Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor,

CPNI is keen to capture through a short contractor survey, the views of the community pharmacy network on a range of aspects including pharmacy services, staffing levels, IT provision, contractor experiences and future plans.  The survey is available here.

I would encourage you to please complete this survey, as the results will provide valuable insights into the current community pharmacy landscape and will be used in an anonymised manner to brief MLAs at the upcoming Committee for Health meeting on Thursday 6th March 2025.

The questions relate specifically to the contractor perspective, so we would ask contractors to please submit a single response to the survey, irrespective of the number of contracts you may hold.

The return date for the survey is Wednesday 26th February 2025.  Please note: the survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete and consists of 25 questions which will appear as you proceed through the survey.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with CPNI offices if you need any further clarification or information.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for February 2025:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Bimatoprost 300micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops3£8.83
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% gel60£23.70
Cefalexin 500mg tablets21£2.85
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension70£5.79
Estradiol 10microgram pessaries24£10.68
Fenofibrate micronised 160mg tablets28£3.50
Gabapentin 600mg tablets100£46.60
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£11.02
Isosorbide mononitrate 20mg tablets56£3.85
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£13.67
Lactulose 3.1-3.7g/5ml oral solution500£5.15
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops2.5£1.92
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets30£4.13
Methylphenidate 54mg modified-release tablets30£73.62
Mometasone 0.1% ointment30£3.13
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules84£10.90
Ondansetron 8mg tablets10£4.19
Pregabalin 100mg capsules84£2.29
Ramipril 2.5mg tablets28£1.19
Salbutamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free200£1.97
Travoprost 40micrograms/ml / timolol 5mg/ml eye drops2.5£12.51
Venlafaxine 225mg modified-release capsules28£20.71
Verapamil 80mg tablets84£2.30

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 Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

The Committee for Health will receive a briefing from Department of Health officials on the Community Pharmacy Strategy on Thursday 6th March 2025, and they have requested a briefing from CPNI immediately ahead of that update.

To provide committee members with a greater understanding of the community pharmacy landscape, including some of the challenges local contractors in their constituencies are facing, we are inviting contractors to engage with their local Health Committee members (listed below).

We have outlined the following key messages, which you could consider tailoring to your own pharmacy, to support this engagement

  • Highlight the impact of chronic underfunding.
  • Reference the constant juggle to pay medicine suppliers on time each month, this can be seen with a comparison of medicines bills to the funding received.  The figures simply don’t add up, regularly falling short of the funding which is needed to run a pharmacy today.
  • Outline the impact the Employer NIC and NMW/NLW changes announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget will have on additional payroll costs for your pharmacy.
  • Illustrate in real terms what this means: reduction in opening hours/service provision/redundancies.

Demonstrate the vital health transformation role of Community Pharmacy

  • This winter community pharmacies have played an important role in managing patient care, from vaccinations, clinical services such as Pharmacy First, to triaging patients.
  • Successfully diverting patients away from other healthcare settings, with stabilisation and investment the network can do so much more to alleviate pressures across the health service.

Health Committee Members

North Antrim:
Chairperson: Mr. Philip McGuigan MLA, Sinn Féin
Email: philip.mcguigan@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

East Antrim:
Deputy Chairperson Mr. Danny Donnelly MLA, Alliance
Email: danny.donnelly@co.niassembly.gov.uk

North Down:
Mr. Alan Chambers MLA, UUP
Email: alan.chambers@co.niassembly.gov.uk

Mid Ulster:
Mrs. Linda Dillon MLA, Sinn Féin
Email: linda.dillon@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

Upper Bann:
Mrs. Diane Dodds MLA, DUP
Email: diane.dodds@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

West Belfast:
Miss Órlaithí Flynn MLA, Sinn Féin
Email: orlaithi.flynn@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

North Belfast:
Miss Nuala McAllister MLA, Alliance
Email: nuala.mcallister@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

South Down:
Mr. Colin McGrath MLA, SDLP South Down
Email: colin.mcgrath@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

East Londonderry:
Mr. Alan Robinson MLA, DUP
Email: alan.robinson@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

If there isn’t a MLA from your area represented on the Health Committee, you are invited to share your experience of running a community pharmacy with the Committee Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

Please do get in touch with CPNI, if you need further information.

Thanks,

Jude

SENT ON BEHALF OF
JUDE AUSTIN 
Communications Manager

**FAO LIVING WELL PHARMACIES ONLY**
Dear Contractor
Correspondence has been issued by SPPG on 17 February 2025 to those pharmacies yet to submit an evaluation survey for the Living Well campaign ‘Stay well this winter’.

SUMMARY

  • All pharmacies contracted to provide the Living Well service must complete an evaluation survey after each campaign, unless otherwise informed.
  • SPPG reserves the right to recoup payment for a campaign if the evaluation survey is not submitted.
  • The survey for the campaign ‘Stay well this winter’ is open and can be accessed here.
  • The survey must be completed by 6pm 3 March 2025, please ensure to reach the final screen to confirm submission.

ACTION

Contractors who have yet to complete the Living Well survey for the campaign ‘Stay well this winter’ are asked to read the correspondence issued by SPPG on 17 February 2025 and share with relevant team members.

For any further information please contact CPNI offices.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

REMINDER Consultation on Valuing Medicines – DoH Stakeholder Engagement Webinar

  • A webinar is being held on Friday 21 February 2025 12-2pm by the Department to discuss Valuing Medicines – A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Medicines in Northern Ireland.
  • The webinar will give attendees the opportunity to learn more about the consultation and share any views.
  • Further information including joining details can be found here.
  • The consultation can be found here and closes on 26 February 2025.

Cancer Research UK: Screening Campaign 2025

From 17 February to 30 March 2025, Cancer Research UK are running a screening campaign to help raise public awareness of the national cancer screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancer in Northern Ireland. The campaign will run on TV, radio, in cinema, billboards, social media, digital display adverts and regional media.

Health professionals including community pharmacists play a key role in supporting access to screening and Cancer Research UK will share information and resources with community pharmacy teams to support conversations relating to screening which may occur with patients.

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via 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
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for February 2025:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets168£21.65
Alfuzosin 2.5mg tablets60£4.46
Benzydamine 0.15% mouthwash sugar free300£4.67
Carbimazole 20mg tablets100£3.67
Cefalexin 500mg capsules21£2.45
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets84£2.43
Fenofibrate micronised 200mg capsules28£3.61
Isosorbide mononitrate 10mg tablets56£1.74
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules10£5.33
Morphine sulfate 10mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules10£5.23
Naproxen 250mg gastro-resistant tablets56£8.54
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets56£18.79
Nefopam 30mg tablets90£4.09
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£9.71
Rizatriptan 10mg tablets3£8.79
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment30£25.92
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment60£47.28
Tadalafil 10mg tablets4£0.97
Tadalafil 2.5mg tablets28£12.08
Telmisartan 40mg tablets28£5.36
Trihexyphenidyl 2mg tablets84£2.97
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets60£10.40
Vardenafil 20mg tablets4£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 Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive