Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • From 10 January 2022, community pharmacies will have access to the PHA Vaccinator Pool.
  • Initially, requests can only be accepted in situations where sickness and/or self-isolation may result in cancellation of a planned walk-in or appointment based clinic.
  • This will be kept under review and access will be widened as resource versus demand permits.

ACTION

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The final update concessionary prices were granted for December 2021:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Metformin 1g/5ml oral solution sugar free150ml£80.00
Metformin 850mg/5ml oral solution sugar free150ml£68.00

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter. Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management, Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

  • Pharmacy contractors are reporting significant work force pressures. Contributing factors include staff absences due to COVID-19 infection or having to self-isolate due to being in close contact with a COVID-19 case.
  • This has resulted in increased staffing costs, as contractors are required to pay other staff to cover the absences in order to remain open. It has therefore been determined that funding of up to £3,000 per community pharmacy should be provided to support additional staff costs.
  • Please see attached Grant Funding Allocation declaration form in respect of this funding. This declaration is an estimate of the funding that you will require for the period January to March 2022 and is required for HSCB budgetary purposes.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to:
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office 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 Prof Sir Michael McBride,Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • This CMO letter circular replaces HSS (MD) 85/2021 with immediate effect.
  • The main change to this guidance is that it allows staff identified as close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case, to return to work without taking and waiting for a PCR result providing they do not work closely with the most clinically vulnerable patient and clients.
  • A risk assessment of the service area should be undertaken and documented along with a record that all mitigations as set out HERE are in place.

ACTION

  • Contractors and pharmacists involved in the provision of this service are asked to:Review the correspondence.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Contractors and CPNI have been advised in correspondence HERE that additional LFD are available for one-off collection by pharmacy personnel from 2 BSO facilities today, Friday 31 December 2021 and on Monday 3 January 2022 located at:

  • BSO Procurement and Logistics Service, Unit 1 Shore Commercial Park, 75 Belfast Road, Carrickfergus, BT38 8PH and
  • BSO Procurement and Logistics Service, Unit 4B Campsie Industrial Estate, Mcclean Road, Eglinton, Co.Londonderry, BT47 3XX.

Contractors are asked to note the arrangements that apply if LFD’s are being collected from either of the two BSO facilities. 

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 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