Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BSO ALERTS 

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Mrs Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • Please see attached HERE a joint letter from the Department of Health NI Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the use of European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorised medicines in Northern Ireland and an anomaly linked with an amendment to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs).

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Prompt action is being taken to amend the legislation and the necessary corrections will come into force on the 3 August 2021.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Professor Sir Michael McBride and Professor Charlotte McArdle.

SUMMARY

  • To reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, healthcare staff are required to 
  • wear PPE in line with national guidance. 
  • Wearing PPE in warm/hot environments increases the risk of heat stress. This occurs when the body is unable to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy temperature. Heat stress can cause heat exhaustion and lead to heat stroke if the person is unable to cool down. Occupational heat strain is associated with productivity loss and has an impact on the health of those affected.
  • Please be aware that an increase in demand for certain PPE items during warmer months due to staff changing equipment more frequently may be likely. 

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence containing relevant information and appropriate actions to manage the risk of Heat Stress while wearing Personal Protective Equipment (see Annex 1).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

SUMMARY

  • The COVID-19 PHE Guidance for maintaining services within Health and Care settings has been updated and can be found HERE.
  • No changes to the recommendations, including PPE, have been made in response to the new variant strains at this stage. The use of face masks along with social distancing and hand hygiene remain important actions for infection, prevention and control.
  • To ensure pharmacies use the most up-to-date re-order form for PPE please ensure staff access the re-order form available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Contractors are asked to fully implement the most up to date PHE maintenance guidance within your pharmacy.
  • Pharmacies are asked to email completed re-order forms to pharmPPEorders@hscni.net.
  • For further queries please contact the BSO Customer helpline 02895361301 first or your local HSCB Integrated Care office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE for the attention of all Community Pharmacies offering Living Well service, from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead HSCB & Stephen Wilson, Director of Operations (Interim) PHA.

SUMMARY

  • The first campaign of 2021/2022, ‘Know Your Units’, is due to finish on 31 July 2021. Your pharmacy is required to complete an online evaluation survey. This survey is available HERE from 1 August 2021 and should be completed by 31 August 2021.
  • The second campaign, ‘Be Cancer Aware’ will commence on 1 August 2021. This campaign will run for two months. This campaign aims to help the public recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer and aid them in making lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of cancer. Pharmacies should expect resources to be delivered by 4 August 2021.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Pharmacies offering Living Well service are required to complete an evaluation survey, for campaign ‘Know Your Units’ , available HERE by 31 August 2021.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence (LETTER and BULLETIN) from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB. 

SUMMARY

  • The Medicines Use Review (MUR) Service was introduced in 2013, since then over 185,000 MURs have been undertaken in our community pharmacies.
  • The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine evaluated the service, and the report can be found HERE.
  • The service will not be commissioned in the same format moving forward. However, a pathfinder medicine discharge service pilot will be established in the North-West of the province in the autumn of this year in advance of planned roll-out across all pharmacies on 2022/23.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • For further queries please contact your local pharmacy adviser or CPNI.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive