann MLA (UUP)
  • Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP (DUP)
  • Michelle O’Neill MLA (SF)
  • Doug Beattie MLA (UUP)
  • Nicola Mallon MLA (SDLP)
  • Meetings with Naomi Long MLA (ALP) and Clare Bailey MLA (GPNI) are also planned.

I trust this update is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.

Kind regards