Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
As you are aware the final date for the second submissions of December 2021 prescriptions to BSO for payment is Wednesday 12 January 2022.

We are aware of the extreme workforce and workload difficulties in the community pharmacy sector at present and have been liaising with BSO in relation to pharmacy prescriptions submissions to BSO and subsequent payments by BSO to Contractors.

Should you, or any of the pharmacies you operate, believe that you will not be able to submit your second December 2021 prescription submission to BSO by close of play tomorrow, Wednesday 12 January 2022, please contact:Paul Loughran Paul.Loughran@hscni.net orGail Carland gail.carland@hscni.net at BSO to advise them accordingly.Should you wish to speak to either of them please ring the BSO FPS team on 02895 363788.

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 attached information that has been shared with us by the PHA relating to uptake of the COVID-19 booster vaccination. The data is presented by Local Government District and by postcode.

We are sharing this information as you may find it helpful when planning vaccination clinics in your area.

As we enter the New Year we appreciate there may be a shift in demand for vaccinations, partly due to the large numbers of positive cases over the Christmas period and the requirement for those testing positive to wait 28 days before receiving their vaccination. We are also aware that mass vaccination centres may be closing again over the coming weeks.

The role of community pharmacy continues to be recognised within the vaccination programme. Further helpful information on funding for additional vaccination clinics, grant funding for additional staffing costs, and access to the PHA vaccinator pool can be found on the CPNI website. We understand the challenges facing community pharmacy at present and thank you for your continued efforts to support this important public health service with community pharmacy surpassing the 300,000 COVID-19 vaccinations administered milestone yesterday.

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 HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

  • The VMS software update will run on Tuesday 11 January 2022 between 8-10pm. The system will be offline during the update and pharmacies will not be able to access the system during this period.
  • The software update will add the option to record the Paediatric Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID-19 Vaccine (0.2ml) that is now recommended by JCVI for 5-11 year olds, however, this vaccine is not part of the current Community Pharmacy Vaccination service.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • If you are administering any vaccinations during a time, please record these on paper vaccination record forms, in the interim so that you can enter into VMS afterwards.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your 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 Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, HSCB.

SUMMARY

  • The HSCB can confirm that additional funding is available for community pharmacies to carry out dedicated COVID-19 vaccination clinics during January 2022.
  • The following options are available:Provide clinic(s) in current Pharmacy premises outside of normal commercial opening hours.
  • Provide clinic(s) at an off-site location (non-pharmacy) premises at any time.
  • Funding of £200 per eligible vaccination clinic is available.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to review the correspondence.
  • If you wish to claim this funding, please complete the attached claim form and return to your local Integrated Care 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
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 and 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
Due to the changes in COVID-19 testing arrangements and restrictions, there has been a spike in public demand for lateral flow tests, leading to contractors reporting significant difficulties in obtaining supplies of these tests. You will be aware of recent HSCB correspondence HERE in relation to the community pharmacy LFT Collect service.
 
With demand outstripping supply, we have been working with the Department of Health NI and the Health and Social Care Board to put in place further logistics measures so that pharmacies are provided with sufficient LFT kits to meet this need.  The lateral flow supply service is somewhat unique in that it is UK-wide with the Department of Health England holding the contract for the four nations and we have asked the Department of Health NI to make representations to increase local allocations.
 
We appreciate that due to the high demand, increasing numbers of patients are visiting or phoning pharmacies to check if test packs are available, often voicing their frustrations to community pharmacy teams when none are in stock.
 
We have also engaged in extensive media coverage to convey this message to the public this week with interviews by Peter Rice, CPNI Chair BBC Newsline, UTV Live and Good Morning Ulster. This is alongside additional media interviews carried out by community pharmacists across Northern Ireland within the past 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