Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
Please see attached correspondence from SPPG Pharmacy & Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

  • Health Minister Mr. Robin Swann MLA announced an extension to current lateral flow testing availability. This will mean the continuation of the existing eligibility criteria until to 31 July 2022. 
  • Community pharmacies are asked to please continue to have LFD stock available to provide tests to members of the public.
  • There continues to be no requirement for community pharmacies to check eligibility for collection of LFDs through the service.
  • If discussions with members of the public arise regarding requirements for testing, please ensure staff are aware of current eligibility criteria and the most up to date recommendations as laid out in the links below.
  • Full information on eligibility criteria is outlined HERE and the Minister’s statement is also available HERE.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacy teams involved in the provision of the Pharmacy Collect NI service are advised to review the attached correspondence.
  • If you have any queries in relation to the changes outlined in this communication, please contact your local Integrated Care Office.
  • If you have any further queries, please contact the CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

  • Further to the announcement by Health Minister Mr. Robin Swann MLA on Friday 1 July 2022 (CU220701C) regarding COVID-19 testing and isolation guidance, and public health advice for those with symptoms of respiratory infection for the general population, the SPPG has issued guidance that can be found HERE.
  • However, guidance in relation to test, trace and isolation for health and care workers, and testing for visitors to health and care settings; and testing to support clinical pathways remains in place at this time.
  • 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

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 

NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER AWARDS 2022 – ‘PHARMACY OF THE YEAR’ 

The Neighbourhood Retailer Awards are taking place on Friday 28 October 2022 at Crowne Plaza Belfast and this year a ‘Pharmacy of the Year’ category is included.
If you would like to enter the Awards and showcase some of the work carried out by your pharmacy(cies), more information can be found here.
Please note due to demand the closing date for entries has been extended to Midnight Monday 4 July 2022.
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

  • The self isolation period after a positive COVID-19 test has been reduced to five days, and advice has been updated for those with general symptoms of a respiratory virus including COVID.
    • Health Minister Mr. Robin Swann MLA statement on these changes is available HERE.
  • Under current arrangements, lateral flow tests are available to members of the public with COVID-19 symptoms, including importantly those who may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments.  Tests are also available to a small number of groups without symptoms including health and social care staff, those visiting others in health and care settings, and those providing close personal care to someone at higher risk should they contract COVID-19.
    • This availability has been extended for a further month.
  • The symptoms of COVID-19 have changed significantly since the start of the pandemic and the symptoms are now very often similar to other respiratory viruses.  The same public health advice is therefore appropriate in relation to all respiratory illness symptoms.
    • Further detail of the list of symptoms of respiratory viruses including COVID-19 and what to do should you develop symptoms can be found on NI Direct.
  • In line with the Test, Trace, Protect transition plan, contact tracing for the general population has been phased out over the past couple of months and the service has now been formally stood down from 30 June 2022.
    • However, the Public Health Agency retain the ability to deliver a proportionate testing and contact tracing response in the future should there be a significant outbreak, wave or emergence of a new variant.
  • The updates on testing, self-isolation, symptoms and contact tracing are detailed in a Written Ministerial Statement to the Assembly issued today.
  • 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 Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • The Interim Community Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Service for Trust discharge patients will be the first phase in the commissioning of a Medicines Adherence Service from community pharmacy.
  • Only those patients who have been assessed by the Trusts as requiring adherence support on discharge from hospital may be referred to community pharmacy for on-going provision.
  • The interim adherence service is commissioned as a core service under the community pharmacy contract framework. As such, all community pharmacy contractors are required to provide this service from 18 July 2022 and a contract is not required to be returned to SPPG.
  • The full details of the service are contained in the service specification and a summary flowchart.
  • A formal assessment of the patient’s adherence needs will be carried out by a Trust Health and Social Care professional. All assessments will be  reviewed by a Trust pharmacist before a referral will be made by Trust pharmacy to the patient’s community pharmacist. There will be an initial telephone call to the community pharmacist and the referral will then be sent via secure HSC email.
  • Community pharmacists will dispense medication in line with the recommendations from the adherence referral form (ARF) when they receive the post-discharge prescription issued by the patient’s GP practice.
  • Ideally, this should be completed within 72 hours of receipt of the post-discharge prescription.
  • Community pharmacists should only accept referrals received via Trust pharmacy using this process.  Direct requests or referrals from other Trust health and social care professionals are not currently part of this interim service.
  • Community pharmacists must keep a register of patients for whom they have received referrals and provided the service.
  • An annual fee of £600 per patient has been agreed with CPNI for patients referred into this service. Payment will be made on a monthly basis (£50 per patient) on submission of the claim form to your local SPPG office.
  • The summary flowchart provides an overview of the service for Trusts, GP practices and community pharmacies. Separate detailed correspondence has been issued to both Trusts and GP practices to advise them of the service and detail the actions required to ensure successful implementation of this service.
  • The ECHO training session which was delivered on 28 June 2022 was recorded and will shortly be available on the ECHO Moodle site. This recording should be viewed by all pharmacists prior to service delivery.
    • Pharmacists must be registered with ECHO to view the recording. The link to registration is HERE. There is also a short video available here to assist with registration.
    • Any problems please contact Elaine Kane at e.kane@hospiceuk.org Tel: 028 95582393.
  • Work is continuing to specify a transitional commissioned adherence service later in 2022. This will enable community pharmacists to assess and provide adherence support to patients in the community (Cohort 2) and maintain a register of these patients within the pharmacy.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence and service specification.
  • All community pharmacy contractors should put in place a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the provision of the service.
  • If you have any queries please contact a Pharmacy Advisor at your local SPPG office.
  • 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 Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Strategic Planning and Performance Group.

SUMMARY

  • The service will ensure that women and young people aged 13 years and over have timely access to sexual health advice and free EHC (including the provision of bridging contraception) when clinically indicated.
  • The aims of the service include:
    • Increasing the knowledge, especially amongst younger women, of the availability of EHC and bridging hormonal contraception from community pharmacies.
    • Ensuring treatment is in line with best practice and NI Formulary.
    • Increasing the knowledge of risks such as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
  • All pharmacists planning to deliver this service must undertake training necessary to meet the competency required to provide the service, this may include revision of training already undertaken earlier this year. Training details are available HERE.
  • The pharmacy contractor is responsible for ensuring that the service is delivered in line with the service specification and guidance by suitably trained pharmacists.  The following resources are available to support service delivery:
  • A3 and A4 printed copies of the service poster will be distributed to pharmacies along with a supply of the KYO patient leaflets.
  • An on-line survey for service users will be set-up to assist with the evaluation process. SPPG will provide pharmacists with a QR code to share with service users to complete the on-line survey approximately 3 months following service launch and periodically thereafter.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • All pharmacists planning to deliver this service must undertake training necessary to meet the competency required to provide the service, this may include revision of training already undertaken earlier this year. Training details are available HERE.
  • All community pharmacy contractors meeting the service specification are eligible to offer the service provided they hold a contract with the SPPG. A signed copy should be returned to your local integrated care office by email by Friday 22 July 2022.
    • After this date the list of providers will be shared with GP practices, GP OOH services and Trusts to enable referrals to participating pharmacies.
  • SPPG have requested that Contractors do not return a contract at this stage if your pharmacy is not in a position to offer the service. A contract should only be returned when your pharmacy is ready to provide the service; the list of providers will be refreshed in early September 2022 and re-issued.
  • Pharmacies may wish to promote the service on social media using the Twitter and Instagram resources.
  • If you have any queries please contact a Pharmacy Advisor at your local SPPG office.
  • 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