Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams, including details of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dear Colleague

In today’s update:

  1. Weekly drug alerts, shortage information and serious shortage protocols.
  2. COVID-19: Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service (COVID-CPVS).
  3. Scheme For Temporary Agri-Food Movements To Northern Ireland.
  4. Controlled Drug Declaration 2021: Now Online.
  5. Telephone Questionnaire Study: The community pharmacy workforce’s preparedness for, and response to, the COVID-19 pandemic.
  6. COVID-CP Weekly Reporting Of Activity And Waste
  7. COVID-CPVS Indemnity, Remuneration And Vaccine Booking System Update

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

Contractor Emails

Or report medicine shortages or pricing issues via the CPNI’s

Medicine Shortage Reporter

Many thanks, stay safe – Gareth

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

Dear Colleague

Further to the Contractor Update issued on Tuesday 9 March I write to update you in relation to the following aspects associated with the COVID Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service (COVID-CPVS).

  1. Indemnity
  2. Remuneration
  3. Service Contract
  4. CPNI recommended Vaccine Booking System

1. COVID-CPVS Indemnity

Following discussions with pharmacy indemnity providers, including NPAI and Numark, indemnity against the clinical negligence risk of COVID vaccine administration can now be added and included in your current professional insurance policy(-ies). Contractors who will provide COVID vaccination service are asked to contact your current insurance provider to arrange for this to be in place prior to commencement of the service. There will be an additional premium for this but CPNI has been liaising with HSCB in relation to this and can advise that this added cost is incorporated within the remuneration for the service, details of which are provided below.

2. COVID-CPVS Remuneration

Following discussions with HSCB I can advise that remuneration for the CPVS service is as follows;

  • £12.58 per administered dose of vaccine.
  • £700 service set-up fee.
  • £800 on completion of 1st vaccine administration.

Tiered payments applicable as follows;

  • 50-100 vaccines administered, £250 per month.
  • 101-300 vaccines administered, £500 per month.
  • 301+ vaccines administered, £1000 per month.

Payments will be only processed after completion of patient vaccination entries completed on the HSC Vaccine Management System (VMS).

3. HSCB COVID-CPVS Service Contract

Now that indemnity and remuneration arrangements have been progressed Contractors wishing to provide the service should return signed and complete the HSCB COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service (COVID CPVS) 2021 Contract to the local HSCB Office by close of play Monday 15 March 2021.

4. CPNI recommended online Vaccine Booking System

Further information will be provided to you on Monday 15 March 2021 in relation to the CPNI recommended online booking system that contractors may wish to use to help with the management of vaccination bookings.

I trust this is helpful.

Kind regards,

SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

As you will be aware CPNI are represented on the Queen’s University Belfast Study Advisory Group within the School of Pharmacy. Recently ethical approval has been granted to the group to undertake research which would help capture the preparedness of community pharmacy and its response to the ongoing coronavirus global pandemic. 

Please find attached correspondence from researchers at the university who wish to undertake a brief telephone questionnaire with Community Pharmacists in the coming weeks as part of the study.

While participation is voluntary, CPNI would ask contractors to share this correspondence with pharmacists in your branch(es) and encourage them, when contacted, to arrange a time that suits so that they can participate in this important research. The research findings will be anonymised and will help inform planning in the event of future pandemics and public health crises. 

If you have any queries, regarding the completion of the telephone questionnaire, please contact;

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Canice Ward, Head of MRG, DH has issued a letter in respect of the annual controlled drug declaration and self-assessment.

As you know, these have been mandated since 2009 and previously were in hard copy.

From the 2021 reporting year, the form is now online.  This should be easier to complete and will allow responses to be viewed by the inspectorate without the need to visit your premises, which is to be welcomed during the pandemic period.  The form can be accessed at HERE. 

ACTION

Contractors are asked to: 

  1. Make their dispensary teams aware of the content of the letter and of the on-line form and
  2. Ensure that it is completed and returned online by 31 March 2021.

If you have any queries, regarding the completion of the questionnaire, please contact;

  • Sean Curley (02890528627) sean.curley@health-ni.gov.uk,
  • Aaron McKendry (02890 528628) aaron.mckendry@health-ni.gov.uk or
  • Michelle Keatings (02890 520230) michelle.keatings@health-ni.gov.uk.

Colleagues in CPNI will continue to assist you with these matters.

Kind regards Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF Prof Mike Mawhinney
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Colleague
As you know, from 1 January 2021, the Northern Ireland Protocol came into force, as a result of which the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland became subject to new checks and controls. As a result, concerns had been raised with CPNI in respect of possible delays on the importation into Northern Ireland of some nutritional feeds and baby formulas.

The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs has issued guidance indicating that the grace period from most official certification requirements (such as export health certificates, phytosanitary certificates or marketing standards certification) which was agreed in December 2020 for products of animal origin, composite products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants and plant products will now be extended until 1 October 2021.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to:

  • Note the extension of the grace period and
  • Report any delays with associated products which occur before the end of the grace period to the Drug Tariff Co-Ordinator, veranne.lynch@hscni.net.

Colleagues at CPNI will continue to support you in these matters.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs