Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
The Improvement Hub for Health & Social Care Quality Improvement (HSCQI) would like to invite Integrated Care colleagues (Community Pharmacy, Optometry and Dental Services) to submit applications for the HSCQI Awards 2022.  .

These awards are an opportunity to showcase the work of community pharmacy and we would encourage all contractors to consider applying. In addition to the guidance the HSCQI Hub team have scheduled three 30-minute information session to provide guidance on the application process.  The session will be held on the following times and are open to everyone considering submitting an application:
  • Monday, 21 February 2022 at 10.00-10.30am
  • Wednesday, 23 February 2022 at 1.00- 1.30pm
  • Wednesday, 23 February 2022 at 3.00 – 3.30pm

Zoom link for all sessions can be found HERE
Meeting ID: 847 2720 9592

Closing date for applications is the Friday, 15 April 2022.

Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The first update of concessionary prices were granted for February 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Clomipramine 50mg capsules28£7.90
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets30£2.06
Co-dydramol 10mg/500mg tablets100£6.87
Promazine 25mg/5ml oral solution150£60.19
Sulfasalazine 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free500£94.22
Tamoxifen 10mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150£74.52
Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free100£9.15

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter. Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) has issued proposals for the Community Pharmacy pay offer (Global Sum) for the 2022-2023 financial year.

The HSCB has written to Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) and Community Pharmacy Contractors in respect of these proposals to seek its views as part of a consultation process scheduled to run until 5pm on 18 February 2022.

A copy of the letter to CPNI can be found HERE and the draft equality screening document was issued to all Community Pharmacy contractors can also be found HERE.


Please find the CPNI Draft Response to the Community Pharmacy Remuneration Consultation 2022/ 2023 that will be submitted before 5pm on 18 February 2022.

ACTIONS 

  • Please read and consider the CPNI Draft Response to this important HSCB Global Sum consultation.
  • CPNI recommends that you submit a response to the consultation on or before 5pm 18 February 2022, using the CPNI response to help inform the response you submit.
  • Contractor responses to the Global Sum Consultation should be sent to:

Mr Tom Coyle
Community Pharmacy Services Programme Manager
Directorate of Integrated Care
Health and Social Care Board
Gransha Park House
Clooney Road
Londonderry 
BT47 6FN
Responses can also be e-mailed to: Tom.Coyle@hscni.net

  • We would also encourage you to share the CPNI Draft Response, with any stakeholders in your locality, who may also wish to refer to or use the CPNI Response when submitting their own response to the consultation.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

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 or Contractor Emails

Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter or Situation Reporter

Kind regards

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

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Prof. Sir. Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, and Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • Over 320,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered through community pharmacies, including over 140,000 boosters, and the hard work and dedication of community pharmacy vaccination teams in delivering this programme in the heart of local communities across Northern Ireland has without doubt helped to save many lives.
  • You will also be aware of the continued incidence of occasional anti-vaccine campaigning across the region. We are aware that a number of community pharmacies have been approached in recent days by individuals distributing anti-vax materials and misinformation, and in some cases threatening legal action.
  • While the majority of protests are peaceful, they can often be noisy, disruptive and provocative, and a small number can become hostile. A particularly sinister ploy in some cases has been the video recording of the issue of what are falsely purported be legal documents, with the video then posted on social media.
  • Even though the likelihood of pharmacy teams receiving threats, abuse, intimidation or violence remains low, the following guidance provides information on reporting systems, personal and premises safety measures and health and wellbeing support available that individuals and vaccination providers should carefully consider.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Community pharmacy sites that experience anti-vaccine behaviour are asked to complete and submit a SITREP to the PHA. The purpose of this is to stream line the reporting of anti- vaccine incidents and to assist in the completion of the Common Recognised Information Picture (CRIP) for Northern Ireland.
  • Community pharmacy teams are advised to keep engagement with individual(s) involved in distribution of anti-vaccine materials or misinformation to an absolute minimum. Should there be any abuse directed at staff or if there is a safety risk to staff or other members of the public in the pharmacy the police should be contacted immediately.
  • Contractors are advised should review existing security protocols, including location of panic alarms and escape / safe zones or routes, and should consider the potential risk posed by anti-vaccine protests or other activities.
  • Pharmacy teams are reminded that the Pharmacy Forum NI offers a range of support mechanisms available, including a 24/7 helpline, structured counselling, financial and legal guidance. Further information is available on the Pharmacy Forum NI website.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • The HSCB is in the process of securing funding in relation to training of community pharmacy support staff.
  • It is anticipated that grant funding would be made available to pharmacies at the following levels (maximum of one grant per pharmacy):
    • Pharmacy Technician NVQ Level 3.
      • Funding of £5,000 will be payable in respect of each permanent employee that enrols on this course.
    • Pharmacy Assistant – NVQ Level 2
      • Funding of £2,500 will be payable in respect of each permanent employee that enrols on this course.
  • In order to assess the interest in this scheme, HSCB needs to receive an expression of interest from pharmacies by 11 February 2022. Expressions of interest that are received after this date will not be considered for this round of funding. 

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Complete the expression of interest HERE, by 11 February 2022, to be considered for this round of funding.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive