Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

The purpose of this correspondence is to inform community pharmacies of the following:

  1. An update to both the DoH Vaccine Protocol and the COVID-CPVS PGD for the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine in light of recent JCVI advice and updates to the Green Book.
  2. The addition of an edit function to the Vaccine Management System (VMS). 

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

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.

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague

The following concessionary prices have been granted for May 2021:

DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Baclofen 10mg tablets84£3.60
Donepezil 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free28£83.89
Etoricoxib 120mg tablets28£15.75
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets28£11.05
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets28£9.92
Gentamicin 0.3% ear/eye drops10ml£11.92
Ivabradine 5mg tablets56£8.30
Ivabradine 7.5mg tablets56£7.33
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£4.44
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets56£4.20
Methadone 5mg tablets28£5.50
Pregabalin 25mg capsules56£3.60
Repaglinide 2mg tablets90£9.09
Tolbutamide 500mg tablets28£13.31

This is the final update of concessionary prices for May 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.

Kinds regards – stay safe – Gareth

SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

From today, individuals aged 18 to 24, (DOB between 01/08/1996 and 31/07/2003) can be vaccinated through the community pharmacy service (see cohort 13 in Appendix 1).

JCVI guidance issued on 7 April 2021 advised that it is preferable for adults aged <30 years without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, to be offered an alternative COVID-19 vaccine, if available.

In light of the limited number of appointments available each week in Trust vaccination centres for patients seeking first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the DoH have clarified that from today individuals aged 18 to 24 years who wish to make an informed decision to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine can be vaccinated through the community pharmacy service.

The correspondence also gives advice regarding vaccination in pregnancy. For unvaccinated pregnant individuals Pfizer and Moderna are the preferred COVID-19 vaccines therefore these individuals should be referred to Trust sites.

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
The second campaign of 2020/2021, ‘Vaccinations‘, has now finished. As per correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB and Stephen Wilson, Assistant Director of Communications and Knowledge Management, PHA. 22 April 2021, and contractor update on 23 April 2021 all  pharmacies are required to complete an online evaluation survey.

 Renewed thanks to those who have already completed this survey, you do not need to do anything further. 

 It is vital that all pharmacies contracted to provide “Living Well” submit their online evaluation survey after each campaign as it allows HSCB to collate data to demonstrate the value and impact of the service to other sectors. Data also supports future commissioning and service development. 

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

Community pharmacies now have access to a dedicated team at the BSO Service Desk Support to log calls regarding VMS issues and service requests. 

Pharmacies can log calls directly with BSO Service Desk Support by emailing service.desk@hscni.net from the pharmacy secure email with subject heading Pharmacy VMS. 

Pharmacies should include a named contact and contact number in the initial email. 

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist