Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Please find attached correspondence HERE from HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

• Due to ongoing high demand across the region, a further temporary collection of LFTs is being facilitated by the Department of Health and Business Services Organisation.
• Please be advised this collection is in addition to the established ordering process via Alliance Healthcare. Community pharmacies should continue to order stock in the usual way.
• Each community pharmacy contracted to offer this service, will be able to avail of a one off collection of up to 10 cartons of LFD tests.
• Temporary collection sites across the region have been established, with collections available on Friday 14 January and Monday 17 January 2022, however, some collection points will be able to facilitate collections on Saturday 15th January 2022.
• Specific arrangements and the address details for collection site is detailed HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.If your pharmacy belongs to a chain, please refer to your regional manager as specific arrangements may have been made to make use of your existing distribution networks.
• Staff collecting tests on behalf of community pharmacy should provide: Full name of the pharmacy
• Full address of the pharmacy
• Contractor number
• Contractors are also reminded of record keeping and storage requirements also detailed within the correspondence.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Further to CPNI Contractor Update from 3 December 2021, please find attached a FUNDING REMINDER of correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

• Funding has been identified for those community pharmacies that did not avail of this funding in 2019-20 or 2020-21.
• Funding up to a maximum of £4,000 (excluding VAT) is available for each community pharmacy (that has not previously claimed), and will enable the pharmacy to address areas identified through the self-assessment audit.
• Community pharmacies will be required to carry out price checks with at least two suppliers to ensure value for money has been achieved. Please note that these price checks should be documented and retained on file for audit purposes.
• Pharmacies must ensure that all items of equipment/changes are in place prior to 31 January 2022. Retrospective claims for equipment i.e. equipment purchased since 1 April 2021 can also be reimbursed under this scheme. Pharmacies are not required to carry out price checks for retrospective claims.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• If you wish to avail of funding, please complete the attached claim form and submit original receipted invoices dated prior to 31 January 2022 along with the completed security self-assessment form.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

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

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

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

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