Dorset LPC - December 2015 News In Brief!

Dorset LPC monthly news December 2015

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Monthly briefing
- December 2015

Events in Dorset 2016

14th January Smoking Cessation
- Dorford Centre
28th January Substance Misuse
- Merley House
4th February Parknson's disease
- Dorford Centre
11th February Hypertension
- Wimborne CLaRC
18th February Substance Misuse
- Dorford Centre
3rd March Smoking Cessation
- Wimborne CLaRC
10th March EHC/Sexual Health
- Dorford Centre ALL DAY EVENT
31st March EHC/Sexual Health
- Merley House ALL DAY EVENT

Book online by clicking the hyperlinks above

CPPE has launched two new e-learning programmes as an expansion of their consultation skills portfolio.

Consulting with children and young people has been developed to encourage pharmacy professionals to place children at the centre of their own care, describing the skills and knowledge needed to engage with them successfully.

Consulting with people with mental health problems covers what is different about consulting with people with mental health problems and how to prepare and approach these consultations so that people get the most benefit from them.

Public Health England (PHE) has created a HLP e newsletter which they are planning to publish quarterly to help raise awareness of HLPs.
The first edition is on the Dorset LPC website. To sign up to receive the quarterly HLP newsletter email hlpnewsletter@phe.gov.uk
If you have any suggestions or would like to be involved in an upcoming HLP newsletter or event, please contact Gul Root, Lead Public Health Pharmacist Health and Wellbeing Directorate, or Polly Kwok, HLP & Pharmacy Support Officer at hlpnewsletter@phe.gov.uk.

PHE Regional Roadshows

Public Health England are running regional roadshows to raise awareness of services commissioned from community pharmacies, as well as showcasing the contributions of Healthy Living Pharmacies.
The events are free to attend, the first being at Bristol and can be booked using the link below:
Bristol, 20th January 2016
The event will run from 9.15 am to 13.25 with lunch followed by networking with with local authority members, directors of public health and commissioners at:
PHE South West Centre, 2 Rivergate,
Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EH

Further events are also being planned in London (8th March 2016) and Midlands (date TBA).

Have you completed your annual clinical audit yet?

An easy to complete clinical audit has been added to PharmOutcomes to help contractors comply with the clinical audit requirement of the pharmacy contract. The audit focuses on the provision of hydration advice for people with urinary tract infections or those seeking advice about urinary symptoms. Find out more at: dld.bz/dZvJk

Latest flu vaccination queries

The team at PSNC has selected the five most common queries of the last week and provided the answers in full for your reference at: dld.bz/dZNDt

Nomination data analysis
Following the announcement that the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have begun publishing EPS nomination data for all pharmacies, PSNC has also agreed with HSCIC to regularly publish additional analysis. The data, which includes the number of active nominations for each contractor, the change compared to the previous week's total, and EPS dispensing data, is available from: the PSNC website.

Prescribing rights?
Different types of prescribers hold different prescribing rights. To ensure reimbursement by the Pricing Authority, it is important for pharmacy contractors and their teams to be able to identify which products different prescriber types are entitled to prescribe. Make sure you know who can prescribe what using the PSNC’s handy guide.

Reminder: new CD requisition form
From Monday 30th November, the new mandatory requisition forms for Controlled Drugs (CDs) must be used. Further information about the new mandatory FP10CDF CD Requisition Form can be found on the PSNC website.

Changes from branded to generic substitute opiates

Public Health Dorset and the local commissioners in Bournemouth and Poole have agreed to support prescribers and pharmacists in implementing a consistent approach to generic prescribing and dispensing relating to substitute opiates. This has also been endorsed by Dorset CCG Medicine Management Team.

As from 11^th January 2016 it is strongly recommended that all new drug and alcohol service users requiring substitute opiates are prescribed generic medication, this will allow pharmacists time to adjust their stock of branded substitute opiates.
By 11^th April 2016 prescribers will be strongly encouraged to have moved all existing service users to generic substitute opiates, again this will allow pharmacist time to be prepared for the change.

It is imperative that the communication between the pharmacist and the prescriber is fluent to avoid issues relating to prescribing and dispensing. It is the prescriber’s responsibility to liaise with the pharmacist when the changes to a service user’s script occur in the first instance.

Although these changes apply to ALL substitute opiates a significant saving can be made from changing from branded buprenorphine to generic.

If you wish to discuss this further please do not hesitate to contact Public Health Dorset on 01305 225874 and ask for Dr Nicky Cleave or Emma Wilson.

Patients Who Need Repeat Medicines Out of Hours
Analysis in July 2013 revealed that up to a third of calls to the 111 service were for people seeking repeat prescriptions as opposed to needing urgent help. Pharmacy is a key first point of access for advice when patients run out of their medicines. The 111 service now refers patients seeking repeat medicines to their nearest open pharmacy to see if they can be helped with accessing their prescription or, if necessary, obtaining an emergency supply.
The attached letter, flow chart and holiday maker poster outline this service, including guidelines on the procedure to follow if you are presented with difficult situations where a patient needs medication for conditions such as diabetes, respiratory disease and epilepsy. The poster for holiday makers highlights their options.

How would you deal with this situation?

A Pharmacist, who for reasons of conscience would not supply EHC, sent a patient who had an EPS script back to the GP for a replacement script having refused to dispense it on ethical grounds.What is the correct way of dealing with this dilemma?
Have a go at this questionnaire.
Have a look at the RPS guidance to check your answers.

Latest Activity Figures for NHS Enhanced Flu Vaccination Service (as at 7/12/2015)

There are 97 active pharmacies in Dorset (out of a total of 156).

Average number of flu vaccinations delivered;
Bournemouth & Poole 58.37
Dorset 73.93

Maximum number of flu vaccinations completed by any one pharmacy
Bournemouth & Poole is 237
Dorset 442

The service specification, core PGD, Pharmacy PGD, and list of participating pharmacies are on the Dorset LPC website.

Update: Summary Care Record access

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have added new Summary Care Record (SCR) materials onto their website for initial community pharmacy implementers. HSCIC are not currently planning a 'launch' of these materials on a public scale with it being recognised there will be variation with when different contractors choose to begin using SCR. PSNC recommends that SCR training (including the CPPE training for pharmacy professionals – see below) is undertaken just before the rollout in each individual pharmacy, in order that it has the maximum impact.
It was previously announced in June 2015 that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in community pharmacies in England would be given the opportunity to access the SCR. The announcement had followed a successful proof of concept trial. HSCIC were commissioned by NHS England to support all community pharmacies in England to implement access to the SCR.
An e-learning programme has also been launched by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) on SCR usage. The programme focuses on understanding the context behind using SCRs, how and when to obtain explicit consent from patients and how to maintain secure records. The programme is intended for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pre-registration trainees who are about to begin using the SCR.
PSNC continues to work with NHS England, HSCIC and the other national pharmacy bodies to finalise arrangements for the roll out of SCR. Feedback comments and questions relating to progress with SCR rollout to PSNC EPS Lead, Daniel Ah-Thion.

Suppliers Christmas Opening Hours
Manufacturers are working with wholesalers to ensure that sufficient stock is available over the Christmas period. It is also important that pharmacy teams are aware of changes to suppliers' opening hours and any order cut-off times. A summary of suppliers' customer service desk opening hours can be found on the PSNC website.

Contract opportunities available now!

Public Health Dorset (PHD) notified all Pharmacy Teams on 9th December that they will shortly be putting up the first contract opportunities following the establishment of the Community Health Improvement Services - DPS in June 2015.

PHD wanted to ensure that they had a pool of pre-approved providers already on the system. They also needed to wait on the outcome of the Government's comprehensive spending review. PHD wish to thank those who have already successfully entered the DPS and as a consequence are on the pre-approved provider list.

If your organisation has not already applied to enter the DPS and you wish to provide services next year, please take action and apply as current contracts covering community health services will not be extended beyond 31 March 2016. Guidance on how to apply is on the Dorset LPC website.

In respect of the opportunities for pre-approved providers, PHD anticipate that their smoking cessation opportunity will be advertised week beginning Monday 14th December; with an extended response period to allow for the Christmas break. This will ensure sufficient time to advertise a further opportunity for smoking cessation before March, if needed.

It is PHD’s intention to follow with:

January 2016:-

Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC), under Lot 3
Supervised consumption (provisional), under Lot 5
Needle exchange (provisional), under Lot 6

February 2016:-

Long acting reversible contraception (LARC), under Lot 4

March 2016:-

Weight management, under Lot 8

Timings for health checks and health check invitation management are still being finalised to try and ensure that PHD are not trying to do too many things at the same time.
If you would like any further information, please contact:- Barbara O’Reilly, Business Manager, Public Health Dorset, Email: b.oreilly@dorsetcc.gov.uk Tel: 01305 225858

Dorset LPC and staff wish pharmacy teams a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year