Archives: Contractor Email

Wednesday 23 March 2022

CPNI wish to make pharmacy contractors and their teams aware of two important consultations which are of relevance to the sector.  CPNI will be formulating and submitting a response to both consultations which will be shared with contractors when ready.  In addition to this, contractors will be encouraged to make individual responses where possible, and will be welcome to utilise any aspect of the CPNI response with which they agree.

Action:

Review and consider these important consultation documents and make note of the associated deadlines:

1. Consultation on Hub and Spoke Dispensing, Closing date 8 June 2022 at 11:45

This is a UK wide public consultation on proposals to bring about legislative changes to allow Hub and Spoke dispensing to occur between pharmacies which operate as separate legal entities.  It includes proposals on 2 different models:model 1, where the medicines are returned assembled from the hub to the spoke pharmacy before supply to the patientmodel 2, where the hub pharmacy supplies medicines directly to the patientThe consultation proposals and questions, draft statutory instrument, and impact assessment are available on the consultation website.

2. Consultation on the Introduction of Statutory Regulation of the Pharmacy Technician Workforce in Northern Ireland.  Closing date 16 May 2022 at 23:59

This is a public consultation by Northern Ireland’s Department of Heath which sets out proposals for the regulation of pharmacy technicians.  The proposals cite several potential impacts of such a change, including bringing NI into line with England, Scotland and Wales, and providing enhanced public assurance of the professional competence, standards and scope of practice of pharmacy technicians.

The consultation proposals, questionnaire, equality screening and rural impact assessment are available on the consultation website.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information on the above.  CPNI responses to other recent consultations are published on the CPNI website here.

Kind regards,

GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

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

Drug Pack size Price Concession
Amisulpride 100mg tablets 60 £4.64
Amisulpride 200mg tablets 60 £6.04
Amisulpride 50mg tablets 60 £2.79
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules 15 £1.10
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules 21 £1.54
Atenolol 50mg tablets 28 £0.86
Benzydamine 0.15% oromucosal spray sugar free 30 £1.99
Celecoxib 100mg capsules 60 £8.85
Celecoxib 200mg capsules 30 £8.39
Cinnarizine 15mg tablets 84 £3.99
Clarithromycin 250mg tablets 14 £1.17
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets 14 £1.95
Clomipramine 10mg capsules 28 £2.42
Clomipramine 25mg capsules 28 £4.86
Clomipramine 50mg capsules 28 £8.36
Clonidine 25microgram tablets 112 £12.80
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets 28 £18.24
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets 100 £7.42
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets 30 £2.23
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules 5 £6.45
Dexamethasone 2mg tablets 50 £3.89
Dipyridamole 100mg tablets 84 £25.44
Dosulepin 75mg tablets 28 £11.20
Enalapril 10mg tablets 28 £3.75
Enalapril 5mg tablets 28 £5.15
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets 28 £4.95
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets 28 £5.45
Famotidine 40mg tablets 28 £26.48
Fenofibrate micronised 160mg tablets 28 £3.93
Fenofibrate micronised 200mg capsules 28 £2.50
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules 5 £5.50
Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free 100 £3.24
Lamotrigine 5mg dispersible tablets sugar free 28 £9.25
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets 28 £3.25
Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets 28 £4.78
Loratadine 5mg/5ml oral solution 100 £5.82
Losartan 100mg tablets 28 £3.45
Losartan 25mg tablets 28 £1.86
Losartan 50mg tablets 28 £2.45
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free 150 £35.95
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules 10 £6.48
Mometasone 0.1% cream 100 £10.27
Mometasone 0.1% ointment 100 £9.92
Mometasone 0.1% ointment 30 £4.23
Nizatidine 150mg capsules 30 £22.95
Orlistat 120mg capsules 84 £24.99
Oxazepam 10mg tablets 28 £5.69
Oxybutynin 5mg tablets 56 £1.40
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets 24 £2.78
Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets 100 £11.58
Pioglitazone 45mg tablets 28 £2.68
Prednisolone 5mg soluble tablets 30 £10.00
Rivastigmine 3mg capsules 28 £3.53
Ropinirole 1mg tablets 84 £48.50
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets 12 £3.62
Ropinirole 2mg tablets 28 £18.04
Ropinirole 500microgram tablets 28 £6.00
Sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules 56 £3.80
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets 28 £26.99
Tolterodine 1mg tablets 56 £2.35
Tolterodine 2mg tablets 56 £2.92
Topiramate 100mg tablets 60 £3.72
Topiramate 25mg tablets 60 £2.25
Topiramate 50mg tablets 60 £2.25
Trazodone 50mg capsules 84 £3.55
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free 100 £9.75
Valsartan 40mg capsules 28 £3.01
Warfarin 500microgram tablets 28 £1.35

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

DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague,
 
Community Pharmacy Adherence Services – Updated HSCB Offer

As discussed at the Contractor meeting held on Tuesday 15th March the main points contained in the HSCB Community Pharmacy Adherence Service Updated Offer are as outlined below:

  • £8m additional funding will be paid to Contractors by 30th April 2022 for adherence services provided in 2021/22.
  • Recurrent additional funding of £4m will be provided for adherence services in 2022/23 and subsequent years. HSC colleagues have committed to seeking further funding when health service budgets are confirmed in 2022/23.
  • There will be a reduction in the monthly pay back of the special advance from £1.4m per month to £0.7m per month for a period of six months, with further easement on this repayment also being sought.
  • CPNI will continue to work with HSC colleagues to develop and commence the implementation in a phased manner of commissioned adherence services in 2022/23.  Phase 1 will see the provision of adherence services being reintroduced only for new patients who will be discharged from hospital, following a referral from the hospital pharmacist to the patient’s community pharmacy. The referral process is currently being fast-tracked for development by CPNI and HSCB, with new referrals likely to commence during April 2022.

CPNI, HSCB and DoH endorse the updated offer and the commitment to develop commissioned services in 2022/23. Furthermore, the Minister for Health Mr Robin Swann MLA formally endorsed this approach in a statement issued following a visit to Dundela Pharmacy, Belfast earlier today (here).

Mr Joe Brogan will be writing to contractors with further information in due course.

CPNI welcomes today’s announcement by the Minister and his consistent support for the community pharmacy sector, something that can be clearly seen in his letter of thanks to community pharmacy contractors and their teams (here) for the care and support provided to patients and the health service over the last two years. 

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.

Dear Colleague,

NICPLD Reminder: Closing date 25th March 2022

The application process to become an accredited Educational Supervisor (ES) for the Foundation Training Year (FTY) 2022/23 is open and will close on 25th March 2022.

From projected numbers, NICPLD estimate that there are still a number of pharmacists who have agreed to act as an ES within the FTY 2022/2023 and have yet to apply to undertake the accredited ES training.

Please note that regardless of previous accreditation status, all pharmacists intending to undertake the role of ES for a foundation trainee in 2022/2023 must apply to become accredited for this role.

The application form can be accessed here as a Word document and here as a PDF. Prior to completing the application form, please review the Standards for Foundation Training Year (January 2022) to ensure that you meet the criteria to become an accredited ES. The completed form must be returned to nicpld-fty@qub.ac.uk by 25th March 2022. Late applications will not be considered.

Depending on your previous experience, you will be accredited via either Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 as outlined below:

Pathway 1 – for pharmacists who have acted as an ES within the FTY 2021/2022

These pharmacists will be required to participate in two accreditation webinars, each of 2 hours in duration. The webinars will provide an overview of the 2022/2023 programme, focusing on the new learning outcomes that will be introduced instead of performance standards and how these can be evidenced within the workplace setting. The webinars will be held on multiple dates during May, June and July to facilitate attendance. Webinar 1 must be undertaken prior to participating in Webinar 2. On completion of both webinars, pharmacists will be considered as accredited to act as an ES for a foundation trainee undertaking the 2022/2023 FTY. Pharmacists must participate in both webinars at least 7 working days prior to a foundation trainee commencing their training within the workplace.

Pathway 2 – for pharmacists who have never undertaken the role of an ES or who did not mentor a trainee within the FTY 2021/2022
These pharmacists will be required to participate in the two accreditation webinars as outlined above. In addition, they will be required to complete two NICPLD eLearning courses:

  • Developing others – Effective mentoring (3 hours)
  • Developing others – Effective workplace training (3 hours).

Pharmacists will be required to complete the eLearning courses prior to undertaking the two accreditation webinars in May/June/July. Pharmacists who completed the eLearning courses post January 2021 will not be required to complete them again.

On completion of the eLearning courses, pharmacists must complete the two accreditation webinars. Please note that Webinar 1 must be undertaken prior to participating in Webinar 2. Pharmacists will be considered as accredited to act as an ES for a foundation trainee undertaking the 2022/2023 FTY once all elements of the accreditation programme have been successfully completed. Pharmacists must complete all required accreditation elements at least 7 working days prior to a foundation trainee commencing their training within the workplace.

On receipt of your completed application form, NICPLD will consider if you meet the standards to become an accredited ES for the FTY 2022/2023. If so, you will be informed that you have been accepted onto the accreditation programme and you will be invited to register to attend/complete all elements of the accreditation programme. You will only become an accredited ES for the FTY 2022/2023 on completion of all of the required elements as outlined above.

If you require any further information relating to accreditation as an ES for the FTY 2022/2023, please do not hesitate to contact the NICPLD team at nicpld-fty@qub.ac.uk

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

BSO ALERTS 

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

Pharmacy First Service for Everyday Health Conditions 14 March 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

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Contractor

Further to the Contractor Update issued on yesterday, I write to remind you that a contractor meeting will take place tonight, 8pm Tuesday 15 March 2022 at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast, 117 Milltown Rd, Belfast BT8 7XP.

I would ask that you make every effort to attend this important meeting where the updated offer for Adherence Services, received from Mr Joe Brogan in recent days and discussed at CPNI Board meeting, last Thursday 10 March 2022, will be outlined and discussed with contractors.

I would ask you confirm your attendance HERE, if you have not already done so.

Zoom facilities will be available in the event that you cannot attend the meeting in person (Meeting ID: 881 6796 1032 Passcode: 360267). Once you join the meeting via Zoom could I ask you to enter your name and the Pharmacy Contract / Group name in the chatroom box.

If you have any further queries, please contact CPNI via email ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

I look forward to seeing you on this evening.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive