Category: Flu

CNTW Pharmacy Flu Service SLA now out - Action Needed

13/8/2014

The SLA (Service Level Agreement) for the CNTW Pharmacy Flu service can now be downloaded from the Northern Pharmacy Website. You can Click Here to access the page direct.

This is the contract between your pharmacy and the area team. You will need to make sure that the responsible person in your pharmacy reads and understands the SLA. They will then need to sign and send the signature page to Linda Bosher at linda.bosher@nhs.net

To make things easier for you you can also download a single signature page from the Northern Pharmacy Site.

When emailing Linda please copy in (cc) your LPC Flu lead.

In Gateshead, South Tyneside & Sunderland this is myself Sami Hannasami.hanna@gandstlpc.net.
In North of Tyne it is Ann Gunning anngunning@northtynelpc.org.uk
If you are in Cumbria please contact Jeff Forster as they have a slightly different procedure. jeff.forster1@me.com

Should you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact our flu Lead Sami

P.S. Don't forget to update your accreditation on PharmOutcomes. If you still require training we have one live date left on the 19th August. This or the online only training can be booked through the Northern Pharmacy Site

Reminder about Flu Training - Book Now

19/7/2014

Just a reminder that the first flu vaccination training session are next Sunday, 27th July at the Holiday Inn, Seaton Burn. Bookings can be made via the Northern Pharmacy website at www.northernpharmacy.net

The LPC is pleased to have been able to hold the price of training at the same level as last year at £75 per delegate.

The commissioner is very keen to see an increase in both the number of pharmacies offering this service and the number of vaccinations provided by pharmacies. If you have not provided the service previously or trained last year but were unable to administer 50 vaccines, you will need to attend live face to face training again this year. As you need to complete the online modules before attending live training, please do not leave it too late to book your place. The online modules will require approximately two hours to complete.

A number of pharmacists contacted me last year about training but did so after all of the local events had taken place. If you miss this opportunity to train, you will need to source your own training provider and most charge several hundred pounds for this course.

This training will qualify you to provide both the NHS vaccination service and a private service to anyone wishing to protect themselves and their families from the effects of flu.

Please book your training place as soon as possible.

Click Here for original Email for your information

Northern Pharmacy Website launched for Flu information including training & Stock

11/7/2014

Further to our previous correspondence about the pharmacy flu service for 2014-15 we have started to compile information on a regional LPC Flu webpage. NorthernPharmacy.net

It is the same web page used last year and can be found by clicking here

As information and resources become available we will update this page and let you know via the LPC News feed/ email.

Please keep an eye on this page.

Currently we have released information regarding training, stock and PharmOutcomes. You can access these by clinking the links on the homepage.

Training

As in previous years the LPC has worked with Novartis Vaccines to commission training for pharmacists. There are 2 types of training live training and online only training. Please visit the training page and read carefully the eligibility criteria to ensure you book yourself on the relevant training

If you have your own in house training or have trained with another training provider this will be accepted for the NHS Flu service.

Stock

The NHS flu service will not dictate which vaccine to be used so you are free to procure your own vaccines.

Novartis Vaccines have confirmed that they will be ring fencing vaccine for Pharmacy this year and in order to ensure efficient supply and delivery they have put a process in place which you may wish to use.

This process will involve them delivering direct to pharmacies. Full details of the process including the forms you must fill in are available on the stock page of the Northern Pharmacy website. In order to guarantee you receive stock in their first deliveries you will need to fill in the paper work and return in to Novartis by 31st July 2014.

PharmaOutcomes

The flu service will use PharmOutcomes for administration. Please make sure you visit the Pharmoutcomes link on the Northern Pharmacy webpage so you understand the process that will be used and make sure you are able to access Pharmacoutcomes at your pharmacy.

Opportunity

This is the first year we have been given the commitment that that the service is being commissioned as early as this and the LPC would encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and start preparing NOW. Ensure your pharmacists are trained and ensure your stock supplies are arranged.

The service is likely to be commissioned from September onwards and the SLA’s PGD, will arrive shortly however it is really important you act now.

The LPC (and the commissioner) would like to see the service offered from every pharmacy in our area so we would encourage contractors to prepare from now.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact Sami Hanna our flu lead.

Community Pharmacy Flu Service to be commissioned in 2014/15

19/6/2014

The LPC is delighted to announce that the CNTW (Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear) directorate of commissioning plan to commission pharmacists in the region to deliver the adult seasonal flu programme again in 2014/15.

This will build on the excellent work last year when 49% of the pharmacies in CNTW delivered 15,603 seasonal flu immunisations – a 95% increase on performance in 2012/13.
Overall the a total of 400,000 flu immunisations were delivered in CNTW in 13/14.

Claire Bradford, Head of Public Health, CNTW Area Team said "We hope that we can build on the excellent work from last year. We want to focus on increasing the uptake in the under 65 at risk groups and pregnant women. Last year across CNTW the overall uptake in under 65s at risk was 56.4% and pregnant women 42.2%. Whilst we have good uptake in the over 65 year age group (75.7%) we need to reach many more of the under 65s at risk and pregnant women. We think that pharmacies are well placed to increase uptake in these groups. Flu immunisation of pregnant women : reduces rates of influenza among pregnant women; may reduce the likelihood of prematurity and smaller infant weight at birth; provides passive immunity against flu to infants in the first few months of life."

The LPC are working with the area team on the detail of the service and will make this available as soon as we can in the meantime we would like to take this opportunity to encourage ALL pharmacies to consider offering the service this year and start their preparations from now.

Dave Carter, Chairman of Gateshead & South Tyneside LPC Said "This is a fantastic opportunity for Community Pharmacy and we would like to see all pharmacies in the area signed up to the service and help to make an impact on the uptake to immunisations."

Below is some information for you start preparing for this years service. Should you have any queries please don't hesitate to get in touch me.

Thanks
Sami

Training
If you have access to flu training (In house or via a training organisation) please make sure you get yourself trained or registered for training as soon as you can. The LPC will be working with Novartis again this year to offer training. Details for this will follow shortly.

Stock
We would also encourage you make arrangements from now to ensure you have adequate stocks of Vaccine.

PharmOutcomes
Make sure you have got access to PharmOutcomes.

Current Flu Information
Below are some flu related links for your information.
The national DH flu guidance/letter is now available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/316007/FluImmunisationLetter2014_accessible.pdf
The at risk groups this year include people with learning disabilities. This week’s vaccine update includes link to posters which can be used
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/320026/8905_PHE_VU_216_June2014_07.pdf

Flu Update - November

23/11/2013

A flu update has been posted which contains information for those providing flu and covers

Service Evaluation
Reports
Private Vaccinations
Hard to Reach - At Risk Groups

If you offer NHS Flu service please make sure you read it by clicking here.

FLu Vaccine Availability

30/10/2013

Novartis have made us aware that AAH now has stock of Fluvirin.
They can be ordered in 10's using the following code.

AAH Code - FLU0658G

We are still waiting to here when other wholesalers will have stock and thier codes.
As soon as I get that information I will let you know.

Flu Update - October 2013

24/10/2013

The following is a copy of a flu update sent to contractors on the 23rd October 2013
If you provide flu services please read and action accordingly.

GP NOTIFICATION

It is extremely important that a patients GP is informed of any vaccinations that have been given. This not only helps the record for national statistics but also ensures that the patients record is up to date and and reduces the possibility of a double vaccination occuring.

We have had some reports to us that some GPs are not recieving notifiactions in a timely fashion.

Please can we remind you that the SLA sates that

"The client’s GP should be informed that immunisation has taken place as soon as possible, either immediately by fax or in a manner agreed locally, which must always provide a daily update of immunisations to each GP surgery (on
weekdays) "

PHARMOUTCOMES

It is important that Pharmoutcomes is used to enter the details of your vaccines. This will ensure that you receive payment for your NHS vaccines but also allows us to collect data to help us keep the commissioners informed of progress.

On that note we also would like contractors to fill in details of their Private vaccinations through pharmoutcomes as this helps us to analyse data across the 2 services.

Currently we are seeing an increase in the numbers of NHS vaccinations but a low number of Private Vaccinations. It would seem that very few of our colleagues in the large chain pharmacies are entering this data.

The LPC would like to encourage all contractors to enter this data as this helps us to assess uptake.

If you are unsure on how to access PharmOutcomes please click here to visit our website and read the previous flu updates for details.
SLA

The Area team is still awaiting some SLA signature pages back. Please double check and make sure you have returned your SLA to Linda Bosher.

Linda's Details are as follows.

Linda Bosher
Assistant Primary Care Commissioning Support

County Durham, Darlington & Tees Area Team
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Area Team
NHS England
Rapier House
Colima Avenue
Sunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
SR5 3XB

Direct Dial:      0191 502 6572
Switch Board:  0191 502 6542
Fax:                01325 553096

Email:               linda.bosher@nhs.netCURRENT UPTAKE

Current data from PharmOutcomes is showing over 1182 NHS Vaccines in Gateshead, South Tyneside & Sunderland area from 32 Pharmacies.

Our neigbouring LPCS are showing 1734 in North of Tyne and 6139 in Cumbria.

Please make sure you are entering your data as soon as possible into PharmOutcomes.

VACCINE SUPPLY

We understand that vaccine supply has been a real struggle and we are constantly speak to Novartis about it however we have not had a firm date of supply yet.

We understand Vaccine is obtainable from different suppliers and wholesalers and our advice is that you shop arround on a daily basis to see where supplies are available.

We appreciate this is not ideal however it is beyond our control. The NHS PGD does not restrict you a particular brand so please do not think you need to stick to Novartis.

If you have used Novartis to train(through the LPC) they have also supplied us with a Private PGD which does not restrict you either. These PGD was emailed out directly from Novartis however they can also be downloaded from the Northern Pharmacy Website Resource pages.

START UP PROCESS & FAQ's

We have had a number of queries and questions surround the Flu service. We will be putting up an FAQ on the Northern Pharmacy Website shortly. This may answer many of the your questions.

Despite all our communications, one of the big questions we are getting asked in particular is how we sign up to the NHS Service.

Below is a summary of what you need to do. For further detail please visit ournews pages to read our previous communications.

1. Ensure appropriate training has taken place in the pharmacy. Pharmacists need to have training in giving IM injections, Basic Life Support and Anaphylaxis.
2. Log in to PharmOutcomes for your pharmacies
3. Fill in the NHS Service Accreditation form for each Pharmacist who will be vaccinating
4. Once Accreditation has been confirmed this will result in 3 services appearing in PharmOutcomes
- NHS Service
- Private Service
- Evaluation Service
5. You will use these services to report your vaccinations and evaluation forms.
6. Visit the Northern Pharmacy Website Resources Page
7. Download the NHS SLA, PGD'S, Consultation Form, and Evaluation Form.
8. Carefully read the SLA and PGD's
9. Ensure you are happy with the content of those documents and have everything in place to provide the service.
10. Sign the SLA Signature page and return to Linda Bosher (See above)
11. Order Vaccines
12 Proceed with service.
13. Enter all vaccines into Pharmoutcomes
14. Enter all Evaluation forms into Pharmoutcomes
15. Ensure the Patients GP is informed as soon as possible.

Should you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact us and once we the FAQ is ready online I will email out again.

Flu Update - Adrenaline PGD

14/10/2013

You may recall that the flu PGD refers to the requirement to have an adrenaline PGD. Though this is entirely unnecessary, and has been pointed out to the the Area Team they have supplied one.

You can download it from the Northern Pharmacy Website.

Flu Update - Don't Forget PharmOutcomes

11/10/2013

The LPC would like to remind pharmacies who are providing flu services that they need to make sure they enter their claims onto PharmOutcomes.

We currently have a number of accredited pharmacies who have not yet put any data into PharmOutcomes. We need to constantly update NHS England with our vaccinations nubers so it would be helpful if you could put your claims through as soon as possible after vaccinating. This gives us a live report.

Currently we are showing 380 vaccinations across 15 pharmacies. Yet we have accredited more that 45 pharmacies. Our neighbouring LPC's are showing large numbers of vaccinations in the first week of service (Cumbria - 2000+, North of Tyne 1000+).

Remember PharmOutcomes will provide the Area team with an invoice for payment so it is important that you put a process in place to regularly update PharmOuctomes with your vaccinations. If you use the consultation forms during your service you can always ask members of your pharmacy team to input the data into PharmOutcomes.

Flu Service SLA & PGD Now Out - Resource Page Now open

2/10/2013

The PGD and SLA for the NHS Service is now out. They can be found on the Northern Pharmacy Resource Web Pages as well as other support documents. e.g Consultation forms, Evaluation Letters, Support packs, National references etc.

You can access these resources by visiting

http://www.northernpharmacy.net/

The resources pages are linked from the menu along the top right. You will need to pick the page relevant to your LPC area. Each page is different and contains slightly different resources.

Don't forget to make use of the marketing material on the Northern Pharmacy which is linked on the same menu.

PharmOutcomes - in Gateshead , South Tyneside , Sunderland & North of Tyne

Now the SLA and PGD are available. Activation of the services on PharmOutcomes has started. If you have completed the accreditation service you will find the flu services will activate shortly so keep an eye on the system.

Sami Hanna, (Flu Lead for the LPC) said "it has been hard work to get everything ready for the flu service and I would to thank contractors for their patience and wish them all the best with this years flu campaign in particular around those hard to reach patients. (Those under 65 with risk factors)."