Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • The programme officially launches from 19 September 2022, it is recognised that not all community pharmacies will be able to start on that date and that start dates will be subject to vaccine deliveries.
  • Community pharmacies paired with care homes will receive vaccination stocks first, and other CPVS pharmacies will start to receive deliveries in the following weeks.
    • Pharmacies vaccinating in care homes will receive notification of initial quotas available for both flu and COVID-19 vaccines shortly. These quotas will be increased as further vaccine stock arrives in Northern Ireland.
    • The remainder of CPVS pharmacies will receive notification of quotas in due course.
  • Community pharmacy contractors should plan to use Spikevax Bivalent (Moderna) (or Comirnaty Bivalent (Pfizer) vaccines if deployed to community pharmacy) for all booster doses and Spikevax wild-type (original Moderna) for primary doses where required.
  • 98% of care homes are now paired with a CPVS pharmacy. Each pharmacy that has notified the SPPG has been allocated vaccine stock which can now be ordered from Movianto.
  • Contractors are advised that there is currently no requirement to submit any weekly waste reports. However, it should be monitored closely and kept to a minimum.
  • A letter and vaccination checklist has been circulated to the managers of RQIA registered nursing and residential care homes in Northern Ireland, which provides information about the Autumn programme and the preparations required. This communication is available HERE.
  • PGDs have been approved and will be available on the CPVS webpage. National Protocols are being finalised and will also be available shortly.
  • Updated resources are available on the PHA webpages below:
  • The VMS software update will run this evening from 8pm to 10pm. The system will be offline during the update and pharmacies will not be able to access the system during this period.
    • Paper vaccination record forms are available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • For pharmacy contracts wishing to participate in this Flu-CPVS or COVID-CPVS, please return by email your completed contract to your local office contact as soon as possible.
  • If you have any queries please contact Deirdre McAree (deirdre.mcaree@hscni.net).
  • 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
Dear Contractor,
Further to yesterday’s Contractor Update, please see attached correspondence from Joe Brogan, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management, SPPG, issued today regarding arrangements for Community Pharmacy closure on Bank Holiday – Monday, 19 September 2022.

Community pharmacies are asked to ensure that alternative arrangements are in place for those patients who are due to attend for supervision or to collect medications on this day. Additionally, a pharmacy rota will be required, and local Primary Care offices will contact those pharmacies that will be asked to provide cover.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

  • CPNI are keen to qualify and understand the effects of network pressures such as workforce, workload and medicine supply and the impact this has on patients, communities and pharmacy teams.
  • To capture this information, we have compiled a short survey to allow contractors to share, at a high level, their experiences of these pressures. We would appreciate if you would complete the survey available HERE before Monday, 19 September 2022. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

We have been liaising with SPPG colleagues regarding the Bank Holiday on Monday 19th September for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral.

We have received confirmation that community pharmacies will be given permission to close and we expect correspondence to be issued by SPPG to this effect. For pharmacies that are contacted by SPPG and asked to provide Rota services on Monday 19th September they will be paid at the enhanced rate of £500 per hour.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

  • CPNI are keen to qualify and understand the effects of network pressures such as workforce, workload and medicine supply and the impact this has on patients, communities and pharmacy teams.
  • To capture this information, we have compiled a short survey to allow contractors to share, at a high leve, their experiences of these pressures. We would appreciate if you would complete the survey available HERE before Monday, 19 September 2022 . It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

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

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

CPNI ALERTS

  • Adherence Update 9 September 2022
    • You will be aware that the Interim Adherence Service for Cohort 3 patients was launched on 18 July 2022. The number of referrals from Trusts to community pharmacy have been relatively low so far and we acknowledge there have been some initial difficulties. We continue to link with Trust colleagues to resolve any issues that arise.
    • CPNI has been continuing to work with SPPG colleagues to develop the cohort 2 service. There will be two elements to this service: cohort 2 for new patients and cohort 2 for existing patients. Cohort 2 will involve community pharmacists undertaking an assessment of a patient’s adherence needs and the provision of adherence support if required. We are reaching the final stages of developing this service and would anticipate its start date being in the coming weeks, subject to funding approvals.
    • We recognise the demands for this service and we are hopeful that a service will be in place to facilitate cohort 2 patients in the near future.
  • CPNI Community Pharmacy Contractor Survey – Key Pressures Deadline 19 September 2022
    • CPNI are keen to understand the effects of network pressures such as workforce, workload and medicine supply and the impact this has on patients, communities and pharmacy teams.
    • To capture this information, we have compiled a short survey to allow contractors to share their experiences of these pressures. We would appreciate if you would complete the survey available HERE. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
  • Community Pharmacy COVID-19 (COVID-CPVS) Service 2022/23 Contract Documentation 6 September 2022
  • Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (Flu-CPVS) Service 2022/23 Contract Documentation 6 September 2022
  • Community Pharmacy Interim Medicines Adherence Support Service Presentation 6 September 2022
  • REMINDER Pharmacy First: Emergency Hormonal Contraception Contract 5 September 2022

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