Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead HSCB.
SUMMARY
The Pharmacy First Service for Winter Conditions 2021/22 will end on the 31 March 2022.
All promotional material relating to the service, including information on websites and social media should now be removed.
Final monthly activity forms should be emailed to local HSCB offices and Pharmacy Vouchers for the month of March 2022 should be submitted to BSO for payment with second prescription submission in April 2022.
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
“We are going to publish your pharmacy’s confidential patient data on the web”
Take a moment to consider what you would do if you were informed by cyber criminals that they had accessed your pharmacy’s patient data and were intending to publish it, in full, on the web. What you would do if your pharmacy IT system was compromised tonight, and tomorrow morning you could not access patient details, dispensing histories, statutory records, outstanding order details, ordering platforms, staff salary details, or your business bank account particulars.
As highlighted in the regular CPNI contractor updates over the past 18 months, and as discussed at the recent contractors’ meeting, cyberattacks on healthcare systems throughout the world are increasing and are becoming more sophisticated. Such attacks can have devastating consequences financially, reputationally and legally.
In respect of your pharmacy systems, you are at an increased risk if you do any of the following:
Use a “free” email account
Allow unfiltered access to websites from your system
Use default passwords for all systems and staff
Use the unsupported Windows 7 systems
Have no or inadequate antivirus protection
Lack a firewall
Have an open Wi-Fi
Fail to train your staff on how to recognise cyber-attacks
ACTION
Contractors should as a matter of priority:
Consider the above and to contact your IT and/or PMR system provider as a priority if your system is at risk of being compromised
Further helpful and easy-to-read guidance issued by the National Cyber Security Centre is available via the attached links:
Contractors are reminded that the storage and back up of patient sensitive data and any amendments to your systems should only be carried out in line with advice from your IT or email supplier, PMR system provider and in line with Data Protection legislation.
CPNI colleagues will be happy to further advise on these matters.
Kind regards – Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management
SUMMARY
Mr Joe Brogan, HSCB wrote to all pharmacies to confirm that the commissioned and funded Community Pharmacy Home Delivery Service will end on 31 March 2022.
Both HSCB and CPNI recognise the value and importance of this service being provided during the pandemic.
CPNI will continue to liaise with HSC officials so that proposals for the commissioning of the same or similar Home Delivery Services in the future can be developed.
Critical to this will be the completion and return of monthly returns stating the number of deliveries made per month, by each pharmacy, in the period December 2021 to March 2002.
The pharmacy contractor is required to submit a monthly return to Integrated Care detailing the number of deliveries carried out.
Contractors are asked to submit any outstanding returns via secure email to local offices, stating the number of deliveries made each month during the period December 2021 to March 2022 via the service.
Please note: There is no ‘return form’ required for this service, a secure email to your local office, stating the number of deliveries made each month during the period December 2021 to March 2022 is suffice.
If you have any queries please contact your local HSCB 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
The second update of concessionary prices were granted for March 2022:
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
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
25 March 2022
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE which issued today from HSCB Pharmacy & Medicines Management. The letter referred to in the correspondence is available here for your convenience.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to review the correspondence and in particular note that MRG will resume its pre-Covid compliance activities from 1 April 2022. The Inspectors will continue to wear Personal Protective Equipment and will maintain social distancing where possible. The situation will be kept under constant review in light of the extant public health advice.
Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.
Kind regards
Mr Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
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