Health Information Exchange (HIE) and its IT partner for the original PharmOutcomes platform, Crimson, have today reached an agreement on a license which will allow Crimson to use the PharmOutcomes NMS module on their new myhealthplace platform.

Use of the NMS module in the Crimson myhealthplace platform offers continuity of service to all current NMS service providers with:

• No need to retrain staff;
• Reporting and management information remaining the same; and
• User names and log in details remaining the same.

If pharmacy contractors wish to continue using the NMS module from 1st April, they can do this for a payment of £5 per pharmacy per month. Contractors should emailmyhealthplace@crimson.co.uk for further information, or to set up access to the NMS module on the myhealthplace platform.

Please note that when Pharmoutcomes moves to the new provider you will not have access to the NMS Module anymore so it is important that you download any existing data as mentioned in our previous correspondance.  
For more information please see below.

Pre Acceptance Waste Audit

From 1st October 2010 some producers of healthcare related waste have been required to assess the composition of the waste they produce and inform their waste contractor, in order to assist in its safe collection and disposal.

The Environment Agency has prioritised the applicability of this requirement, based on risk, pharmacy contractors will be required to have completed their waste audit and submitted this to their waste contractor by 1st July 2013. Waste contractors will be unable to collect waste from a pharmacy until it has been satisfied that an audit has been carried out, to identify the waste streams and so that it can ensure appropriate disposal.

PSNC has developed a briefing and an audit toolkit, this was developed with the close involvement of the Environment Agency. Click on the link below to access the detail on the PSNC website.

The LPC would encourage you to look at this as soon as possible.

The LPC would like to remind contractors that the government  has announced an increase of 20 pence to the NHS prescription charge to £7.85 per prescription item. This change will come into effect from the 1st April 2013.

The cost of prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) has remained the same for a further year, with the price of a three month PPC at £29.10 and a 12-month PPC at £104. PPCs offer savings for those needing four or more items in three months or more than 13 items in one year.
PSNC Chief Executive Sue Sharpe said:

“The prescription charge is a tax on the sick and as all pharmacies will know, many people who have to pay the charges find it extremely difficult to do so. We understand that the NHS is starved of resources and so may not be able to remove the charge, but at a time when many people are seeing their income drop, the increase announced today is regrettable.

Updated prescription charge cards are being sent out by the PSNC via community newshowever for your convenience you can download a copy form our resource page.

The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) has agreed to extend funding for the New Medicine Service (NMS) for six months.
This means that community pharmacies can continue to recruit new patients to the service up until September 30th and will receive payment for these patients even where the service is completed in October or November 2013.

The service specification will remain the same and a maximum of £20 million in funding will be available for it during the six-month period.

No decision has been made about the future of the service beyond September. This will be an NHS CB decision that will take into account any emerging data from the Department of Health (DH) commissioned evaluation of the service.

The evaluation is currently due to report in September, but the DH has said it may need to be extended to ensure that enough patients are recruited to it – the DH is considering this at the moment.

The NMS was originally commissioned until the end of March 2013 and in the first twelve months of the service more than half a million patients received it from community pharmacies.

Sue Sharpe, PSNC Chief Executive, said:

“We are very pleased that the NHS Commissioning Board has agreed to extend the NMS while it gets to grips with its new responsibilities – it is a welcome first signal from the organisation that is to have such a significant role in determining pharmacy’s financial future.

Of course we would have liked a longer commissioning term, but it is no secret that NHS resources are extremely limited at the moment, so this funding, which represents additional money outside of core contract funding, will be welcome for contractors.

All negotiations are difficult at the moment and PSNC worked very hard to make the case to the DH and the NHS CB for the continuation of the NMS. The positive conclusions we were able to draw from our analysis of PharmOutcomes data provided the main evidence base for use by DH and the Board in their decision on re-commissioning the service. While this analysis will only be one factor in the NHS CB’s decision about the long-term future of the NMS, we are hopeful that the DH commissioned evaluation will reflect our results.”

Gary Warner, independent contractor and chair of PSNC’s Service Development Subcommittee, said:

“This decision is good news for both patients and contractors and I am delighted that the NHS CB has been able to support this important service.

As a contractor I would have liked certainty for the NMS beyond September, but I do hope that community pharmacies will use the next six months to really make the most of this service. Ongoing widespread provision of the service is vital to demonstrate pharmacy’s commitment to supporting medicines optimisation, and of course, for contractors this service represents an additional funding source which is a good thing in the current difficult climate.

On the PSNC Service Development Subcommittee we will be doing all that we can to ensure that the service is able to continue beyond September,  but the NHS CB will also want to see contractors’ continued commitment to providing the service to all eligible patients to deliver the maximum benefit for individuals and the NHS.”

Locally the LPC's would echo Gary's comments and encourage all our pharmacies locally to really get behind the NMS service and make the most of it. 

As part of the government’s changes to the benefit system, Universal Credit is a new benefit being introduced in April 2013. Those receiving this benefit will be eligible for free prescriptions.

Universal Credit will be rolled out in only a few areas for the moment and as such the prescription form itself will not change for the time being. Patients who are able to produce a valid Universal Credit award letter bearing their name (either as the recipient or because they are a partner or child of the recipient), should sign to declare their exemption and will need to tick the box for “income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance”.

The areas where Universal Credit will be introduced in April 2013 are as follows:
Oldham

• Tameside
• Warrington
• Wigan

As patients can get their prescriptions dispensed from any NHS community pharmacy in the country, pharmacies locally need to be aware of this information.

The LPC would like to encourage all pharmacists to make sure their staff are aware of this information.

Further information can be found here:www.nhs.uk/uc-healthcosts andhttp://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/universal-credit/

PSNC has issued an update on its ongoing funding negotiations and highlighted a number of changes being introduced from April that will be important for contractors.

The key changes include: 

• an increase in practice payments of 8p per item;
• revised methadone fee arrangements;
• the introduction of 100% advance payments for contractors;
• the introduction of the Government’s supply chain finance scheme;
• a new requirement to ensure prescriptions have a prescriber code.

A number of other changes to the April Drug Tariff will reflect the changes in NHS structures and responsibilities.

Negotiations on the Cost of Service Inquiry continue, and PSNC aims to reach a settlement of funding in the near future

Further information on all of these changes is available in a guidance document which is can be downloaded here.

PSNC Chief Executive Sue Sharpe said:
“Although there will be no ‘big bang’ on April 1st when the organisations of the reformed NHS take over from the existing bodies, for community pharmacies there are going to be a number of important changes.

Contractors will perhaps be most interested in the immediate changes to funding, and of course the increase in practice payments will be welcome for businesses.  Practice payments were reduced in October last year, and this payment level reflects the amount needed to deliver the current level of agreed funding whilst negotiations continue. The move to 100% advance payments will provide a boost to payments due at the beginning of June, and the introduction of the Government’s supply chain finance scheme will also be helpful for many contractors.

Community pharmacies will also want to be aware of some new requirements in the reformed NHS, for example the need to check that prescriptions have a cost centre code on them, and they will need to understand the new endorsing arrangements for methadone prescriptions.

None of these changes reflect any decisions on COSI-based funding, but contractors can be assured that PSNC’s negotiating team continues to work very hard to secure the best outcome on that for all contractors.”

Pharmoutcomes is  changing it provider  and pharmacies need to be aware of some important information that requires immediate action to ensure any of their data is transferred or downloaded before the new system takes effect.

The LPC would encourage all contractors to read through this information carefully as soon as possible and ensure their data is transferred / downloaded safely.

Further information can be obtained from the PSNC website.
http://www.psnc.org.uk/pages/transfer_to_the_new_pharmoutcomes_system.html

The LPC would like to remind contractors of their contractual obligations to provide the PCT with their documents before the end of March.

Contractors are required to submit Audit's,  Practice Leaflets, Patient Satisfaction Survey Results and Outcomes and Complaints Log.

All NHS providers, including community pharmacies, need to provide information governance assurances to the NHS on an annual basis. These assurances are provided through completion of an online assessment tool, the deadline for submitting the 2012/13 return is the 31st March 2013.

Further information is available from the PSNC website:

Pharmacy is moving towards a service based industry and it is important the pharmacies and their staff understand the opportunities and are able to make a difference.

Gateshead & South Tyneside LPC along with our neighbouring LPC's  Sunderland  and North of Tyne have worked with McNeil to run a series of training event for pharmacy staff covering the promotion of  service and Interventions.  Find out more and register for the free training here.