Recently SPPG issued correspondence regarding the Pharmacy First Service for uncomplicated UTIs in women aged 16-64 years.
SUMMARY
The correspondence details that 451 pharmacies in NI are contracted to provide the UTI service, and since launch in November over 4000 patients have benefited from the service. SPPG have discussed with CPNI that 39% of contracted pharmacies have not yet submitted a return for any activity undertaken.
ACTION
For those pharmacies that are providing the UTI service but have yet to submit a monthly claim form, can access the claim form on the BSO website here. This should be emailed each month to the local integrated care office for processing and payment of service fees.
For those pharmacies who no longer wish to be contracted to provide the UTI service, please contact your local SPPG office.
If any pharmacists require additional help or support with implementing the Pharmacy First UTI service, please contact chunter@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.
Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the CPNI team should you have any queries.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor,
You will be aware that Community Pharmacy is in an unprecedented financial crisis.
Over recent weeks and months, CPNI has been in intensive discussions with the Health Minister and elected representatives to outline the financial challenges being faced by our sector – and the implications for patients and pharmacy services.
We are aware of the extremely difficult financial challenges of managing payments to wholesale suppliers. We know that there are increasing occasions when medicines cannot be supplied because cash flow is so restricted that payment to wholesalers cannot be made. We understand the frustration and despondency this is causing in the sector, and we know how diligently pharmacy contractors are working to look after the needs of their local community patients and customers.
Political Lobbying Campaign
We have met with the Health Minister and with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health on a number of occasions, and we have very recently briefed the Health Committee, and continue to engage with elected representatives. Many pharmacy contractors have independently written to the Minister, Health Committee members and civil servants to share their personal stories and to make a direct appeal for change. This has been a very important element of the lobbying campaign.
Changes we are calling for:
Urgent stabilisation of community pharmacy funding in the short-term and a re-set of community pharmacy funding.
Putting in place a Northern Ireland specific Drug Tariff that reflects Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and that will assure sustainable service provision and medicine supply to patients going forward.
Investment in the community pharmacy network to further extend the range of community pharmacy services, so that we can continue to play a transformative role in helping to keep patients closer to home, for longer, and reducing pressures on general practice, out-of-hours, and secondary care.
Public Awareness Campaign
We are now putting this campaign in front of community pharmacy patients to explain why the current financial pressures mean that medicine supplies and pharmacy services cannot be guaranteed.
We rely on patients’ support, and we are asking for their understanding while this crisis is resolved. We want patients to know that their local community pharmacy is doing its best and that this problem is affecting the whole community pharmacy sector in Northern Ireland.
In sharing this with patients, we are also seeking their support for our campaign. Pharmacies will receive campaign resource packs with information and materials which we hope will help you to create awareness and provide ways that patients and customers can give their support.
Campaign resource packs will contain:
Posters for your window and in-store.
Petition sheets for the counter. These simply require the patient or customer’s name, postcode and a signature – no further address or contact details are required. Please encourage patients and customers to sign the petition.
A bundle of small flyers outlining the campaign and urging individuals to contact their local elected representatives. These feature a QR code which can be scanned with a smartphone camera, to link to a page where they will find the contact details for their local politician. The flyer will also provide suggested text for their correspondence.
This campaign will also be supported by social media assets which will be shared with you directly.
There is widespread political support for the role of community pharmacy services and it is important that the public voice is loud and clear when the 2024-25 Northern Ireland budget is being allocated in the coming weeks.
Campaign resource packs will be arriving by post over the course of this week.
I would encourage you to make pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.
SPPG have issued correspondence relating to the COVID-19 Spring Booster Vaccination Service 8th April 2024.
SUMMARY
SPPG have issued a reminder to contractors who intend on providing the Spring COVID-19 vaccination programme to Care Homes to complete the online pairing survey by 15th April 2024.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to read the correspondence issued by SPPG 8th April 2024 regarding Care Home pairings for the Spring vaccination programme.
Those pharmacies that intend on vaccinating Care Homes are asked to complete the online pairing survey by 15th April 2024.
Each contracted pharmacy should select all care home(s) for which they will be paired with.
Correspondence has been issued by SPPG 4th April 2024 regarding Community Pharmacy Adherence Support.
SUMMARY
Since 1st May 2023 the Drug Tariff has been changed so that instalment dispensing is an exception facility for use only where the prescriber considers it essential to prevent abuse or misuse.
As public funding is being utilised to support community pharmacies in meeting their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), SPPG are requesting information on the number of patients currently being provided with adherence support.
Adherence support includes provision of a Monitored Dosage System (MDS), pill crushers, reminder charts/alarms, or dexterity aids.
All patients receiving adherence support should be included with the following exceptions:
Patients who reside in Care Homes whose medicines are provided via MDS.
Patients with an instalment endorsement to prevent misuse or abuse of their medicines i.e. dispensing in skillets for daily or weekly patients. Please note: where these patients receive a form of adherence support such as MDS, they should be included on your list. There are instances where a patient receives both instalment dispensing and adherence support.
Patients who do not require support as a reasonable adjustment under DDA but for whom the pharmacy still provide adherence support e.g. requested for convenience.
The quarterly adherence return which was previously required will now be stood down.
SPPG have requested this information to be submitted by Friday 19th April 2024 using the following link.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG 4th April 2024 regarding Community Pharmacy Adherence Support and share with relevant team members.
SPPG are requesting information on the number of patients currently being provided with adherence support using the following link by Friday 19th April 2024. Please note the exceptions listed in the correspondence.
The quarterly adherence return will now be stood down and is no longer required.
Guidance is available which provides information to community pharmacies in relation to their statutory requirements under DDA
For any further information please contact CPNI offices.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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