Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

Shortages of medicines are becoming an increasingly frequent issue that can hinder pharmacy teams’ efforts to dispense medicines in a timely manner. CPNI is aware of the impact that current supply problems are having on pharmacy teams’ workload and about the potential impact on their patients.

Please continue to report using CPNI’s online reporting form:

  • any medicine shortages or
  • a medicine unavailable to purchase from your supplier(s) at or below the Drug Tariff listed price

The CPNI team can then build an evidence base of issues affecting community pharmacies and ultimately patients, enabling CPNI to liaise accordingly with the Department of Health NI (DHNI).

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) produces a monthly update of shortages for primary and secondary care, this can be found on the Primary Care Intranet > Pharmacy and Medicines Management > DHSC Monthly Bulletin. A dedicated shortages webpage can be found on the BSO website here.

In some circumstances, where a shortage of a medicine is severe, pharmacists may be able to follow a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) issued by DHNI to provide patients with an alternative product or quantity to their original prescribed treatment; but in other cases, they may need to refer a patient back to their prescriber to find an alternative product to ensure they receive treatment as quickly as possible. Click here to view the latest information on SSPs.

CPNI has produced the following materials to help contractors explain to patients the ongoing matter of medicine shortages, which your pharmacy team(s) may find useful.

  1. CPNI Medicines Poster – Information on medicines supply for patients
  2. CPNI Medicines Factsheet – Information on medicines supply for patients

ACTION

  • Contractors are advised to bring this to the attention of the pharmacy team members involved in the ordering and purchasing of medicines for your pharmacy(-ies).

If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Officer and Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • The spring booster was intended to end May 2022. This was extended to include all those who turned 75 years of age on or by the 30 June 2022.
  • This correspondence confirms that any community pharmacies who need to continue to vaccinate in June 2022 should proceed and claim the normal item of service fee for the vaccinations administered.
  • In addition, for those people who were eligible for the spring booster, they will remain eligible to receive the spring booster after the 30 June 2022.
  • Should someone in this category seek the spring booster after the 30 June 2022 they should be directed to a Trust led clinic or a participating community pharmacy where the vaccinator should consider the personal circumstances of that individual.
  • The individual seeking vaccination should be advised that if they receive their spring booster dose over the period July to September 2022 it is likely to delay when they would become eligible for the expected autumn booster.
  • Anyone who turns 75 years of age from the 1 July 2022 onwards will not be eligible for the spring booster.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the COVID-19 Spring Booster Programme are asked to review the attached correspondence.
  • If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
  • If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • As of 13 June 2022, 82.8% of the Care Home resident population has been vaccinated.  10,841 Spring Boosters have been administered by Community Pharmacy within the Care Homes.
  • From 16 June 2022, any booster vaccinations for missed residents who require vaccination, will be administered by the Trust vaccination teams.
  • As part of the handover to trusts, the SPPG pharmacy team will continue to liaise with pharmacies, trust teams and PHA to ensure any individual handover queries are addressed and facilitated.
  • Community Pharmacy teams can continue to vaccinate the other cohorts of patients included within the Spring Booster programme as outlined HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the COVID-19 Spring Booster Programme in Care Homes are asked to review the attached correspondence.
  • CPVS contractors are asked to input any final records or corrections onto VMS including coding the Care Home with the RQIA code.
  • If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
  • If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from SPPG Pharmacy & Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

  • The contract for Pharmacy Collect NI has been extended to 31 March 2023.
  • Eligibility to collect free Lateral Flow Tests may change according to the latest public health guidance and advice.  The up-to-date list of specified groups can be found HERE.
  • Community pharmacies may order one carton per pharmacy per day (six per week) from Alliance Healthcare.
  • Alliance will be delivering one extra box of stock to all contractors participating in the service w/c 13 June 2022.  This will be sent as a one-off exercise.
  • Community pharmacies that wish to sell Lateral Flow Tests to people who are not eligible for free supply under Pharmacy Collect NI, can view tests from the approved list which can be found HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the provision of the Pharmacy Collect NI service are advised to review the attached correspondence.
  • If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
  • If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

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.

BSO ALERTS

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) 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, pricing and staffing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter and Situation Reporter.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive, Public Health Agency (PHA).

SUMMARY

  • Moderna have advised the PHA that they no longer endorse an extension to post-thaw expiry date of Spikevax® vaccines from 30 to 60 days.
  • Therefore, the PHA have advised community pharmacies with remaining stock of Spikevax® vaccines to use stock with the 30-day post-thaw expiry date annotated on the vial by Movianto and continue to store the vaccine between 2-8°C.
  • The PHA have also noted that expired stock should be segregated within a separate area of the refrigerator.

ACTION

As per the PHA correspondence, contractors are advised to:

  • Check Spikevax® stock and ensure all vaccines are used within the 30-day post-thaw expiry date (annotated on the vial by Movianto).
  • Contact pha.immunisation@hscni.net should you have any queries in relation to this update.
  • Contact the CPNI office if you have any further queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive