december 2015 cpn
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CPNCommunity Pharmacy News – December 2015
LPCs in the spotlightFrom flu campaigns to a lung cancer detection pilot, Local
Pharmaceutical Committees have been busy this season
Controlled Drug supply changes | PSNC answers your queries | Dispensing factsheet
2 Community Pharmacy News – December 2015
lpcs psnc’s work funding and statistics
As soon as the flu vaccination service was announced in the
2015/16 funding settlement, Local Pharmaceutical Committees
(LPCs) began preparing to get the message out to the public and
what a variety of work was undertaken!
Provider maps
Derbyshire LPC has
developed an interactive map
of local flu vaccination
providers (see picture
opposite). Graham Archer,
Chief Officer of Derbyshire
LPC, explained that as one of
the few areas of the country
which had never had a local
pharmacy flu vaccination service, the LPC “wanted more than just a
press release” and to focus on the public service message.
After compiling a spreadsheet listing all the pharmacy providers
across this vast county, the LPC started thinking about how they
could make it easier for the public to make use of it. “We pulled out
the localities and I’d heard about geo-mapping software which
turned out to be quite easy to use,” said Graham. “Once the
spreadsheet is right, you just drop it into the software and it does it
for you – I couldn’t believe it did so much with no cost!”
View the interactive map of Derbyshire’s pharmacy flu vaccination
providers at: tinyurl.com/derbyfluproviders
Web TV
David Bearman and Mark Stone of Devon LPC made an appearance
on web TV health channel Hiblio to discuss the difference between
colds and flu, the importance of getting vaccinated and how to
look after yourself if you do get a cold or flu.
Watch the programme on-demand at: tinyurl.com/o2y294f
Text alerts
Some LPCs, including Devon, Somerset
and West Yorkshire, have made use of a
text message service developed by
PharmOutcomes. This information service
provides contact details and, approximate
distance, for the nearest three
participating pharmacies to a person once
they have texted ‘pharmacy flu’ and their
postcode to 80011 (see example
opposite).
Robbie Turner, Chief Executive Officer of Community Pharmacy
West Yorkshire, who first came up with the idea, explains: “One of
the challenges of promoting pharmacy services, such as flu, is that
not all pharmacies provide them. We needed a mechanism to easily
enable people to find their closest pharmacy in which they would
be able to access the service. We soon decided that the best way to
help patients find their local pharmacy was the geographic text
message and we worked with PharmOutcomes who made it
possible.”
Gary Warner, co-founder of Pinnacle Health Partnership which
manages the PharmOutcomes system, told us:
“As a social enterprise, we saw this as breaking down one of the
barriers for community pharmacy to deliver services to patients;
the commissioner can also gauge how effective any promotion
campaign has been as they have real-time access to usage reports.”
LPC flu heroesPSNC has spoken to a group of LPCs who have promoted the national
pharmacy flu vaccination service through a variety of innovative campaigns.
What else have LPCs been up to?Avon LPC conference engages commissioners
Avon LPC held its third annual conference
in October, following an afternoon of
pharmacy visits with local commissioners,
to showcase the great work community
pharmacy delivers on a daily basis.
The conference, hosted by LPC Chair Lisa
Fisher, welcomed PSNC Chief Executive
Sue Sharpe who spoke about the wider
role community pharmacy can play in
enhancing patient outcomes. Other
speakers included LPC CEO Richard Brown
and Kevin Gibbs, Clinical Pharmacy
Manager at University Hospitals Bristol.
The conference aimed to highlight the
role community pharmacy plays as part of
the wider integrated health team through
celebrating local successes such as new
Healthy Living Pharmacies and a hospital
discharge project.
Many delegates commented that the
conference left them feeling inspired to
do more for their local community and
local commissioners have
already initiated
discussions with the
LPC about potential
new and
innovative
services to help
drive outcomes
for patients and
utilise the expertise
in pharmacy.
Have you run an innovative flu campaign? If so [email protected] to share your story.
Share your story
psnc.org.uk 3
dispensing and supply services and commissioning the healthcare landscapecontract and it
MPs show support for local pharmaciesMPs have been visiting their local community pharmacies to find out about
the flu vaccination service and for ‘Ask Your Pharmacist Week’.
Early lung cancer detection by Doncaster pharmacists
A pilot scheme taking place in Doncaster
is enabling community pharmacists to
refer patients presenting with
symptoms of lung cancer for an urgent
chest x-ray.
People aged over 40 who are, or have
been, smokers will be targeted as they
are considered those most at risk. After
an at-risk patient has been identified by
a member of the pharmacy team, they
will be approached by the pharmacist
for a consultation
to find out if they
are having or
displaying any
potential
symptoms.
More than 30 pharmacists have been
trained to identify signs of lung cancer
for the 12 month pilot, funded by NHS
Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group
(CCG). One of the pharmacists taking
part in the pilot, Laura Sharp, explains
the benefits of the service:
“It is an additional avenue for patients
to discuss concerns which they may not
do with their GP. It provides potential
for the early detection of cases. And if
we identify cases earlier and help
patients access the treatment they
need, we can be saving lives – that’s the
key here.”
Yorkshire MPs learn about pharmacy flu jabs
Last month Yorkshire MPs Julian Sturdy, Kevin Hollinrake and
Robert Goodwill were invited by North Yorkshire LPC to visit local
pharmacies to learn more about the first ever national pharmacy
flu vaccination service.
During the visits, the MPs discussed how the service has been
received, the numbers of patients taking advantage and benefits
of the new national service.
Julian Sturdy, MP for York Outer, visited Hepworth’s Pharmacy in
Fulford, York and commented: “The service is proving to be hit
with patients. Numbers have already surpassed last year’s North
Yorkshire total with an increase of more than 200%”.
Thirsk and Malton MP,
Kevin Hollinrake,
visited Easingwold’s
Boots Pharmacy, and
said: “As winter draws
nearer many people
will suffer with ill
health. Older people
aged 65 and over, and
adults with certain
medical conditions
can benefit from the
NHS flu vaccination service now being offered in pharmacies. The
scheme will help protect people from health complications
through the winter months by making sure they have their flu jab.”
Lastly, Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, visited
Scarborough Delivery Chemist, commenting: “I myself will be
adding to the numbers by also taking advantage of the service as I
did last year.”
Cambridgeshire MPs ask their pharmacist
As part of the national ‘Ask Your Pharmacist Week’ (organised by
the NPA), Cambridgeshire MPs Lucy Frazer and Steve Barclay
were invited to visit local pharmacies by Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough LPC to find out more about the range of services
they provide.
Lucy Frazer, MP for
South East
Cambridgeshire,
enjoyed a visit to
Waterbeach Pharmacy,
commenting: “It was
very interesting to visit
Waterbeach Pharmacy
and find out more
about the wide range
of services available in
community
pharmacies. While
most people will go
first to their pharmacy for medicines advice, many don’t know
about the range of other healthcare services provided and the
level of expertise there. I was pleased to see a whole range of
services on offer including the flu jab. Waterbeach Pharmacy
provides a great service to its community.”
Steve Barclay, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, being shown
around a Boots Pharmacy in March, said: “Community
pharmacies are often unsung heroes, especially during the
winter months. We are all aware of the health dangers the
winter season can bring, especially for the vulnerable.
Community pharmacies are effective in alleviating the pressures
on local hospitals and doctors and maintain the same standard
of care.”
Kevin Hollinrake MP receives a pharmacyflu jab
Lucy Frazer MP visits Waterbeach Pharmacy
4 Community Pharmacy News – December 2015
contract and it dispensing and supply services and commissioning th
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the General Medical
Council (GMC) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
have responded to recent claims that patients and the public have
been inappropriately influenced by health professionals when
making decisions about where to access services such as flu
vaccinations or dispensing of prescriptions.
The statement is intended to make clear the duty that pharmacy
professionals and doctors have in supporting informed decision
making by patients and ensuring that they do not inappropriately
influence patients’ choices. Anyone who has a specific concern in
regards to this should contact NHS England or their local health
board in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The GPhC, GMC
and Pharmaceutical Society of NI are working closely with the
NHS in each part of the UK and there is a clear process whereby
concerns can be referred to them if it is deemed that the required
standards may not have been met by individual health
professionals.
Read the joint statement in full at:
tinyurl.com/patientchoicestatement
Steve Lutener, PSNC Director of Regulation and
Support, said:
“We welcome this statement by the regulators of
the pharmacy and medical professions, that patient
choice must not be inappropriately influenced.
Now that the professional regulators have publicised their
position, we hope that the minority of pharmacists and medical
practitioners who have sought to inappropriately influence
patient choice will now remedy their practices and ensure that
patients can exercise their own free choice.”
Patients will be supported tomake informed decisionsRegulatory healthcare bodies state their intent to
‘support informed decision making by patients’ by
working with doctors and pharmacy professionals.
New mandatory CD requisition form
A Home Office update "Circular 027/2015: Approved mandatory
requisition form and Home Office approved wording" confirms
that, with effect from Monday 30th November 2015, a mandatory
requisition form must be used for the purposes of requisitioning
Schedule 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs (CDs) in the community. This
change applies to England, Scotland and Wales but the latter two
countries have their own approved CD requisition forms which
professionals should continue to use.
In England, a new mandatory requisition form (FP10CDF) has been
introduced which incorporates the information currently required
under the Regulations. The requirement to use the mandatory
requisition form applies to pharmacy contractors. Find out more
about the change and the new requisition form at: dld.bz/dZXTE
Availability of Naloxone widened
As of 1st October 2015, a range of drug
treatment services can order Naloxone
from a wholesaler so that persons engaged
or employed in their services can, as part of
their role, make a supply of Naloxone
available to others without a prescription.
This change applies to pharmacies
commissioned to provide opiate
substitution treatment such as supervised consumption of
methadone schemes or a needle and syringe exchange scheme.
Recent guidance 'Widening the availability of Naloxone' explains
the relevant changes to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
Learn more and download the guidance from: dld.bz/eavNV
Have you completed your annual clinical audit yet?An easy to complete clinical audit – hydration messages to prevent Acute Kidney Injury – has been added to PharmOutcomes to
help pharmacy contractors to comply with the clinical audit requirement of the pharmacy contract.
The audit, developed by the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) medicines use and safety team, may be of particular use to
any pharmacy team who have not yet undertaken a clinical audit during 2015/16.
The audit focuses on the provision of hydration advice for people with urinary tract infections or those presenting in the
pharmacy seeking advice about urinary symptoms.
It provides an easily deliverable option for pharmacy teams that will also make a real difference to patient safety and will help
the profession to amass further evidence of the impact that community pharmacy interventions can have.
Step by step instructions on completing the audit can be found at: psnc.org.uk/audit
Important regulatory changes to Controlled Drug supply
psnc.org.uk 5
lpcs psnc’s work funding and statisticshe healthcare landscape
NHS Choices is the online presence for the NHS, providing the
public with access to searchable databases of NHS providers to
help them locate their nearest healthcare provider, including
community pharmacies. As such your NHS Choices profile may
provide the first impression of your pharmacy to members of the
public and so it is vital to ensure it is kept up-to-date.
Don’t forget, utilising this free resource could also help promote
your pharmacy by letting potential patients know your opening
hours and all the services you offer, as well as other useful
information such as car parking arrangements. Of course your
pharmacy may have its own website which already provides this
function, but you can easily direct people to it from your profile in
this national pharmacy database.
Your NHS Choices profile is also a way for the public to provide
feedback on their experiences of your pharmacy. Whilst positive
reviews can help promote your pharmacy, negative ones can
provide opportunities to acknowledge where improvements need
to be made and demonstrate how you are willing to make changes
where necessary.
How do I get started?
If you are an independent community pharmacy contractor and
have not already been fully set up on NHS Choices, contact the
NHS Choices helpdesk (call 0845 650 4865 or email
[email protected]) who will be able to get the
process started.
CCA and AIMp member companies have generally co-ordinated
registration at Head Office level.
Is your NHS Choices profile up-to-date?The NHS Choices database provides the public with a comprehensive list of
all the community pharmacies in their area – does your profile truly reflect
the service you offer?
From 1st November 2015, changes
regarding eligibility to claim Help with
Health Costs under the Universal Credit
benefit system have come into effect.
Patients are now only eligible to receive
help with their health costs (for example,
free NHS prescriptions) if:
• they are receiving Universal Credit AND
had no earnings or net earnings up to
£435 during the most recent
assessment period; or
• they are receiving Universal Credit which
includes an element for a child and/or
limited capability for work or limited
capability for work related activity, AND
had no earnings or net earnings up to
£935 during the most recent
assessment period.
Whilst Universal Credit has yet to be rolled
out everywhere, because patients can get
their prescriptions dispensed from any
NHS community pharmacy in the country,
all pharmacy teams should be aware of
these arrangements.
If a patient wants to claim exemption from
the NHS prescription charge under
Universal Credit, pharmacy staff must
make sure that they:
• Check that the patient has a valid
Universal Credit award letter notice
bearing their name (either as the
recipient or because they are a partner
or child of the recipient).
• Ask the patient to tick the “income-
based Jobseeker’s Allowance”
exemption (until the back of
prescription forms
are updated to
include Universal
Credit) and sign the
declaration.
• Remind the patient
they should make
sure they are still
eligible each
month, i.e. in case
their circumstances
change or check if
their earnings are
still within the threshold limits during
their most recent monthly assessment
period.
• Inform the patient that it is their
responsibility to determine the accuracy
of the declaration they make.
Universal Credit update
Where to go for further supportMore information on using NHS Choices profiles, including
details of what you can edit and tips on responding to
patient feedback, can be found at: psnc.org.uk/nhschoices
PSNC has produced some templates which can be used on
your pharmacy’s profile to help explain the NHS services you
provide; these can be found at:
psnc.org.uk/nhschoicestemplates
Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) met for their annual national conference in
Birmingham last month discussing current community pharmacy problems,
successes and priorities for the future. The conference was held before PSNC’s
planning meeting later in November so that the views of LPCs and the contractors
they represent could be taken into account by PSNC as discussed its plans for 2016.
The conference, chaired by
PSNC Chairman Sir Michael Pitt, opened with a wide ranging report from PSNC’s
Chief Executive Sue Sharpe updating LPCs on PSNC’s work on IT, discretionary
payments, the national flu vaccination service, prescription direction and pricing
accuracy. Sue also spoke about the pressures on NHS funding and the compelling
evidence to use community pharmacy to relieve costs elsewhere: PSNC’s
Pharmacy 5 Point Plan being an important part of the case to make better use of
pharmacy.
With over 200 attendees there followed two lively discussions on the priorities for
pharmacy IT and how the core pharmacy contract should evolve to facilitate service
development; both topics selected by LPC regional groups as being the top areas for
debate and LPC input. The day concluded with a summary of key points flowing from
the discussions (see key points box).
6 Community Pharmacy News – December 2015
lpcs psnc’s work funding and statistics
LPC conference inputs into PSNC strategy for 2016LPC members embrace their opportunity to feed into PSNC’s work for the
next year during their annual conference.
PSNC statement on centralised dispensing
In response to a call for more centralised dispensing of
prescriptions by NHS England's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer
Keith Ridge, PSNC issued the following statement.
Remote assembly of medicines could benefit community
pharmacies as a means of outsourcing, freeing up staff time to
provide greater support to patients. However, centralised
dispensing on any scale in the UK is untested, and it is not clear
whether it is possible to make cost savings within our current
medicines supply regulations. The cost and service levels will be
critical to the business viability of this innovation, and it is by no
means certain that in the tight financial environment for
community pharmacy the figures will stack up.
While we would support moves to create a level playing field for
pharmacies, our great concern is that this proposal, and the
statement that two thirds of medicines could be dispensed
centrally or remotely, is being seen by some as an opportunity
to replace the community pharmacy service with a remote
supply operation. This would be extremely detrimental,
primarily in reducing the care and support provided to patients,
and particularly older people.
Key points from the 2015 LPCConference• LPCs support a strong national contract with services linked to
medicines supply and better integration with GPs and the rest
of the NHS, whilst remaining diverse and accessible for patients.
• LPCs want PSNC to continue to press for resolution to:
prescription direction, pricing accuracy, discretionary payments,
branded generics, the burden of increase demands for MDS and
to ensure fair treatment of contractors.
• LPCs look to PSNC to be as supportive as possible to LPCs (e.g.
facilitating even more sharing of experience and using our
resources for and staying close to LPCs).
• LPCs say there is no more slack in the system and this must be
recognised.
PSNC LeadershipAcademy launched
To support the development of future LPC leaders
who can meet the needs of community pharmacy in an
evolving NHS, the PSNC Leadership Academy was
launched at this year’s LPC Conference.
Details of what is involved, how LPC members can
apply and the selection process can be found in the
LPC Members Area of the PSNC website. The deadline
for applications is 6th January 2016.
psnc.org.uk 7
dispensing and supply services and commissioning the healthcare landscapecontract and it
Community pharmacy statistics
The Health & Social Care Information
Centre has published General
Pharmaceutical Services in England -
2005/06 to 2014/15 (dld.bz/ecaks),
which provides
data on
community
pharmacy and
appliance
contractors in
England.
Healthcare devolution briefing
As more areas sign up to devolution deals,
the King’s Fund has published a briefing,
Devolution: what it means for health and
social care in England (dld.bz/edf5q).
Free HIV home test kits launched
Public Health England (PHE)
has launched the first
nationally available HIV kit
for testing those at higher-
risk, alongside announcing
new funding for innovative
HIV prevention projects.
The NHS spending gap
NHS Confederation has produced an
infographic (dld.bz/ecakk) which
explains why the NHS is expected to have
a £30bn funding gap by 2020/21 and
how the gap could be filled.
Drug user infections report
PHE’s annual report Shooting up:
infections among people who inject drugs
in the UK (dld.bz/ecakj) found that
almost half of people (48%)
who are injecting drug
users were unaware of
having hepatitis C,
although rates of
HIV among this
group remain
low (1%).
PHE data and analysis tools
PHE has brought together the many high
quality data and analysis tools and
resources for public health professionals
(dld.bz/ecakn). The listings cover a wide
range of public health areas, including
lifestyle risk factors such as smoking.
PSNC regularly receives questions from LPCs and
pharmacy contractors about what is going on in the
wider health and care landscape beyond community
pharmacy. In this round-up we cover the latest news
from the past month.
Manufacturer and wholesaler opening hoursduring the Christmas holiday periodDo you know the days and times your regular supplier is open over Christmas?
PSNC has put together a quick reference guide for pharmacy teams.
Telephone number Thurs 24th Dec Tues 29th Dec Weds 30th Dec Thurs 31st Dec
Alliance HealthcareDepends on your depot –see our website if unsure.
09.00 – 18.00 09.00 – 18.00 09.00 – 18.00 09.00 – 18.00
Alloga UK 01773 510 123 08.30 – 17.30 08.30 – 17.30 08.30 – 17.30 09.00 – 18.00
AstraZeneca 0800 783 0033 09.00 – 12.00 09.00 – 15.00 09.00 – 15.00 09.00 – 15.00
Boehringer-Ingelheim 01244 586 250 09.00 – 16.00 09.00 – 16.00 09.00 – 16.00 09.00 – 16.00
Chiesi 0161 488 5521 08.30-12.00 Closed Closed Closed
Daiichi Sankyo 01753 893 600 09.00 – 12.00 Closed Closed Closed
Eli Lilly 0800 012 1178 09.00 – 17.00 09.00 – 17.00 09.00 – 17.00 09.00 – 17.00
Genzyme 01753 893 600 No orders takenOrders taken for
deliveryOrders taken for
deliveryNo orders taken
GSK 020 8990 9000 08.00 – 12.30 09.30 – 12.30 09.30 – 12.30 09.30 – 12.30
Novartis 0845 741 9442 08.00 –14.30 09.00 – 16.00 09.00 – 16.00 08.00 – 14.30
Pfizer 0845 608 8866 09.00 – 17.15 09.00 – 17.00 09.00 – 17.00 09.00 – 17.00
Phoenix 01322 619930 08.00 – 16.00 08.00 – 20.00 08.00 – 20.00 08.00 – 16.00
Sigma 0800 358 4427 08.30 – 18.00 08.30 – 19.00 08.30 – 19.00 08.30 – 19.00
Waymade 01268 535 200 09.00 – 14.00 Closed Closed Closed
Further notices and details of cut-off times for deliveries can be found at: tinyurl.com/xmaswholesaler15. The PSNC Dispensing and
Supply Team will continue to add to this page as more information becomes available.
8 Community Pharmacy News – December 2015
services and commissioning the healthcare landscape lpcs
In this section of Community Pharmacy News we have highlighted some keynotices for you and your team to be aware of in the coming weeks and months.
Pharmacy notice board
Pharmacy's role in urgent careNHS England has published ‘Quick Guide: Extendingthe role of community pharmacy in urgent care’.It includes examples of services which could becommissioned on a local basis, as well as highlightingnationally commissioned services.Read the guide at: dld.bz/dZXDv
Sexual health e-courseThe Centre for PharmacyPostgraduate Education (CPPE) haslaunched a new sexual health in pharmacies e-learning programme which will equip pharmacistsand their teams to deliver a sexual health service.Find out more about the course at: dld.bz/eauy3
Consultation skills newsletterThe latest issue of CPPE's Consultation Skills for
Pharmacy Practice (CSfPP) newsletter includes
information on what's new and what's on the
horizon for CSfPP.
It also includes top messages toshare with colleagues aboutdeveloping their consultation skills.
Read more, including how to getyour copy, at: dld.bz/eb4ZK
Useful pages of PSNCwebsiteAntibiotic Guardians – new webpage aboutantibiotic resistance providing furtherinformation for pharmacy teams at:dld.bz/eam7Y
Prescribing rights – handy guide to helpidentify which products differentprescriber types are entitled toprescribe at: psnc.org.uk/prescribing
Children and young people e-courseCPPE has launched a new e-learning programme –‘Consulting with children and young people’ – as an expansionof their consultation skills portfolio.
The e-learning programme has been developed toencourage pharmacy professionals to place children at thecentre of their own care. As many children are notincluded in discussions of their health, involving them mayhelp improve wellbeing and encourage ownership of health.
It describes the skills and knowledge neededto engage with children and young peoplesuccessfully as well as the behaviours todemonstrate to ensure a patient-centredapproach is maintained.
Find out more about the course at: dld.bz/ebUDz
Check34 WebinarPSNC held a webinar, supported
by the NPA, to demonstrate how
the Check34 analysis tool can be
used to better understand your
prescription business, showing
contractors how to get the most
out of the data in the system.
If you missed it, you can now
access an on-demand version at:
psnc.org.uk/webinar
psnc.org.uk 9
funding and statistics contract and it dispensing and supplypsnc’s work
1. I have a prescription for Sigvaris Comfort class 1 below knee
open toe normal and Sigvaris Comfort class 2 below knee open
toe normal; how many prescription charges will apply?
Two prescription charges will apply. Multiple prescription charges
for lymphoedema garments apply where completely different
base garments (i.e. open toe, closed toe) or the same garment
of differing compression sizes (i.e. Class 1, Class 2) are ordered.
Only one prescription charge is payable if the base garments or
compression sizes are the same (i.e. both open toe or both class
1). If the size (i.e. S, M, L, XL or I, II, III, IV, V) or length (i.e.
standard, petite, short or long – not below knee or thigh high) or
colour is different, this would still be one prescription charge
regardless of quantity.
2. If an optional extra is prescribed with a lymphoedema
garment on the same prescription, will an extra prescription
charge apply?
No, optional extras are classed as no charge items. No additional
fees or charges are payable because all that is being dispensed is
the base garment with optional modifications.
For example: Jobskin MTM Premium class 2 armsleeve
lymphoedema garment FP0501-2 = 1 patient charge and 1
dispensing fee. Reimbursement is made for both the base
garment and the optional extra at the Drug Tariff list price.
3. I am working in an English pharmacy but have a prescription
originating from elsewhere in the UK, do I need to collect the
NHS prescription charge?
Prescription charges vary depending on where in the UK the
prescription was issued. Here’s our simple guide to help you
determine when you need to collect a prescription charge:
Note: only certain types of prescription forms are allowed to be
dispensed in England. The full list is available on our website at:
psnc.org.uk/prescriptionforms
Look out for more frequently asked questions next month...
Ask PSNCPSNC gets asked many questions every month, from the latest Drug Tariff
updates to how to claim payment for national services. Here we answer
some of the most commonly asked questions in recent months.
If you would like more information on any of the topics covered,
the PSNC Dispensing and Supply Team will be happy to help
(0844 381 4180 or 0203 1220 810 or e-mail [email protected]).
English prescriptions
Collect NHS prescription chargesaccording to English rules.
Welsh prescriptions
Scottish prescriptions
Northern Irishprescriptions
No prescription charges.
Pharmacy bodiesaddress low flu jab rates concernAfter the Royal College of General
Practitioners raised concerns that their
members have given 6% fewer flu jabs
than this time last year, PSNC, Pharmacy
Voice and the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society highlighted the great work
community pharmacy teams have been
doing to reach more patients in eligible
groups.
An extract from their joint statement:
“Community pharmacy offers a convenient
high street access as an alternative for
people including historically hard to reach
groups and we will continue to work with
GPs to try to increase overall uptake of the
vaccination.” (Read in full: dld.bz/ean77)
1. Can a vaccination be provided to a patient in an eligible group who is registered
with an NHS GP practice and lives elsewhere in England or one of the other home
countries, e.g. Scotland?
There are no geographical restrictions placed on provision of the service to eligible
patients registered with an NHS GP practice.
2. Does a pharmacy contractor have to make a ‘prescription register’ entry for
each administration of vaccine under the national Patient Group Direction (PGD)?
No. The records required to be maintained by the PGD, which are those included in
the Flu Vaccination Record and Consent Form, made on the date of administration
meet the requirements to make records in the Human Medicines Regulations.
These records may be kept as a paper record or electronically.
3. Will the flu vaccination service be commissioned on an ongoing basis?
As with any service commissioned by the NHS, it will be necessary to demonstrate
that the service is offering value for money and having a positive impact on patient
care. The existing evidence on locally commissioned flu vaccination services is
however very strong and PSNC anticipates that this will also be the case for the
national flu vaccination service.
More FAQs on the flu vaccination service can be viewed at psnc.org.uk/flufaqs
Dispensing and Supply
National flu service
10 Community Pharmacy News – December 2015
dispensing and supply services and commissioning the healthcare landscape lpcs
Below is a table outlining how to source commonly required resources for community pharmacy teams.
Dispensing Factsheet: Where to Obtain External Resources
Resource Where to obtain the resource from
British NationalFormulary (BNF)
Community pharmacies receive hard copy versions of the BNF once a year (in September). Pharmacies withone registered pharmacist will receive a single copy of BNF/BNFc, and pharmacies with two or moreregistered pharmacists will receive two copies. Those who have not received any copies should call Binleys on01268 495 609 or email [email protected] to ensure they are registered.The March print edition can be purchased online using the Pharmaceutical Press website (pharmpress.com)or via their fulfilment company Macmillan Distribution (call 01256 302 699 or email [email protected]).Please also note that BNF and BNFc content can be accessed online via the MedicinesComplete website:medicinescomplete.com/about/publications.htm.
Controlled DrugRequisition Forms(FP10CDF)
Requisitions not received on the new mandatory form after 30th November 2015 cannot be processed by thePricing Authority. The new mandatory form can be obtained online from the Pricing Authority’s website:nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/1120.aspx. They can be downloaded, completed online, printed andsigned in wet ink.
Department of HealthPublications
A number of publications are available from the Department of Health Publications Order line. You can orderby calling 0300 123 1002 or download copies from their website: orderline.dh.gov.uk.
Dispensing Tokens(FP10DT)
Your local office of Primary Care Support Services is responsible for the issuing of Dispensing Tokens(FP10DT). If you need copies, please contact your local office of Primary Care Support Services or [email protected].
Drug Tariff Copies of the Drug Tariff are sent out every month to all pharmacy contractors in England. If you don’t receiveyour copy, please contact your local office of Primary Care Support Services or [email protected]. Some pharmacy teams find it useful to use the online version which can beaccessed from the Pricing Authority’s website: psnc.org.uk/dt.
Equality Act Toolkit(Formerly DDA Toolkit)
NHS Primary Care Commissioning published a toolkit to assist pharmacy contractors to comply with theirobligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. Whilst the legislation has now been consolidated into theEquality Act 2010, the toolkit may still be used to help pharmacy teams identify the adjustments that may beneeded. The toolkit, plus further information about the Equality Act, can be found at: psnc.org.uk/ea.
FP34C SubmissionDocument
Copies of Form FP34C, which is used when submitting NHS prescription forms for pricing, are sent outmonthly by the Pricing Authority. If the form hasn’t arrived by the end of the month, please call the NHSPrescription Services Help Desk on 0300 330 1349.
FP34PCD SubmissionDocument
Private prescription forms for Controlled Drugs (FP10PCD) must be submitted to the Pricing Authoritymonthly along with a special FP34PCD submission document. The submission document can be downloadedfrom the Pricing Authority’s website: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/1120.aspx.
FP57 (Receipt and RefundForms)
Your local office of Primary Care Support Services is responsible for issuing the FP57 (Receipt and RefundForms) to pharmacy teams, on request. If you need copies, please contact your local office of Primary CareSupport Services or email [email protected].
FP95 Application for aPrescription Pre-paymentCertificate
Your local office of Primary Care Support Services is responsible for issuing the FP95 Application for aPrescription Pre-payment Certificate to pharmacy teams, on request. If you need copies, please contact yourlocal office of Primary Care Support Services or email [email protected].
Help with Health CostsPromotional Material
A range of information materials for patients on ‘Help with Health Costs' can be found on the PricingAuthority’s website: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/792.aspx.
Hints & Tips Newsletter The Pricing Authority produces a quarterly newsletter which is published on the Pricing Authority’s website(nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3191.aspx), where you can also sign up for emails alerting you when a new edition is released.
NHS Prescription Services“Ask Us” database
A database created by the Pricing Authority which enables pharmacy teams to find answers to some commonqueries. This can be found on the Pricing Authority’s website: tinyurl.com/nhsbsahelp.
Patient Safety IncidentReporting Form
Contractors can report patient safety incidents to the National Reporting and Learning Service (NRLS) at:eforms.nrls.nhs.uk/staffreport. PSNC guidance on patient safety incident reporting and template forms to use in the pharmacy are availableon our website: psnc.org.uk/patientsafety.
Prescription RecheckRequest Form
If a contractor requires a prescription bundle rechecked from the preceding 18 months, they must request sousing the appropriate form. The Pricing Authority’s recheck request form can be downloaded from the PricingAuthority’s website: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/3456.aspx.
Smartcards Local NHS England teams are responsible for establishing local Registration Authorities (RAs) to manage theissuing of smartcards to access the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). Find RA contact details at:psnc.org.uk/RAs
psnc.org.uk 11
psnc’s work funding and statistics contract and itlpcs
Pharmacy teams may wish to check PSNC’s ‘Dispensing on an FP10 database’ (available at: psnc.org.uk/FP10database) for more information on
whether an item can be dispensed on an FP10, and we have listed some products below that we have recently received queries about.
Product Is the item Does it Is it Can it be Additional listed in the have a ‘CE’ in the dispensed information Drug Tariff? mark? blacklist? on an FP10?
Can it be dispensed on an FP10?
Deep Heat Patch
Soffban Bandages
Medihoney barrier cream
Flexitol Heel Balm
56 gram
No
No
Yes
No
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
This item is a medical device (CE
marked) and is not listed in Part
IX of the Drug Tariff.
This item is a medical device (CE
marked) and is not listed in Part
IX of the Drug Tariff.
This item is a medical device (CE
marked) and appears in Part IX
of the Drug Tariff.
This item is a medical device (CE
marked) and is not listed in Part
IX of the Drug Tariff.
Please note: only pack sizes
listed in Part IXA of the Drug
Tariff are allowed.
Deletion of Co-proxamol 32.5mg/325mg
tablets
Co-proxamol 32.5mg/325mg tablets have
been removed from Part VIIIA of the Drug
Tariff as of 1st December.
Therefore, prescriptions for Co-proxamol
32.5mg/325mg tablets will need to be
endorsed as an unlicensed medicine which is
not listed in Part VIIIB of the Drug Tariff. For an
unlicensed medicine which is not listed in Part
VIIIB of the Drug Tariff and has been sourced
under a manufacturer’s specials/importer’s
licence issued by the MHRA, endorse:
• Amount dispensed over pack size used;
• Invoice price per pack size (e.g. “£30/pack”)
from which the order was supplied, less any
discount or rebate;
• Manufacturer’s/importer’s MHRA specials
license number;
• Batch number of unlicensed product; and
• SP
Prescriptions forms for unlicensed specials
and imports should be separated from the rest
of the bundle and placed in the red separator
for submission. Recording requirements for
unlicensed specials and imports should
continue to be made as required by the
MHRA.
Further information can be found on
endorsing unlicensed medicines on our
Dispensing Factsheet: Unlicensed Specials
and Imports, which can be downloaded from:
tinyurl.com/unlicensed-imports
Removal from Part VIIIB
Methotrexate 10mg/5ml oral solution and
suspension have been removed from Part VIIIB
of the Drug Tariff as of 1st December. There is
now a listing for a licensed alternative,
Methotrexate 2mg/ml oral solution sugar free
(available as a special container in 35ml and
65ml) which can be found in Part VIIIA.
Drug Tariff listing changesChanges to the Drug Tariff impact on
reimbursement so it's important to take
note when amendments are made to
product listings. Below are some
changes which took effect recently.
Problems obtaininga medicine orappliance?Pharmacy teams who
experience problems in
obtaining medicines (generic or
branded) or appliances are
reminded to feed this back to
the PSNC Dispensing and Supply
Team to support PSNC’s
ongoing representation of
issues in the supply chain.
PSNC passes a monthly
summary of the feedback
received to the Department of
Health to support their
monitoring of the situation. This
information is also used as an
evidence base in discussions
with manufacturers on
manufacturer-specific problems,
for example highlighting
problems with contingency
arrangements and promoting
solutions.
Please make sure you let us
know about any supply issues by
using our online feedback forms
at: psnc.org.uk/feedback
dispensing and supply services and commissioning the healthcare landscape
PSNC websiteFor up to date information and news on community pharmacy issues, visit the PSNC website at psnc.org.uk
PSNC Community Pharmacy News is published by:The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, Times House, 5 Bravingtons Walk, London N1 9AWCommunity Pharmacy News is edited by:Melinda Mabbutt who can be contacted at the above address or by email at: [email protected] © PSNCPSNC Office: 0844 381 4180 or 0203 122 0810
Drug Tariff Watch
Part XX – Requsitions and private
prescriptions for Controlled Drugs
Contractors should note changes made to
this Part – see article on page 4.
Part VIIIA additions
Category C Additions:
• Oxybutynin 2.5mg/5ml oral solution
sugar free (150ml) Category C - Thame
Laboratories Ltd
• Oxybutynin 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar
free (150ml) Category C - Thame
Laboratories Ltd
Part VIIIA amendments
• Naproxen 375mg gastro-resistant
tablets (56) is changing to Category C
Actavis UK Ltd
• Pethidine 100mg/2ml solution for
injection ampoules (10) is changing to
Category C Martindale Pharmaceuticals
Ltd
• Prednisolone 25mg tablets (56) is
changing to Category A
• Tolfenamic acid 200mg tablets (10) is
changing to Category A
• Wild cherry syrup (2000ml) is changing
to Category C J M Loveridge Ltd
Part VIIIA deletions
If a medicinal product has been removed
from Part VIIIA and has no other pack sizes
listed, it can continue to be dispensed, but
it will need to be endorsed fully (i.e. brand
or supplier name from whom the product
was purchased and the pack size from
which the item was dispensed) and price
paid in future.
• Chloroform and Morphine tincture
(500ml) Category C - J M Loveridge Ltd
• Lithium carbonate 250mg tablets (100)
Category C - Camcolit 250
Part IX Deletions
It is important to take careful note of removals from Part IX because if you dispense a deleted product, prescriptions will be returned
as disallowed and therefore payment will not be made for dispensing the item.
Manufacturer Product description Product code
Coloplast Ltd Conveen EasiCath, Paediatric, 8-10Ch 5008-5010
Conveen Easicath 30cm, 8-10Ch 5088-5090
SpeediCath Complete, Female, 10-14Ch 28430-28434
SpeediCath Complete, Male, 10-14Ch 28460-28464
DreamSkin (formerly DreamSkin Silk)
Body Suit, 0-6 months n/a
Baby Leggings with foldaway feet (formerly Leggings), 0-6 months n/a
CliniMed Ltd BioDerm XLS (Oval) 20026/starter
Opus Healthcare Ultra Cleanse Skin Cleanser 4400-4401
ConvaTec Ltd
Vitala, Continence Control Device (for end colostomy), 45mm (for 45mmCombihesive Natura flange)
413211
Vitala, Continence Control Device (for end colostomy), 57mm (for 57mmCombihesive Natura flange)
413212
The first section of the Drug Tariff is the Preface. The Preface contains valuable information relevant for both the current edition and
the next. It lists additions, deletions and any other alterations to the Drug Tariff. The Preface should ideally be checked each month to
identify products which are entering or being removed from the Tariff as well as those products changing between categories or, in
the case of Category C items, changes to the brand used for pricing.
During dispensing, it is important to note which products are listed in the Drug Tariff as well as which category products are entering
into and the pack sizes being included in these entries. This is because reimbursement will be based on this classification and its
endorsement requirements. Incorrect endorsement can lead to incorrect or delay in payment.
It is also important to know the category of an item when claiming certain payments (e.g. OOP expenses) because these are not
allowed for some categories. For more information visit psnc.org.uk/oop
Below is a quick summary of some the changes due to take place from 1st January 2016.
All details correct at time of printing.
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