Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS)

Primary Care Networks (PCN)– Contractor Update November 2019 

In this month’s PCN update, please find the latest information and guidance for Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) and where to find information about your PCN and your PCN Community Pharmacy Representative: http://www.cpwy.org/doc/2451.pdf.

Espranor 

Please be aware of reports about a possible way for service users to divert Espranor (buprenorphine wafer that dissolves on the tongue) which has been shared with us by West Yorkshire Police. Click here for more information on Espranor. 

“Third party information received from a service user that some other service users who are prescribed supervised Espranor wafers are wrapping cling film on their tongues and then diverting to sell illicitly when they leave the pharmacy.”

Drug Shortage - Phenelzine 

There is a current drug shortage of the antidepressant medication - phenelzine which is due to last until at least March 2020.  More information can be found in the letter below.

Drug Shortage Letter - Phenelzine

Leeds GP Merger Consultation

Two GP practices in the Chapeltown locality have commenced an engagement exercise with a view to merging the two practices from 1^st April 2020.  Further details can be found in this stakeholder briefing below.

Leeds GP Merger Consultation

Leeds Health Pathways 

The Leeds Health Pathways (LHP) system is the online database for Leeds city-wide clinical pathways (formerly hosted on Map of Medicine), primary care antimicrobial guidelines, LTHT clinical guidelines (including antimicrobial guidelines), and appropriate LCH and LYPFT guidelines. LHP provides a valuable link between primary and secondary care by signposting how to manage patients, to find available services and how to prescribe and refer. 

You can now access Leeds Health Pathways (LHP) content on www without being connected to the N3 network and the web address for LHP is http://www.lhp.leedsth.nhs.uk/.  The content on the www application is being increased month by month: it currently includes all the clinical pathways, primary care and LTHT antimicrobial guidelines, and 75% of other LTHT guidelines: those from other organisations will follow.

Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Integrated Training Pilot 

Health Education England (HEE) are looking to work with employers to develop and run the Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician integrated training pilot for 48 Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians (PTPTs), commencing in February 2020.

They are looking for tri-partnerships that will support 48 PTPTs being trained in three of the following healthcare settings: 

• Secondary care
• Community mental health
• Community pharmacy
• General practice
• Care homes 

More information is available in the guidance document here to support employers’ expressions of interest. This also includes a link to the expression of interest form here.  The guidance should answer most of your questions about the pilot, but please address any further queries to the team at HEE.PHIF@hee.nhs.uk, stating ‘PTPT Integrated Training Pilot’ in the email subject header. 

The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is 15^th November 2019.

Key News and Guidance: The Latest Updates from PSNC 

PSNC have put together a summary of the key news and guidance which has been shared last week with contractors.  Key points to note from this document are: 

• CPCF Services: Important Dates and Checklist
• Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) Full Questionnaire Arrangements 

Please find below the latest PSNC Key News and Guidance document. 

Keys News and Guidance: The Latest Updates from PSNC - 1st November 2019 

Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire recommends that pharmacy contractors follow the regular advice being issued by PSNC to ensure that you keep up to date with new information and important actions that may need to be taken.  Sign up to the mailing list here.

Services Information 

Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire has a Services Checklist to help contractors with the different services offered, where to claim and when to claim by.  The Services Checklist can be found on our website here.

Flu Vaccination (Advanced) Service - NHS Flu Jabs for Eligible Care / Nursing Home, Hospice and Domiciliary Care Workers 

We have received a handful of reports of eligible care home and nursing home staff being refused an NHS flu vaccination from local community pharmacies. Therefore, just a quick reminder that health and social care workers (e.g. workers employed by a registered care/nursing home OR registered domiciliary care provider OR a voluntary managed hospice provider who are directly involved in the care of vulnerable clients) are included in the group of patients eligible for an NHS flu vaccination under the national flu service and are therefore eligible for a free NHS flu vaccination. Please see here for a full list of flu vaccination eligible groups.

Public Health Information 

Further information around Public Health can be found on our website via the links below: 

• Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles
• Signposting
• Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP)
• Making Every Contact Count (MECC)

Training and Development

CPWY Development Academy 

Our upcoming events are listed below.  Click on the links for more information or to book your place! 

• CPCS Events

CPWY e-Learning 

 Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire is working with Virtual Outcomes to deliver a series of online training events throughout the year. 

An introduction video for Virtual Outcomes can be found here: https://vimeo.com/316124447. 

More information about the different Virtual Outcomes modules that are available can be found on our website here: http://www.cpwy.org/training-development/e-learning.shtml.

External Events 

More information about external events can be found on our website here.  Some of the upcoming external events can be found below: 

• Mary Seacole Leadership Programme - 2 New West Yorkshire Cohorts
• Novo Nordisk Event: Successful Management of Insulin Therapy in Older Adults
• FREE Educational Opportunity - Bringing Local Pathways to Life – Women's Health

CPPE Events 

A list of upcoming CPPE Events is available on our website.  More information can be found here: http://www.cpwy.org/training-development/events.shtml#cppe.

Other Information

CPWY Connect 

CPWY Connect has been set up on the social media site Telegram with the aim of connecting pharmacy teams across West Yorkshire and we’d love you to join by clicking here.