CPNCommunity Pharmacy News – March 2016
Campaign gathers momentum Pharmacy pulls together to raise awareness of the
potential threat to community healthcare
SCR rollout checklist | Local commissioning support | Prescriber codes guidance
2 Community Pharmacy News – March 2015
psnc’s work funDing anD statistics contract anD it
Following the Government’s announcement of its plans for the
future of community pharmacy, PSNC has worked with the other
national pharmacy organisations and its public affairs agency,
Luther Pendragon, to launch a campaign to protect the sector
and ultimately patients.
In the first phase of the campaign, PSNC has been coordinating
activity with other pharmacy organisations and providing
information and resources to help LPCs and contractors get
behind the campaign. PSNC has been warning about the threats
posed to pharmacy, and hence to patients and the public, as
well as pointing out the problems and risks with the proposals
and asking for more clarity on them.
Collaboration with others
In January, the pharmacy
organisations agreed to
establish a steering group
including representatives
from PSNC, Pharmacy
Voice, the National
Pharmacy Association
(NPA), the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society
(RPS), the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies and
the Company Chemists’ Association.
The steering group oversees the communications and public
affairs work related to the response to the proposed changes to
community pharmacy. It monitors ongoing and planned work,
helping to ensure that all work is as coordinated as possible as it
is really important that pharmacy's response to the proposals is
consistent.
As well as the steering group, the communications and public
affairs leads from all the pharmacy organisations are working
very closely together. The group has worked together on a
range of campaign activities including agreeing the wording of
the paper petition against the changes; aligning social media
activity; setting up email signatures and campaign resource
hubs; and preparing for the action day on 24th March (see page
opposite).
Political lobbying
A key focus for all the
pharmacy organisations
has been the lobbying
of MPs about the
proposed changes, and
pharmacy teams and
LPCs have a vital role to
play in helping this work
at a constituent level.
To help with this PSNC
has produced a range of
resources including a template briefing for MPs. PSNC can also
give advice to pharmacy teams and LPCs to help with this work.
PSNC has also been lobbying particular MPs and peers at a
national level; with a series of meetings arranged to talk them
through our concerns and service proposals, and to suggest
ways in which they might be able to help. This has led to a
number of MPs asking Parliamentary questions, writing letters
to pharmacy minister Alistair Burt and supporting the campaign
in other ways.
PSNC and LPCs also worked hard to brief a number of MPs ahead
of a Parliamentary debate on pharmacy in Westminster Hall on
23rd February. A summary of this very constructive debate is
available as PSNC Briefing 016/16 at: psnc.org.uk/briefings.
In March, PSNC, Pharmacy Voice and the RPS will jointly host
evening briefings with Conservative and Labour MPs to discuss
the changes and their thoughts on them in more detail. The
three organisations are also working to align party conference
activity later in the year.
Campaign to protect community pharmacy's futureWork continues to prevent the Government plans from damaging patient
care. Here we update community pharmacy teams on the latest
developments in the sector’s campaigning work.
PSNC’s public responses
17th December:Initial statement saying that the announcement has
delivered a financial blow to community pharmacy;
highlighting the efficiencies consistently made by
contractors; and stressing the impact that cutting funding
will have in directing more people to GPs and urgent care. 20162015
JanuaryDecember
15th January:PSNC response to 17th December letter published.
The letter sets out a number of concerns and
questions about the proposed changes. The letter
states that the Government appears to have settled on
a course of action that runs counter to its stated
ambition to develop a clinically focussed community
pharmacy service. And the letter confirms that PSNC
will not enter into negotiations until the Government
has shared further details of its plans.
PSNC has now issued a number of public statements on the changes.
These are summarised here.
What others have been doing
Representatives from across the sector were making the case for community pharmacy to the
public in London last month. On 26th February, PSNC staff and committee members joined LPC
members, community pharmacy contractors and NPA and Pharmacy Voice representatives at an
action day organised by the NPA. The team hosted a stand at the Elephant and Castle shopping
centre, using it to speak to members of the public about community pharmacy’s future and to
gain signatures for the paper petition. Signatures collected were then presented to the
Department of Health. To find out more about the petitions visit: psnc.org.uk/campaign.
What you can do
1. Show your support by adding a promotional piece to your email signature. Find the template created by PSNC and the other
national pharmacy bodies on the "How can you help?" page of PSNC’s campaign hub (psnc.org.uk/campaign).
2. Use #lovemypharmacy on social media to share stories of how you and your pharmacy team have gone out of your way to
help patients.
3. Collect case studies that demonstrate where you have offered exceptional care to patients. These can be emailed to
4. Ask your patients to sign the paper petition (which can be downloaded from the supportyourlocalpharmacy.org website)
and to contact their MP.
Upcoming work – 24th March
The cross pharmacy steering and communications group is jointly working on a raft of activity to
take place during the week beginning 21st March. This includes press work and a day of action
taking place on Thursday 24th March (the day before Good Friday). The action day will see a real
push in community pharmacies to gain signatures for the campaign petition as well as increased
social media activity to gather case studies of exceptional community pharmacy care.
Further resources
PSNC has set up a campaign hub (psnc.org.uk/campaign) and a campaign email address
([email protected]) in order to give contractors and LPCs easy access to information and
resources and a place to ask questions and share positive stories and case studies. A flyer
highlighting the value of community pharmacy and including information on PSNC’s service
development proposals has also been produced (PSNC Briefing 018/16 at psnc.org.uk/briefings),
plus guidance is under development for LPCs on organising local campaigning events.
Next steps
PSNC is continuing with the programme of meetings with MPs and peers to build support for
community pharmacy and for our concerns about the proposals for changes. PSNC will also
continue to support LPCs in their local activity and to keep them updated on developments. PSNC
is in discussion with Pharmacy Voice and the NPA about which patient organisations to approach
for additional support, as well as to decide how to collate case studies and use them to best
effect to help make the sector’s case.
psnc.org.uk 3
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Getting involved in the campaign
February
22nd January:PSNC published an update for contractors following a
number of developments including the publication of
the Department of Health's briefing presentation on
the changes and the comment from pharmacy
minister Alistair Burt that as many as 3,000
pharmacies could close. PSNC set out its response to
the individual proposals, stating that it could not
accept proposals that will jeopardise the services and
supplies that pharmacies provide to their patients.
24th February:PSNC held the first of two
contractor events, in
Birmingham, to give contractors
information about the proposals
and the response to them; and
to encourage them to get
involved in the campaign. The
second event was held in
London on 10th March.
9th February:PSNC service proposals published. These set out a
plan for community pharmacy services including
the introduction of a care package, which would
see repeat dispensing becoming a default option
where medicines are needed on a long-term basis,
patient registration at pharmacies, and pharmacies
offering enhanced medicines optimisation
services. PSNC's proposals can be found at:
psnc.org.uk/campaign.
PrescriptionCharge Card2016Each year PSNC provides a
Prescription Charge Card for
community pharmacies in
England which is designed to
be used as a poster. At the time
Community Pharmacy News
(CPN) went to press the
Department of Health had not
confirmed what the charge
would be from April 2016; we
hope to have this finalised in
time to include the poster with
CPN, but look out for updates
at: psnc.org.uk
4 Community Pharmacy News – March 2015
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Summary Care Record updateThe rollout of Summary Care Records (SCR) to community pharmacies
across England continues. At the beginning of March 2016, over 430
pharmacies had completed rollout and had SCR access.
How can you get SCR access in your community pharmacy?
In order to go live with SCR, at least one person from each
community pharmacy must attend a face to face
‘Implementation Briefing Session’. Please note this
requirement is per community pharmacy, not per
contractor/company.
Other requirements are mentioned within the
implementation checklist on the page opposite.
The following contractors are providing Implementation
Briefing Sessions internally within their company, with
details of the sessions being sent directly to their
pharmacies:
Lloydspharmacy, Boots, Tesco, Safedale Ltd, Manor
Pharmacy, Dean & Smedley, Knights, Cohen’s Group,
Superdrug, Morrisons, H.I Weldrick Ltd and Kamsons.
The Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has
advised that Day Lewis and Rowlands have already
completed briefing sessions for their pharmacies.
For staff who work in all other community pharmacies, the
Implementation Briefing Sessions will be provided on a local,
geographical basis, and you will be informed of these
through local communication channels (generally via your
LPC and local NHS England team).
The March 2016 Drug Tariff notified
community pharmacy contractors that to
support the implementation of the
Summary Care Record (SCR) to community
pharmacies, they will be paid an allowance
of £200 from 1st March 2016, subject to
certain conditions being met.
The £200 allowance will be triggered
when the pharmacy contractor has
submitted the SCR in Community
Pharmacy Usage Agreement to the Health
& Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)
and accessed the SCR. The allowance will
only be paid once, irrespective of any
subsequent premises merger, sale or
relocation. The allowance will be time-
limited and cease on 31st March 2017.
The relevant regulations which contractorsmust adhere to are set out in Schedules 4
and 7 of the National Health Service
(Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical
Services (England) (Amendment)Regulations 2016.
In order to receive the allowance pharmacy
contractors must fulfil a number of
requirements; these are specified within
the checklist on the page opposite.
PSNC comment on the SCR funding
“The costs that pharmacy contractors will
incur if they choose to rollout SCR access
will vary depending on the individual
pharmacy; the £200 payment to pharmacy
contractors included in the March 2016
Drug Tariff represents a contribution to
those costs. When the Secretary of State
for Health provided funding to NHS
England to enable SCR access in community
pharmacies, he made this conditional on
pharmacy contractors sharing the cost of
rollout with the NHS.”
Find out more about community pharmacyaccess to SCR at: psnc.org.uk/scr
Funding for rollout of SCR access
RegionLikely month offirst sessions
Central Midlands (Northampton and MiltonKeynes), Greater Manchester
Commenced inJanuary
North Midlands (Shropshire), South Central, SouthEast, South West, Wessex, Central Midlands (Luton,Bedfordshire and Leicestershire), West Midlands(Wolverhampton, Solihull, Worcestershire)
February
Central Midlands (remaining areas to start), NorthMidlands (Staffordshire), Cheshire & MerseysideCumbria & North East, East Midlands, WestMidlands (remaining areas to start), Yorkshire &Humber, Lancashire
March
London April
North Midlands (remaining areas to start) May
Each contractor will need to nominate a person responsible for
monitoring SCR activity; this person is termed the Privacy Officer.
Training on this role and how to access reports will also be provided
locally. Pharmacy Voice have recently issued a briefing paper on the
role of the Privacy Officer (tinyurl.com/scrprivacyoff) and further
guidance is available on the HSCIC website (tinyurl.com/hscicscrpo).
For further information on SCR and the implementation approach, as
well as confirmed timescales for the briefing sessions, please visit the
HSCIC website (tinyurl.com/hscicscr).
psnc.org.uk 5
lpcs psnc’s work funDing anD statisticshe healthcare lanDscape
Summary Care Record (SCR) implementation checklist
*These are required to be completed before a community pharmacy contractor can receive the £200 SCR allowance.
Smartcard roles are set up* – Staff accessing the SCR should have specific Smartcard roles
enabling access to the SCR. Locums who regularly work at a particular pharmacy can request the specificsite pharmacy role is added to their Smartcard (please visit: psnc.org.uk/sc)
Standard operating procedure (SOP) is in place* – The pharmacy team need an SCR
SOP. A template is available at: tinyurl.com/scrsop. SCR access could also be integrated into other SOPs.
Standard system settings are compliant* – The system must be compliant with the HSCIC
Warranted Environment Specification (WES), please visit: psnc.org.uk/wes
Face-to-face training event has been attended* – One person per site to have attended
a HSCIC or HSCIC approved face-to-face implementation briefing.
CPPE online training has been completed* – All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
who will access the SCR must have completed the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE)online SCR training module prior to accessing the SCR.
Privacy Officer has been appointed* – The Privacy Officer is responsible for auditing and
reviewing the SCR access.
Information Governance (IG) Toolkit has been submitted* – An IG Toolkit submission
must have been made within the last 12 months.
N3 connection is present* – If you are EPS-live this will be present already.
Trigger the payment of the allowance after confirming that the above stepshave been completed – Once the requirements above have been fulfilled a declaration
(tinyurl.com/scragreement) is made that the contractor and their team agree to comply with the on-going requirements for access to the SCR.
Access has been checked using test patient – The pharmacy team should check they can
access the SCR using the test NHS Numbers provided (these can be found in the sample SOP at:tinyurl.com/scrsop).
Patient information is available – The pharmacy team may choose to make patient
information materials (posters, leaflets) available at the pharmacy and on the pharmacy website(tinyurl.com/scrdocs)
SCR web address has been added to favourites – The pharmacy team may choose to add
the SCR URL to their desktop/favourites to make future access quick and easy. The URL required to accessthe SCR is: https://portal.national.ncrs.nhs.uk/portal/dt (please note a Smartcard is required).
Begin using the SCR – Pharmacy teams report that the SCR can be used as an alternative to
contacting the GP practice in some scenarios. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has published a one-pagefactsheet which explains the scenarios in which to use the SCR (tinyurl.com/scrscenarios). The decision asto when to use SCR is a professional one.
North: [email protected]
Midlands: [email protected]
London & South:[email protected]
For further details on SCR implementation please contact your regional SCR implementation manager
6 Community Pharmacy News – March 2015
services anD commissioning the healthcare lanDscape lpcs
Local commissioning supportPSNC supports LPCs in their work to get local services commissioned for
pharmacy contractors in their area. Here we highlight some of our recent
resources which help promote the work community pharmacy can do.
Essential facts, stats and quotesA new section on Essential facts, stats and quotes has been added to the PSNC
website.
Please note this section is a work in progress; however, we have decided to
publish it so that LPC members can start to use it. New topics will continue to be
added, and new facts, stats and quotes will also be added to the individual topics.
Useful shortlinks are:
• psnc.org.uk/essentialfacts – this takes you directly to the page; and
• psnc.org.uk/pharmacyfacts – this takes you directly to the page, which
contains key facts about community pharmacy and pharmacy professionals.
New service prospectuses publishedAt the time of going to press, we have published 11 service prospectuses, with
more to be published over the coming weeks. The prospectuses are intended to
showcase community pharmacy services to encourage local commissioners to
consider commissioning them.
The prospectuses have been added to our Think Pharmacy webpage
(psnc.org.uk/thinkpharmacy) and included in our Commissioners Portal
(psnc.org.uk/commissioners), but Word versions are also available in the LPC
Resources Centre so LPCs can add their own contact details in the footer.
Community pharmacy’s value in delivering public health services is recognised
BMJ Open has published the results of a systematic review focussed on public health interventions delivered by community
pharmacies, which concludes that commissioners should consider using community pharmacies to help deliver public health services.
Nineteen studies, which explored the effectiveness of community pharmacy-delivered interventions for weight management,
smoking cessation and the misuse or excessive consumption of alcohol were included in the review.
The review concluded that community pharmacy is an appropriate and feasible setting to deliver a range of public health
interventions and that given the potential reach, effectiveness and associated costs of these interventions, community pharmacy
should be considered by commissioners to help deliver public health services.
The Zika virus: guidance for pharmacy teamsPublic Health England has issued a guidance document on the Zika virus for healthcare professionals, produced in conjunction
with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association.
The guidance provides a summary of background information on the Zika virus including risks of transmission and symptoms,
its risk of harm to foetuses as well as general advice and recommendations for travellers. It also issues specific advice to
women who are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.
The information in the guidance can be used by pharmacy teams when giving advice or responding to patients’ queries,
including pregnant women, who are travelling to or retuning from countries which have been affected by the Zika outbreak.
To read and download the guidance, please visit: dld.bz/emDfm
psnc.org.uk 7
funDing anD statistics contract anD it Dispensing anD supplypsnc’s work
Polypharmacy learning campaign
The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) has sent out materials on polypharmacy to every
registered pharmacy professional in England for their spring 2016 learning campaign.
We are launching a range of learning on Polypharmacy, including a national campaign of learning, a
distance learning programme and a focal point workshop.
Over the past decade, the average number of items prescribed for each person per year in England has
increased significantly. For many patients, it might be entirely appropriate to be taking multiple
medicines. However, evidence suggests that some patients may be taking unnecessary or problematic
medicines. This can put patients at risk of harm, increasing risk of hospital admission and leading to poor
therapeutic outcomes. This makes polypharmacy an important topic for all health and social care
professionals.
CPPE is aiming to raise awareness of polypharmacy, and highlight the important role that pharmacy
professionals have in supporting patients taking multiple medicines. The learning materials look at
practical steps that you can take in your practice to identify problematic polypharmacy and address this
by working with your patients and colleagues in a patient-centred way.
A copy of our new Polypharmacy distance learning programme, a leaflet sharing our weekly challenges and a letter outlining how
you can use the programme have been sent to all pharmacy professionals.
Keep an eye on our dedicated webpage for updates: www.cppe.ac.uk/polypharmacy.
Layla FattahSenior Pharmacist,
Learning Development
The “Prioritising services,
improving outcomes” e-learning
programme aims to explain the
underlying principles of patient-
centred pharmacy services and to
help participants identify and
overcome the main barriers to
effective service delivery.
Find out more at: dld.bz/epuHU
Latest support from CPPE
The British Lung Foundation (BLF) is the
only charity in the UK with a mission to
look after the nation’s lungs. Their aim is
to improve care – and to prevent, treat
and cure lung conditions. They are
involved in research, campaigns and offer support to people with
lung conditions.
BLF has a number of free resources that community pharmacy
teams can supply patients with or signpost patients to on the BLF
website, including:
• easy-to-understand information about lung conditions;
• advice on how people can get the most out of life with a lung
condition;
• a range of leaflets, booklets and other resources on topics such
as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer,
mesothelioma, pulmonary fibrosis and tuberculosis;
• a web community, which allows people to chat to others who
are in a similar situation, ask questions or just have a look at
what is being discussed; and
• a local support finder, which assists with finding out what local
support groups are available.
Additionally, healthcare professionals with a special interest in
respiratory care can become a BLF Professional, which includes a
number of benefits such as regional study days, networking and
opportunities to shadow other services.
You can read the full article on what BLF has to offer both
patients and healthcare professionals at: dld.bz/erY3K
Charity Focus: British Lung Foundation
A new consultation skills floor has been
added to theLearningpharmacy.com to
complement CPPE’s other work in this
area. Online learning platform
theLearningpharmacy.com is a free
virtual community pharmacy that offers
interactive bite-sized challenges for the
whole pharmacy team.
Find out more at: dld.bz/eqdmk
The third edition of the consultation
skills for pharmacy practice (CSfPP)
newsletter describes new work that CPPE
is currently undertaking, such as the ‘Do
you say…?’ leaflet campaign and the
distribution of consultation skills cards for
pharmacy teams, as well as relevant
publications and e-learning programmes.
Find out more at: dld.bz/eqQ7A
“
”
8 Community Pharmacy News – March 2015
the healthcare lanDscape lpcs psnc’s work
Men and women cannow expect to live for
a further 20 yearson average at age 65
Public satisfaction withthe NHS fell by 5% in2015 to 60%...
...and publicdissatisfaction rose by 8% to 23%
An independent reportidentifies ways to
save £5bn over thenext three to four years
Evaluations and statistics• A survey of more than 2,000 people showed that public
satisfaction with the NHS fell by 5% in 2015 to 60% and
dissatisfaction rose by 8% to 23%.The three main reasons that
people gave for being dissatisfied with the health service were
long waiting times, staff shortages and lack of funding.
• The latest quality monitoring report from The King’s Fund
found that just over half (53%) of NHS trust finance directors
said that quality of care in their local area has worsened in the
past year, and nearly two-thirds (64%) of trusts are reliant on
extra financial support from the Department of Health (DH) or
drawing down their reserves.
• NHS England has published the results of the NHS 2015 Staff
Survey involving approximately a quarter of the permanent
NHS workforce. Despite showing significant improvements in
key areas such as staff engagement, employee health and
wellbeing and prioritisation of patient care, the survey still
reveals a number of challenges being faced such as stress,
staffing levels and discrimination.
• According to a report by Public Health England (PHE), men can
now expect to live for a further 19 years at age 65 and women
can expect to live for a further 21 years.
• The Health & Social Care Information Centre has revealed that
the proportion of women aged 50-70 screened for breast
cancer after their first invite decreased to 63.3% in 2014/15,
down from 70.1% in 2004/05.
Resources• PHE has published Making Every Contact Count (MECC):
implementation guide, a guide to support people and
organisations to aid local implementation of MECC activity.
MECC encourages conversations based on behaviour change,
empowering healthier lifestyle choices and exploring the wider
social determinants that influence people’s heath.
• A report published by the Commonwealth Fund evaluates the
findings of an analysis of smartphone apps targeting individuals
with chronic illnesses and the extent of usefulness of these
apps in patient engagement. The authors also developed a
framework consisting of a set of general criteria to evaluate
apps on the basis of patient engagement, quality and safety.
The criteria can be used when judging whether or not an app
should be recommended to patients.
Future plans• DH has outlined its vision and commitment to provide the
highest quality and most compassionate health and care
services in the world in its Shared delivery plan: 2015 to 2020.
The plan includes a commitment to focus as much on the
prevention of poor health as it does on treating illnesses.
• Building on the agenda set out in the Five Year Forward View,
NHS England has launched a new three year programme to
support social movements in health and care, supported by the
Transformation Funding. The programme will work with six
new vanguards across England and aims to: identify and
develop exemplar social movements; demonstrate what works
effectively; and support spread to enable local approaches to
be adapted in other communities.
• An independent report, Operational productivity and
performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted
variations, gives 15 recommendations that need to be acted
upon to deliver a £5bn saving for the NHS over the next three
to four years.
PSNC regularly receives questions from LPCs and
pharmacy contractors about what is going on in the
wider health and care landscape beyond community
pharmacy. For a more comprehensive round-up,
please visit: psnc.org.uk/hclbriefings
psnc.org.uk 9
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In this section of Community Pharmacy News we have highlighted some keynotices for you and your team to be aware of in the coming weeks and months.
Pharmacy notice board
New oral anticoagulants toolkitPfizer has published an oral anticoagulants toolkit to support community pharmacy teams to deliverMedicines Use Reviews (MURs) and the New Medicine Service (NMS).
PSNC and Pharmacy Voice have both endorsed the toolkit.
The toolkit includes a brief overview of anticoagulants, advice on starting to provideMURs and NMS for patients taking anticoagulants, and eight key points to discuss withevery patient taking an oral anticoagulant.To find out more, including how to order hard copies of the toolkit, please visit: dld.bz/emPrJ
Rebalancing medicines legislationThe Department of Health has published theoutcome of the rebalancing medicines legislationand pharmacy regulation consultation – read theoutcome in full at: dld.bz/en3K2It mentions that a separate report will bepublished on the responses to the consultationquestions on the Pharmacy (Preparation andDispensing Errors) Order 2016, but there is noindication of when this will happen.
GPhC fees to remain at current levelsThe General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) governing
council has decided fee levels for pharmacists,
pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises will
remain at current levels for the 2016/17 financial year.
For further information, please visit: dld.bz/enr5m
MHRA issues materials andadvice relating to valproateThe Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued new
communication materials to increase
awareness and support discussions of the
risks of valproate, with females of
childbearing potential and duringpregnancy.
The MHRA has produced a booklet
for healthcare professionals aswell as a checklist for patientsand prescribers. There is also apatient card and a patient guideavailable.To find out more, please visit:dld.bz/epTF3
Adult public health campaignPublic Health England has called on community pharmacy teams to support its newadult health behaviour change programme, One You, which is designed to help adultslive longer, healthier and happier lives.As the NHS Five Year Forward View made very clear, the nation has to getserious about prevention. Without such a focus, recent improvements in tackling lifeexpectancies will stall and health inequalities will deepen.
A toolkit has been developed to help pharmacy teams promote health and wellbeing messages, providing agreat platform for teams to initiate conversations about lifestyle behaviours.
You can place an order for a toolkit by calling 0300 123 1019. The order line will be open Monday to Friday,from 8am to 6pm, until 8th May 2016 or while stocks last.
Prescriber codes enable the Pricing Authority to
recharge the costs of prescriptions to the
appropriate area. It is really important that
community pharmacy contractors check NHS
prescriptions contain a prescriber code, and
attempt to identify and insert codes where any
are missing. Prescriptions missing the prescriber
code (with the exception of forms issued by a
Dental Practitioner which do not need to have a
code) may be returned to the contractor as a
referred back form. This could lead to a delay in
payment for that prescription.
If you receive a referred back form which is
missing a prescriber code, and you are able to
identify the code, the code should be added to
the form and returned to the Pricing Authority in
the next month’s submission. If you have been
unsuccessful in identifying the code, the
prescription should be endorsed to that effect
and then returned. In either case, when
resubmitted, the prescription will be paid in line
with the Drug Tariff for the month the
prescription form is resubmitted.
Please also see the FAQs on the page opposite.
10 Community Pharmacy News – March 2015
Dispensing anD supply services anD commissioning the healthcare lanDscape lpcs
The importance of checking for prescriber codesCommunity pharmacy teams are required to check NHS prescriptions for
prescriber codes at the point of dispensing. Here we explain why they are
important and where to find them on a prescription.
Pharmacy teams who experience problems in obtaining
medicines (generic or branded) or appliances are
reminded to feed this back to our Dispensing and Supply
Team, to support PSNC’s ongoing representation of
issues in the supply chain.
PSNC passes a monthly summary of the feedback
received to the Department of Health to support their
monitoring of the situation. This information is also used
as an evidence base in discussions with manufacturers on
manufacturer-specific problems, for example,
highlighting problems with contingency arrangements
and promoting solutions.
Please make sure you let us know about any supply
issues by using our online feedback forms at:
psnc.org.uk/feedback
Experiencing supply issues?Endorsing prescriptions for appliancesFor an appliance prescribed generically and only listed generically in
the Drug Tariff, the only endorsement required is the pack size
where multiple pack sizes of the product are available. In the case of
elastic hosiery and trusses, a description of the generic product
must be provided.
For an appliance prescribed generically but listed by brand or
manufacturer’s name in the Drug Tariff, endorse the brand or
manufacturer’s name as listed in the Drug Tariff. The pack size need
only be endorsed where there are multiple pack sizes of the product
listed.
For an appliance prescribed by brand or manufacturer’s name, the
only endorsement required is pack size where there are multiple
pack sizes of the product listed.
All details correct at time of printing.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of PSNC.
Produced for PSNC by Communications International Group. ©. PSNC.
Colour repro and printing by Truprint Media, Margate.
The publishers accept no responsibility for any statement made in signed contributions or
in those reproduced from any other source.
Communications International Group
Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB
Tel: 020 7434 1530 Fax: 020 7437 0915
Distributedfor PSNC by:
Example 1 – standard prescriber details
Example 2 – independent prescriber details
Example 3 – hospital prescriber details
There are usually two codes – one for
the prescriber and one for the medical
centre they are affiliated to. The
prescriber code will be the top code,
next to the prescriber’s name. It is often
slightly larger than the rest of the text in
this box.
The prescriber code will be a numerical
code located at the top of the box
containing the prescriber’s details and
close to their name. It is often in bold
and slightly larger than the rest of the
text in this box.
The prescriber code will be located at the
top of the box containing the prescriber’s
details. Hospital codes will contain
letters as well as numbers. It is often in
bold and slightly larger than the rest of
the text in this box.
psnc.org.uk 11
psnc’s work funDing anD statistics contract anD itlpcs
Ask PSNCThe PSNC Dispensing and Supply Team can give pharmacy teams support
and advice on a range of topics related to the Drug Tariff and
reimbursement. Questions asked in recent months have included:
1. I have received a prescription which contains a prescriber
code, I don’t know if it is the individual's prescriber code. Do I
need to verify this code is correct?
No. Community pharmacy contractors are only expected to
ensure that a code is present. Sometimes, in the case of hospital
prescriptions, the code may be related to a hospital unit rather
than an individual prescriber. Pricing Authority staff will check
during the recharging process that the code is correct.
As the contractor is not expected to perform any extra work by
attempting to validate codes, prescriptions will not be returned
to the pharmacy if a code is later identified as being incorrect.
These prescriptions will still be paid as normal within the usual
timeframes. However, if a contractor suspects the prescription is
not a genuine order for the person named on the prescription
(e.g. they believe it has been stolen or forged), they should refuse
to dispense for that reason.
2. I have received a dental prescription which does not contain a
prescriber code, do I need to contact the prescriber to find it out?
No. The Pricing Authority has confirmed that dental prescriptions
do not have prescriber codes; therefore contractors can dispense
and submit these prescriptions without needing to identify or
endorse a prescriber code.
3. A patient has presented a prescription for a generic drug. They
have requested the brand version and say they are willing to pay
the pharmacy the difference in cost between the generic and
brand. Is this allowed?
No. NHS services are provided free of charge at the point of
delivery (unless otherwise indicated, e.g. if an NHS prescription
charge is applicable).
You can, if you so choose, dispense a brand for a prescription
written generically, provided you do not receive any additional
payment for dispensing the branded drug. The choice of which
product dispensed would be that of the pharmacist and any
additional costs incurred should not be passed on to the patient.
Please note that for products prescribed generically and listed in
Part VIIIA or Part VIIIB of the Drug Tariff, reimbursement is based
on the Drug Tariff price. For a product prescribed generically
which is not listed in Part VIIIA of the Drug Tariff, reimbursement
is based on the manufacturer’s list price of the endorsed product.
Look out for more frequently asked questions next month…
If you would like more information on any of the topics covered,
the PSNC Dispensing and Supply Team will be happy to help
(0844 381 4180 or 0203 1220 810 or e-mail [email protected]).
When pharmacy teams receive NHS prescriptions, they must check whether the items prescribed are allowed on the NHS before dispensing
otherwise the pharmacy contractor may not be paid for them. Below is a list of some products that we have recently received queries about.
Product Is the item Does it Is it Can it be Additional listed in the have a ‘CE’ in the dispensed information Drug Tariff? mark? blacklist? on an FP10?
Please note: If the prescription is one of the following, pharmacy staff will need to check the relevant sections of the Drug Tariff/PSNC website:
• FP10CN or FP10PN (community nurse prescriber) – Part XVIIB of the Drug Tariff
• FP10D (dental prescriber) – Part XVIIA of the Drug Tariff
• FP10MDA (instalment dispensing) – psnc.org.uk/mda
Can it be dispensed on an FP10?
Cura-Heat Back Pain
heat packs
Dermol Wash
cutaneous emulsion
Haleraid-120
Optrex ActiMist eye
spray
Oilatum soap
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
n/a
No
n/a
n/a
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
This item is a medical device (CE marked) and is not listed
in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
This item is not a medical device (CE marked) and does
not appear in Part XVIIIA (the ‘blacklist’) of the Drug Tariff.
This item is a medical device (CE marked) and is not listed
in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
This item is a medical device (CE marked) and is not listed
in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
This item is listed in Part XVIIIA (the ‘blacklist’) of the Drug
Tariff.
Dispensing anD supply services anD commissioning the healthcare lanDscape
PSNC websiteFor up to date information and news on community pharmacy issues, visit the PSNC website at psnc.org.uk
PSNC Community Pharmacy News is published by:The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, Times House, 5 Bravingtons Walk, London N1 9AWCommunity Pharmacy News is edited by:Melinda Mabbutt who can be contacted at the above address or by email at: [email protected] © PSNCPSNC Office: 0844 381 4180 or 0203 122 0810
Drug Tariff WatchThe Preface lists additions, deletions and alterations to the Drug Tariff. Below is a quick summary of
the changes due to take place from 1st April 2016. You may also wish to see our Dispensing Factsheet:
The Drug Tariff Preface at psnc.org.uk/dtresources
SC Special Container
R Item requiring reconstitution
Part VIIIA additions
Category A Additions:
• Aripiprazole 10mg orodispersible
tablets sugar free (28)
• Aripiprazole 15mg orodispersible
tablets sugar free (28)
• Orphenadrine 50mg/5ml oral solution
sugar free (150ml)
Category C Additions:
• Co-amoxiclav 125mg/31mg/5ml oral
suspension R (100ml) – Mylan Ltd
• Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral
suspension R (100ml) – Mylan Ltd
• Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg modified-
release tablets (60) – Half Sinemet CR
• Co-careldopa 50mg/200mg modified-
release tablets (60) – Sinemet CR
• Lidocaine 2% cream SC (30g) – Vagisil
• Mesalazine 250mg suppositories (20) –
Asacol
• Mesalazine 500mg suppositories (10) –
Asacol
• Tramadol 50mg modified-release
tablets (60) – Zydol SR
Part VIIIA amendments
• Mupirocin 2% cream SC (15g) is
changing to Category C Bactroban
Part VIIIA deletions
If a medicinal product has been removed
from Part VIIIA and has no other pack sizes
listed, it can continue to be dispensed as
long as the product does not appear in
Part XVIIIA (the ‘Blacklist’)–but it will need
to be endorsed fully (i.e. brand or supplier
name from whom the product was
purchased and the pack size from which
the item was dispensed).
• Liquid paraffin / Magnesium hydroxide
oral emulsion sugar free (150ml)
Category C – JM Loveridge Ltd
• Zaleplon 10mg capsules (14) Category
C – Sonata
• Zaleplon 5mg capsules (14) Category C –
Sonata
Part IX deletions
It is important to take careful note of removals from Part IX because if you dispense a deleted product, prescriptions will be returned
as disallowed and therefore payment will not be made for dispensing the item.
Product Size and type Product code
HME filter cassette
Normal (Normal breathing resistance) 7242
Normal Tinted 7242Cv
HiFlow (Lower resistance for sport and first time users) 7243
HiFlow Tinted 7243C
Trachi-Naze NasalRestoration System
Blue Filter (Night filter) LANNZ 0001A
Green Filter (Day filter) LANNZ 0002A
Orange Filter (Active filter) LANNZ 0003A
Baseplate - Hydrocolloid (small) LANNZ 0004A
Baseplate - Hydrocolloid (large) LANNZ 0005
Non-Woven Adhesive (large) LANNZ 0006
Clear Adhesive Waterproof Film (round) LANNZ 0007
Hands Free Valve ‘Type A’ LATNV 1001
Hands Free Valve ‘Type B’ LATNV 2001
Occlusion Cap LATNV 3001
Changes to prescribing rightsOn 1st April 2016, a number of changes to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 come into effect, including new prescribing
rights for therapeutic radiographers, dietitians, orthoptists and midwives. Find out more at: dld.bz/erY36