Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced the roll out of a ‘Pharmacy First for Sore Throat’ Service from community pharmacies across Northern Ireland this winter.
The latest Living Well campaign – ‘Stay Well this Winter’ highlights actions the public can take to protect their health over the winter months and the support available through community pharmacies. The campaign is running during December 2024 and January 2025.
Correspondence dated 27 November 2024 regarding the Pharmacy First Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) Service has been issued by SPPG.
SUMMARY
A recent update on changes to the commissioning of abortion services in NI was shared with community pharmacies in March 2024.
The most up to date information on abortion care for women and girls in NI can be found on the NI Direct website. An A5 flyer is also available here.
Please note: Information on abortion services on the hard copy of ‘Know Your Options’ leaflet is no longer valid. KYO leaflets should no longer be offered to women accessing the Pharmacy First EHC service. All pharmacies should dispose of any hard copies of the KYO leaflet.
The contact details for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare clinics for urgent referrals and queries relating to emergency hormonal contraception can be found in the SPPG correspondence.
To allow equity of service provision across NI, it is important that as many community pharmacies as possible are able to provide this service. If a pharmacy wishes to sign up to the service, a signed contract can be returned by email to your local SPPG office.
Pharmacists are encouraged to display a copy of the promotional poster for the service, and can utilise Twitter and Instagram resources available on the BSO website.
All available resources to support the delivery of the service can be accessed here.
ACTION
Please read the SPPG correspondence and share with all relevant members of the team.
Any queries regarding this letter can be directed to SPPG advisors at local offices.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The third update of concessionary prices were granted today for November 2024:
Drug
Pack Size
Concessionary Price
Alverine 60mg capsules
100
£4.18
Ascorbic acid 200mg tablets
28
£55.90
Chloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops
10
£4.99
Clotrimazole 500mg pessary and Clotrimazole 2% cream
REMINDER-Those pharmacies wishing to be considered for the Pharmacy First pilot service for shingles are requested to submit an expression of interest by 8pm Friday 29th November 2024. Submissions after this date will not be accepted.
Dear Contractor
SPPG issued correspondence today seeking expressions of interest from community pharmacies to provide the Pharmacy First pilot service for shingles.
SUMMARY
SPPG in conjunction with CPNI are developing a Pharmacy First pilot service for the management of shingles which will be delivered in approximately 40 community pharmacies from January 2025 until the end of March 2025.
Mandatory training will be provided to the selected pilot pharmacies at a live ECHO session on Tuesday 10th December 2024 at 7.30pm.
The fees payable to contractors for this service are:
A one-off service set-up payment of £200 per pharmacy contractor.
A consultation fee of £25 per consultation.
The cost of any medicines supplied will be reimbursed on submission of prescriptions/pharmacy vouchers to BSO.
Pharmacies will be selected based on the following criteria:
Geographical location
Availability of a suitable consultation area
Access to NIECR
Participation in other Pharmacy First services
Contracted opening hours
Following application of the above criteria, if oversubscribed, a random selection process will be applied in particular geographies.
If wishing to be considered for the pilot service, SPPG are requesting completion of the MS form by 8pm onFriday 29th November 2024.
Submissions after this date will not be accepted.
Contractors will be notified via email if they have or have not been selected to participate in the pilot service.
ACTION
Pharmacies contractors should read the correspondence and share with relevant pharmacy team members.
If you wish to be considered for providing this pilot service, the expression of interest form available here should be submitted no later than 8pm on Friday 29th November 2024.
Any queries regarding this can be directed to your SPPG Pharmacy Advisor.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
REMINDER to those contractors who have applied to offer the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service Winter 24/25 to submit an electronic contract to SPPG.
Dear Contractor
Correspondence has been issued 13 November 2024 regarding the Pharmacy First Service for Sore Throat.
SUMMARY
The Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service will launch on 1 December 2024 for two months initially.
Pharmacy contractors meeting the service specification are eligible to offer the service and must submit an electronic contract to notify SPPG of the intention to provide the service.
NB there is no requirement to return a signed copy of the contract.
Pharmacies that provided the pilot service last year should familiarise themselves with the revised service specification and guidance and must submit a new contract to provide the service for Winter 24/25.
Live training was provided at an ECHO session which has been recorded and is now available to view on the ECHO Moodle site for those unable to attend the live session.
For any issues with accessing the training please contact Elaine Kane at e.kane@hospiceuk.org or 02895582393.
A copy of the presentation slides are available at the BSO website.
All resources in relation to the service including promotional material will be available on the BSO website. Service posters will be provided by SPPG and should be displayed in the pharmacy.
The fees payable to pharmacy contractors for this service are:
A one-off service set-up payment of £200 per pharmacy contractor.
A consultation fee of £32 per consultation. This includes the cost of RADTs and other consumables.
The cost of the medicine supplied will be reimbursed on submission of prescriptions or pharmacy vouchers to BSO.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to read the correspondence issued by SPPG regarding the Pharmacy First Service for Sore Throat Winter 2024/25 and share with all relevant members of the team.
Those pharmacy contractors who have applied to offer the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service are requested to return an electronic contract using the following link.
Please contact your Pharmacy Advisor if you have any queries regarding this letter.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
