Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
Further to the CPNI Contractor Update issued on 1 September 2021, and the subsequent CPNI Contractor Update issued 17 September 2021 in relation the Health and Social Care Board’s consultation on a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, we wish to advise that the HSCB will be giving a public presentation on these proposals on Thursday, 30th September at 11.00am as per the HSCB email issued to contractors earlier today which can be found HERE.

Action:
If pharmacy contractors, or members of the public, would like to join this event to learn more about the HSCB PNA Consultation please register with HSCB by emailing your details to PNAconsultation@hscni.net.

CPNI will be advising contractors and members of the public on this issue and will be in contact with more information in due course. 

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor
Please find correspondence HERE for the attention of all Community Pharmacies Contractors from Joe Brogan, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management, Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

  • HSCB is making available funding of up to £2,000 per community pharmacy for community pharmacies to claim to help with additional pharmacy staff costs incurred in the period July 2021 to September 2021 inclusive.
  • This Grant Funding is being made available by HSCB in recognition of the significant work force pressures and resultant increased staff costs that have been experienced in the sector during this period. 

ACTION

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Please find correspondence HERE regarding the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Fly Vaccination (CPFV) Service for 2021/2022, from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

  • Community pharmacies will support the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme
    by offering the influenza vaccine to:
    • All adults aged 50 years and over and
    • Health and Social Care Workers (HSCWs) aged 16 years and over.
  • The service specification is now available at the CPFV webpage. The PGD is being finalised and will be made available as soon as possible.
  • Community pharmacies will be notified when influenza vaccine orders can be placed with Movianto. Quotas on orders will be applied across ALL providers this year from the outset of the campaign.
  • This year all patients vaccinated as part of the CPFV service must be recorded on the regional Vaccine Management System (VMS).
  • An ECHO session will be held on 28 September 2021 at 7.30pm to provide training on the service.
  • For the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (CPFV) Service in 2021/22, payment will be £9.92 per administered dose of vaccine plus a £250 fee for set up including any associated costs. Any additional costs associated with the delivery of the programme remain under review. The fee payable for service provision will be processed by the BSO on recording of a vaccination record on VMS.

ACTION

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague
As you will be aware from CPNI updates and from press reports, cyber-attacks globally, nationally and locally continue to increase in frequency and sophistication.
 
One of the most common attacks involves ransomware which can shut down all business capability unless adequate protection and remedial steps have been put in place.  The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued more information on ransomware attacks in light of the increase in these types of incidents across the UK,  including Northern Ireland.

Attached HERE are two slides which cover key actions that NCSC encourages all organisations to implement:
  1. Ensure you have offline backs-ups in place;
  2. Check if you are using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP); if you are, but don’t need it, turn it off. RDP account compromise is the source of 50% of ransomware attacks which NCSC is seeing.  NCSC’s Early Warning service can help you identify if you are using RDP.  If you are using it and have a business need to do so, ensure you use multi-factor authentication on those accounts and strong passwords (NCSC advice is to use 3 random words).

The second slide brings together all NCSC current advice on ransomware.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  1. Note the attached information on ransomware and on the NCSC’s suggested remedial actions.

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.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

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 

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 or pricing issues via the CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist

Dear Contractor
Please find correspondence HERE regarding the COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Programme For Winter 2021/2022, from Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, Professor Charlotte McArdle, Chief Nursing Officer and Mrs Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

SUMMARY

  • The JCVI advice states that a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course (two doses).
  • The JCVI advises a preference for the Pfizer-BioNTech for a third booster dose, irrespective of which vaccine was given in the primary schedule. Alternatively, a half dose of the Moderna vaccine, which should be well tolerated and is also likely to provide a strong booster response, may be offered. In cases where mRNA vaccines cannot be offered e.g. due to clinical contraindication, vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine may be considered for those who received AstraZeneca vaccine in the primary course.
  • It is essential that the booster doses are recorded on the Vaccine Management System (VMS).
  • Non-trust employed frontline health and social care workers will be eligible to receive their booster vaccination via a local community pharmacy.
  • Other eligible groups, including all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions, adult carers, unpaid and young carers, adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals and all adults over 50 years will be offered the vaccine using a combination of GPs and Community Pharmacies.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Ensure follow-up all relevant correspondence from HSCB on the Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccine Booster service is completed and returned to HSCB by community pharmacies wishing to provide this important Public Health service
  • Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI should you require any additional information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive