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IN THIS ISSUE:
Pharmacy Representation Review - FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
New Medicine Service – Quarterly reporting resumes
 - FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
Service Update from Simon Hay - FOR INFORMATION
Changes to Opening Hours - FOR INFORMATION
Pharmacy & The Greener NHS - FOR INFRMATION
A View from the Chair... 

Hi Everyone, we finally met face to face as an LPC this month. It was nice to see everyone in person and not via a computer screen!
We spent a fair proportion of our time discussing the Review Steering Group (RSG) proposals that were published at the end of April.

We all have a few weeks to read the proposals before the three-week voting period opens at the end of May. It is incredibly important that everyone reads, understands the proposals, and then takes the time to vote.
I know everyone is busy but the proposals, if carried forward, will change the way we as contractors are represented both by the PSNC and by the LPC.
The RSG have planned some regional events and some national events to help contractors understand the proposals. The Midlands event took place earlier this week, but you are free to join any area meeting that suits your timings.
We are deliberately keeping this News Update brief to hopefully free up some time for you to read the RSG proposals. The proposal documents, the appendices, FAQs, and minutes of RSG meetings can be found by clicking this link https://pharmacy-review.org/home/the-review-steering-group/
Please remember that your vote matters.
Lucy
From our new Vice-Chair, Kieran Eason
I’ve had a very busy few months – trying to keep on top of being a pharmacist, running the business (with all its associated paperwork – groan) and also trying to get my prescribing course completed.
Sometimes it feels there just isn’t any time for looking at the future and what's coming down the road. But if you don’t look at the road ahead, don’t be surprised if you get run over!
That's why I think understanding and responding to both the RSG proposals and the "Hub and Spoke" consultation are so important. They both have the potential to radically change our sector of the profession and its important to know how.
The RSG proposals are particularly tricky to get my head round...
  • I want change but what am I giving up to get it?
  • Will I lose access to valuable local services in a merged LPC?
  • Will the proposals enable the PSNC to negotiate better - especially as the Wright review's suggestion of having an employed, trained negotiating team isn’t in the proposal?
I don’t know the answers to these questions (and I have lots of others!) and there’s a lot to weigh up so I recommend engaging now before its too late.
With best wishes
Kieran
Pharmacy Representation Review - Less than two weeks before voting starts

Community pharmacy contractors now have just less than two weeks left to read the Pharmacy Review Steering Group (RSG) proposals on the future of PSNC and LPCs before they will be invited to vote to either accept or reject them in their entirety. 
Read the RSG’s proposals document
The ballot question has now been published and is as follows: Do you accept the proposals setting the direction for pharmacy representation?  The voting period on the proposals opens on Friday 27th May 2022 and will last for three weeks. Instructions about how to prepare for voting online were sent to contractors in April via post and electronically to pharmacy premises' NHSmail email addresses.  Civica Election Services (formerly the Electoral Reform Services) are managing and overseeing the vote and are also acting as Independent Scrutineer to ensure the impartiality and integrity of the process. 
New this week
Upcoming national briefing event: To help contractors to understand the proposals, the RSG is holding an additional national briefing event on Tuesday 7th June at 7pm. Contractors can register for this event on the RSG website
FAQs on the proposals: The RSG has now published the answers to the first round of contractor questions on the proposals page of the RSG website. These will continue to be published at the end of each week. Please submit your questions directly to the RSG via this form
Understanding the proposals: The RSG has produced two short animations which give an overview of the proposals and the case for change. These are each less than four minutes long and provide a useful introduction to the RSG and its proposals for those short on time. For more information about the RSG and its work, please visit: https://pharmacy-review.org/

New Medicine Service – Quarterly reporting resumes
Your LPC heard this week that quarterly reporting has now resumed for NMS; significantly, the reporting requirements are much more in-depth than previously – the LPC advice is not to leave this until the last minute!
See https://psnc.org.uk/services-commissioning/advanced-services/nms/
Services Update - Simon Hay, LPC Support & Engagement Officer
NHS111 referrals to CPCS
NHSE&I have been undertaking some reviews of issues where contractors may have failed to provide the service to the specification. The LPC had expected these to be shared with LPCs as contractors are informed, however we now understand that this will not be the case. Any contractor receiving notification from NHSE&I about their pharmacy being subject to scrutiny as part of this review is welcome to contact the LPC to seek support and advice; please email services@southstaffslpc.co.uk
“Provider Pays” IT solution for CPCS
Contractors are once again reminded that they must have registered with one of the three (soon to be four) IT solution providers under the Provider Pays model to receive and process CPCS referrals; NHSE&I had emailed contractors directly as a reminder, please check that you have done so. This includes any contractor who wishes to continue using PharmOutcomes, you must use the button link on the PharmOutcomes home page to register – see the image below:
Additionally it has come to our attention that any contractor who chooses a different IT solution - ie Sonar, Cegedim or (soon) Analyst – then for practices (as in Staffordshire GPs) using the integrated EMIS solution of PharmRefer to make GP-CPCS referrals, these will STILL be sent to the contractors via PHARMOUTCOMES. Contractors will still have access to these using their usual PharmOutcomes login; as these originate from EMIS practices, PharmOutcomes will continue to provide the CPCS service recording for the contractor for these referrals free of charge. Effectively for South Staffs contractors this means that only NHS111 referrals to CPCS will be processed through their alternate IT solution.
Finally, a number of LPC members have reported that notifications to shared NHS.net mailboxes from PharmOutcomes which alert contractors to CPCS referrals being received appear to be regularly going to junk mail; the LPC advises contractors to check their regular inbox and the junk folder for mails, as well as making regular checks on PharmOutcomes for referrals too.

Blood Pressure Check service
We have regularly advocated ensuring effective communication regarding the provision of the Blood Pressure Check service with your local practices, both to ensure they have the opportunity to refer patients to you, and so that you know how best to refer patients back when the need arisies.
A couple of examples raised at our LPC members highlighted the pitfalls of not doing so:
  • The first related to a practice verbally referred a patient to one of their pharmacies NOT signed up to the Advanced Service. In this case the patient was offered a private check for a fee, but refused and made a complaint about having to pay.
  • The second was about one of our Covid-vaccine provider pharmacies, who had been undertaking checks at their (off-site) vaccination centre, and the volume of referrals to one practice caused concern that they could not cope with the number of referrals, particularly as the pharmacy only had access to a single ambulatory BP meter.
These have subsequently been resolved, but we would also like to hear about positive outcomes from your provision of this extremely valuable service – email us at services@southstaffslpc.co.uk
Changes to Opening Hours
The current workforce pressures in addition to increased costs has led a number of contractors to reduce opening hours, most usually by giving three months’ notice to NHSE&I to change Supplementary Hours. Whilst the PSNC website contains most of the information contractors need to make these notifications, we have had three cases come to the LPC’s attention where contractors have attempted to notify changes of Supplementary Hours which were actually Core Hours, which can only be amended by applying to NHSE&I with appropriate evidence to support the reason for the change.
Your LPC advises any contractor considering ANY change to their opening hours that they should first contact the LPC for guidance prior to making any notification or application to NHSE&I.
Pharmacy and the Greener NHS
The LPC discussed how community pharmacy contractors could both be impacted by changes put in place by local stakeholders to reduce the carbon footprint of medicines supply and use, and what contractors can do to reduce the carbon impact of their service provision. On the former, LPC members heard that the two biggest culprits for carbon footprint are anaesthetic gases and respiratory inhalers – and especially pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs). Medicines optimisation teams have identified a number of options to reduce this impact, which include the potential to change the type of device to ones causing a reduced carbon footprint (dry powder or soft mist inhalers), or alternative pMDIs with lower carbon footprints. The LPC advises contractors to be aware of the potential for these changes, and maintain contact with local practices to identify any plans to make these changes – as the LPC becomes aware of specific advice to practices across our area we will ensure this is shared with contractors. Finally, we would remind all pharmacy teams that any change to inhaler device can trigger a New Medicine Service consultation and the opportunity to both support patients with the change (especially the different inhahlation techniques required) and to be remunerated to do this.
On a related note, our LPC also heard about other ways that contractors are seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, through reviewing all pharmacy operations. Two particular ideas shared by LPC members are:
  • Considering alternatives to the use of single-use clear plastic bags for fridge items – for example, by the use of recyclable or compostable paper bags and ensuring SOPs include removal of fridge items to confirm with the patient/carer that the item is as expected;
  • Accessing Staffordshire County Council's Make Your Business Green webpage to both understand energy usage/wastage - and this page also facilitate access to grants to mitigate these.
We would like to hear more of these from you – submit your ideas to info@southstaffslpc.co.uk
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