The Department of Health’s Head of Medicines Regulatory Group, and the Controlled Drug Accountable Officer, have issued correspondence dated 23 December 2024 to provide guidance on the correct procedures for obtaining stocks of medicines and controlled drugs.
How GPs, including locums on the PMPL, may requisition medicines including CDs for health service stock using HS21S forms.
Requisition of stock for health service out-of-hours organisations.
Requisition of stock for non-health service (private) stock.
Actions and requirements for GPs.
Actions and requirements for Community Pharmacists.
Action
Contractors are asked to:
Note the recent DoH correspondence issued detailing guidance of the correct procedures for obtaining stocks of medicines and controlled drugs.
Ensure that the information and correspondence is shared with all relevant pharmacy staff.
If you have any queries, please direct them in the first instance to your SPPG Pharmacy Advisor or an MRG inspector. CPNI colleagues are also here to help you.
Kind Regards,
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The fourth update of concessionary prices were granted today for December 2024:
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Amantadine 100mg capsules
56
£12.75
Aqueous cream
500
£5.17
Ascorbic acid 100mg tablets
28
£35.26
Ascorbic acid 500mg tablets
28
£37.97
Aspirin 300mg tablets
100
£9.81
Aspirin 300mg tablets
32
£3.14
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel
30
£11.90
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel
60
£22.00
Candesartan 4mg tablets
7
£0.59
Carbimazole 5mg tablets
100
£7.27
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets
84
£2.57
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops
5
£5.50
Escitalopram 5mg tablets
28
£1.99
Estradiol 10microgram pessaries
24
£10.68
Flucloxacillin 500mg capsules
28
£3.04
Gabapentin 600mg tablets
100
£24.90
Glimepiride 1mg tablets
30
£1.07
Haloperidol 1.5mg tablets
28
£9.29
Haloperidol 5mg tablets
28
£9.88
Hydrocortisone 10mg tablets
30
£1.96
Itraconazole 100mg capsules
15
£6.95
Levetiracetam 250mg tablets
60
£1.88
Lofepramine 70mg tablets
56
£24.50
Lorazepam 1mg tablets
28
£4.76
Mebeverine 135mg tablets
100
£3.55
Melatonin 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free
150
£50.50
Memantine 10mg tablets
28
£2.41
Memantine 20mg tablets
28
£3.53
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets
25
£22.41
Metformin 1g modified-release tablets
56
£3.65
Methotrexate 10mg tablets
100
£37.80
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules
10
£5.58
Mometasone 0.1% cream
30
£3.25
Mometasone 0.1% ointment
30
£2.96
Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules
84
£10.00
Naproxen 250mg gastro-resistant tablets
56
£9.02
Naproxen 500mg gastro-resistant tablets
56
£19.60
Nicorandil 10mg tablets
60
£5.67
Olanzapine 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free
28
£10.20
Olanzapine 15mg tablets
28
£2.57
Ondansetron 4mg tablets
10
£5.24
Oxytetracycline 250mg tablets
28
£11.39
Pregabalin 150mg capsules
56
£2.33
Pregabalin 300mg capsules
56
£2.76
Pregabalin 50mg capsules
84
£7.63
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets
112
£103.66
Quetiapine 300mg tablets
60
£8.99
Ramipril 2.5mg tablets
28
£4.86
Ropinirole 2mg tablets
28
£21.48
Ropinirole 500microgram tablets
28
£11.15
Sitagliptin 100mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
150
£31.01
Tadalafil 5mg tablets
28
£8.25
Telmisartan 80mg tablets
28
£11.02
Temazepam 10mg tablets
28
£24.67
Terbinafine 250mg tablets
14
£3.50
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.
The Department of Health has launched a public consultation on the sustainable and cost-effective use of medicines in Northern Ireland.
The consultation on ‘Valuing medicines: A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Medicines in Northern Ireland’ is seeking views from healthcare professionals, the public, and stakeholders on proposals aimed at supporting improvements in the use of medicines across the HSC.
The consultation closes on 26 February 2025 and details on how to respond can be found here.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
On behalf of the Board and staff at CPNI we write to wish you, your teams and your families a happy Christmas and to thank you and your teams most sincerely for the professionalism and dedication shown in the care of your patients during this year.
You and your teams have been right at the forefront of primary care delivering an ever expanding range of services to meet the needs of your patients, and that has to be commended.
The roll-out of new Pharmacy First Services such as Urinary Tract Infections and Sore Throat Test and Treat, as well as the imminent launch of the pilot Shingles service demonstrate the agility, commitment and clinical expertise available across the network of pharmacies in Northern Ireland.
Challenges remain, whether they be funding, workload, medicine supply, workforce or regulatory related and CPNI will continue to make representations to the Health Minister and officials as we seek to resolve these in 2025.
For now, as you approach the final few days before the Christmas break we wish you a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and New Year period with your families and friends.
With best wishes for 2025.
MARIE SMITH MPSNI Chair
GERARD F GREENE FPSNI Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for December 2024:
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Alendronic acid 70mg/100ml oral solution unit dose sugar free
4
£28.78
Alfuzosin 2.5mg tablets
60
£3.80
Alverine 60mg capsules
100
£4.28
Amitriptyline 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
150
£21.80
Aqueous cream
100
£1.03
Bromocriptine 2.5mg tablets
30
£66.37
Cefalexin 500mg capsules
21
£3.71
Cefalexin 500mg tablets
21
£3.15
Clomipramine 50mg capsules
28
£8.11
Clotrimazole 500mg pessary and Clotrimazole 2% cream
For the attention of contractors participating in the Pharmacy First Pilot Service for Treatment of Shingles
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued correspondence regarding the Pharmacy First Shingles Pilot 2025.
SUMMARY
The Pharmacy First Pilot Service for Shingles will begin on 6 January 2025 and will be offered until 31 March 2025.
Contractors selected to take part in the pilot who meet the service specification can offer the service once they submit an electronic contract to SPPG.
The electronic contract must be completed by Friday 27 December 2024.
There is no requirement to return a signed hard copy of the contract.
SPPG provided live training via ECHO on 17 December 2024, and this is available on the ECHO Moodle site for those who were unable to attend the live session.
Resources will be available to view on the BSO website and will include:
Service specification
PGDs
Consultation form
Monthly claim form
NPA template SOP
Pharmacies can promote the service on social media platforms using BSO resources, and posters will be provided by SPPG to display in the pharmacy.
The fees payable to pharmacy contractors for this service are:
A one off service set-up payment of £200 per pharmacy contractor
A consultation fee of £25 per consultation
The cost of medicines supplied will be reimbursed on submission of prescriptions or pharmacy vouchers to BSO for payment.
ACTION
Contractors providing the Pharmacy First Pilot Service for Singles are asked to read the updated SPPG correspondence and share with relevant pharmacy team members.
Any queries regarding this letter can be directed to your SPPG Pharmacy Advisor.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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