Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Please find attached Guidance issued by Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England Medical Director in relation to the use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications and COVID-19.

Please ensure that the alert notification is shared with all relevant staff in the Pharmacy(-ies) you operate.

Thank-you.

Vanessa

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF DR. VANESSA CHAMBERS | Head of Policy & Pharmacy Development

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+++ Sent to Contractors in Belfast LCG Area Only +++

Dear Colleague

Infant formula: measures to minimise stockpiling

Joe Brogan, HSCB, has asked CPNI to share the following information with Belfast Contractors.

HSCB has been alerted by Belfast HSCT midwives of shortages in infant formula in pharmacies across the city. HSCB has confirmed with suppliers that there is no supply shortage currently however, if stockpiling becomes widespread, there is a potential for shortages to emerge.

Rather than raise this issue with the general public and inadvertently create more panic buying, community pharmacists are asked to consider measures to ensure stockpiling is minimised, for example, by restricting the number permitted to be purchased.

Pharmacists are also asked to continue to exercise the same controls in respect of all over-the-counter medicines.

Action

Contractors are asked to cascade this to your pharmacy team members who are involved in the ordering and sale of infant formula and of any other products that may be affected by supply issues.

CPNI will continue to advise and support you in the weeks to come.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

COVID-19 transmission; information needed on isolation rates

CPNI is working with the DH and with HSCB to establish an urgent route for community pharmacists and their teams to have access to COVID testing.

It is important that there are up-to-date figures relating to the numbers of staff within community pharmacy who are self-isolating.

As a matter of urgency;

Please complete the return below and forward to contractorupdate@communitypharmacyni.co.uk

Number of pharmacists self-isolating  
Number of other pharmacy staff self-isolating  

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Posters.

We continue to work with HSCB, PHA & DoH(NI) in order to provide you and your teams with support, resources and information throughout this extremely challenging period.

Public messaging is an extremely important way of raising awareness of how to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the public and/or your staff.  All pharmacies will receive the attached letter and Pharmacy COVID-19 Advice posters by post shortly.

Please ensure that these posters are displayed prominently at the entrance(s) to your pharmacy.  I have attached an electronic version of the Community Pharmacy Stop the Spread poster so that additional copies can be printed off and displayed immediately throughout your pharmacy until such times that the larger posters arrive in the post.

Please ensure that you forward this email on to all relevant pharmacy leads within your team, encouraging them to display the posters when they are received.

Should you require additional copies please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB offices.

Thank-you.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

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Dear Colleague

Reducing the risk for COVID-19 transmission for community pharmacy staff and visitors 

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacies are under increased pressure. 

To help support community pharmacy teams in their roles and manage patients’ expectations in the coming weeks, please see some guidance you may want to implement and share with pharmacy visitors, particularly on social media. 

Communicate key message 

  1. All pharmacies should display posters at entry points asking patients who are symptomatic not to enter the community pharmacy premises. 
  2. Other COVID-related posters from PHA should be displayed throughout the pharmacy 

*Please ensure all PHA COVID-19 posters are up to date – the latest versions can be found here* 

Social Distancing Measures 

Options which may be considered: 

  1. A suggested two-metre demarcation area between the dispensary and the public; 
  2. Restricting access to the pharmacy – either by limiting the number of patients allowed to be present in your pharmacy at one time or by creating a physical barrier; 
  3. Changes to pharmacy processes to ensure patients are not waiting in the pharmacy for a prolonged period, for example by asking patients to call back for prescriptions and/or allowing a reasonable turnaround time for prescriptions to be ready; 
  4. Pharmacy-specific public messaging to provide reassurance and ask for patience and understanding. 

Robust Health and Wellbeing Measures for Pharmacy Staff 

Options which may be considered: 

  1. Ensuring staff practice good hand hygiene: washing hands regularly as advised or using alcohol-based sanitisers, if available; 
  2. Checking staff temperatures regularly; 
  3. Reducing manual handling of prescription orders by providing a box for patients to deposit their prescription forms in; 
  4. Encouraging contactless payments; 
  5. Ensuring the pharmacy is cleaned regularly with appropriate products; 
  6. Ensuring PHA advice is followed should a patient present in the pharmacy with COVID-related symptoms; 
  7. Ensuring Personal Protective Equipment is used as advised. 

Key messages to share  

You may wish to share some of the key messages with pharmacy visitors or on social media. An example is given below. 

As Coronavirus (COVID-19) is quickly becoming part of our everyday lives, we have a responsibility to our local community, our hard-working pharmacy staff and their families to try and limit the spread of the virus. With this mind we are considering the introduction of some of the following measures: 

  • If you are unwell (especially with cough or a fever) we would ask that you do not come to the pharmacy. Please contact your GP or call 111. Your GP will be able to

arrange a prescription if necessary. 

  • In order to allow staff to appropriately disinfect all pharmacy surfaces, we may/will (delete as appropriate) be closing between 1PM to 2PM to facilitate this. 
  • We are introducing social distancing and are limiting the number of people inside the pharmacy to (insert number- depending on each pharmacy’s discretion) at a time.  
  • Once inside the pharmacy, customers are asked to stand at least 1m apart while waiting (if possible). 
  • If collecting prescriptions, please telephone in advance to ensure that we have received the prescription, following which we will prepare and have it ready for collection. 

Alternative option: 

  • If collecting prescriptions, please leave your telephone number with pharmacy staff and we will ring you when your prescription is ready. 

This is a worrying time for everyone – (insert pharmacy staff names) are committed to delivering the same high standards. 
These measures are being put in place to protect everyone in our community, particularly the most vulnerable. 
Please take care yourself, family, friends and neighbours, be kind to each other and practice good hygiene by regularly washing your hands.  

Thanks for your patience and co-operation during this time. 

CPNI will continue to advise and support you over the weeks and months ahead. 

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

The following concessionary prices have been granted for March 2020:

Drug Pack Size Concessionary Price
Amiodarone 200mg tablets 28 £2.35
Diclofenac sodium 100mg modified-release tablets 28 £11.33
Frovatriptan 2.5mg tablets 6 £10.31
Hydroxyzine 10mg tablets 84 £2.09
Imipramine 25mg tablets 28 £3.79
Irbesartan 150mg tablets 28 £5.36
Irbesartan 300mg tablets 28 £4.70
Irbesartan 300mg / Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg tablets 28 £4.74
Lamotrigine 100mg dispersible tablets sugar free 56 £7.49
Lymecycline 408mg capsules 28 £6.45
Memantine 10mg tablets 28 £3.44
Memantine 20mg tablets 28 £8.88
Mirtazapine 15mg tablets 28 £2.29
Mirtazapine 30mg tablets 28 £1.89
Mirtazapine 45mg tablets 28 £2.74
Nefopam 30mg tablets 90 £10.10
Nitrofurantoin 50mg tablets 28 £12.45
Oxytetracycline 250mg tablets 28 £4.79
Quinine sulfate 300mg tablets 28 £6.67
Rivastigmine 3mg capsules 28 £3.97
Sulpiride 200mg tablets 30 £6.68
Tamoxifen 20mg tablets 30 £5.46
Trihexyphenidyl 2mg tablets 84 £9.42
Venlafaxine 37.5mg tablets 56 £6.50

This is the first update of concessionary prices for March 2020.

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.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website www.communitypharmacyni.co.uk

Kind regards,

Katherine

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF KATHERINE KIDD | Head of Pharmacy Development