Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

We wrote to you on 11 December 2023 highlighting the UK-wide public consultation on Pharmacy Supervision which has been launched.  The consultation will end on 29 February 2024 and can be accessed using the following link.

The consultation sets out proposals to amend the Medicines Act 1968 and The Human Medicines Regulations 2012.  The proposals are to:

  • enable pharmacists to authorise pharmacy technicians to carry out, or supervise others carrying out, the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and supply of medicines;
  • allow pharmacy technicians to take primary responsibility for the preparation, assembly and dispensing of medicinal products in hospital aseptic facilities; and
  • enable pharmacists to authorise any member of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions in the absence of a pharmacist.

The first two proposals will not yet apply to Northern Ireland as Pharmacy Technicians are not currently a registered health profession here.  However, the Department of Health (NI) has established project structures to progress the regulation and registration of Pharmacy Technicians in Northern Ireland and make the necessary legislative changes to enable this.  Information on this project work can be found using the following link to the Pharmacy Technician Newsletter which will be updated by the Department on a quarterly basis.

The CPNI team is drafting a response to this consultation and is happy to take views from contractors (please send any comments to Ennis or myself at CPNI).  Contractors can also respond directly to the address given in the consultation documents.

The consultation closes on 29 February 2024.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted today for February 2024:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Atorvastatin 80mg tablets28£2.64
Azithromycin 250mg capsules6£4.67
Bimatoprost 300micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops3£4.55
Bumetanide 1mg tablets28£2.69
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets14£7.63
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets21£4.25
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets30£1.32
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets100£4.40
Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules5£5.56
Donepezil 5mg tablets28£1.85
Duloxetine 60mg gastro-resistant capsules28£3.65
Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules10£11.80
Haloperidol 1.5mg tablets28£3.68
Hydrocortisone 2.5% cream15£46.83
Irbesartan 300mg tablets28£1.42
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£11.03
Ivabradine 7.5mg tablets56£4.51
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£3.51
Lamotrigine 200mg tablets56£5.15
Lamotrigine 25mg tablets56£1.92
Lamotrigine 5mg dispersible tablets sugar free28£10.05
Mebeverine 200mg modified-release capsules60£6.59
Memantine 10mg/ml oral solution sugar free50£45.46
Memantine 20mg tablets28£1.61
Metformin 1g modified-release tablets56£2.88
Metformin 500mg modified-release tablets56£1.83
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£26.50
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets30£3.09
Metoprolol 50mg tablets28£3.75
Montelukast 10mg tablets28£2.20
Montelukast 5mg chewable tablets sugar free28£1.21
Piroxicam 0.5% gel60£1.83
Piroxicam 0.5% gel112£3.43
Quinine sulfate 300mg tablets28£3.94
Risperidone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free100£3.13
Simvastatin 80mg tablets28£1.61
Spironolactone 50mg tablets28£4.03

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 Contractor
CPVS Update 13 issued on 12th February relating to the vaccination service.

SUMMARY

  • SPPG have issued important information regarding community pharmacies providing Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination services.
  • From 12th February 2024, any community pharmacy vaccinator can contact their local HSC Trust Occupational Health Team for Hep B vaccination.
  • This service will provide pre-exposure schedule, titres, and 5 year booster as per JCVI guidance.

ACTION

  • Contractors should review the CPVS update and share the information with all staff acting in the role of  Influenza and/or COVID-19 vaccinators.
  • Those requiring Hep B vaccination should contact the relevant Trust as detailed within the update to book an appointment.

If you have any queries about the Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service (CPVS) please contact Greg Miller (greg.miller@hscni.net) or Grainne McMahon (Grainne.McMahon4@hscni.net).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
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

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Correspondence regarding the Living Well service has been issued by SPPG 8th February 2024 and can be accessed 
here.

SUMMARY

  • SPPG and PHA have issued an invite to community pharmacists that provide the Living Well service to participate in a focus group.
  • The focus group will give community pharmacists an opportunity to discuss what works well, what challenges are experienced, and to give suggestions for potential improvement to the service.

ACTION

  • Contractors who provide the Living Well Service should read the correspondence issued by SPPG 8th February 2024.
  • Those pharmacists who wish to be involved in the focus group on 22nd February 2024 should confirm their attendance by completing the Microsoft Form provided by SPPG by 20th February 2024.
  • Please share this information with all relevant team members.
  • For any queries in relation to the Living Well Community Pharmacy service, please contact Pharmacy Adviser, katie.blair@hscni.net.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

Contractors confirmed at last night’s contractor meeting that the funding difficulties are impacting on their ability to honour wholesaler commitments.

Contractors agreed that they would all write to the Health Minister, elected representatives and health service officials to advise that they are unable to pay medicine bills and that they cannot guarantee that medicines supply to patients will continue.

To assist you, a briefing is available here that provides:

  1. pointers for your letter and 
  2. the relevant contact email addresses for the political representatives and health service officials.

As mentioned at the contractor meeting Gordon’s chemists [here] and O’Kane’s Pharmacy Draperstown [here] have already written to officials and they are content that CPNI shares their letters with you for your reference.

The pointers in the briefing are provided to illustrate aspects that you can include/exclude as appropriate – your letter can be as short or long as you feel is appropriate.

Can I ask that office@communitypharmacyni.co.uk is copied in on the letter you send?

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices or your local CPNI representative should you require any additional information.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive