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No deal disruption but the fragility lies deeper than that Medicines shortages have always been a problem however since 2015 we have seen a steady increase in the number of lines that are not available year on year. Take for example the HRT shortage. This isn’t related to Brexit but is a result of multiple manufacturers having problems at the same time. Any of the major issues we’ve had to date have nothing to do with Brexit at all – but they are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.

Shortages are occurring more frequently both in UK and globally. This is

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Stock disruption

WORST DRUG SHORTAGES EVER RECORDED IN UK

PHARMACY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

PHARMACISTS TAKE THE DRAMA OUT OF MINOR ILLNESSES

P12-13 IMPORTANT DATES

Over the past 18 months, thousands of

NHS patients have been hit by some of the worst drug shortages

ever recorded in the UK – affecting everything from migraine pills to hormone-replacement

therapy

NORTHANTS AND MK LPC NEWS

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due to a variety of reasons including but not limited to an increase in global demand, the increase in cost and availability of raw materials, fluctuations in exchange rates and some manufactures discontinuing unprofitable medication lines. This reflects the daily struggle community pharmacy teams across the UK face to source medicines for their patients, with the overwhelming majority of pharmacists reporting the problem is getting worse.

It has been suggested that almost half of pharmacy teams now spend more than an hour every day trying to source medicines by calling GPs and wholesalers.

Every shortage takes up valuable time as pharmacy teams trying to locate stock from suppliers or contact a patient’s GP to agree on an alternative medicine. This puts additional pressures on hardworking healthcare professionals, as well as causing understandable frustration for patients. Practices often won’t know that a drug is in short supply until patients return from the pharmacy, and these extra GP appointments can dramatically add to their already burgeoning workload – as well as distressing patients by delaying their treatment.

Inevitably, Britain’s impending exit from the EU has attracted much of the blame. Increased border checks will, some people predict, interrupt the flow of medicines from Europe. Whether Brexit is the real reason for the current squeeze on medicines or not, we need a serious antidote to medicines shortages.

Take two of the shortages that are predicted to hit soon: anti-Parkinson’s drugs and anti-epileptics. Both are vital medications, and both are initiated by specialists. Switching from one type to another is fraught with problems and is most definitely outside our remit. So, what happens in the interim? Patients with Parkinson’s could fall, fracture hips and end up in hospital. Patients with epilepsy could fit, sometimes with fatal results.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) produces a monthly update of shortages for primary and secondary care, this can be found on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website.

Please report any new medicine shortages not listed on the SPS website using PSNC online reporting form if you have not been able to source stock of a medicine from any supplier or manufacturer. The PSNC medicine shortage reporting form is intended for use by primary care teams only. Information on the reported medicine may be shared with the DHSC’s medicine supply team.

If a medicine is not affected by a shortage but is unavailable to purchase from your supplier(s) at or below the Drug Tariff

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Pharmacy teams spend more than

an hour a day sourcing

medicines

Updates are uploaded on

the Specialist Pharmacy

Services (SPS) website. To register,

you will need an NHS email address.

Once set up and logged in, you will be

able to access it online.

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listed price, please report the pricing issue to PSNC to consider a request for a price concession. Latest dispensing and supply chain news can be found on PSNC website including a Medicines Shortages leaflet which may be useful to give to patients. A Guide to Managing Medicines supply and shortages has been published by NHS DoHSC https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/a-guide-to-managing-medicines-supply-and-shortages-2.pdf

There is a lot of content but the following paragraph is pertinent :

In the event of supply issues, primary care contractors such as community pharmacies and dispensing doctors manage the issue at an individual patient level.

11.1.2 Methods used to manage supply issues locally in order of preference are as follows:

• Check NHS.net emails or the Specialist Pharmacy Service website to see if the issue has already been communicated by the DHSC Medicines Supply Team and, if so, check:

o The proposed management plan and share information with local prescribers and patients as appropriate;

o Whether there is a Serious Shortage Protocol in place. If there is, further information can be found on the Business Services Authority Serious Shortage Protocol webpage. Where a Serious Shortage Protocol has been issued, community pharmacies and dispensers are expected to supply in line with the Serious Shortage Protocol and facilitate patient access in line with the protocol and in accordance with the terms of service;

o If the shortage is not listed on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, primary care contractors should report the issue via the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee website who will report the issue to the DHSC Medicines Supply Team.

Supply Notification:

Clonidine 25mcg tablets – Update

resupply date now expected mid/end

February 2020

Shortage Notice: Synphase

(Ethinylestradiol and

Norethisterone) tablets – Update

resupply date now expected end

January 2020 Other brands of

phasic oral contraceptive

tablets remain available see

https://psnc.org.uk/our-news/shortage-

notice-ethinylestradiol-and-norethisterone-

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• Liaise with medicine wholesalers to check information on the availability resupply dates.

• If specific demand management processes have been put in place at wholesaler level, such as prescription validation management, the necessary processes will need to be undertaken by primary care contractors to obtain stock.

• Consider contacting medicines suppliers directly for an update and to check how supplies can be obtained. In some cases, suppliers may be able to supply direct.

• Check whether other pharmacies locally have stock of the product. If stock is available at another pharmacy, either arrange for the patient to collect the stock from that pharmacy or get the stock transferred.

• Liaise with prescribers regarding alternative brands, strengths formulations and medicines that are available and may be clinically appropriate for the individual and arrange a new prescription to be sent to the pharmacy.

11.1.3 In all cases of medicines supply issues, community pharmacies should endeavour to communicate any supply issues and relevant information about resupply dates and the proposed management plan clearly with patients. They should also undertake counselling to support affected patients where possible.

Patients get same-day appointments with local pharmacists

People with minor illnesses or who need medicine urgently have been referred to local pharmacies, relieving pressure on doctors.

More than 100,000 patients have had appointments with expert pharmacists in the last 10 weeks, relieving pressure on GPs and A&E departments. The community pharmacist consultation service (CPCS) was introduced in October 2019. The service enables NHS 111 health advisers to refer patients with minor illnesses to their local pharmacy for assessment and treatment. Since the scheme began 114,275 patients with minor illnesses or who needed medicines were referred to a local pharmacist.

Not sure if you want to sign up to

provide CPCS? Reading a

pharmacist’s perspective might

help you see the benefits https://

psnc.org.uk/our-news/providing-cpcs-a-pharmacists-perspective/?

utm_source=PSNC+Newsletter&utm_campaign=fcb

f7bf023-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_10_04_17&utm_medium=email&u

tm_term=0_b5ca69e1d1-

To report a medicine shortage,

click here.

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The appointments involved: • 64,067 urgent medication requests for conditions,

such as diabetes or asthma • 50,208 people with a minor illness given clinical

advice, such as for a sore throat or earache CPCS is funded as part of the £2.592 billion per year agreed in the community pharmacy 5-year contract. The role of pharmacists is an important part of the NHS Long Term Plan, encouraging the public to make better use of clinical expertise closer to home. 10,610 pharmacies are currently registered with the CPCS. Pharmacists are highly skilled health professionals who have 5 years of training, giving them expert knowledge on how to use medicines to support patients. Patients can use the free NHS 111 phone and online service for

urgent medical needs, see their local pharmacist for minor illnesses and ensure they have the medication they need. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: I want to see pharmacists ready and able to do much more to help people stay healthy and prevent pressure on hospitals. This ‘pharmacy first’ approach makes life easier for patients and will help reduce pressure in the NHS. I want to see more patients with minor illnesses assessed close to home, saving them unnecessary trips to A&E or the GP, and helping people get the care and advice they need quicker. Thousands of patients receiving same-day advice from highly skilled pharmacists is exactly what we need. Community pharmacy is an integral and trusted part of the NHS and we want every patient with a minor illness to think ‘pharmacy first’. This is just part of this government’s work to deliver on the people’s priorities and strengthen our NHS. Our record financial commitment for the NHS of £33.9 billion extra every year within the next 5 years – which we’re enshrining in law – will also allow us to expand frontline services with 50,000 more nurses, 6,000 more GPs and 6,000 more primary care professionals. Dr Bruce Warner, Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: This unlocks the full potential of community pharmacy, giving it a more central role in healthcare and speeding up patients’ access to excellent care and face-to-face consultations. The number of referrals from NHS 111 in the first 2 months alone shows how well it is working and reaction has been good, with people telling us they have been satisfied with the service they received.

NICE supports health prevention role for pharmacy

Deadline for contractors to

register for CPCS on MYS to receive

the £600 supplement to

their Transition payment (if contractors

registered by 1st December 2019, they will receive

£900 rather than £600)

CPCS: Contractors will be paid their £900 supplement to the Transition payment if they

registered for CPCS after 31st October, but on or before 1st December 2019 – this will be paid in

the Schedule of Payments.

Action: If you registered for CPCS after 31st October 2019 and on or before 1st December 2019, check your Schedule of Payments to ensure you’ve received this payment.

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Community pharmacy teams have the potential to play a greater role in health promotion and prevention says NICE, in a new draft quality standard. It calls for greater use of community pharmacists' skills and including pharmacy services in existing care and referral pathways. The public are also encouraged to ask pharmacy teams for information and advice about smoking, alcohol or maintaining a healthy weight. The draft quality standard is open for consultation until 5pm on 14th February 2020. Learn more HERE

Changes to FP10 prescription forms

New NHS prescription forms and EPS Tokens are being introduced in England from January 2020. Changes have been made to the reverse of the new versions (1219) of all FP10 prescription types (FP10SS, FP10D, FP10PN, etc.), and Tokens (FP10DT), to make it easier for patients and pharmacy teams to determine whether the patient is eligible for exemption from the prescription charge, thereby avoiding the possibility of incurring a penalty charge. A key change is the inclusion of a new exemption box ‘U‘ for “Universal Credit and meet the criteria“. This change will help to provide more clarity to patients and their representatives when completing the declaration on the reverse of the new FP10 forms and Tokens. The new FP10 forms and Tokens have been put into circulation from January 2020 and pharmacy teams can expect to see these being presented by patients in the coming weeks. There will be a period of transition during which existing FP10 forms and Tokens will remain in circulation until their stocks are exhausted. Pharmacy teams are therefore reminded that they can accept both existing and new versions of forms and Tokens for dispensing. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will operate a dual system for the processing of both versions during the transition period. Relevant changes are being made to the EPS prescribing and dispensing systems to coincide with the changes to the paper FP10 forms and Tokens, but these updates may not be implemented at the same time as the new Tokens begin to appear. Pharmacy teams can continue to select the pre-existing EPS message codes for exemption categories until the changes have been made to dispensing systems.

Changes to FP10 prescription forms

New NHS prescription forms

and EPS Tokens are being introduced in England from this

month, which include important

changes to the reverse.

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Suggested Actions PSNC has produced a list of FAQs to help explain the changes in more detail. These FAQs should be read in conjunction with the ‘Changes to the FP10 NHS Prescription Form‘ guidance produced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHSBSA. Community pharmacy contractors are also advised to review and update their SOPs to ensure accurate completion of patient declarations on the new versions of the FP10 forms and Tokens.

Related resources PSNC FAQ Briefing 002/20: Changes to FP10 NHS prescription form and EPS Tokens Detailed guidance on the Changes to the FP10 NHS Prescription form NHSBSA Communications toolkit can be found here

New FP10 form The image below shows what the new reverse of the updated FP10 form (version 1219) looks like

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CPPE launches ‘New Year, New Contract’ campaign

The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) has launched a ‘New Year, New Contract’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) and the opportunities it brings for professionals in all sectors of pharmacy. The campaign will run for six weeks and each week will cover a different element of the contract:

Weekly focus of the campaign Week 1 How the CPCF supports the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan and how community pharmacy can work towards achieving these wider NHS goals Week 2 The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) Week 3 How Primary Care Networks (PCNs) collaborate with community pharmacies and other primary care teams Week 4 The Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Week 5 Public health and how the NHS Long Term Plan aims to put prevention at the heart of the NHS Week 6 How the launch of more clinically focused services will be tested and introduced in community pharmacies between 2020 and 2024

Unlike previous campaigns, CPPE has released all the information and learning on their website page at the start of the campaign so this is available to view straight away. When pharmacy professionals have looked at the information on all the elements of the contract shown, have reflected on their learning and current practice and shared with CPPE the first step they are going to take to make the best use of the opportunities offered by the new CPCF, they will then receive a virtual badge to add to their collection on their CPPE learning record.

Have you seen the NHS App? Pharmacy staff are encouraged to sign up to access the NHS App before a patient-facing campaign begins later this year. Using the NHS App will help you understand its features, particularly how patients will use it to order medicines. Visit your app store now, search for 'NHS App' and download it for free. Learn more at: psnc.org.uk/NHSapp

A little bit of care is needed if patients are ordering repeat medication via apps other than the NHS app. Other apps may allow patients to reorder medicines previously not prescribed! Therefore room for error

Local CPPE opportunities •Dementia Focal Point Workshop with Sue Smith: Booking reference: 49301 workshop date: 4th March 19:30 - 2100

Campanile Hotel, Loake Close, Northampton. Visit CPPE website to book.

The March CPCS workshop in Northampton is now full. Keep

checking the CPPE website for alternative

dates and locations.

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EPS Phase 4

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Roll-out of Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) Phase 4 to GP practices enables those GP practices to use electronic prescribing even for those patients that do not have EPS nomination. This helps the move towards greater percentage of EPS dispensing.National Roll-out implementation started from November 2019. From 18th November EPS Phase 4 began rolling out to more GP practices using the TPP SystmOne GP system. All community pharmacy teams should therefore be aware that they may receive EPS Phase 4 tokens to process. Full rollout for TPP SystmOne GP system practices will take place in the coming weeks and months on a location by location basis. Specific dates will be made available on NHS Digital’s EPS Phase 4 deployment schedule webpage. In Northamptonshire’s CCG areas CORBY practices will roll out between 21st January and 1st March 2020. The remaining practices across the region will go live in a staggered approach between 1/3/20 and 31/10/20.

Under EPS Phase 4, patients can choose to take their token to any pharmacy in England. If you receive a Phase 4 token, simply scan the barcode and dispense it as you would any other electronic prescription. As with all EPS prescriptions, dispense notifications and endorsements need to be added to the electronic prescription using your pharmacy system. Endorsements written or printed onto any type of EPS token will not be processed by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). Recommended actions Refresh your EPS Phase 4 knowledge with PSNC’s top tips for processing Phase 4 prescriptions and keep your eye on the LPC website for the dates of scheduled roll out :

What is Phase 4? A patient who has not set a nomination or does not wish to do so would be issued with an EPS Phase 4 green prescription token so that they may visit the pharmacy of their choice. Pharmacy teams would scan the bar code on the token to access the EPS script. The token will be provided in a paper format, but in time tokens may be available in an electronic format (e.g. in an email from the GP practice, via a website or via an app). This approach would generally mean the prescription cannot be prepared before the patient presents in the pharmacy.

What happens if a patient has not set a nomination? A patient who has not set a nomination or does not wish to do so would be issued with an EPS Phase 4 green prescription token so that they may visit the pharmacy of their choice. Pharmacy teams would scan the bar code on the token to access the EPS script. The token will be provided in a paper format, but in time tokens may be available in an electronic format (e.g. in an email from the GP practice, via a website or via an app). This approach would generally mean the prescription cannot be prepared before the patient presents in the pharmacy.

Phase 4 top tips for pharmacy teams Recommended tips: • If you receive a Phase 4 token, you should scan the barcode and dispense it as you would

any other electronic prescription. • Pharmacy teams can use the green Phase 4 prescription tokens to capture any patient

exemption-related or charge-related signatures. • Green Phase 4 tokens should be filed with all the other white EPS tokens and not within

the main bundle of paper prescriptions before the submission is sent to the NHSBSA. • Consider your system and print settings. Many PMR systems have settings to customise

which types of EPS prescriptions may automatically have a white EPS dispensing token printed.

• Some pharmacy teams that process the Phase 4 token used a highlighter pen or a sticker to

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• is a Phase 4 token rather than a barcoded paper prescription. • During the earlier stages of the rollout, patients have sometimes filled in the back of the

green Phase 4 token before they arrived at the pharmacy. If the pharmacy process involves shredding the green Phase 4 token and replacing it with a newly printed white dispensing token, the patient will have to complete the reverse of the dispensing token. To address this scenario, some pharmacy teams have changed their initial Phase 4 approach so that they use the green Phase 4 token for patient declarations, rather than printing out a new white EPS dispensing token for each Phase 4 script. In order to ensure the whole team are familiar with Phase 4 we recommend reading the following document : EPS+phase+4+dispenser+fact+sheet

Troubleshooting Claire Allen is the GP IT Facilitator  NEL She can be contacted as follows: claire.allen34@nhs.net 01604 651234/07881327154   Francis Crick House Summerhouse Road, Northampton, NN3 6BF   www.nelcsu.nhs.uk

Hypertension- the silent killer

‘Hypertension – the silent killer’ upskilling training module, developed and presented by Dr Yassir Javaid, is now live via e-learning for Healthcare and is available for all healthcare professionals.      Access to the website and training is free of charge.  Once you have registered to the website and have accessed the hypertension training, in order to receive your certificate of attendance, you will need to watch a 40 min presentation by Dr Javaid and then compete a multiple choice test (over 70% is needed to get a pass mark).   Also available in the training module is an Atrial Fibrillation webinar, 2019 NICE hypertension guidelines and a pdf hypertension handout in ‘additional resources’ section for your information.  The webinar can accessed at a later date if you are stuck for time as this is not mandatory in order to get a pass mark for hypertension but available for additional learning for you.   If you have not accessed  ‘e-learning for Healthcare’ website before, it has a wide range of training for both admin and clerical staff which can also be accessed free of charge to further any personal and professional development needs.

This 45 minute on-line upskilling learning module incorporates up to date guidelines and evidence based aims specifically addressing the needs for front-line primary care in the diagnosis and management of hypertension and CVD risk including familial hypercholesterolaemia, atrial fibrillation, dyslipidaemia and other cardiovascular disease related conditions.

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Independent review David Wright, Professor of Pharmacy Practice from the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia has been appointed to lead an independent review of the roles and structures underpinning PSNC and the LPCs. The review has been called at a time when the community pharmacy landscape is rapidly changing and local representation and support has never been more important. It will be jointly funded by PSNC and the LPCs, but carried out independently by Professor Wright and his team. The purpose of the review is to result in recommendations which will optimise PSNC and LPC contractor representation and support and ensure that the national network structure is working as efficiently for contractors as it can and is fit for the future.

Find out more, including how to get involved at the dedicated Review website https://pharmacy-review.org

Pharmacy Advice Campaign: Take the drama out of a minor illness… NHS England and NHS Improvement has announced details of its Pharmacy Advice Campaign for 2020. Launching earlier this week on Monday 20th January, the campaign encourages the public to visit their local pharmacy for advice and support on managing minor illnesses, with a particular focus on earache, itchy eye and sore throats. All community pharmacies will be sent a resource pack with their regular supplies from a Healthcare Distribution Association member in the next few weeks. Whilst this is not one of the mandatory public health campaigns for community pharmacy, PSNC supports the campaign's core messages and hopes that pharmacy teams will want to utilise this opportunity to demonstrate their value to local communities. Further details of the campaign materials can be found at: ow.ly/SZq830q8pG2

Social Media and calendar assets can be found here https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/73/resources/4959 These can be used for one year, they expire 19th January 2021 and should not be used after that time please.

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Important dates Each year pharmacies are required to participate in up to six public health campaigns at the request of NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I). This involves the display and distribution of leaflets provided by NHSE&I. The Dry January campaign will end on January 31st. Also on January 31st, at the end of the day, contractors can stop checking that all patients aged 12 years and over with diabetes, have had foot and eye checks (retinopathy) in the last 12 months in order to meet the quality criterion for PQS. Action: Store the data collection form in a safe place as you will need this when you complete your PQS declaration on MYS in February 2020.

February 1st: This is the final day by which contractors must have started their NSAID audit. This will allow contractors to complete the NSAID within four weeks (the audit may be required to be completed over four weeks if the required number of patients do not present within a two-week period). The contractor will need to start the audit when the pharmacy opens on 1st February 2020 and if they contractor is required to complete the audit over a four week period, make their declaration on the final day of the declaration window (28th February 2020) after the pharmacy has closed for the day. Contractors are strongly encouraged to start their NSAID audit well before this date to reduce the risk of missing this deadline. Action: If not done so already, start the NSAID audit.

February 3rd: PQS: The window opens for contractors to claim for a PQS payment on MYS (this opens at 9am). Action: Once you have achieved all the gateway criteria and the domains for which you wish to claim payment for, complete the PQS declaration on MYS – the deadline is 11.59pm on 28th February 2020.

28th February: CPCS: Contractors will be paid their £600 supplement to the Transition payment if they registered for CPCS between 2nd December 2019 and 15th January 2020 – this will be paid in the Schedule of Payments. Action: If you registered for CPCS between 2nd December 2019 and 15th January 2020, check your Schedule of Payments to ensure you’ve received this payment.

28th February:PQS: The window closes for contractors to claim for a PQS payment on MYS (this closes at 11.59pm). DO NOT MISS THIS DEADLINE: CONTRACTORS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CLAIM A PQS PAYMENT IF THEY MISS THIS DEADLINE. Action: If not already done so, complete the PQS declaration on MYS.

March 31st: Flu: 2019/20 Flu Vaccination Service ends. Action: At the end of the day remove any promotional materials for the Flu Vaccination Service and ensure all staff are aware that the service has now finished for 2019/20. PQS: Deadline for contractors to meet the Sugar Sweetened Beverages quality criterion, if not already done so when they

January 31st

February 1st

February 3rd

February 28th

March 31st

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made their PQS declaration.

Looking further ahead to April 2020:

CPCF: As part of the Terms of Service contractors will be required to meet the following: • Have a premises shared NHSmail account; • Pharmacy professionals working at the pharmacy have access to the SCR; • Update their NHS 111 DoS profile on a quarterly basis and in a timely manner; • Update their NHS website profile on a quarterly basis and in a timely manner; • Have access to the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS); • Have achieved Healthy Living Pharmacy Level 1 status**; and • Pharmacy professionals working at the pharmacy have achieved Level 2 safeguarding. Discussions are still ongoing with DHSC and NHSE&I on these requirements; PSNC will issue further information through their normal communication channels when available.

CPCS: Contractors must have IT equipment accessible within the consultation room to allow contemporaneous records of the consultations provided as part of this service to be made within the CPCS IT system. Action: Ensure you now have IT equipment accessible within the consultation room. MURs: Contractors can provide a maximum of 100 MURs between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021. Discussions are still ongoing with DHSC and NHSE&I on the target group requirements for these MURs; PSNC will issue further information through their normal communication channels when available. Action: Start providing MURs as appropriate for 2020/21.

** The Pharmacy and Public Health Forum (PPHF) has issued a statement recommending that the time period for a community pharmacy contractor to reassess their pharmacy against theHealthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) Level 1 quality criteria should be extended from every two years to every three years. The PPHF has also recommended that those who have been accredited locally, should also have their accreditation extended to three years. Please contact chiefofficer@pharmacynorthamptonshire.co.uk if you require Champion training.

PQS: Contractors will be paid their PQS payment (if they claimed within the required time period). Action: check your Schedule of Payments to ensure you’ve received this payment. Beginning of April 2020 MURs/NMS: Contractors are required to submit completed MUR and/or NMS electronic reporting templates to the NHSBSA within 10 working days from the last day of March 2020. Action: Submit electronic reporting templates.

Primary Care Networks The PCN domain requires contractors to be able to demonstrate that their pharmacy, and all of the other pharmacies within the PCN footprint who wish to engage with a PCN, have agreed a collaborative approach to engaging with their PCN. This approach must include agreement on a single channel of communication by appointing a named lead representative (Pharmacy PCN Lead) for all of the community pharmacies who wish to engage with their PCN in the PCN footprint. Further information on the PCN domain of the PQS can be found at: psnc.org.uk/pqspcn

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Contractors must meet one quality criterion in the PCN domain to be able to claim payment for this domain. Meeting this domain is worth:• 22.5 points and has a value of between £1,440 – £2,880 for a Pharmacy PCN lead;

or• 12.5 points and has a value of between £800 – £1,600 for a non-Pharmacy PCN

lead.

I am delighted to say that for 21 of our 22 PCN areas, a Pharmacist Lead has been appointed. These 21 individuals have kindly stepped up to the plate and volunteered to act as lead meaning that all his or her colleagues could potentially benefit. There is one PCN still without a lead. That PCN is ARC Hub in Northampton and the linked surgeries are: Eleanor Cross, Rillwood and Danes Camp. The following pharmacies, going on script volume, may wish to be grouped with ARC Hub. Unless a pharmacy lead can be identified from within this group, none of you will be eligible to claim PQS for this domain. No lead, no points. Some of the pharmacies listed may have already decided that they are better aligned to a d i f f e r e n t P C N ( p l e a s e l e t m e k n o w i f t h a t i s t h e c a s e chiefofficer@pharmacynorthamptonshire.co.uk )

Boots, Sixfields Unidrugs, Camp Hill Delapre Far Cotton Jhoots, Grange Park Unidrugs, E Hunsbury Boots, Riverside Blackthorn Tesco, Weston Favell Boots, Weston Favell and Lloyds, Park Ave.

If you are unsure about which of the 22 PCNs would best suit you, please get in touch chiefofficer@pharmacynorthamptonshire.co.uk

The Pharmacy Leads are currently sending you email communications which will serve as an introduction. You need to reply to these emails to show your engagement. It is only the lead who will communicate directly with the Clinical Directors (for the purposes of this exercise).

The names of all the leads in place are tabulated on p15/16.

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PCN Pharmacy leads for Milton Keynes

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