Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group and Stephen Wilson, Director of Operations (Interim), Public Health Agency.

SUMMARY

  • The third campaign of 2022/2023, “Spot Cancer Early”, will overlap with the next campaign for a few weeks. It is due to finish on 31 October 2022.
  • Community pharmacies are required to complete an online evaluation survey for each campaign which will be available HERE from 1 November 2022.
  • “Protect yourself this winter” will commence mid-October 2022. This campaign will run until the end of November 2022. This campaign aims to promote and encourage uptake of both the seasonal flu vaccine and COVID-19 autumn booster vaccine by those who are eligible. 
  • All printable and additional resources and information will be available HERE.
  • There will be a range of additional resources to support this campaign, all available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • If you have not received your “Protect yourself this winter” resource pack by 27 October 2022 please email reception.pha@hscni.net and ensure your email subject heading is titled “LIVING WELL PHARMACY CAMPAIGN”.
  • 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
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • Many contractors have commenced and/or completed Care Home vaccination clinics, and vaccine has been allocated to the relevant community pharmacies to enable vaccinations to take place in care homes as early in the programme as possible.
  • To ensure COVID-19 and Flu vaccines being delivered efficiently in Northern Ireland, SPPG would ask CPVS pharmacies to consider the following points when placing orders:
    • Plan the vaccine needs of the pharmacy with regard to care homes and walk-ins for a period of 14 days.
    • Where possible, place orders for Flu and COVID-19 vaccines together to minimise the numbers of deliveries to be made by Movianto to the pharmacy.
    • Only order sufficient vaccines to meet the pharmacy’s needs.
    • When selecting the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine ensure that the correct product is selected for use as vaccines are thawed to order and cannot be returned.
      • Bivalent vaccine for booster doses pack size [10×5 doses] PHA FRIDGE BIVALENT MODERNA 10 X 2.5 ML 50 
      • Wildtype for primary doses pack size [10×20 doses] PHA FRIDGE COVID VACC MODERNA 20X5ML DOSES 200 
    • Movianto send automated responses to each community pharmacy on receipt of your order so please check after receiving these.
  • SPPG established initial quotas for all pharmacies contracting to the CPVS for both COVID-19 and Flu vaccines. These quotas were modelled on previous vaccination histories and care home needs. Vaccine quotas can be amended on request, if pharmacies have additional vaccine requirements please contact Deirdre McAree (Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.miller@hscni.net).
  •  SPPG is asking each contractor to visit the interactive map HERE and to check:
    • Your pharmacy is displayed on the vaccine map for COVID-19 and/or Flu vaccines
    • The text box detailing information about your pharmacy and contact information for clinics or booking systems is current and operational.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Vaccine quotas can be amended on request, if pharmacies have additional vaccine requirements please contact Deirdre McAree (Deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.miller@hscni.net).
  • The interactive map can be amended on request, if pharmacies have amendments please contact Angela Neilly (angela.neilly@hscni.net).
  • Please contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The final update of concessionary prices were granted today for September 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Clobetasol 500microgram / Neomycin
5mg / Nystatin 100,000units/g cream		30£100.12
Clobetasol 500microgram / Neomycin
5mg / Nystatin 100,000units/g ointment		30£100.12
Liothyronine 5microgram tablets28£100.94
Sodium fusidate 500mg powder and solvent for
solution for infusion vials		1£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 new Medicine Shortage Reporter. Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE

Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • The Department continues to monitor COVID-19 surveillance and epidemiological data very closely. While COVID-19 is still in circulation, levels of infection in the community are currently falling and the overall impact from serious illness remains low at this time.
  • Given the improving context and current assessment set out above, the purpose of this communication is to advise that routine asymptomatic testing for health and social care workers using Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests is to be paused.
    • This updated advice will take effect from today, Monday 3 October 2022.
  • Staff should remain vigilant for symptoms of respiratory illness including COVID-19 and should they develop symptoms they should test immediately with an LFD test.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Please contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, SPPG.

SUMMARY

  • The Emergency Supply Service is now considered a core pharmaceutical service, there is no requirement for contractors to return a signed contract to SPPG.
  • There are some differences in the regulations, therefore a new service specification and guidance document have been developed for the routine service and are available HERE.
  • Service funding will be allocated to pharmacies on the following basis:
    • One third divided equally amongst contractors.
    • The remaining two thirds allocated on ESS activity volume, based on latest month’s available data e.g., October 2022 payment will be based on number of ESS consultations in July 2022.
  • A recording of the ECHO “Emergency Supply Service” training session from the 30 August 2022 is available to view HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • If you have any queries about this service, please contact your local SPPG Pharmacy Adviser.
  • Please 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.

BSO ALERTS

  • Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) 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 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist