Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

As you will be aware, the COVID vaccination of community pharmacy teams in now progressing well and CPNI correspondence outlines how pharmacy staff can avail of the vaccination.

We would advise all staff availing of the vaccine to read the following leaflet:  ‘COVID-19 vaccination – protection for health and social care workers’ available here which describes the COVID-19 vaccination for health and social care workers, including HSC Trust employees, care home staff and domiciliary and primary care staff. The leaflet explains why it’s important to get your vaccine and includes information on potential side effects and what to do next.

Contractors and their team(s) should note the following:

Will the vaccine protect those I care for?

The evidence on whether COVID-19 vaccination reduces the chance of you passing on the virus is less clear. Most vaccines reduce the overall risk of infection, but some vaccinated people may get a mild infection or an infection with no symptoms and therefore be able to pass the virus on. It is highly likely that any infection in a vaccinated person will be less severe and that they will be infectious for a shorter period of time. We therefore expect that vaccinated health and social care staff will be less likely to pass infection to their friends and family and to the vulnerable people that they care for.

After I have had the vaccine, will I still need to follow all the infection prevention and control advice?

While two doses of the vaccine will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill, no vaccine is completely effective and it will take a few weeks for your body to build up protection.

So, you will still need to follow the guidance in your workplace, including wearing the correct personal protection equipment and taking part in any screening programmes.

To continue to protect yourself, your patients/residents, your family, friends and colleagues, you should follow the general advice at work, at home and when you are out and about:

• practise social distancing

• wear a face covering

• wash your hands carefully and frequently

• follow the current guidance

Yours sincerely

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

COVID CONTRACTORS UPDATE

#178 Monday 18 January 2021

CLICK HERE to see COVID HUB on CPNI Website

Dear Colleague

As you will be aware, the COVID vaccination of community pharmacy teams in now progressing well and CPNI correspondence outlines how pharmacy staff can avail of the vaccination.

We would advise all staff availing of the vaccine to read the following leaflet:  ‘COVID-19 vaccination – protection for health and social care workers’ available here which describes the COVID-19 vaccination for health and social care workers, including HSC Trust employees, care home staff and domiciliary and primary care staff. The leaflet explains why it’s important to get your vaccine and includes information on potential side effects and what to do next.

Contractors and their team(s) should note the following:

Will the vaccine protect those I care for?

The evidence on whether COVID-19 vaccination reduces the chance of you passing on the virus is less clear. Most vaccines reduce the overall risk of infection, but some vaccinated people may get a mild infection or an infection with no symptoms and therefore be able to pass the virus on. It is highly likely that any infection in a vaccinated person will be less severe and that they will be infectious for a shorter period of time. We therefore expect that vaccinated health and social care staff will be less likely to pass infection to their friends and family and to the vulnerable people that they care for.

After I have had the vaccine, will I still need to follow all the infection prevention and control advice?

While two doses of the vaccine will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill, no vaccine is completely effective and it will take a few weeks for your body to build up protection.
So, you will still need to follow the guidance in your workplace, including wearing the correct personal protection equipment and taking part in any screening programmes.
To continue to protect yourself, your patients/residents, your family, friends and colleagues, you should follow the general advice at work, at home and when you are out and about:

• practise social distancing

• wear a face covering

• wash your hands carefully and frequently

• follow the current guidance

Yours sincerely

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE|Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

The following concessionary prices have been granted for January 2021:

DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets10£3.85
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules28£8.68
Duloxetine 30mg gastro-resistant capsules28£2.39
Duloxetine 60mg gastro-resistant capsules28£3.99
Enalapril 10mg tablets28£6.10
Enalapril 20mg tablets28£10.10
Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules28£3.99
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets56£6.72
Lamotrigine 200mg tablets56£8.13
Lamotrigine 25mg tablets56£2.30
Moxonidine 200microgram tablets28£8.70
Moxonidine 300microgram tablets28£8.69
Moxonidine 400microgram tablets28£7.50
Ropinirole 1mg tablets84£26.99
Sulfasalazine 500mg gastro-resistant tablets112£12.21
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets112£8.57
Tamoxifen 20mg tablets30£10.21
Zonisamide 100mg capsules56£59.00

This is the first update of concessionary prices for January 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 Medicines Shortage Reporter

Concessionary Prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind Regards,

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

Dear Colleague

The Department of Health (NI) has asked us to make pharmacy contractors aware of the UK-wide Ask for ANI (Action Needed Immediately) Codeword Scheme which will be launched nationally in early January.

This domestic abuse codeword scheme is being established in pharmacies to enable victims of domestic abuse to access support within their community, from the safety of their local pharmacy.

Contractors wishing to participate in the scheme may access training materials and posters at the given links (Ask for ANI materials / Ask for ANI & Safe Spaces materials) and are asked to complete an online form to confirm their decision to provide the scheme and to ensure that staff watch the training animation and read the guidance.

Yours sincerely

Vanessa

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF DR VANESSA CHAMBERS | Head of Policy & Development

DRUG ALERTS available here: BSO Communications (Drug Alerts)

SHORTAGES INFORMATION available here: BSO Shortages Information

Guidance on Shortages for Primary Care

Sancuso 3.1mg/24hr transdermal patches (MPS 2750)

Prednisolone 5mg Supp (RPH Pharmaceuticals) (MPS 2667) 

Konakion MM (phytomenadione) 10mg/ml amps (MPS 2749) 

OTHER INFORMATION

DOH CORRESPONDENCE: HSS(MD) 6/2021: COVID-19 THERAPEUTIC ALERT – INTERLEUKIN-6 INHIBITORS (TOCILIZUMAB OR SARILUMAB) FOR PATIENTS

MHRA Yellow Card Reporting of side effects from COVID vaccines

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated with drug alerts, shortages information and other information via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar or via the BSO website.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues or supply problems you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Kind regards,

Kerry

SENT ON BEHALF OF KERRY GRIMES |  Governance & Support Pharmacist