Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
As you may be aware, SPPG issued correspondence today thanking those Community Pharmacies who have submitted their CPAF Declaration for 2022/23, and asked those who have not yet submitted the Declaration, to please send it to the relevant local Primary Care office as soon as possible.

Kind regards 

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
As you may be aware, SPPG issued correspondence on 23 January 2023 to those pharmacies providing the Regional Stop Smoking Service.

SUMMARY

  • The rolling forward of the “Stop Smoking” service contract due to be returned to the PHA on 30 January 2023. 
  • All providers that have purchased, or in the process of purchasing a carbon monoxide monitor via the PHA Reimbursement Scheme, goods need to be receipted no later than 31 March 2023. PHA will require a pharmacy reimbursement invoice in addition to the supplier invoice.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to note:

  • The contents of the letter and bring it to the attention of relevant staff
  • Submit a pharmacy reimbursement invoice in addition to the supplier invoice to PHA for a carbon monoxide monitor purchased via the PHA Reimbursement Scheme, goods need to be receipted no later than 31 March 2023. 

For queries in relation to the service please contact your PHA local Tobacco coordinator.

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.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.
Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter and Situation Reporter.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from the Strategic Planning and Performance Group outlining the Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccination Service (COVID-CPVS) 2023.

SUMMARY

  • The SPPG is offering all contractors the opportunity to participate in the the spring vaccination programme on submission of a signed contract.
  • The regional spring COVID-19 programme will officially begin on 12 April 2023, however contractors may proceed to vaccinate as soon as they have received deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine, provided that Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are in place and all the necessary documentation has been completed.
  • Community pharmacies will support the COVID-CPVS by offering the COVID-19 booster vaccine to those aged 18 years and above in the following eligible groups:
    • Residents in RQIA registered care homes
    • Those aged 75 years and over
    • Severely immunocompromised (Green Book Chapter 14a)
  • Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 (15/15 micrograms)/dose dispersion for injection COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified) will be used for spring doses.
  • In addition to the spring boosters, the following vaccinations are included in the service:
    • First booster vaccinations after completion of Primary Schedule.
    • Primary Schedule vaccinations (1st, 2nd and 3rd) Primary doses.
  • The service specification and PGD will be available at the CPVS webpage.
  • Community pharmacies can place orders for Comirnaty with Movianto.
    • Those pharmacies vaccinating care homes should order vaccines from 27 March to meet care home needs. 
    • Community pharmacies not paired with care homes may order one box of vaccines after 31 March.
  • All patients vaccinated as part of the COVID-CPVS must be recorded on the regional VMS.
  • A set-up fee of £250 will be paid to each contractor providing the Spring 2023 service.
    • Pharmacy contractors will be reimbursed £10.06 per administered dose of vaccine.
    • An additional payment of £10 per resident will also be paid in addition to the cost of service fee, for each resident vaccinated.
    • Tiered payments will also be made per pharmacy in spring 2023 and can be found HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors should read the attached correspondence to ensure community pharmacy teams are aware of the COVID-19 Vaccination Service (COVID-CPVS) 2023.
  • Any provider that does not currently have access can contact Tom Coyle (tom.coyle@hscni.net) who will provide further information on setting up and accessing VMS.
  • Those wishing to participate in this service should return a completed contract by secure email to the local office contact by 5pm on 29 March 2023.
  • If you have any queries relating to this correspondence please contact Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net), Bronagh Ward (Bronagh.Ward@hscni.net) or Helen Parr (Helen.Parr@hscni.net).

CPNI will provide you with further updates to the COVID-19 Vaccination Service (COVID-CPVS) 2023.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG has issued a reminder to please complete the care home pairing survey in preparation for the spring vaccination programme. Community pharmacists who are planning to vaccinate care home residents are asked complete the following short online survey.

Please note the deadline for completion of the survey has been extended to Friday 24 March 2023 at 5pm.

Note: Each contracted pharmacy should include details of any care home(s) that they will be paired with (multiple homes may be selected per contractor provider).

If you have any queries relating to this correspondence please contact Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net), Bronagh Ward (Bronagh.Ward@hscni.net) or Helen Parr (Helen.Parr@hscni.net).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Further to the Contractor Update issued on 20 March 2023, I write to remind you that the contractor meeting will take place tonight at 8pm Thursday 23 March 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 117 Milltown Road, Belfast BT8 7XP.

Remote joining facilities will be available in the event that you cannot attend the meeting in person. To join the Microsoft Team meeting click HERE or enter:

Meeting ID: 335 248 879 395
Passcode: qNmb2Y

If you have any further queries, please contact CPNI via email ggilvary@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

I look forward to seeing you this evening.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive