SMOKING UPDATE MEETING - 9th May 2013

You are invited to attend a meeting entitled Smoking Cessation and Mental Health: What's the Connection? to be hosted by Pfizer on 9th May 2013 at The Hilton,Watford.

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APRIL 2013 - PHARMACY RELATED CHANGES

As a reminder to pharmacy contractors of the changes coming in to effect on 1st April 2013, we have summarised them here. … more

QUARTERLY SUBMISSION OF MUR & NMS FIGURES

This is a reminder for all contractors to submit their quarterly MUR & NMS figures to the Herts & South Midlands Area Team by 15th April 2013. … more

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PAYMENT FOR SMOKING & SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES

Information concerning Chlamydia screening and Smoking Cessation secure email addresses, public health payment processes following the official transfer of public health functions to Hertfordshire County Council and a revised NRT invoice template and instruction sheet which will be required for all NRT dispensed under the Letter of Recommendation Scheme from 1.4.2013, has been e-mailed to you today.

The stop smoking team will be trying to contact you all over the next week or so to ensure that you are all aware of the changes and that all data entry is complete before the end of the year to ensure final payments for 12/13 are made.

The services also want to ensure that they have the most up to date contact details for you to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service provision for our clients and providers.

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SEXUAL HEALTH LES ACCREDITATION

You are invited to attend a PCT workshop providing training on the provision of the NHS Herts Sexual Health Service including the supply of emergency hormonal contraception using a Patient Group Direction. There will be a set of multiple choice questions (MCQ) to be completed at the end of the workshop.  … more

MANAGED REPEATS - BEST PRACTICE NEWSLETTER

Hertfordshire LPC & Herts & Beds LMC have been working together to produce a Managed Repeats Best Practice document to support both pharmacists and GPs.  … more

HERTFORDSHIRE LPC ARE RUNNING ANOTHER EHC SUPPORT EVENT

Pharmacists needing support to gain accreditation for this much needed service can sign up to attend a April meeting.
They must bring with them a Wi-Fi enabled laptop/iPad etc. and prior study of the most recent CPPE packages on:
1. Emergency Hormonal Contraception
2. Contraception Open Learning
3. Safeguarding and Child Protection
These are necessary in order to gain accreditation at the event. … more

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Public Health related Enhanced Services Contracts

A letter has been e-mailed to all contractors today regarding the transfer of Public Health Enhanced Services to the Local Authority with effect from 1st April 2013.

Any queries you may have should be addressed to publichealth@hertfordshire.gov.uk … more

PSNC highlights key changes for contractors in new pharmacy regulations

PSNC has today highlighted key changes that contractors and LPCs will need to be aware of within the newly laid National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013.

The regulations were laid on Friday (February 22) and will come into force on April 1st 2013.

They replace the existing pharmaceutical regulations to accommodate the structural changes being made to the NHS and to include the new organisations within it.
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NHS HERTS COMPULSORY AUDIT FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACY CONTRACTORS 2012-2013

The details of the PCT directed audit for 2012-13 has been e-mailed to all contractors.

The NHS (Pharmaceutical Services ) Regulations 2012 require that pharmacists and their staff undertake one audit each year as directed by the PCT.

The audit for 2012/13 is based on compliance with MHRA guidance on NSAID prescribing. … more

Alcohol Identification & Brief Advice - Training

An interactive, 2 hour course equipping pharmacy staff with the knowledge and skills required to screen for potentially harmful patterns of alcohol use and to provide brief advice based on the Audit-C screening tool developed by the World Health Organisation.  … more

LPC NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2013

The latest edition of the LPC Newsletter has been sent to you by post (& e-mail if we have your detais).
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OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN (FEB & MARCH 2013)

Mount Vernon Cancer Network (MVCN) – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign

We recognise that this campaign is not one of NHS Hertfordshire’s 6 health promotional campaigns, however we would like to bring this to your attention and appreciate your support for this worthwhile national campaign.
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SMART CARD BLOCKED?

If your smartcard becomes blocked, do you know how to unblock it?

Connecting for Health offers advice on how to unblock your smartcard using the Smartcard Service Centre. This can also be accessed outside of normal working hours and at weekends. This means you never need to be in a position where patients are unable to receive their prescriptions.
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COMMUNITY PHARMACIES PROVIDING NHS FLU VACCINES

At the end of 2012, a number of community pharmacies in Hertfordshire were commissioned by NHS Hertfordshire to provide flu vaccination under a PGD.

This article will provide information for signposting if you were unable to do so. … more

QUITKITS 2012-13

QUITKITS 2012
QuitKits are a national campaign from the Department of Health. The campaign's objectives is to drive quit attempts from January to March 2013 by reinforcing motivation to quit by exposing the outcomes of smoking and triggering the immediate quitting action.
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TRANSFER OF CARE PILOT IN EAST & NORTH HERTS

From 5th November 2012, a pilot will commence to look at direct referral of patients to their community pharmacy for either NMS or Discharge MUR.

The pilot will run for four weeks and concentrate on suitable patients discharged from the Cardiac Care Unit at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

Every pharmacy in East & North Herts CCG may be involved, and will receive information and template forms in the post.
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NHS MAIL - ARE YOU USING IT???

It is really important that you check your NHS Mail account once or twice every day to ensure that you receive important information such as Drug Alerts as soon as possible.

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COMMUNITY PHARMACY FALLS UPDATE

If you signed up to provide the Community Pharmacy Falls Service then this article is for you!! … more

IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY MEDICINES

There are now a number of pharmacies across Hertfordshire that are operating under a LES to provide immediate access to Emergency Medicines.

The pharmacies will stock a defined list of specialist medicines to enable immediate access to drugs that would not ordinarily be kept in stock but may be required in emergency situations, based on gaps identified in the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. This includes palliative care, bacterial meningitis prophylaxis, local viral epidemics and emergency situations such as during a flu pandemic.
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Joint LPC/LMC 7 day prescription guidance

Joint guidance has been published by Hertfordshire LPC and Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire LMC to help resolve the issues around 7 day prescriptions. The guidance is designed to help pharmacists and GPs decide whether the use of an MDS and 7 day prescriptions are appropriate for new patients. Please note the guidance does not apply to patients already using MDS and/or being issued with 7 day prescriptions.  … more

NEW CLINICAL GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS FROM 1ST JULY 1012

The Department of Health has now published the clinical governance approved particulars that are referred to in the Regulations and which specify additional detail about the requirements that pharmacies must comply with.

There are new approved particulars for premises, information governance and incident reporting as well as revised approved particulars for the pharmacy practice leaflet and patient satisfaction survey.

The effective date of the approved particulars is 1 July 2012 and consequently pharmacy contractors have until then to implement the changes.

Alongside the publication of the approved particulars PSNC and NHS Employers have published comprehensive guidance for pharmacy contractors and PCTs.

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COMMUNITY PHARMACY STOP SMOKING LES 2012-2013

The stop smoking LES for 2012 - 2013 is now available and has been e-mailed to you recently.

This year the LES mirrors that signed by the Hertfordshire GPs and like the GPs you need to sign the LES appropropriate for the CCG in which your pharmacy is located.
NB: The documents are otherwise identical … more

EPSR2 - Have you upgraded yet?

Currently 100 pharmacies in Hertfordshire have upgraded to EPS R2.
If you are one of the 146 that hasn't please consider doing it as soon as possible.
After the successful installation of the system into a GP surgery in Hoddesdon it is likely that there will be further rollout as soon as we can.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS EXCITING OPPORTUNITY … more

NEW ARRANGEMENTS FOR ORAL METHADONE PAYMENTS FROM 1st July 2012

As you may be aware, the prescription payment structure for methadone will be changing from 1st July 2012.
NB: this affects the prescription reimbursement rules for liquid methadone prescribed on FP10MDA & FP10 prescriptions and NOT the payments for operating a supervised methadone service under the Hertfordshire LES.

Please click here for a copy of the factsheet developed by PSNC regarding the new methadone arrangements from 1st July 2012.

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ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING SYSTEM (RELEASE 2)

In Hertfordshire, the Electronic Prescribing System (EPS) has reached its second stage (Release 2). Initially, the roll out will start in small geographically discreet localities where the majority of surgery's prescriptions are dispensed in a small number of community pharmacies.

The learning from these sites will inform the future rollout programme as well as national progress.

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HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMME FOR CP 2012-2013

NHS Hertfordshire has just released its Health Promotion programme for community pharmacy 2012/13

There are FIVE campaigns this year but each is linked to the Self Care Campaign that started this year and will run through 2012/13.

Details of the campaigns can be found on the LPC website in the Public Health Section … more

NEW CHLAMYDIA SCREENING AND/OR TREATMENT LES AND AZITHROMYCIN PGD FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS

The new Local Enhanced Serveice Specification for Chlamydia Screening and/or Treatment as well as the Patient Group Direction for the supply of Azithromycin for the treatment of uncomplicated Chlamydia Trachomatis infection by accredited community pharmacists, have been e-mailed to all contractors. … more

• EMERGENCY HORMONAL CONTRACEPTION LES & PGD

NHS Hertfordshire has released the updated LES and PGD for the supply of Eergency Hormonal Contraception to suitable patients in Hertfordshire.

• NRT FOR PREGNANT SMOKERS

A new policy has been launched regarding the recommendation of Nicotine Replacement Therapy to pregnmant smokers.

This new policy is especially important for Stop Smoking Advisers who have attended the Pregnancy & Stop Smoking training course.

• GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS

New guidelines have been published for the prescribing of Gluten Free Products by GPs in Hertfordshire.

• Income Protection

Pharmaceutical & General is the UK’s only Friendly Society specialising in Income Protection for pharmacists.

Click here for more information

• Information governance

Hertfordshire PCTs have produced a presentation to support local pharmacies in meeting their information governance requirements.