Blog Archives

NHS Mail - Pharmacies should use NHS Mail for Prescription Ordering

28/8/2020

Following conversations with local GPs, the LPC has become aware that some pharmacies are ordering prescriptions and sending messages to GPs on behalf of patients using non NHS mail.

Please note that you “must” use NHS mail to send confidential data to GP surgeries for security and data protection reasons - as NHS mail is a secure system.

GP2Pharmacy Data Entry and Reconciliation with EMIS Diary

26/8/2020

Following the introduction of the EMIS diary function into the GP2Pharmacy service, it has become apparent that some pharmacies aren’t processing the consultation on Pharmoutocmes in a timely manner which occasionally is causing confusion at the GP end when reconciling notifications with referrals.

The LPC would like to remind all contractors the importance of filling in the Pharmoutcomes claims as soon as possible, so that notifications (GP Letter) gets to GPs efficiently and pharmacy data can be cross checked with GP referrals on the system.

PPE Guidance Changes - New Guidance for PPE use in Flu Vaccinations

25/8/2020

Following our recent communications regarding flu services pharmacies will be thinking about the PPE element so we though the following new advice would be useful.
Public Health England has issued new guidance which states that Community pharmacy teams administering vaccinations this year do not need to use single use personal protective equipment (PPE).

The guidance, published last week (Friday 21 August), said that using single-use PPE items including gloves and aprons for each encounter is ‘not necessary’ and instead ‘staff administering vaccinations must apply hand hygiene between patients and wear a sessional Type IIR mask’.
Gloves and aprons are only recommended for use when there is an anticipated exposure to bodily fluids or broken skin, the guidance states
Guidance on administering vaccinations published earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic said that gloves and aprons should be changed after each patient, while masks, visors and eye masks could be worn for an entire session.

PSNC have summarised the the new guidance on their website. This can be accessed by clicking here.

ERD - Electronic Repeat DispensingUsage is increasing - Webinars to follow.

24/8/2020

During the pandemic there has been a big push to increase the amount of electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) in an effort to boost patient and staff safety.
To maximise eRD, there has been a project implemented throughout all the North East & Yorkshire GP practices whereby webinars were used to improve eRD rates.
You may have seen an increase in activity from your local GPs.
Indeed a recent report from the project group illustrates that, although support was given remotely, the eRD rate is increasing.
One of the highlighted areas within the report suggested that not all community pharmacies are up-to-speed with eRD and this was seen as a barrier to further improvement.
As a consequence, the project team are working with local LPCs including ours to develop a series of webinars for community pharmacists - and their teams - which will explain the process in detail and look for ways that pharmacy staff can help to maximise uptake of eRD; and prevent some of the issues…such as multiple prescriptions for the same items… causing confusion.

Reset of Think Pharmacy FirstActivity Levels and Claims

21/8/2020

When the pandemic began, and the country locked down; the LPC managed to argue, quite rightly, for some local support to help contractors deal with the reduction in numbers of members of the public calling into pharmacies for minor ailment support and other clinical services which relied on face to face consultations.
As a consequence, you will recall that February activity levels were paid throughout April, May and June for the minor ailment service.

Many contractors welcomed this intervention - as payments were maintained at February levels throughout the initial stages of lock-down and into June - when patients and the public were warned to stay at home to protect the NHS.
Time has moved on.

Lockdown is easing and the NHS is resetting.

As a consequence, the payments are now based on actual activity again - and this is the right thing as activity levels are rising.
Please ensure you are able to provide these essential clinical interventions safely as Covid19 has not gone away.
Please ensure that you process your claims in a timely manner and retain your paperwork for audit purpose.

Council Flu Service Work Under Way to Establish a Pharmacy Service

19/8/2020

The LPC is working collaboratively with colleagues from Gateshead and South Tyneside Councils, and with our commissioning company PSNE, to try and create an innovative flu vaccination service for council staff.

This service will enable community pharmacies to engage in vaccination of council staff from their pharmacy and via bespoke clinics. It is envisaged that signing up to the service will enable you to vaccinate for a number of councils so that staff can attend any pharmacy near their home and not neccassrily near their work. We are woroking with other LPC's to widen the range of pharmacies across the region.
More details will follow in due course, but until then we wanted to give you advance notice and also to encourage you to think about how you will manage the extras demand this year. In particular how you will provide the service safely with Covid19 still around.
Think about what you can and must do to keep patients and staff safe.
For example:-
Do you intend to open different hours to provide flu only?
Perhaps get in touch with your local GPs and PCN and find out what they are doing this year and how you can help?

Have you enough PPE?

NHS England Survey

Please don't forget to fill in the NHS England Survey as per our our earlier message.

NHS England Regional Flu Survey

17/8/2020

Please be aware that NHS England have issued a letter and a survey to all Pharmcy contractors via NHS Mail. The purpose of this to help NHS England Locally to understand Pharmacies potential contribution to the capacity needed to help achieve the national flu tragets.

This year is lilkey to see unprecedneted demand for the vaccine and alongside the governments increase in those eliglbe to receieve NHS vaccines the local health system has been working on undertsanding the capacity to meet the ambition. Pharmacy is a major partner in this and so the LPC would encourgae all Pharmacy contractors to fill in the survey and help give NHS England the confidence to know that we will be available to help with the demand.

The letter and survey details have been sent to the Pharmacy Shared email boxes and deadline for the survey is 21st August 2020.

We urge you to reply back as soon as possible. If you work for a lager organisation (CCA) discuss this with your regional reps to see if they can fill it or reply to NHS england on behalf of your compnay.

Annual Report Published and Virtual AGM now Open

13/8/2020

We have now published our annual report for 2019/20 and opened up our virtual AGM. You can download a copy of the annual report and vote on our AGM Page by clicking here

We would encourage all contractors in Gateshead & South Tyneside to cast their votes.