For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing the Spring 2025 COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued correspondence on 12 March 2025 relating to the COVID-19 Spring 2025 Vaccination Programme.
SUMMARY
The Spring 2025 vaccination programme will officially begin on 07April 2025 and SPPG is offering all contractors the opportunity to participate in this service.
Contractors intending on participating in the Spring 2025 vaccination service should complete the contract here by Monday 31 March 2025. Full details of the contract can be viewed within the correspondence.
Those contractors who wish to offer the service to local residential care homes should initiate a pairing arrangement with the care homes they plan to vaccinate.
The Care Home pairing should be completed before 5pm on Friday 21 March 2025 and the form can be accessed here.
Community pharmacies will offer the COVID-19 Spring 2025 vaccine to the following eligible cohorts:
All residents in a care home registered with the RQIA.
Aged 75 years or older.
Immunosuppressed patients aged 18 to 74 years (as defined in table 3 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book).
The service specification, PGDS, and protocols will be available soon on the BSO website here.
Contractors can only proceed with the service on 7 April 2025 if all of the following are in place:
a legal PGD/protocol is in place and has been authorised.
All service documentation has been completed including a signed contract.
Vaccine stock has been received.
Orders for COVID-19 Comirnaty JN.1 can be placed with Movianto from 31 March 2025. Pharmacies are requested to only order quantities of vaccines to cover 2 weeks anticipated activity.
All patients vaccinated as part of the CPVS must be recorded on to the VMS. The vaccination record should be recorded ideally at the time of administration, and at the latest within 24 hours (or by the next available working day).
Providers that do not have access to VMS can contact Tom Coyle for assistance. Please note: it may take up to 10 working days to set up a new pharmacy access to VMS.
Information on remuneration is detailed within the correspondence, and fees payable will be processed by the BSO based on appropriate entry on VMS.
ACTION
Contractors should review the correspondence issued on 12 March 2025 and share this information with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
CPNI has received a letter dated 6 March 2025 from NICPLD, outlining that Department of Health funding will be made available to support community pharmacists to secure a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) for Independent Prescribing (IP) training.
SUMMARY
Department of Health funding of £1500 will be made available for up to 50 eligible DPPs who agree to support a community pharmacist to undertake IP training in Cohort 19 of NICPLDs IP training programme, commencing August 2025.
The DPP support scheme will launch on 19 March 2025.
The IP application deadline has been extended to 15 April 2025.
In advance of the launch, NICPLD will begin to compile a list of DPPs who are willing to support a community pharmacist under the scheme.
DPPs can be medical or non-medical prescribers (such as community pharmacist IPs) and must meet the DPP criteria outlined in the NICPLD letter.
Any prescriber who would like to express their interest to act as a DPP under the scheme can do so by completing the online form before 18 March 2025.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to note the information provided in the NICPLD letter, and share with relevant members of the team, including any community pharmacists considering IP training, and any existing community pharmacist IPs who may consider acting as a DPP under the support scheme.
Queries on the DPP support scheme can be sent to Nicpld-prescribing@qub.ac.uk. Alternatively, please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI team or email Ennis.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
CPNI wishes to make contractors aware of a number of updates in relation to Foundation Training Year (FTY) for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.
SUMMARY
FTY 2025/2026:
Pharmacy contractors who secured a 6-month FTY training grant for 2025/2026 will by now have made an offer of employment to a pharmacy student.
These contractors will have received an email from NICPLD in February asking them to confirm the student’s placement and complete the FTY provider declarations.
CPNI has been made aware that there are three pages of FTY provider declarations, which are more extensive than in previous years.
The revised declaration was not discussed with CPNI in advance of it being issued and we have requested a meeting with NICPLD to discuss some aspects contained within the declaration.
CPNI notes that a number of the declarations are based on aspects of the NICPLD FTY Framework.
NICPLD has indicated that contractors have up to 5 May 2025 to consider and return their FTY provider declarations, and have advised that queries can be directed to the NICPLD team at nicpld-fty@qub.ac.uk.
A revised FTY application timeline has been uploaded to the NICPLD website in light of delays arising from some FTY employers in confirming their nominated DPPs and ESs.
FTY 2026/2027:
Based on student numbers in the schools of Pharmacy in NI and those who apply from other parts of the UK, and given the cap of 200 funded FTY training placements, it is likely that not all students who wish to undertake FTY in NI in 2026/2027 will be able to secure a FTY place.
Discussions are ongoing between the Department of Health, NICPLD and pharmacy employer representatives to develop a joint recruitment, selection and admission process for 2026/2027, through a Task and Finish group.
Background information on the work of the Task and Finish group is provided in their letter to employers.
The Task and Finish group invited pharmacy employers to a Webinar in December 2024 to review options relating to a joint recruitment, selection and admission process for FTY 2026/2027. A paper outlining the options is available here.
Following an indication that option 3 would be adopted, CPNI wrote formally to the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer to ask that legal advice be sought in relation to the legality of a process whereby:
The Department will fund the training in a manner which creates disparity in pay and terms and conditions between community and hospital placements.
NICPLD will facilitate the recruitment, selection and admission of trainees, and individual employers will no longer be able to select their trainee.
Community pharmacies and hospital trusts will be required to act as the employer and provide a contract of employment to the trainee allocated to them.
On 25 February 2025, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer advised stakeholders, including CPNI, that Departmental legal advice indicates that the joint process will require the employers to give their explicit agreement to the terms of participation, to accept a student who is recruited through the process and to accept their obligations as an employer.
The Department has indicated that employers may wish to seek their own HR and legal advice prior to giving any agreement.
ACTION
Contractors involved in FTY 2025/2026 are advised to carefully review the FTY provider declarations prior to the submission deadline of 5 May 2025, and direct any queries to NICPLD.
Contractors considering involvement in FTY 2026/2027 are advised to carefully review all aspects of the programme and consider taking legal and/or HR advice before providing agreement to participate.
CPNI Board will be considering the issues contained in this Contractor Update at its March CPNI Board meeting later this week, with Contractors being updated accordingly thereafter.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI team or email Ennis.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.
Changes to the distribution of Creon® from 1 March 2025
Viatris UK has confirmed here, from 1 March 2025, all orders of Creon® preparations should be placed with Alliance Healthcare UK only.
Licensed Creon® preparations will no longer be available from other suppliers.
Contractors should update the wholesaler preference on their ordering system for all Creon® products.
Currently there are two active SSPs until 23 May 2025 for Creon® 10000 and Creon® 25000 gastro-resistant capsules, enabling community pharmacists in Northern Ireland to limit the quantity of these products supplied to a total equivalent of one month’s supply to ensure equity access of stock for patients.
Further information regarding SSPs can be found on the BSO website here.
Recognition of Excellence Awards
Nominations are open for this year’s Recognition of Excellence Awards. The national awards programme is exclusively for community pharmacy support staff, and it focuses on rewarding hard-working and dedicated individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to support their patients, pharmacies and communities. In previous years, local community pharmacy teams have been recipients of these awards.
Entries close on the 4th April 2025. Further information on the categories and how to enter is available here.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
CPNI has been liaising with BSO and DOH(NI) colleagues in relation to various issues that have been reported to us by contractors, and we can provide the following update:
Epiduo
CPNI recently made representation to SPPG to highlight that the only available pump packs of both adapalene 0.1% / benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel and adapalene 0.3% / benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel is a 60g pack size.
An interim solution for February 2025 prescriptions was communicated by BSO in a recent MPS.
This interim solution has been extended for March 2025 prescriptions.
Contractors are reminded that these prescriptions must be placed in the amended batch of your submission to ensure you are correctly reimbursed for dispensing the 60g pack.
The NIDT will not be updated to the 60g pump pack until April 2025 as detailed here.
Firmagon 80mg/120mg powder and solvent for solution for injection vials
After representation by CPNI regarding a sudden decrease in reimbursement price of Firmagon 80mg and 120mg vials in January 2025, SPPG agreed for the February 2025 prescription submission to reimburse the previously higher price as detailed here.
Due to the short notice in issuing the MPS, SPPG have since further agreed that contractors may submit retrospective invoices for any prescriptions that were purchased at the higher price that have already been submitted in the February 2025 submission.
Following CPNI representation to SPPG, the following products have been added to the Zero Discount List in the NIDT.
All Fresubin products will be allocated ZD status from February 2025 prescriptions onwards.
Nutulis Clear will be allocated ZD status from January 2025 prescriptions onwards.
Chloraprep 3ml Applicator
In January 2024, reports had been received from contractors that the price to purchase Chloraprep 3ml applicator (25 pack) had increased from £23.00 to £32.73.
CPNI raised this issue with BSO, and it was agreed to increase the reimbursement price to £32.73.
By way of update, CPNI can confirm the higher reimbursement price is continuing to be paid to contractors.
The ongoing supply of chloraprep 3ml applicators will continue to be reviewed by SPPG.
Drug Reimbursement Price Changes CPNI can confirm that the reimbursement prices for the following products have been re-determined. A retrospective adjustment has/will be made by BSO in the coming months.
Viridal Duo Starter Pack 10microgram powder and solvent for solution for injection cartridges with device pack size 2 (November 2024)
£20.13
£35.55
Viridal Duo Starter Pack 20microgram powder and solvent for solution for injection cartridges with device pack size 2 (November 2024)
£24.54
£35.55
Viridal Duo Starter Pack 40microgram powder and solvent for solution for injection cartridges with device pack size 2 (November 2024)
£29.83
£35.55
SPPG have confirmed that for:
Lithium carbonate (Priadel) 200mg and 400mg, Phlexy-Vits powder 7g sachets and Maxijul Super Soluble powder, the higher price was reimbursed for October 2024 prescriptions (paid at the end of November) so no adjustment is required.
Adjustments for Alprostadil (Viridal Duo) packs will be made with the March 2025 payment
Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our Medicine Shortage Reporter.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
For the Attention of Community Pharmacies Providing the Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) Service
Dear Colleague
SPPG have issued correspondence on 28 February 2025 here and on 7 March 2025 here regarding the community pharmacy OST service.
SUMMARY
The community pharmacy role in OST optimises compliance and minimises the risk of diversion of prescribed medication to the illicit market.
In 2023/24, more than 34K OST prescriptions were dispensed by over 150 community pharmacies in NI.
In order to enhance governance arrangements and ensure more timely payment of the retainer fee, SPPG and CPNI have agreed a service specification and a contract for the delivery of the OST service.
Resources are available to support the community pharmacists in their role as an OST provider here, and training is provided by NICPLD.
As some pharmacies may not be currently in a position of compliance with all aspects of the service specification, SPPG have developed a questionnaire to obtain feedback on areas where additional support may be required.
SPPG have requested the questionnaire to be completed by Friday 14 March 2025.
It is not necessary to return a signed contract at this time. Further correspondence will be issued in relation to completion of the contract.
For any contractors who have already returned a contract, this will be acknowledged by SPPG.
Going forward, pharmacies with a contract for OST service will provide a benchmark for service provision for future opportunities to further enhance the range of services that are complimentary to OST.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG on 28 February 2025 here and on 7 March 2025 here and share with all relevant team members.
Please contact Michael McCabe (michael.mccabe@hscni.net), Pharmacy Adviser if you have any further queries.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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