Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

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 has written to Contractors to provide a 2024/25 Community Pharmacy Funding Update.

The letter confirms that Ministerial approval has been given to extend various additional funding allocations provided in 2023/24 into 2024/25.  This means that the community pharmacy funding position of £142.9m @ 31st March 2024 is carried over into 2024/25.  In addition, Ministerial approval of an advance payment of £1m per quarter (associated with the anticipated Global Sum and non-Global Sum uplifts in 2024/25) has also been given.  This therefore increases the opening funding allocation for 2024/25 to £147m.

A summary outline of the community pharmacy funding in 2023/24 and the opening 2024/25 community pharmacy funding can be found here.

Contractors are asked to read the letter and note the funding arrangements applicable from April 2024.

CPNI, while recognising the importance of the additional investment provided in 2023/24 by the Permanent Secretary and the Health Minister Mr Robin Swann MLA, has been consistent in stating that the sector was still under-funded by approximately £15m in 2023/24. The advance payment of £1m per quarter (associated with the anticipated GS and non-GS uplifts) is also welcome but with NMW/NLW increases, increased business overhead costs and Northern Ireland Drug Tariff changes all impacting Contractors further from this month, CPNI is concerned that the funding deficit is widening as we go into 2024/25.

CPNI continues to make representations to the Health Minister, DoH and SPPG officials and elected representatives and we encourage Contractors to continue engaging with the Health Minister and local MLA’s as well as raising public awareness of the sector difficulties through the CPNI public awareness campaign.

I would also ask contractors to continue notifying CPNI offices if your BSO payment(s) on 30th April 2024 are insufficient to meet wholesaler, payroll and pharmacy overhead costs this month.

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

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

You will be aware that Community Pharmacy is in an unprecedented financial crisis.

Over recent weeks and months, CPNI has been in intensive discussions with the Health Minister and elected representatives to outline the financial challenges being faced by our sector – and the implications for patients and pharmacy services.

We are aware of the extremely difficult financial challenges of managing payments to wholesale suppliers. We know that there are increasing occasions when medicines cannot be supplied because cash flow is so restricted that payment to wholesalers cannot be made. We understand the frustration and despondency this is causing in the sector, and we know how diligently pharmacy contractors are working to look after the needs of their local community patients and customers.

Political Lobbying Campaign

We have met with the Health Minister and with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health on a number of occasions, and we have very recently briefed the Health Committee, and continue to engage with elected representatives. Many pharmacy contractors have independently written to the Minister, Health Committee members and civil servants to share their personal stories and to make a direct appeal for change. This has been a very important element of the lobbying campaign.

Changes we are calling for:

  • Urgent stabilisation of community pharmacy funding in the short-term and a re-set of community pharmacy funding.
  • Putting in place a Northern Ireland specific Drug Tariff that reflects Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and that will assure sustainable service provision and medicine supply to patients going forward.
  • Investment in the community pharmacy network to further extend the range of community pharmacy services, so that we can continue to play a transformative role in helping to keep patients closer to home, for longer, and reducing pressures on general practice, out-of-hours, and secondary care.

Public Awareness Campaign

We are now putting this campaign in front of community pharmacy patients to explain why the current financial pressures mean that medicine supplies and pharmacy services cannot be guaranteed.

We rely on patients’ support, and we are asking for their understanding while this crisis is resolved.  We want patients to know that their local community pharmacy is doing its best and that this problem is affecting the whole community pharmacy sector in Northern Ireland.

In sharing this with patients, we are also seeking their support for our campaign. Pharmacies will by now have received campaign resource packs with information and materials which we hope will help you to create awareness and provide ways that patients and customers can give their support.

Campaign resource packs contained:

  • Posters for your window and in-store.
  • Petition sheets for the counter. These simply require the patient or customer’s name, postcode and a signature – no further address or contact details are required. Please encourage patients and customers to sign the petition.
  • A bundle of small flyers outlining the campaign and urging individuals to contact their local elected representatives.  These feature a QR code which can be scanned with a smartphone camera, to link to a page where they will find the contact details for their local politician.  The flyer will also provide suggested text for their correspondence.

This campaign will also be supported by social media assets which will be shared with you directly.

There is widespread political support for the role of community pharmacy services and it is important that the public voice is also loud and clear.

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.

If you have any questions, please contact Jude Austin – judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
For the attention of Community Pharmacies providing the Spring 2024 COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service
Dear Colleague
SPPG have issued correspondence providing an update in relation to the Spring 2024 COVID-19 Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service.

SUMMARY

CPVS update 2 includes information on topics including:

  1. The publication of the Vaccination Protocol.
  2. A reminder to ensure that VMS Entries for Care Home Residents include the RQIA Code.
  3. A reminder that pharmacies who have paired with a care home and who have submitted a contract to the SPPG, can now proceed to plan the dates for the vaccination clinic(s) in association with the respective care home(s).

ACTION

Contractors providing the service should:

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
SPPG issued correspondence today in relation to updated PGDs for the Pharmacy First for EHC service.  The updated PGDs for Desogestrel and Levonorgestrel will be operational from 1 May 2024.

SUMMARY

  • The existing PGDs for Desogestrel and Levonorgestrel (V01.00) will expire on 30 April 2024.
  • The updated PGDs for Desogestrel and Levonorgestrel (V02.00) will be operational from 1 May 2024.
  • Updated versions of the PGDs are now available on the BSO website.

ACTION

  • Contractors whose pharmacies provide the Pharmacy First for EHC service must ensure that they are using the correct versions of the service PGDs.  
  • PGDs must be signed on behalf of the pharmacy, and signed by all individual pharmacists who are delivering the service via PGD.
  • Pharmacy teams should ensure they destroy any printed copies of previous versions.

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

  • SPPG have issued correspondence on 24th April 2024 and confirmed a National Protocol has been developed for use in the administration of the COVID 19 vaccine to individuals in accordance with the Spring COVID-19 vaccination programme.
  • The National Protocol allows appropriately trained, unregistered staff e.g., foundation year trainees to offer vaccination services under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
  • For pharmacy contracts wishing to participate in this COVID-CPVS, please return by email your completed contract to your local office contact as soon as possible.
  • If you have any queries please contact Gráinne McMahon (Grainne.McMahon4@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net).
  • 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