| Dear Contractor, |
| CPNI is asking those pharmacies involved in rota service to complete this data collection form. Please return the form via email to the CPNI office (info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk) each time you complete a rota session. CPNI will use the information gathered to help inform rota services going forward. Your assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated. |
Kind Regards,
| Dear Contractor, |
| As you will be aware, CPNI have been liaising with SPPG on rota provision across Northern Ireland. As part of the review, we are looking at the funding for providing the rota service. SPPG have asked CPNI to gather evidence to support their funding bids. If you are involved in rota, CPNI is asking that you complete this SURVEY by 5pm on Friday 9th August. Any information you provide will only be shared with SPPG in a collated way so that no contractor would be identifiable. Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office if you require any further information. |
Yours sincerely,
| Dear Contractor |
| To enable CPNI to represent the community pharmacy sector in the planning underway to introduce the regulation and registration of technicians in Northern Ireland, CPNI is asking all pharmacy contractors to complete our 2024 Community Pharmacy Technician Workforce Survey. The closing date for the survey has been extended to Friday 9 August 2024. To assist contractors, CPNI has developed an 18 minute recorded presentation which provides the background to technician registration, the work carried out to date, the purpose of the CPNI survey and some important points to consider when providing your responses. |
SUMMARY
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Please note that it is important that Contractors complete this survey as the findings will be crucial for CPNI in advocating for equitable resourcing to support the technician workforce in the community sector, as required to sustain the community pharmacy workforce going forward.
Should you have any queries, please contact a member of the team or email your query to Ennis.
Kind regards
| Dear Colleague, |
| The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for July 2024: |
| Drug | Pack Size | Concessionary Price |
| Agomelatine 25mg tablets | 28 | £13.50 |
| Amisulpride 200mg tablets | 60 | £28.42 |
| Betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream | 30 | £2.57 |
| Cabergoline 500microgram tablets | 8 | £15.92 |
| Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension | 70 | £9.11 |
| Codeine 30mg tablets | 28 | £1.31 |
| Codeine 30mg tablets | 100 | £4.69 |
| Erythromycin 250mg gastro-resistant tablets | 28 | £21.00 |
| Famotidine 20mg tablets | 28 | £17.76 |
| Famotidine 40mg tablets | 28 | £28.90 |
| Isotretinoin 20mg capsules | 30 | £10.61 |
| Ketoconazole 2% shampoo | 120 | £23.95 |
| Lacosamide 200mg tablets | 56 | £10.63 |
| Lofepramine 70mg tablets | 56 | £23.90 |
| Losartan 12.5mg tablets | 28 | £2.98 |
| Metformin 500mg modified-release tablets | 56 | £2.11 |
| Natfidrofuryl 100mg capsules | 84 | £10.45 |
| Nicorandil 20mg tablets | 60 | £15.04 |
| Olanzapine 20mg tablets | 28 | £7.99 |
| Oxytetracycline 250mg tablets | 28 | £3.70 |
| Pregabalin 150mg capsules | 56 | £2.53 |
| Pregabalin 200mg capsules | 84 | £4.38 |
| Primidone 250mg tablets | 100 | £83.16 |
| Quetiapine 100mg tablets | 60 | £16.04 |
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
Dear Contractor
The Department of Health NI has issued correspondence (dated 17 July 2024) in relation to nine serious shortage protocols (SSPs) which have been issued for quetiapine 150mg, 200mg and 300mg immediate release tablets (SSP062 to SSP070 inclusive). These SSPs are introduced with immediate effect and expire on Friday 13 September 2024.
Overview
Depending on the prescribed quantity of the affected quetiapine immediate release tablet, the protocols allow pharmacists to either supply a reduced quantity of the same quetiapine immediate release tablet, or substitute with an alternative strength, or provide a reduced quantity of a specific alternative product. For each SSP, DHSC has included specific patients counselling points which must be taken into account when deciding whether supply in accordance with an SSP is suitable for a patient. Pharmacists will need to call on their clinical expertise to determine which SSP is the most appropriate to use in each scenario and to counsel patients on any changes made to their treatment and what it means for their medicine regimen.
Only one SSP can be used against an individual prescription. Therefore, in each scenario, the pharmacist will need to consider both the pharmacy’s stock levels of different quetiapine immediate release tablets strengths and the patient’s circumstances before determining which of the SSPs is most appropriate to use. Depending on the SSP used, the change in supply may require additional counselling to ensure that the patient is confident to take their medication.
These are detailed SSPs, and further important information is included within the covering letter and within the specific SSPs which can be accessed via this link: https://bso.hscni.net/directorates/operations/family-practitioner-services/pharmacy/contractor-information/drug-tariff-and-related-materials/serious-shortage-protocols-ssps/
Action
Contractors should:
Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required.
CPNI colleagues are also available for advice.
Regards,
Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs
| This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams. |
CPNI ALERTS
DOH(NI) ALERTS
BSO ALERTS
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
