Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework
To support contractors engage with the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) we are sending a weekly communication every Friday to highlight key milestones and activities.
There are 3 area that need to be completed by 30th November 2019 – you have just 3 days left to:
- Update your NHS website profile
- Start the lithium and sodium valproate audit
- Update your NHS 111 DoS profile via the DoS updater.
For further information view our latest mailing here.
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LPC appoint Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) – Academy
We are excited to announce that Daniel Greenwood will be joining the LPC in January as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) – Academy. Daniel has a wealth of experience in community and hospital pharmacy practice, academia, education, regulation, consultancy, and business. Having completed his Pharmacy Degree and PhD at Manchester, Daniel’s primary role is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Essex Medical School. There, he is involved in the design, delivers and leads the ‘Therapeutics and Prescribing’ theme of the 5-year medical degree.
Daniel is well-placed and experienced to implement the necessary education and development of pharmacy professionals and pharmacy teams across GM to meet demands of the NHS, commissioners and our patients. With his knowledge in education, research and outcomes based evaluation we see Daniel as being a key member of our newly formed team. This appointment demonstrates the LPC commitment to embrace change and best support our contractors so that we are set up for success.
Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS)
We’ve had a great start to the delivery of CPCS in Greater Manchester. 23% of the national referrals are in Greater Manchester, the highest of any region in the country. As of the 17th November there were 23,898 referrals nationally with 5,702 of those in our region. Nationally the average per pharmacy is currently 3.45 per pharmacy per month but in GM it translates to 5.37. This is a very positive start, however, there are still a number of unactioned referrals left on our system. Community pharmacy teams need to be proactively checking their referrals periodically and contacting patients who need a follow up.
The LPC is committed to supporting contractors with the delivery of CPCS and we are currently finalising details around a support package to help you through this change. We will share further details in the next few weeks. PSNC has released the following briefing that contractors may find useful:
Further extension and amendment to SSP02 only
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has provided an update on the Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Fluoxetine capsules. The SSP for Fluoxetine 30mg capsules has been extended until 18th December 2019 with a change to an alternative product (please check updated SSP02 protocol before dispensing), whilst the SSP for Fluoxetine 40mg capsules has now expired as of 20th November 2019. Click here for further information.
The transfer of excess of QIV/LAIV flu vaccine stock between providers including Primary Care, NHS Trusts and School Age Vaccine Providers on the National Immunisation Flu Programme
NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) have issued a letter advising that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has confirmed that that due to the current supply issues with quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIV), it would not prevent the transfer of these vaccines between providers. This could apply, for example, from a community pharmacy to a GP practice or vice versa. This applies to both the egg-grown quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVe) and the newly licenced cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVc). The MHRA has advised that for this transfer to be allowed the following conditions must be met:
- the practice, pharmacy or NHS Trust that is holding the excess QIV stock has assurance that the vaccine has been stored in the correct temperature-controlled conditions;
- confirmed record keeping of temperature monitoring is available;
- the practice, pharmacy or NHS Trust that requests QIV is able to verify the assurances given; and
- the vaccine can be transported appropriately under the right cold chain conditions.
The letter also refers to live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), however, this vaccine is only licensed for the children’s flu vaccination programme and community pharmacists cannot vaccinate children as part of the national NHS Flu Vaccination Service. The letter also contains an embedded PDF of an NHSE&I letter issued on 17th July 2019, but this functionality does not work in the document; a copy of that letter can be separately downloaded via the following link: Public Health England and NHSE&I letter regarding flu vaccine supplies (17th July 2019)
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NHS Project - Diabetes My Way
Diabetes My Way is an NHS Test Bed funded project, led by the Strategic Clinical Network at the GMHSC Partnership. Diabetes My Way offers a one-stop website to help people living with Type 2 diabetes to manage their condition more effectively, and provides users with access to accredited education, information and their clinical data. Please share this resource with your patients. You can visit the website here: www.diabetesmyway.nhs.uk.
Pre-registration support
We have been contacted by a number of contractors who are looking to support pre-registration students who have not passed their pre-reg exam and are in need of additional placements and support.
If you are a contractor or pre-registration student wanting to connect with other pre-registration students in a similar position then please get in touch with us using this form and we will contact you.
You will need to provide a short paragraph explaining your position, student’s name and contact details along with whether it is a placement you are looking for or to be part of a network, as well as permission to share your details with other contractors via a private message.
Contractors able to support, perhaps covering maternity cover, long term sickness or increased operational demand, can also get in touch and we will be able to connect you with those looking for opportunities.
Price Concessions – November 2019
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has released the list of price concessions for November 2019. You can view them on the PSNC website.
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Campaigning for community pharmacy in the 2019 General Election
The NPA, RPS and PSNC have created resources to help promote community pharmacy ahead of the General Election on 12th December. This joint manifesto is available in the PSNC ‘General Election Hub’ and may be a useful document for any contractors who are engaging with parliamentary candidates in the lead up to the 2019 General Election.
Class 2 Medicines recall: Ranitidine 75mg Tablets (Various Liveries)
OTC Concepts Ltd, Relconchem Ltd and Noumed Life Sciences Ltd are recalling all unexpired batches of the products listed here from pharmacies and retail stores as a precautionary measure due to possible contamination with an impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) which has genotoxic and carcinogenic potential.
MHRA Drug Safety Update November 2019
A new Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Drug Safety Update (Vol 13 Issue 4 November 2019) has been published and includes articles on:
- Yellow fever vaccine: stronger precautions in people with weakened immunity and in those aged 60 years or older
- Carfilzomib (Kyprolis▼): risk of reactivation of hepatitis B virus
- Letters and drug alerts sent to healthcare professionals in October 2019
- Medical Device Alerts issued in October 2019
To see the latest MHRA Drug Safety Update in full, visit the GOV.uk website.
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Locality news: what's happening in your area
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Manchester: Insulin Prescribing
A few incidents have been raised by diabetes clinics, where patients have been issued the wrong insulin in primary care, instead of the recommended Insulin Lispro Sanofi® brand. When insulin lispro was prescribed generically, it seems that the wrong brand (Humalog®) was issued instead. GP Practices in Manchester have been notified about prescribing all insulins by brand name and to be vigilant when selecting the right preparation on the electronic prescribing list.
Please could all pharmacies:
- ensure that any generic insulin prescriptions are confirmed with the practice.
- Be reminded that there are 2 brands of insulin lispro; Humalog® and Insulin Lispro Sanofi®, and the two are not interchangeable, because the Sanofi brand is a biosimilar.
Salford: Safeguarding resources
The Salford Safeguarding Adults Board has produced the following posters and flyer containing contact details for people who are concerned about their own safety or the safety of others. Pharmacies can download and print from the links below or hard copies are available by contacting Michelle Hulme on 0161 212 6176 or SSAB@salford.gov.uk.
Trafford: Closure of Trafford Health Centre
Trafford Health Centre GP will be closing on Friday 29 November and all patients will automatically be transferred to Flixton Road Medical Centre in Urmston from Monday 2 December. Trafford CCG have worked with Trafford Health Centre to ensure that patients are fully informed and will be transferred in a safe and seamless manner. Staff from the health centre will also transfer to Flixton Road to ensure continuation of care. Patients are still able to access Trafford Walk-in Centre and Trafford Urgent Care Centre, both of which are based in the grounds of Trafford General Hospital to obtain medical care.
Wigan: GMLPC's Primary Care Locality Event
The Primary Care Networks (PCNs) domain of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) is worth
- 22.5 points and has a value of between £1,440 – £2,880 for a Pharmacy PCN lead; or
- 12.5 points and has a value of between £800 – £1,600 for a non-Pharmacy PCN lead.
To support contractors to meet this criteria the LPC have been running engagement events across Greater Manchester. There is just one date remaining, this is aimed at contractors working in Wigan. Attending the event will provide you with all the information that you need to meet PQS. We will share with you the details of other contractors in your PCN, the agreed communication channel for your PCN, the collaborative approach being taken and will support contractors to appoint a PCN Lead.
- Wigan, 10th December 2019, Holiday Inn, Leigh,
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External Training, Events and Information
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NHS Community pharmacist consultation service: clinical assessment - essential skills workshop
CPPE have released additional dates for their CPCS workshops. All the events below are open to Pharmacists from the North West.
- 23/01/20 - Cotton Court Business Centre Preston, PR1 3BY. ID 49666
- 09/02/20 - Holiday Inn Express, Leigh, WN7 4JY. ID 49659
- 08/03/20 - Holiday Inn, Runcorn, Beechwood, WA7 3HA. ID 49672
- 15/03/20 - Stonybeck Inn, Penrith, CA11 8RP. ID 49673
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