Dorset LPC News - News re Local Services and Government Plans for Pharmacy

Dorset LPC monthly news January 2016

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Monthly briefing -

January 2016

Provision of Community Health Improvement Services

(health checks, smoking cessation, emergency hormonal contraception etc)

This is a reminder of the expiry date of the current contract with your pharmacy in respect of Community Health Improvement Services and also to remind you of Public Health Dorset's commissioning intentions for these services beyond that date.

Current Contract

The current contracts for provision of Community Health Improvement Services, that have been in place since 1 April 2014, will expire on 31st March 2016.

Services as from 1 April 2016

Only providers that have successfully entered the procedure known as the Dynamic Purchasing System [DPS] for Community Health Improvement services are eligible, as pre-approved providers, to be invited to submit a tender for services.
Only providers that go on to secure a contract, following competitive tender, will be contracted to deliver Community Health Improvement Services as from 1st April 2016.

Commissioning / Procurement Intentions

Tender process for Smoking Cessation and Sexual Health level 1 [EHC] are already underway; however, there may be another opportunity to apply to provide these.
Next tenders will be: Sexual Health Level 2 [LARC], Supervised Consumption, Needle Exchange, Health Check Assessments and Weight Management.
We are reviewing the commissioning approach to Health Check invitations and will contact incumbent providers shortly regarding this provision.

Dynamic Purchasing System [DPS] for Community Health Improvement Services
The DPS opportunity is available on e-tender system ProContract hosted via http://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk. Contact Barbara O'Reilly, business manager at Public Health Dorset, if you require more details.

The DPS consist of following Lots and organisations may apply for admission to one or all lots:

Lot 1 – Health Check Assessments
Lot 2 – Health Checks Invitation Management
Lot 3 – Sexual Health Level 1
Lot 4 – Sexual Health Level 2
Lot 5 – Supervised Consumption
Lot 6 – Needle Exchange
Lot 7 – Smoking Cessation
Lot 8 – Weight Management
Lot 9 – Immunisation

Documentation is available on the e-tender system against the DPS opportunity to explain how the process works.
Note: Successful entrance into the DPS is not a contract to deliver services. A contract is the outcome of responding successfully to what is an invitation to tender.

If you have yet to apply to enter the DPS, do so now.

PSNC demands clarity on NHS England plans.
PSNC has said that it is unable to commence negotiations on community pharmacy in 2016/17 until NHS England shares further detail of its longer term plans and the analysis underpinning them.
PSNC Chief Executive Sue Sharpe, responding to the announced a £170m funding cut, said she feared NHS England was aiming for a larger funding cut in 2017/18 alongside reductions in pharmacy numbers and a drive towards a commoditised supply service, bypassing access to the support and advice available at community pharmacies.
She said the Government was ‘ignoring entirely’ the evidence for the value of commissioning community pharmacy services, and that it appeared to have settled on a ‘course of action that will run counter to its stated ambition to develop a clinically focused pharmacy service’.

Read Sue Sharpe's full response letter to NHS England at: http://dld.bz/ehKsc

"We’re busy in December, but we'd like to be busier"
Board Member of Pharmacy Voice and Dorset Pharmacist Mike Hewitson has written a blog which has been featured in The Health Foundation newsletter December 2015: 5 fresh perspectives on winter pressures in the NHS.
In the blog Mike talks about how he thinks pharmacists could do more to relieve NHS demand during busy times

Events in Dorset

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

New from CPPE

Mental health e-course: The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) will run an e-course to equip pharmacy teams with the knowledge and skills to support people with mental illness later this month. Find out more at: dld.bz/egwZA

Alcohol misuse: support and advice from the pharmacy team: This programme aims to help pharmacy professionals develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide an alcohol identification and brief advice service. Find out more at: dld.bz/eg72h

Pharmacy apps guide: CPPE's "Apps for pharmacy guide" contains details of a number of health-related apps for pharmacy professionals and their patients, and can be downloaded from: dld.bz/efDrr

Updated Specials Guidance
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published updated guidance on the procurement and supply of specials. The guidance has been developed to support pharmacy teams to work with prescribers, patients and carers to ensure the safe and appropriate procurement and supply of specials. You can read and download the updated guidance from: dld.bz/eeM7F

Polypharmacy was the topic of a meeting organised by Dorset CCG in December, involving GPs and pharmacists from primary and secondary care. Polypharmacy is not uncommon in patients who are living with multiple chronic conditions and the elderly and frail are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from their medication. In a recent survey, 90% of GPs would welcome support from community pharmacists to simplify medication regimes and improve patient outcomes by de-prescribing safely. Although the evidence base is sparse at present, research is ongoing to address this deficit.
Coming soon to Dorset
CPPE will be running a polypharmacy workshop in Dorchester on April 28th which will provide knowledge and skills that will be useful in MUR and NMS consultations as well as with discussions with medical colleagues.

Tick a few jobs off your list in January
Now that the Christmas rush is over, it may be a time to tick a few jobs off the to-do list. Here are some suggestions:

Complete a clinical audit;
Update your NHS Choices profile page;
Conduct your annual Community Pharmacy Patient Questionnaire;
Make a plan for hitting your 400 MUR limit; and
Complete the CPPE consultation skills for practice training.

Guidance and resources on all of these are available at: dld.bz/egfW5

Information Governance toolkit submission

Community pharmacy contractors are reminded that the deadline for submitting this year’s information governance (IG) return is 31st March 2016. This seems far off but approaches quickly and is upon us before we know it. Further guidance and support is available at: psnc.org.uk/ig
PSNC recommends that community pharmacy contractors use this IG submission exercise as an opportunity to comprehensively review IG processes.

Smoking cessation quit kits available now!

Johnson & Johnson marketing team have come up with new marketing materials. They have re-vamped the quit kits so that they are not seasonal and can be all used all year round, so there will be no delay for Stoptober! Quit kits include materials for healthcare professionals and materials for patients.

If you would like a quit kit, please contact:- Myles Harrison, Johnson & Johnson Ltd Email: mharris8@its.jnj.com
Mobile: +44 (0)7769 642220

For up to date news and information about pharmacy in Dorset, visit the LPC website www.dorsetlpc.org.uk.