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

CPNI ALERTS 

DOH(NI) ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

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

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s

Contractor Calendar

Contractor Emails

Or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s

Medicine Shortage Reporter

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague

The following concessionary prices have been granted for April 2021:

Drug Pack SizePrice
Candesartan 2mg tablets7£1.50
Donepezil 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free28£83.89
Eplerenone 50mg tablets28£27.71
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets28£4.93
Etoricoxib 120mg tablets28£16.51
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets28£11.28
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets28£12.94
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£5.53
Lamotrigine 200mg tablets56£6.06
Nicorandil 10mg tablets60£5.40
Nicorandil 20mg tablets60£7.99
Pramipexole 88microgram tablets30£4.66
Pregabalin 150mg capsules56£4.30
Pregabalin 200mg capsules84£7.88
Pregabalin 25mg capsules56£3.60
Pregabalin 300mg capsules56£5.61
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets28£1.60
Repaglinide 1mg tablets90£9.79
Repaglinide 2mg tablets90£9.09
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets28£13.31
Trimethoprim 200mg tablets6£1.41
Trimethoprim 200mg tablets14£3.29

This is the final update of concessionary prices for April 2021.

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.

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague
HSCB, GPC, RCGP and CPNI have jointly developed a short survey on how arrangements for repeat prescribing are working across Northern Ireland, and we would value your input to this.

Since the start of the COVD-19 pandemic in March 2020, both GP practices and Community Pharmacy services have had to put in place a number of new arrangements at very short notice, including revised arrangements for patients to access their repeat medications.  

You will be aware of the guidance and correspondence that was issued by HSCB about this.

At this stage, we would like to take stock of any ongoing unresolved issues so that we can consider any other measures that can be implemented to further support local working arrangements.  We would therefore be grateful if could complete the survey which should take no more than 10 minutes.  It can be found at HERE.

All responses will be anonymous and will help to shape any further guidance or actions that are needed for both GP practices and Community Pharmacies. 

We would like to thank you for your ongoing work in ensuring that patients can continue to receive their prescriptions in a timely way.  

You are asked to complete this survey by Friday 14 May 2021.

Kind regards – Gareth

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

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

From today individuals aged 30-34 years (at 30th April 2021) can be 
vaccinated through the community pharmacy service.

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Contractor

Further to the contractor update on the risks of epilepsy medicines in pregnancy which issued in July 2020, CPNI wish to remind contractors of the steps to be taken by pharmacists to reduce such risks:

  • Provide a Patient Card every time you dispense a valproate medicine to ALL female patients. The outer boxes of valproate will include a removable patient card, to be detached and given to the patient at the time of dispensing.
  • When dispensing valproate medicines to ALL female patients check that their prescriber has discussed the risks of exposure in pregnancy and they are aware of the requirement to have a pregnancy prevention plan in place.
  • If the prescriber has not discussed these risks with the patient or the patient is not taking effective contraception they should be advised contact their GP or specialist for an urgent follow-up appointment.
  • In the case of a known or suspected pregnancy advise the patient not to stop valproate medication but to immediately contact their GP or specialist.
  • Ask ALL female patients on valproate medicines if they received the Patient Guide and provide a copy if they have not received this or no longer have it.
  • Dispense valproate in the original package with the outer warning and avoid repacking. Where repacking cannot be avoided, always provide a copy of the package leaflet, patient card, and add a warning sticker to the outer box.

UPDATE April 2021: CPNI recently attended the Valproate Stakeholders Network, established in response to the “First do no Harm” report.  The Network highlighted the need for pharmacists to continue to follow the recommendations outlined above and to ensure that all female patients using valproate medicines are informed of the risks, including those who may not present to the pharmacy such as those in residential care settings, custodial settings, or where barriers such as language exist.

To order new or further pregnancy prevention programme materials, please contact Sanofi medical information department on 0845 372 7101 or email UK-Medicalinformation@sanofi.com.

Further information is available on the CPNI website here.

Kind regards – Ennis

SENT ON BEHALF OF
ENNIS SHIELDS
Governance & Support Pharmacist

MHRA AND JCVI ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ASTRAZENECA VACCINE UPDATED CONTRAINDICATIONS AND NEXT STEPS

Dear Colleague
Please find HERE correspondence from Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Mrs Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

MHRA and JCVI have stated the balance of risk associated with administration of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is still very much in favour of vaccination. 

The information, guidance and recommendations provided in the correspondence should be considered carefully by community pharmacists providing this vaccination service, with patients presenting for COVID vaccination at the pharmacy counselled and assessed accordingly.

Over 32,000 vaccinations have been administered by community pharmacists since 29 March 2021. This is a tremendous contribution by our profession to this important public health vaccination programme. 

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive