Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

Contractors are invited to attend a contractor meeting on Thursday evening, 20 October 2022 in the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown where an outline of the recent engagements with the Health Minister, Mr Robin Swann MLA and Senior Officials will be provided.

At yesterday’s CPNI Board Meeting, Directors considered a letter received from the Health Minister on Wednesday evening that outlined the following immediate interventions for the sector:

  • A proposal to pause the repayment of the Special Advance by contractors for October, November, and December 2022.
  • A proposal to increase the concessionary price allowance paid to each contractor by £1,000 per contract from the current level of £2,000 to £3,000.
  • A proposal for an in-year modulation of drug tariff fees and allowances for 2022/23 equating to approximately £0.6m being distributed to the community pharmacy sector.

Commitments were also given by the Minister in relation to the adherence service and prioritisation of reform work being taken forward in relation to the Northern Ireland Drug Tariff.

It is expected that SPPG will write to contractors directly with an update on these matters.

CPNI Directors considered the proposal to fall significantly short of the funding required to address current financial and operational difficulties but will ask the Minister to implement the three proposals to assist with contractor cash-flow in the short-term.

The contractor meeting will enable CPNI to provide you with further information in relation to these and other current matters including adherence services, drug tariff, medicines supply and workforce issues.

CPNI will also outline the next steps that will have to be considered by contractors and CPNI going forward.

Further details for the contractor meeting in Portadown will be provided next week.

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

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

  • CPNI are keen to understand the use of the National Protocol for COVID-19 Vaccination Services in 2022/23 throughout the community pharmacy network. The National Protocol allows appropriately trained, unregistered staff e.g., foundation year trainees to offer vaccination services under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
  • To capture this information, we would appreciate if you would complete the survey available HERE at your earliest convenience. It will take approximately 2 minutes to complete.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
CPNI are keen to understand the use of the National Protocol for COVID-19 Vaccination Services in 2022/23 throughout the community pharmacy network. The National Protocol allows appropriately trained, unregistered staff e.g., foundation year trainees to offer vaccination services under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

To capture this information, we would appreciate if you would complete the survey available HERE at your earliest convenience. It will take approximately 2 minutes to complete.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

CPNI have been in contact with SPPG colleagues and have been made aware of concerns around an increasing number of COVID-19 cases across Northern Ireland. This presents particular concern for care home residents and there is an urgency in ensuring these patients receive their vaccinations. The role community pharmacy has played in the vaccination programme to date is widely recognised and community pharmacy teams are being asked to continue to prioritise the vaccination of care home residents.

There have also been some changes made at Movianto to improve distribution of vaccine stock to community pharmacies.

Your support with this programme is much appreciated.

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

DOH(NI) 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 Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group and Stephen Wilson, Director of Operations (Interim), Public Health Agency.

SUMMARY

  • The third campaign of 2022/2023, “Spot Cancer Early”, will overlap with the next campaign for a few weeks. It is due to finish on 31 October 2022.
  • Community pharmacies are required to complete an online evaluation survey for each campaign which will be available HERE from 1 November 2022.
  • “Protect yourself this winter” will commence mid-October 2022. This campaign will run until the end of November 2022. This campaign aims to promote and encourage uptake of both the seasonal flu vaccine and COVID-19 autumn booster vaccine by those who are eligible. 
  • All printable and additional resources and information will be available HERE.
  • There will be a range of additional resources to support this campaign, all available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • If you have not received your “Protect yourself this winter” resource pack by 27 October 2022 please email reception.pha@hscni.net and ensure your email subject heading is titled “LIVING WELL PHARMACY CAMPAIGN”.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive