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 

  • Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.

CPNI ALERTS 

HSCB ALERTS 

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s

Or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague

I write to give you notice of the time and date of the next CPNI Contractor meeting that will take place remotely, via Zoom, at 8pm on Wednesday 23 June 2021.

At the June meeting of the CPNI Board, held yesterday Thursday 10 June 2021, a range of current issues in relation to Community Pharmacy service provision and pressures in the sector were fully discussed. Directors are acutely aware of the pressures being experienced right across the network as the sector continues to play an enhanced and very prominent role in primary healthcare service provision during this COVID pandemic. 

CPNI has been engaged in several work-streams through-out the COVID period to support Contractors and your teams and the Contractor meeting will provide an opportunity for CPNI to update you accordingly on a number of these work-streams. We have also been engaged with external consultants to assist us in capturing the contribution of the sector to patient care and health service provision during COVID and this work is expected to conclude next week.

I will write to you again in the coming days with further information in relation to the work that has been undertaken by the external consultants, on behalf of CPNI, and to provide further joining details for the Zoom Contractor meeting, at 8pm on Wednesday 23 June 2021.

I want to thank you, and your teams, for your on-going professionalism and dedication to patient care over recent weeks and months.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Joe Brogan has written to contractors detailing the Department of Health’s (DoH) consultation on policy proposals to implement a Duty of Candour for Health and Social Care (HSC) which can be found HERE.

Consultation Event

The DoH is hosting an online information session for pharmacists and pharmacy staff at 6pm on Monday 14 June 2021. The purpose of this event is to provide an overview of the proposals that have been published for consultation, and answer any questions that attendees may have. 

Further information regarding this event, including registration details, can be accessed HERE.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to note:

  1. The letter from Joe Brogan; and 
  2. The online information session for pharmacists and pharmacy staff at 6pm on Monday 14 June 2021.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Colleague

Attached is an update from the Police Cyber Crime Centre giving further details on how to help reduce the risk posed by phishing and ransomware attacks.

The attached phishing example has been shared with the PSNI Cyber Crime Centre by a local organisation as an example of a phishing campaign seen in Northern Ireland over recent days.  In this instance the email contains a malicious .ace attachment believed to be connected to a Remote Access Trojan known as Agent Tesla. 
 
The cyber crime team highlights two important measures that form part of a layered defence against phishing:

  1. The use of a banner alerting staff to the fact this email comes from outside the network can be a prompt to remind staff how phishing attacks work and to stop the almost instinctive rush to open an attachment. 
  2. The use of up to date anti malware protection can help ensure that if someone clicks a malicious link, known malware is not installed on your system.

In respect of the threat from ransomware, the section on mitigation in the attached document offers further advice on how to prevent such attacks and to reduce their impact. 

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  1. Note the information enclosed on phishing and ransomware; and
  2. Ensure that steps are put in place to protect your systems and data.

Contractors are reminded that the storage and back up of patient sensitive data and any amendments to your systems should only be carried out in line with advice from your IT or email provider, PMR system provider and in line with Data Protection legislation.

CPNI and police cyber security colleagues, as well as your IT systems providers, will continue to support you in these matters.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

Pharmacies will have received the following update earlier today from HSCB in relation to VMS Support.

*FAO OF CPVS PHARMACIES ONLY*

Dear Colleagues,

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Service Desk email address provided in Update 21 (25 May) cannot be used by community pharmacies.

BSO IT colleagues have now advised that all VMS queries should be sent  to supportteam@hscni.net

Any queries previously submitted to the Service Desk email address should be resubmitted to the new support team address above.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Regards
HSCB Pharmacy & Medicines Management

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

The purpose of this correspondence is to inform community pharmacies of the following:

  1. An update to both the DoH Vaccine Protocol and the COVID-CPVS PGD for the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine in light of recent JCVI advice and updates to the Green Book.
  2. The addition of an edit function to the Vaccine Management System (VMS). 

Kinds regards, stay safe – Gareth

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