The Department of Health NI issued correspondence here dated 26 February 2025 relating to SSP079 (Estradot® 50mcg patches) extending the expiry date to Friday 21 March 2025.
BACKGROUND
SSPs made under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are an additional tool to manage and mitigate medicines shortages.
SSPs enable community pharmacists to supply specified medicines in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber – saving time for patients, pharmacists and prescribers.
Pharmacists should refer to the latest versions of the existing SSPs which are now available on the Business Services Organisation dedicated page on its website HERE.
Operational guidance on the implementation of SSPs in Northern Ireland can be found on the BSO website HERE.
ACTION
Contractors should:
Review the letter here dated 26 February 2025, and ensure that their dispensary teams are aware of the extension of the expiry date of SSP079 to Friday 21 March 2025, and are also aware of the specific details relating to this SSP; and
Note guidance relating to the decision pathways for SSPs; notification of GPs; the need for patient/carer agreement, and action to take when this is not given; professional judgement; and actions regarding unclear quantities.
Contractors are reminded of information issued by BSO ‘Serious Shortage Protocols: Submission Information for Contractors’ which can be accessed here.
Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required. CPNI colleagues are also available for assistance.
Kind regards
Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
Dear Contractor,
CPNI is keen to capture through a short contractor survey, the views of the community pharmacy network on a range of aspects including pharmacy services, staffing levels, IT provision, contractor experiences and future plans. The survey is available here.
I would encourage you to please complete this survey, as the results will provide valuable insights into the current community pharmacy landscape and will be used in an anonymised manner to brief MLAs at the upcoming Committee for Health meeting on Thursday 6th March 2025.
The questions relate specifically to the contractor perspective, so we would ask contractors to please submit a single response to the survey, irrespective of the number of contracts you may hold.
Please note: the survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete and consists of 25 questions which will appear as you proceed through the survey.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with CPNI offices if you need any further clarification or information.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for February 2025:
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Buprenorphine 8mg sublingual tablets sugar free
7
£4.98
Calcium and Ergocalciferol tablets
28
£6.82
Captopril 25mg tablets
56
£22.45
Clotrimazole 500mg pessary and Clotrimazole 2% cream
1
£6.30
Codeine 15mg/5ml linctus
200
£16.50
Diclofenac potassium 50mg tablets
28
£7.41
Lidocaine 2% cream
30
£3.81
Memantine 20mg tablets
28
£3.69
Mometasone 0.1% cream
30
£3.59
Oxybutynin 5mg tablets
56
£3.50
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets
112
£103.33
Prucalopride 2mg tablets
28
£10.94 (previously £10.00)
Riluzole 50mg tablets
56
£361.07
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 Medicine Shortage Reporter.
For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing the Autumn 2024/25 COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued an important update on 25 February 2025 regarding the Autumn 2024/25 COVID-19 CPVS programme.
SUMMARY
The Autumn 2024/25 COVID-19 CPVS programme is to finish on 28 February 2025 and providers are requested to not vaccinate eligible cohorts after this date.
Any residual Comirnaty (Pfizer) JN.1 COVID-19 stock should be disposed of after 28 February 2025 in the waste bins provided.
SPPG have requested the number of disposed COVID-19 stock to be logged on to the following MS forms link here to help with future vaccination programme planning.
The Autumn 2024/25 Flu vaccination service will continue until 31 March 2025.
The CMO letter published today contains details of the upcoming Spring COVID-19 programme including the eligible cohorts and the expected start date. Further information regarding this will be shared by SPPG in the coming days.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Read the SPPG correspondence issued on 25 February 2025 regarding the Autumn 2024/25 COVID-19 vaccination programme and share with all relevant staff members.
Note the COVID-19 Autumn 2024/25 programme end date of 28 February 2025.
CPNI is keen to capture through a short contractor survey, the views of the community pharmacy network on a range of aspects including pharmacy services, staffing levels, IT provision, contractor experiences and future plans. The survey is available here.
I would encourage you to please complete this survey, as the results will provide valuable insights into the current community pharmacy landscape and will be used in an anonymised manner to brief MLAs at the upcoming Committee for Health meeting on Thursday 6th March 2025.
The questions relate specifically to the contractor perspective, so we would ask contractors to please submit a single response to the survey, irrespective of the number of contracts you may hold.
The return date for the survey is Wednesday 26th February 2025. Please note: the survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete and consists of 25 questions which will appear as you proceed through the survey.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with CPNI offices if you need any further clarification or information.
Kind regards,
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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