Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
SPPG issued correspondence on 25 May 2023 providing an update on the Pharmacy First for Emergency Hormonal Contraception Service.

SUMMARY

Contractors will note:

Service activity:

  • The Pharmacy First Service for EHC service has been available from community pharmacies across Northern Ireland since July 2022.
  • There are currently 404 pharmacies contracted to provide the service.
  • Details of these pharmacies are available on the interactive map which has been shared widely with PHA, Trust, GP, OOH colleagues and the general public.
  • More than 12,000 consultations have been undertaken so far through the service.

Pharmacies who have not yet provided the service are asked to note:

  • It is important that all contracted pharmacies are able to provide the service. If you do not wish to be a contracted provider please contact your local SPPG office and ask for your pharmacy to be removed. 
  • Consider promoting the service on your social media platforms and contact your local GP practices to let them know you provide the service.

Service monitoring:

  • As part of monitoring for this service contractors may be asked to submit records by secure email.
  • Completed consultation forms and associated Fraser Competency forms, where applicable, should be returned within 14 days of the request.
  • While SPPG have confirmed that records do not need to be anonymised if sent to SPPG offices via the pharmacy’s secure HSC email account, contractors may wish to consider anonymising patient identifiable information prior to sending and can discuss this with their SPPG pharmacy adviser.

Promotion:

  • Twitter and Instagram resources are available on the BSO website to assist with social media promotion.
  • Please also retweet SPPG media posts.

Reminders:

  • Further printed supplies of the KYO patient leaflets can be ordered by contacting your local SPPG office.
  • Please encourage women and young people to complete the on-line survey following their consultation using the QR code.

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Review the SPPG correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you have any queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

“My Waiting Times NI” Webpage

Contractors may wish to read more about a recently developed HSC webpage which aims to provide GPs, healthcare professionals and patients in Northern Ireland with access to the current average waiting times for outpatient assessments for elective care services within each Trust.  Further information is available here.

Northern Ireland Pharmacy Conference May 2023

The Northern Ireland Pharmacy Conference 2023 is taking place in the ICC Belfast on Wednesday 31st May.  Community pharmacists are invited to attend this free event and it is an opportunity to listen to, and interact with, pharmacy representatives across the region who will share their vision for the future of the pharmacy profession.  (Event flyer here)

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
Dear Colleague
The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for May 2023:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Aciclovir 800mg tablets35£4.60
Amiloride 5mg tablets28£13.15
Bisacodyl 5mg gastro-resistant tablets60£4.45
Buprenorphine 8mg sublingual tablets sugar free7£4.40
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension70£4.20
Co-amilofruse 2.5mg/20mg tablets28£4.60
Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules30£7.95
Enalapril 2.5mg tablets28£7.74
Pramipexole 88microgram tablets30£2.59
Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets50£7.16
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets28£1.91
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment30£25.92
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment60£39.45
Tizanidine 2mg tablets120£8.91

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 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 today, 25 May 2023, in relation to HSC Secure Email.

SUMMARY

Contractors will note:

  • The size of all Community Pharmacy HSC Secure Email mailboxes has been increased from 200KB to 2GB.
  • Contractors are asked to continue to review the content of their mailbox in order to move or delete emails that are no longer required.
  • SPPG communications that are issued to community pharmacies are also saved to sites including the BSO website, HSC website, NI Formulary website, and the Primary Care Intranet, all of which can be accessed through the Pharmacy Portal. 
  • A guide to help pharmacy contractors securely delete emails that are no longer required has been developed and enclosed with the SPPG letter.
  • Contractors are reminded to check their HSC secure email account at least once per day to ensure important communications are received.

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Review the SPPG correspondence and guidance and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you have any queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG issued correspondence today, 25 May 2023, in relation to ordering LFDs for the Pharmacy Collect Service.

SUMMARY

Contractors will note:

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Note the details in the correspondence and share with any relevant members of the pharmacy team.

Contractors should contact BSO Customer helpline 02895361301 in the first instance or their local SPPG Integrated Care office should they have any queries.  Contractors may also contact CPNI offices should they require assistance.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The second update of concessionary prices were granted today for May 2023:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Amoxicillin 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£3.42
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£3.50
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets28£1.56
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops3£3.99
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension70£5.38
Desogestrel 75microgram tablets84£3.45
Flecainide 100mg tablets60£4.22
Hydroxychloroquine 200mg tablets60£5.45
Ivabradine 2.5mg tablets56£49.00
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£29.98
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops2.5£2.08
Losartan 100mg / Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg tablets28£6.13
Nitrofurantoin 100mg tablets28£14.15
Nitrofurantoin 50mg tablets28£12.52
Omeprazole 10mg gastro-resistant capsules28£1.95
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free250£12.00
Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets30£3.40
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg tablets28£3.10
Pramipexole 180microgram tablets30£11.00
Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets56£30.90
Risperidone 500microgram tablets20£3.26
Sodium cromoglicate 2% eye drops13.5£3.10
Spironolactone 50mg tablets28£3.99
Terbinafine 1% cream30£3.78
Topiramate 100mg tablets60£17.90
Topiramate 50mg tablets60£18.25
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£8.20
Valaciclovir 500mg tablets10£20.59

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 new Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive