Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
The following concessionary prices have been granted for August 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Enalapril 5mg tablets28£6.99
Orlistat 120mg capsules84£21.99
Pregabalin 25mg capsules56£2.76
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets112£15.72
Timolol 0.25% eye drops5ml£5.00
Timolol 0.5% eye drops5ml£3.94

This is the final update of concessionary prices for August 2021.

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

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

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
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Final Opportunity To Sign-up for Service 

Dear Colleague
Further to previous correspondence HERE sent on 13 August 2021.

Contractors are advised to:

  1. Review the attached correspondence, service specification, and additional clinical guidance.
  2. The closing date to sign up for this service was Friday 20 August 2021, however, there is a final opportunity to sign-up for service with an absolute deadline of Friday 27 August 2021. Return a signed copy of this contract via email to your local HSCB office if you wish to provide this service.
  3. If you have any queries in relation to this service please contact: Michelle McCourt (E) michelle.mccourt@hscni.net (T) 028 9536 2789 or Louise Hynes (E) louise.hynes@hscni.net (T) 028 9536 2788.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE

Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find attached HERE correspondence from Prof. Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • As of 20 August 2021, fully vaccinated Health and Social Care workers will be permitted to attend work under the new measures pertaining to the general population as outlined HERE. Employers no longer need to demonstrate that the service is in extreme circumstances to ask employees to return to work.
  • Fully vaccinated staff who are identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case will no longer be expected to isolate and can to return to work in most circumstances. However, it is important that safeguards (found HERE and detailed below) are implemented for them do so safely:
    • The staff member has had two doses of an approved vaccine, and is at least two weeks (14 days) post their second vaccination at the point of exposure.
    • A negative PCR test prior to returning to their workplace. Staff should not attend work while awaiting the PCR test result. A subsequent PCR test should also be undertaken at day 8 following exposure to the case of COVID-19.
    • Provision of subsequent, daily negative LFD antigen tests for a minimum of 10 days following their last contact with the case each day before commencing a shift.
    • LFD test results should be reported to Test and Trace via the web portal and to their duty manager or an identified senior staff member). Any close contact who has a positive LFD test should self-isolate and arrange a PCR test.
    • If a staff member has had a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past 90 days, they should not have a PCR test and should only undertake daily LFD antigen tests (as above).
    • The staff member is and remains asymptomatic.
    • Continued use of IPC measures, in line with the current UK IPC guidance and appropriate to the service setting to which the staff member is returning.
    • The staff member does not have ongoing contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19, for example, they do not live with them. The staff member should remain off until 10 days have elapsed following exposure to a household contact.
    • The staff member should be given information about COVID-19 symptoms and asked to self-check for symptoms every day. If the staff member develops any COVID-19 symptoms they should stay at home and immediately arrange a PCR test.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  1. Review the attached correspondence.
  2. Implement safeguards (found HERE) to ensure a fully vaccinated staff who are identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case can return to work safely.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague
The following concessionary prices have been granted for August 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets28£7.29
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£12.19
Ivabradine 7.5mg tablets56£12.73
Lercanidipine 10mg tablets28£4.40
Nitrofurantoin 50mg capsules30£11.25
Olmesartan medoxomil 40mg tablets28£9.95
Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets30£2.40
Pioglitazone 30mg tablets28£2.00
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets112£17.19
Sodium fluoride 0.05% mouthwash sugar free250ml£1.72
Sulpiride 200mg tablets30£5.85

This is the second update of concessionary prices for August 2021.

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

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

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
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS 

  • Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find attached HERE correspondence from HSCB Pharmacy & Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

  • The ‘Big Jab‘ Weekend takes place 21-22 August 2021 which will provide a final opportunity for anyone 18 and over to get their first COVID-19 jab at a mass vaccination centre.
  • This is also an opportunity to publicise the Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service as an accessible easy route to COVID-19 vaccination by appointment. 
  • The Department of Health issued a press release on 17 August 2021 promoting the Big Jab Weekend, which also encouraged members of the public who are over 18 to make an appointment with community pharmacies providing the Moderna vaccine.
  • The PHA is running a mass media campaign and has developed a number of campaign resources to promote the ‘Big Jab‘ Weekend.
  • Please visit COVID-19 vaccination campaign resources HERE to access the extensive range of resources that you can use to promote COVID-19 vaccinations and encourage uptake in your local area.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  • Review the attached correspondence.
  • Access the COVID-19 vaccination campaign resources to promote uptake in your area.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY

Governance and Support Pharmacist