Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for June 2023:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Amisulpride 50mg tablets60£12.34
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets28£1.56
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops5£7.57
Chlorpromazine 100mg tablets28£24.95
Chlorpromazine 25mg tablets28£23.76
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension70£5.27
Clotrimazole 1% cream50£3.99
Enalapril 2.5mg tablets28£8.04
Gabapentin 600mg tablets100£17.74
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules30£12.25
Itraconazole 100mg capsules15£11.50
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops2.5£2.24
Losartan 100mg tablets28£1.33
Metoprolol 50mg tablets28£2.60
Montelukast 10mg tablets28£1.50
Ondansetron 4mg tablets10£7.10
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£12.00
Pizotifen 1.5mg tablets28£2.09
Quetiapine 25mg tablets60£1.54
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets12£6.70
Spironolactone 50mg tablets28£3.81
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets60£12.06
Valaciclovir 500mg tablets10£20.59
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free6£20.69

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Note: Brinzolamide 10mg/ml eye drops 5ml price correction: June concessionary price £4.48

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG issued correspondence on Tuesday 20th June inviting community pharmacy representatives to participate in a collaborative workshop focusing on reducing the prescribing of high dose opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain.

Summary

  • In 2020, the Minister for Health launched the Transforming Medication Safety in Northern Ireland (TMSNI) strategy in response to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Third Global Patient Safety Challenge ‘Medication without Harm’. 
  • One of the key areas of work within the TMSNI strategy is to undertake a targeted improvement programme with the aim of reducing preventable harm associated with a number of high-risk medicines, including opioid analgesics.
  • This improvement programme will focus on opioid prescribing in chronic non-cancer pain.
  • In order to define this area of focus further, an initial Medication Safety Opioid Collaborative workshop will be held on Friday 4th August 2023, 9.30am-3pm at Riddel Hall (CR1 & CR2), 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5EE.
  • The workshop will provide an opportunity for key stakeholders from both primary and secondary care to discuss opioid prescribing, share some examples of best practice and consider next steps for the QI programme.
  • Those who wish to attend the workshop can register via this link by 5pm on Monday 17th July 2023.
  • CPNI have provided feedback to TMSNI that community pharmacy representatives will find it challenging to attend an in-person workshop during pharmacy opening hours. An online / evening event is being considered and CPNI will update the network if further dates or times are added.

Action

Contractors should:

  • Read the correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
  • Register by 5pm on Monday 17th July for those who wish to attend workshop.
  • In the event that it is not possible to attend, contact CPNI to raise any specific points or suggestions on this topic which you would like to have raised on your behalf.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
SPPG issued COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 10 on 20 June 2023.  Earlier updates can be viewed here:

COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 1
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 2
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 3
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 4
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 5
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 6
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 7
COVID-19 Spring Booster 2023 Update 9*

* Note: No update 8 was issued.

SUMMARY

Update 10 informs CPVS contractors:

  • The COVID-19 vaccine (Adults) PGD has been updated and is valid from 16 June 2023.
  • Version 02.00 is available on Primary Care Intranet and BSO – Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service webpages.
  • The PGD was updated to allow some primary vaccinations to take place after 30 June 2023 as per DHNI letter. This change is detailed in the PGD change history on page 3.

ACTION

Contractors providing the CPVS are asked to:

  • Review CPVS Update 10, and the previous updates (1-9 linked above) if not already reviewed.
  • Ensure that you are working to the most up to date version of the PGD and that it has been internally authorised.

Should you have further queries please contact CPNI offices or a member of the SPPG vaccination team.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The police cybercrime unit has advised CPNI of a phishing campaign detected in Northern Ireland recently.

Details

The police indicate that the phishing emails contain similar links structured as:

google.co.uk/amp/s/[sendercompany name]notion.site/[sender company name – alphanumeric string]

Clicking the link then redirects the user to a spoofed Microsoft ‘Sign In’ page looking to capture and compromise credentials.

Similar to previous campaigns, attackers exploit the compromised account by sending phishing emails to contacts within the victims email account.

Action

Contractors are advised to:

(a)  Inform staff of these reported incidents;
(b)  Note the advice and guidance given on the CPNI website cyber security page (here) in respect of steps you can take to protect your data and businesses; and
(c)  Report any incidents of email compromise to www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Contractors and their IT support will have their own internal procedures to follow when a system is compromised, and the police would encourage users to report any such incident, secure the account and notify any interested parties to help minimise the risk of further compromises.

Contractors are also reminded that the storage and back up of patient sensitive data and any amendments to your systems should only be carried out in line with advice from your IT or email supplier, PMR system provider and in line with Data Protection legislation.

CPNI colleagues will continue to keep you updated on these matters.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Contractor
DHSC and MHRA have updated the list of medicines which, because they are needed for UK patients, cannot be exported from the UK or hoarded.

The following have been added to the list of medicines:

16 June 2023

  • Semaglutide, all strengths, tablets; Dulaglutide, all strengths, solution for injection; Exenatide, all strengths, solution for injection; Liraglutide, 6mg/ml, solution for injection; Insulin degludec + Liraglutide, 100units/ml + 3.6mg/ml, solution for injection.

24 May 2023

  • Progesterone, 100mg oral capsules.

The updated list can be accessed here.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to:

  • ensure their team is aware of the updated list where appropriate.

CPNI colleagues are available for further advice.

Kind 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 the 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