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September video update from PSNC's CEO

The latest PSNC CEO video update is now available to watch. Following the announcement on arrangements for the payment of contractors’ COVID-19 costs earlier this week, PSNC Chief Executive Simon Dukes reflects on how the original offer from the Government has now been proven as inadequate. Simon is pleased to report that the vast majority of claims will...

3 hours ago

October 2021 Category M Prices Announced

The Drug Tariff Category M pricelist for July 2021 has been published on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website. The October Category M prices reflect a net reduction in margin levels of approximately £26.8m per quarter. The underlying effect of market price movements in the reference period Apr – Jun 2021 will also be reflected...

24 hours ago

PhAS 2022 webinar now on-demand

PSNC’s webinar on the updated 2022 Pharmacy Access Scheme (PhAS) is now available on-demand. Nearly 90% of attendees said they would recommend the webinar to others, with over half (56%) saying that they found it very useful. One contractor commented that, thanks to this webinar, “I am now much clearer about the differences in the...

1 day ago

Palliative Care Formulary Service

West Yorkshire-wide Palliative Care Formulary Service

Palliative Care SLA – April 2018 to March 2021 (Extended to 30th September 2021)

NHSE&I Letter - Updated Palliative Care Formulary April 2020

Palliative Care - Revised Formulary

Resources

Contact Details for Specialist Palliative Care Services

Briefing Note for Pharmacies Providing the Palliative Care Service

PharmOutcomes - Instructions for Use

Bulletins

Important Reminder for Palliative Care Pharmacies - May 2020

Pharmacies commissioned to provide this service stock a locally agreed list of medicines and make a commitment to ensure that the users of the service have prompt access to these medicines, in response to the presentation of an NHS prescription, during the pharmacies' contracted opening hours.

Please note: Other pharmacies will routinely stock many, if not all, of these drugs as part of their usual dispensary stock.

In the event of there being insufficient stock to fill an immediate need the pharmacy will liaise with another community pharmacy in the service with stock and/or other local community pharmacies. The pharmacy will aim to locate a pharmacy with sufficient in-date stock and request that they reserve that stock for collection by the user. If no further stock can be located the pharmacy will contact the prescriber to discuss a suitable alternative.

This service is available within the pharmacies opening hours only (available from NHS Choices www.nhs.uk). Outside these hours requests should be directed to the Out of Hours Service Provider for the relevant area.

Interim Variation Notice (2020) - COVID-19 End Of Life Care Drugs

This variation sets out additional requirements of the community pharmacy palliative care service in response to COVID-19; it should be read in conjunction with the existing service agreement.

Palliative Care Interim Variation - May 2020

Palliative Care Extended Interim Variation - September 2020

Palliative Care Extended Interim Variation – April 2021

Change to Morphine Injection as First Line Opioid Analgesic across Primary and Secondary Care – Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield - 6th April 2020

Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation NHS Trust together with Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust have made the decision to make a change to use morphine injection as the first line opioid analgesic in palliative care across primary and secondary care from Monday 6th April 2020. More information can be found under the area headings below.

Palliative Care - General

The novel “wheel” or “spider diagram” format of this guideline was developed by St Gemma’s Hospice over 15 years ago, to support

the safe conversion between different opioids
enable the safe administration of the same opioid by a different route
to calculate and check the accuracy of “PRN” doses of opioids for patients receiving regular opioids

St Gemma’s clinical team, including Professor Michael Bennett, St Gemma’s Professor of Palliative Medicine, have updated the guideline in line with current company data and seminal specialist palliative care resources.

Although the current (2006) version of the guideline was never formally distributed to non-specialist palliative care providers across Leeds, many have a copy and have found it a useful resource.

The updated 2016 guideline is now approved for use by both specialist and non-specialist palliative care use across Leeds, supported by a project led by the Leeds Palliative Care Managed Clinical Network (MCN).

It is expected that non-specialists will predominantly continue to use the guide as a checking tool. If any discrepancies or queries arise during this checking process the prescriber must be contacted.

Prescribers are responsible for their own decisions. It is imperative to read the notes on the right hand side of the document and seek specialist palliative care advice as needed.

The Leeds Opioid Conversion Guide For Adult Palliative Care Patients 2016 is available as a PDF document on: