Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued important information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination programme on 9th May 2024.

SUMMARY

  • Community Pharmacies who are involved in vaccinating care homes for the Spring Booster Campaign are able to access the PHA vaccinator pool. Trained vaccinators employed by the PHA can offer additional support for care home vaccination clinics. This is a free service to community pharmacy and further information can be found here.
  • Support from Trust learning disability nurses is available for those pharmacies administering vaccinations to patients with learning disabilities within care homes. This support can be requested through the care home manager, who can arrange provision with the local Trust learning disability team.
  • Community Pharmacies are encouraged to continue to progress the care home vaccinations as a priority, and to enter patient data as soon as possible onto the VMS, to confirm vaccination status and facilitate the real time monitoring by PHA.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG on 9th May 2024 regarding the Spring COVID-19 vaccination programme.
  • Community Pharmacies wishing to avail of the PHA vaccinator pool are asked to access this information here. The request form should be emailed to PHAVaccinesitrep@hscni.net
  • Support from a Trust learning disability nurse for pharmacies vaccinating patients in care homes with learning disabilities can be requested through the care home manager.
  • Pharmacies are asked to continue the progression to date of vaccinating care homes and enter the data on to the VMS to confirm vaccination status.
  • Please share this information with all relevant staff members
If you have any queries relating to this correspondence please contact Gráinne McMahon (Grainne.McMahon4@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

DoH(NI) today launched the new Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy with a press release that is available on the DoH(NI) website here.

The new Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy is an important document that has been developed in conjunction with DoH(NI) and SPPG over recent months.

It is encouraging to see a roadmap for the sector, including the development of important clinical roles in the period through to 2030. While the Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy and the general content of the DoH(NI) press release is to be welcomed, CPNI is concerned about references to community pharmacy funding in the “Notes to Editors” section at the bottom of the DoH(NI) press release.

The CPNI view on the funding reference within the Notes is available here.

CPNI will be updating political representatives as a matter of urgency and we would ask you to also use the information provided in this Contractor Update in your discussions with local MPs, MLAs and Councillors.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you require any additional information.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Community Pharmacy Awareness Campaign

Thank you for supporting the community pharmacy campaign which calls for fair funding for pharmacies.  We hope the resources have been helpful when engaging with patients and the wider community.

Over the coming weeks we will be issuing campaign related video clips such as this one across our social media platforms which we would ask you to share on your own channels.  You may want to add your own experiences and perspectives.

Available here is a social media asset which you may wish to add to your social media channels with the following copy running alongside: Underfunding means that community pharmacies across Northern Ireland can no longer guarantee that you will get the medicines you need, when you need them.  Please call into your local pharmacy to find out how you can support the campaign.

The petition is running until the week ending the 10th of May and if you need additional petition copies they are available here.

Your support of the campaign is working as we have been contacted directly by MLAs who have received correspondence from concerned constituents regarding the need for fair funding for pharmacies to help guarantee the supply of medication to patients in Northern Ireland.

I would encourage you to make your pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.

Thank you again for your support.

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.
Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via CPNI’s Medicine Shortage Reporter and Situation Reporter.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued correspondence 02 May 2024 with regards to Community Pharmacy access to NIECR.

SUMMARY

  • SPPG have been rolling out access to NIECR to all Community Pharmacists.
  • Submission of the Data Processing Agreement to date has resulted in the creation of over 1000 Pharmacist accounts, who have then been provided with individual NIECR Access Credentials.
  • SPPG are inviting any outstanding Community Pharmacies to access their secure email account, complete and return the DPA and excel spreadsheet to their local office.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG 02 May 2024 and share with all relevant staff members.
  • Those Community Pharmacies who wish to access NIECR are asked by SPPG to access the secure email account, complete and return the DPA and excel spreadsheet to the local office.
  • There are some resources available on the BSO website to aid Pharmacists in the use of NIECR.
  • An e-learning module on NIECR is also available through NICPLD (under Pharmacy Practice).

Please contact CPNI offices for any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

The Cyber Crime lead in Northern Ireland has highlighted another example of Phishing activity which has been reported in Northern Ireland.

While examples such as this may be not uncommon and URLS change frequently, the images detailed below/attached may be of a kind that end-users see over coming days.

Action

Contractors are asked to note:

  1. The attached alert from the Cyber Crime Centre, and to ensure that their teams are aware that this is a variation of phishing email scams.
  2. That businesses can obtain advice on safeguarding against phishing attacks at www.ncsc.gov.uk/phishing.
  3. That Cyber Crime can be reported to Action Fraud 24/7 at www.actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.

Further information can be accessed via the links on the Cyber Protect webpage HERE.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Contractor,

Thank you for supporting the community pharmacy campaign which calls for fair funding for pharmacies. We hope the resources have been helpful when engaging with patients and the wider community.

Over the coming weeks we will be issuing campaign related video clips such as this one across our social media platforms which we would ask you to share on your own channels.  You may want to add your own experiences and perspectives.

Available here is a social media asset which you may wish to add to your social media channels with the following copy running alongside: Underfunding means that community pharmacies across Northern Ireland can no longer guarantee that you will get the medicines you need, when you need them.  Please call into your local pharmacy to find out how you can support the campaign.

The petition is running until the week ending the 10th of May and if you need additional petition copies they are available here.

Your support of the campaign is working as we have been contacted directly by MLAs who have received correspondence from concerned constituents regarding the need for fair funding for pharmacies to help guarantee the supply of medication to patients in Northern Ireland.

I would encourage you to make your pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.

Thank you again for your support.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive