This month’s must do’s

Reclassification ofcodeine linctus

The MHRA has announced that it has reclassifi ed codeine linctus (codeine oral solutions) from a pharmacy-only (P) medicine to a prescription-only medicine (POM). This is a risk minimisation measure to protect the health of patients in need of treatment, to prevent recreational use and to enable the identifi cation of individuals who may have become unintentionally addicted to codeine. The medicines reclassified are:

• Codeine Linctus BP (LCM Limited and Pinewood Laboratories Limited)

• Bells Healthcare Codeine Linctus 15mg/5ml Oral Solution (Bell Sons & Company [Druggists] Limited)

• Care Codeine 15mg/5ml Oral Solution Sugar-free (Thornton & Ross)

• Galcodine Linctus (Thornton & Ross)

• Pulmo Bailly (Dendron Brands Limited).

ACTIONS

• Remove all stock of pharmacy-only codeine linctus (codeine oral solutions) from your pharmacy counter and move it to the dispensary

• With immediate e ect, do not sell or supply any codeine linctus (codeine oral solution) products over the counter

• Share the MHRA Drug Safety Update on codeine linctus reclassifi cation with the whole pharmacy team and ensure all are aware that, with immediate effect, all codeine linctus (codeine oral solutions) must be treated as prescription only medicines (POM) and must not be supplied to patients without a prescription

• Patients who may feel that they are addicted should be advised to speak to their doctor. If they are concerned for someone who has been using more than the prescribed amount of codeine linctus, they can also seek advice on the NHS website. Support groups and self help groups are also available, such as Talk to FRANK

• Report suspected adverse drug reactions to codeine linctus to the Yellow Card scheme.

KEY POINTS

• To avoid any ‘stockpiling’, all existing codeine linctus stock should be treated as POM from the time of MHRA’s announcement

• Codeine linctus will now only be available on prescription following assessment with a healthcare professional

• Alternative non-prescription cough medicines are available for short-term cough to sooth an irritated throat, including honey and lemon mixtures and cough suppressants

• Patients are urged not to buy codeine linctus from an unregistered website as it could be dangerous.

Pharmacy supervision Government consultation draws to a close

The Government’s formal consultation on pharmacy supervision closed at the end of February. The proposals are to:

• Enable pharmacists to authorise pharmacy technicians to carry out, or supervise others carrying out, the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and supply of medicines

• Enable pharmacists to authorise any member of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions in the absence of a pharmacist

• Allow pharmacy technicians to take primary responsibility for the preparation, assembly and dispensing of medicinal products in hospital aseptic facilities.

The NPA’s position, which we have shared with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), is broadly to acknowledge that modernisation of the regulations is long overdue, including enabling non-pharmacist members of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions. Any changes to legislation or regulations should maintain or improve, not diminish, the public’s access to a pharmacist in a community pharmacy. As pharmacies deliver more and more clinical services, it becomes ever more important to have the clinical skills of the pharmacist readily available.

Critical safeguard

DHSC has acknowledged that the physical presence of a pharmacist within a pharmacy is a critical safeguard. This refl ects the longstanding position of the NPA and is in line with a cross sector report published last year.

We are seeking further clarification on where accountability would lie when ‘authorisation’ is given by the pharmacist to a registered pharmacy technician. It must also be made clearer who is the pharmacist giving the authorisation.

To avoid any doubt, we suggest that this is set within the already established Responsible Pharmacist/Superintendent Pharmacist framework. If you wish to continue the conversation with the NPA, please email Helga Mangion, NPA policy manager at independentsvoice@npa.co.uk

NPA member events coming to a town near you

From this Spring, the NPA will be rolling out free face-to-face networking and engagement events for members – including in London, Birmingham, Manchester and other regions in England. Our member forums in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue.

You will be able to network with other owners and senior managers, learn what the NPA is doing and have your say on our work. Details of the initial events will be announced soon.

Meanwhile, if you have any ideas for topics you wish us to cover at these events – and the practical ‘masterclasses’ that will run alongside them online – we’d be delighted to hearfrom you! Please contact events managerHelen Mitchell - h.mitchell@npa.co.uk

Data Security and Protection Toolkit (England)

The NPA team has produced guidance to help pharmacy contractors complete the Data Security and Protection (DSP) Toolkit 2023/24, which provides assurances to the NHS that they are practising good information governance. This is a mandatory requirement and should be submitted by 30thJune2024.

New NPA board member for Scotland elected

We are delighted to announce that Sehar Shahid has been elected to our board to represent NPA members in Scotland. Glasgow-based Sehar has a passion for multi-disciplinary, holistic healthcare and quality improvement. Sehar’s term on the NPA board runs until at least 31st March 2025, when new elections take place.

Here is a brief message from Sehar:

“I am so excited to represent Scottish NPA members and work alongside all the board members across the UK. My vision is to help NPA members in a way that makes their day to day working life easier through support from the NPA. I have an extensive background in community pharmacy, primary care and digital pharmacy and I truly do understand how tough it can be working in this profession.

“I am committed to listening to what NPA members need and offering support and solutions for improving standards, implementing new services and guidance and encouraging collaborative working. I will advocate for policies that empower pharmacists, ensuring our voices are heard on the national stage. Together, we will work towards creating an environment that fosters the growth and recognition of the invaluable role pharmacists and pharmacies play in healthcare.”

Covid vaccines share your experiences

As an official participant in Module 4 of the Covid-19 inquiry, the NPA will formally share the sector’s experience of vaccine delivery during the pandemic. Please help us gather case studies by getting in touch with NPA Policy Manager Helga Mangion at independentsvoice@npa.co.uk

Pharmacies ‘should receive 2.5 per cent of NHSbudget’

Paul Rees, chief executive of the NPA, has called for community pharmacy in England to receive 2.5 per cent of the total NHS budget. Speaking at the Sigma conference in February, he said: “There is a £1.3 billion funding black hole. We need a new deal for pharmacy and that should be based on dispensing, fees for clinical services, deprescribing and socialprescribing.”

Paul also called for a halt to any clawbacks of the reimbursement pharmacy contractors receive for medicines dispensed each month, until core funding is adequate to cover the cost of delivering the medicines supply service.

Storing your HRrecords

NPA members can now access PeopleNest’s HR Record Storage module completely free of charge, allowing to you to:

• Track down information easily and when you need it

• Have correct, up to date and reliable records

• Know you’re complying with relevant employment legislation and standards

• Reduce HR administration and improve overall efficiency and accuracy

• Give employees easier access to information on company policies, forms, templates, and procedures

• Improve the management of vital employee information through a single, integrated employee database to underpin and streamline all key HR processes – no more paper and spreadsheets!

Check out the NPA website for more information.

Insure your pharmacy against cyber threats

As technology becomes indispensable within healthcare, the vulnerabilities to cyber threats continue to grow – from data theft and corruption to fi nancial losses and a danger to customer/ patient safety.

NPA Insurance has partnered with cyber insurance specialist OSR to provide our members with relevant and fl exible cyber protection against these very real emerging risks. Community pharmacy’s reliance on technology for functions such as electronic prescriptions, patient record management and online services make it vulnerable.

The cover provided by OSR’s Optimum Cyber Plus policy o ers NPA Insurance members with a range of benefi ts to protect their businesses, including:

• A round-the-clock cyber emergency response team comprised of IT forensics experts, lawyers and PR experts to advise on how to deal with a breach and get up and running again as quickly as possible

• Cover for network interruption losses, including costs associated with reputational harm

• Extended cover for cloud, remote or outsourced locations

• Cover for e-theft losses

• Cover for human error or accidental deletion of data

• Liability for losses caused by the transfer of any malware, virus or ransomware to a third party

• Liability and compensation costs associated with a data breach or breach of any privacy legislation.

To find out more about the new cyber cover or to request a copy of the NPA Insurance Guide to Cyber Risk in Community Pharmacy, simply call 01727 800 410 or email insuranceservices@npa.co.uk

New Botox and non-permanent dermal fi ller treatment cover

NPA Insurance is pleased to announce the launch of a new insurance product available to members which offers relevant, affordable cover for the delivery of Botox and non-permanent dermal filler treatments. It can be purchased as an endorsement to our Professional Indemnity and Public Liability policy and provides access to all of the benefits our member policy provides, including an award-winning claims team staffed with qualified lawyers to assist you in the event that you need support.

Knowledge and perspective

The team’s unrivalled knowledge and legal perspective provides our policyholders with a genuinely holistic approach to risk and claims management, delivering a tailored and supportive customer experience when it is most needed.

Our customers are allocated a dedicated lawyer for the duration of a claim, to ensure they receive the best service and support when they need it most, without being redirected to an outsourced legal team or call centre.

Our new Botox and Non-Permanent Fillers cover is one example of our agile approach to protecting community pharmacy and empowering business diversification. In addition to this, we are also offering cover for other treatment areas, such as ear microsuction, cryotherapy and certain aesthetic treatments to support our members as they grow and diversify.

To find out more about NPA Insurance’s new Botox product and our other treatment covers such as ear microsuction and cryotherapy, email membersupport@npa.co.uk

Pharmacy First case studies

What’s been your experience of the fi rst few weeks of Pharmacy First? Your feedback will help us identify what additional support independent contractors may need and should also strengthen our lobbying activities. Do you have examples of a positive outcome or positive experience relating to Pharmacy First in your pharmacy(s) – either for the patient or for the pharmacy team? Have you experienced any barriers preventing your pharmacy(s) from providing a good Pharmacy First service? Please email press@npa.co.uk

Stakeholder engagement

Our Board member Sanjay Ganvir represented community pharmacy at a senior pharmacy leadership think-tank event held by our policy leadership partnerPPP. It allowed us to position NPA core thinking about the future of community pharmacy as integrated primary care providers within ICS. Claire Fuller (NHS England’s primary care medical director) was the keynote speaker and in the Q+A exchanges afterwards.

LATEST NPA RESOURCES

NPA members should keep an eye on our resource hubs for the very latest business and practice resources, including:

• Pharmacy First www.npa.co.uk/pharmacy-first-service-england/

• Independent prescribing www.npa.co.uk/independent-prescribing/

• NHS Contraception service www.npa.co.uk/nhs-pharmacy-contraception-service/

• Hypertension case finding www.npa.co.uk/services/hypertension-case-finding-advanced-service/

• Winter Resource Hub www.npa.co.uk/winter-health

• Patient Safety www.npa.co.uk/services-and-support/patientsafety-landing

Measles hub

This NPA website hub brings together links and resources to support pharmacy teams following the outbreaks of measles in some parts of the UK. www.npa.co.uk/measles/

SOP for Northern Ireland

ECR access SPPG is currently rolling out NI Electronic Care Record (ECR) access across the community pharmacy network. Pharmacists can now access the ECR after applying to the BSO for approved login credentials. The NPA has developed an SOP to support using the ECR. See our website for more.

Risk assessment template

Access our Pharmacy First risk assessment template, eligibility quick reference guide, pharmacy triage checklist to help identify emergency red fl ags, template patient triage forms and FAQs.

Team member training module

This training module for team members working in the pharmacy, will help pharmacy sta to identify appropriate patients for the clinical pathways element of the service.

PGDs and independent prescribing

Our new Knowledge Article comparing the use of Patient Group Directions (PGDs) with independent prescribing describes the scenarios within which each legal framework should be used.

Community pharmacies across England, Wales, Scotland and NI now o er numerous clinical services where treatment can be supplied under a PGD or by a qualifi ed Pharmacist Independent Prescriber (PIP).

Which legal framework is most appropriate if both PGDs and independent prescribing are available? If a pharmacist is a PIP, should they use a PGD (where available) to supply a medicine?

We answer these questions and many more in this article, to help you and your team provide the best possible service to your patients. Go to the independent prescribing hub on our website for more.

Women’s health hub

A women’s health hub is now available on the NPA website to support pharmacy teams in building their knowledge and skills in areas including menopause, contraceptives, emergency contraception and reproductivehealth.

Charac The Pharmacy App: NPA member benefits

Charac is on a mission to provide a one-stop digital platform for independent community pharmacies to e ectively manage the total patient experience. Charac provides pharmacies with a fully integrated patient relationship management system so that patients can order their own medication, book NHS/private services as well as online consultations with their local pharmacist.

As an NPA member, the benefi ts of Charac go even further, with the opportunity to have a personal walkthrough of the solution from both a patient and administrative view. As an added member benefi t of signing up through the NPA, we will refund you 5 per cent of the module fees every quarter. Book a demo at www.npa.co.uk/charac-contact-form/