News Stream

Drug & Alcohol Services - GatesheadStakeholders Mobilisation Workshop - 17th Oct

16/10/2018

This is a reminder about the Drug and Alcohol Services Stakeholder Mobilisation Events being run tomorrow. A message was sent from the council via Pharmoutcomes and it is replicated below for your convenience.

Invitation: Stakeholder Mobilisation Workshops, Wednesday 17th October 2018

As you are probably aware, following the recent procurement process, from 1st November 2018 Change Grow Live (CGL) will be providing the Integrated Drug and Alcohol services for adults in Gateshead in partnership with the GP Federation and Recovery Connections, under the name 'Gateshead Recovery Partnership'.

6 GP's surgeries: Oxford Terrace, Bensham Family Practice, Teams Surgery, Central Medical Group, Birtley Medical Group and Whickham Surgery will provide specialist opiate prescribing treatment. Recovery Connections will deliver a wide-range of activities and programmes to help support clients through their recovery. Clients will be offered groups, programmes and services including Quasi Residential Rehabilitation. (The residential programme, is based on the 12 step programme and lasts for 24 weeks with open ended after care following discharge. There are opportunities for Day Care if residential is not assessed to be appropriate.)

To aid the smooth transition to the new service we are holding 3 Stakeholder Mobilisation Workshops on Wednesday 17th October 2018. The purpose of the workshops is to introduce the partnership and the remodelling of substance misuse services in Gateshead. The workshop will provide the opportunity to engage in the development of pathways and influence transition, as well as meeting staff from each provider.

The workshops will be held on Wednesday 17th October 2018 at Bewicks B, Gateshead Civic Centre, refreshments will be provided. Choice of timings for the workshops are: 13:30 to 15:00 15:30 to 17:00 17:30 to 19:00

There is no need to register your attendance. For any further details, please contact Joy Evans, 0191 433 2421, joyevans@gateshead.gov.uk

EHC Service GatesheadCouncil Audit - Changes and Recommendations

16/10/2018

Gateshead Council conducted an Audit of the EHC service earlier in 2018. Some Pharmacies were contacted and visited as part of that audit. The council would like to thank those that participated.

As a result of the audit the council have introduced some adjustments to the Pharmoutcomes EHC 2018 template as well some recommendations .

These are detailed below. Please familiarise yourself with the changes and should you have any queries please contact the Sexual Health lead at the council. David Brady
(davidbrady@gateshead.gov.uk) 0191-4333 147

AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHANGES

If the person is aged 14–16yrs and Fraser Guidance applies, a compulsory response will now be required to indicate guidelines have been considered. For reference, a factsheet www.fpa.org.uk/factsheets/under-16s-consent-confidentiality will be embedded within the supporting information section.
If the person presenting is 13yrs or under you will not be able to record the consultation or make a supply as the service spec does not cover. A warning message will provide you with further advice on how and where to refer, this will be age dependent..
When the consultation determines ‘no supply’, a new mandatory field will require supporting reasons.
When the consultation determines ‘supply’ the batch number and expiry date will need to be provided. This has always been the case however now these field are mandatory an you will not be able to submit without filling this information in.
We strongly encourage pharmacists to use the EHC template as a live service and input directly into the template during the consultation. Use of paper records is impractical due to the complex configuration of the service triage form, especially since the introduction of a second PGD. From April 2019 the service specifications will require the pharmacist to exclusively use the EHC template as a live pharmoutcomes module in the meantime the council would encourage you to start using the system in this way from now.
To find out more about Gateshead Sexual Health service please visit www.gatesheadsexualhealth.co.uk/ They can discuss with the you the option of providing free Dual Screen (Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea) testing kits and the condom distribution scheme for young people up to the age of 25. Pharmacies will be paid a supplement for distributing testing kits when recorded in the EHC module. Please contact Dobson Dan Dan.Dobson@stft.nhs.uk or call 0191 2831570 to find out more about condoms and testing kits.”

Pharmacy Bulletin from CGL (New Substance Misuse Provider in Gateshead)

16/10/2018

Following the award of the substance misuse contract in Gateshead, CGL the new provider have prepared the Pharmacy Bulletin below for pharmacy in Gateshead.

Click to view / download the Pharmacy Buletin

Gateshead Substance Misuse Contract Awarded to CGL

11/9/2018

Gateshead Council have informed us that their substance misuse contract has been awarded to CGL. Details are in the letter below. The letter is self explanatory and the council have told us that current contract arrangements with pharmacies delivering supervised consumption are not affected.

You can click here to download a copy.

Educational Event - COPD Update - 20th September - Newcastle Marriott

10/9/2018

Chiesi Ltd have asked us to let Pharmacists know about an COPD educational update event they have got running. The event is on the 20th September at the Newcastle Marriott. The event invite is below. If you are interested in attending please contact David Paterson (details contained in the flyer). Any queries regarding this event should also be directed to David.

A PDF of the the invite can be download by clicking either of the images above.

Court of Appeal upholds High Court decision on pharmacy funding cuts

23/8/2018

The Court of Appeal has today upheld the High Court ruling that the reduction in funding imposed on community pharmacies in October 2016 was not unlawful.

This means that the current community pharmacy funding arrangements will remain in place pending negotiations with PSNC for this financial year and beyond.

PSNC and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) both brought Judicial Review cases following the Secretary of State’s decision to impose funding reductions on community pharmacies in October 2016. In May 2017 a High Court judge ruled that the decision to impose the reductions had not been unlawful.

PSNC and the NPA both then sought to appeal this judgment. The Appeal cases were heard in May by three Court of Appeal Judges – Lord Justice Irwin, Lord Justice Hickinbottom and Sir Jack Beatson – and their judgment was handed down at 10am today (Thursday 23rd August).

The three Court of Appeal judges upheld the initial High Court judgment, agreeing that the funding cuts and consultation relating to them were not unlawful. In dismissing the Appeals, the Judges said that “there is no principle of law” which would render the funding changes unlawful, “even if a reduction in the numbers [of community pharmacies] was expected”.
Responding to PSNC’s concern about the Department of Health’s (DH’s) reliance on an assumed 15% operating margin for community pharmacies, the Judges agreed: “It was regrettable that the process was not more open.” But they found that “since no such margin was treated as a critical point in the decision, the point could not render the process unfair.”

The NPA’s appeal was also dismissed.

The judgment means the changes made to community pharmacy funding, which implemented a reduction in funding and introduced a new Single Activity Fee, among other changes, will remain in force.
We expect that funding negotiations for 2018/19 will begin shortly and PSNC’s ambition is to return to a collaborative working relationship with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England on funding and other matters. The process of rebuilding relationships has been an early priority for PSNC’s new Chief Executive, Simon Dukes.
Further information is included in a summary of the judgment and a selection of Frequently Asked Questions available in PSNC Briefing 044/18: Summary of the Judicial Review Appeal judgment (August 2018).

PSNC Chief Executive Simon Dukes said:
“Since joining PSNC I have been impressed by the positive impact that pharmacies are having every day on so many patients, in some cases quite literally transforming their lives. But I have also heard about the very great personal costs of this as you struggle with the current financial pressures, so I know that you will be disappointed by today’s news about our legal action.
For me, the priority has always been to focus on the future and on getting the best possible deal for patients and community pharmacies when our negotiations with HM Government begin. To achieve that we need to work collaboratively with Government, so my team and I will be continuing our work to rebuild strong working relationships with NHS England, DHSC and with anyone else working for Government.
Community pharmacies play an immensely valuable role in helping patients and local communities and we are in a strong position to do more to help both them and the NHS. In recent months it has been particularly encouraging to hear Ministers and the Prime Minister speaking positively about community pharmacies and recognising the important work that you do. We will need to manage changes, whether embracing technology or offering new clinical services, and PSNC will continue to work through these issues on your behalf.”

PSNC Vice-Chair and independent community pharmacy contractor Bharat Patel said:
“PSNC still very much regrets that we felt that the only option left to us back in 2016 was to take legal action. We have always sought to work constructively and collaboratively with the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care and that remains our strategy to get the best deal for community pharmacy.
As a community pharmacist myself, I am disappointed that the judgment has not found in our favour. However, the process has helped to highlight some important ways in which future consultations on community pharmacy funding should be carried out, and we look forward to working more constructively with DHSC on that basis in the future.
Through the Judicial Review process, we have also gained some useful insight into DHSC thinking and the challenges that are ahead for all of us as the NHS tries to set out a ten-year plan that meets rising demand and embraces innovations such as digital models of care.
PSNC is now focused on the future and on working as closely as possible with DHSC, NHS England and wider Government to find ways to develop pharmacies that benefit pharmacies and their patients, while helping to meet Government objectives. We have been very encouraged to hear the new Secretary of State recognising the value of community pharmacies in helping people to stay healthy and we look forward to working with Government to ensure that pharmacies can continue to do this.”

FMD update for contractors

23/8/2018

Following our NPA event earlier in the year which covered FMD and its implications for pharmacy please see the latest update below.

FMD Update

Following its latest meeting, the UK Community Pharmacy Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) Working Group is advising that uncertainties related to Brexit mean that all pharmacies need to carefully consider which systems they choose to verify the authenticity of the medicines they supply. Authentication of medicines under FMD will start from 9th February 2019.

Arvato, part of the Bertelsmann group, has recently signed a contract with SecurMed UK to provide the UK FMD system. Community pharmacies should be able to start getting connected to the system from September this year. The UK system will connect to the central EU FMD hub.

Commenting after the meeting, Chairman of the working group and NPA Board member Raj Patel, said:
“Given continued Brexit uncertainties, we recommend that whatever system pharmacies choose, they ensure that termination of the contract without penalties is possible, in the remote possibility there is no workable UK FMD repository.”
Continued access to the EU FMD hub will depend on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Access is likely to continue during the transition period, and if the UK government realises its aim of a close alignment on medicines policy within the Brexit agreement, it will continue after 2020 too.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care and MHRA have launched a consultation on some aspects of implementing FMD in the UK, which contains a section on sanctions for non-compliance.

Mr Patel continued: “With a lack of certainty as to just how long the FMD system will be needed for, combined with the financial squeeze on community pharmacy, and the lack of any announcement on government funding for this regulation, it is hard to justify the investment. However, we are mandated to comply so we must proceed, albeit with caution.”

One of the key requirements of FMD is the ‘decommissioning’ of a medicinal product before a supply is made to a patient. IT solutions will be available which will include standalone FMD systems or FMD capability integrated into patient medication record (PMR) systems. The working group has published a list of FMD IT system suppliers for any contractors who have not yet started to prepare for FMD, to help them consider their options.

Funding for FMD

The costs of establishing the UK’s National Medicines Verification System are to be borne by manufacturers of branded and generic medicines and parallel distributors. Under the Delegated Regulation, each sector, including pharmacy, is responsible for its own costs for connecting to the UK FMD system. Each of the four national community pharmacy negotiators, including PSNC, is working to ensure that contractors’ FMD-related costs are recognised in future NHS funding settlements. Some of the costs involved include initial set-up, IT, both software and hardware, plus ongoing operational costs.

PSNC announces fee uplift and improvements for this years flu service

20/8/2018

PSNC have just announced that there is to be an uplift for this years flu service along with some improvements to the service. Please see the full announcement below.

PSNC has worked with NHS England to agree some key improvements to the community pharmacy Flu Vaccination Service for 2018/19, including an uplift to fees.

The changes include:

The fee for the service will increase to £7.98 per administered dose plus an additional fee of £1.50 per vaccination, making the total payment £9.48.
Contractors can now administer vaccinations in patients’ homes.
Pharmacists need only undertake face-to-face training for the service every three years (this is an extension from the previous requirement for training every two years).
The requirement for contractors to register to offer the service with NHS BSA has been removed.
Payment claims from pharmacies can now be made electronically.

The changes are contained within the s ervice specification and the Patient Group Direction, which have been published today. Further details of the changes are available in PSNCBriefing 041/18 – Changes to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service 2018/19.

The service is due to commence on 1st September 2018, subject to amendments to the Secretary of State Directions being made by the Department of Health and Social Care. PSNCwill notify contractors when the amendments have been made and the date they can commence provision of the service.

Click here to read more

PSNC guidance and webinar
Following publication of the service specification and PGD, PSNC has published detailed guidance on the service and has rescheduled the postponed flu webinar.

Click here to read PSNC Briefing 042/18: Guidance on the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service 2018/19

Click here to register for the rescheduled flu webinar on Tuesday 21st August at 7pm
Please note, if you registered for the webinar which was postponed on 15th August, you should receive an email confirming the new date and time and your registration will still be valid, you shouldn’t need to sign up again.

GST LPC Virtial AGM now open

20/8/2018

As in previous years and in line with our constitution Gateshead & South Tyneside LPC is holding its Annual General Meeting virtually through its website.

A letter has been sent out to give notice of this process.

You can access the virtual AGM and annual report by clicking here
The Virtual AGM process will close at 4pm on 21st September 2018.

Drug shortages - Suggestions to GP's, inform PSNC and resource Flyer

23/7/2018

With all the drug shortages at the moment pharmacists are finding that they have to get in touch more and more with the GP practices to discuss the need for an alternative and some times the alternatives are also unavailable.

Understandably this has led to frustration with GP's and patients alike. Having discussed the issue with our GP colleagues they have expressed that it would be useful to know what the pharmacy has available when they receive requests for alternative treatments.

So as a consequence and In order to minimise disruption to patient care, where possible please let the surgery know availability of suitable alternatives when you contact them.

Don't Forget to Report to PSNC

Don't forget if you have a problem with with prices or shortages please let the PSNC know via their web form . This will give PSNC the data they need when they are negotiating with the department of health.

The forms can be found on the concession price page on the PSNC website.
http://psnc.org.uk/dispensing-supply/supply-chain/generic-shortages/

Please note: - Only use the web form, do not contact the PSNC by telephone as this delays the process. Please use the website.

Pharmacy Poster / Flyer Resource

Pharmacies may also find the flyer below useful to put up in the pharmacy or to hand out to patients. It helps to explain some of the problems to patients.

If you can not see the image below you can download a copy by clicking here.