Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
Correspondence was issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on 10th August 2023 regarding arrangements for foundation training year in 2025/26.

SUMMARY

The CPO’s letter provides information for contractors regarding the placement of FTY trainees from 2025/26 onwards.

ADVICE

Contractors should review the CPO correspondence and take note of the information.

Kind regards

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

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

  • Weekly Drug Alerts are available here.
  • Weekly Shortages Information is available here.
  • Serious Shortage Protocols are available here.
Deafblind UK is a charity which supports people living with sight and hearing loss by providing practical support, help with technology, and advice.  The charity has asked if CPNI could share information about these services with the community pharmacy network, further information is available here and on their website.
Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.
Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via the 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
CPNI is aware that a small number of Foundation Training Year (FTY) pharmacists who have met the criteria for registration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and who have applied for their name to be entered into the register of pharmacists, have not been registered on the date which they anticipated.

Contractors are advised to bring this to the attention of any FTY pharmacist they employ and to advise them to ensure that they are appropriately registered before commencing work as a pharmacist.

Kind regards

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

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Glaucoma UK Training

CPNI have been contacted by Glaucoma UK regarding a free training programme available to pharmacy teams.  The aim of the training is to equip pharmacy staff with the skills to help patients manage their glaucoma.  The attached flyer provides further information and may be shared with relevant members of the pharmacy team.  Further information on the work of Glaucoma UK is available on their website here.

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.
Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via the 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,
Community pharmacy contractors providing the Living Well service will have received correspondence from SPPG on Tuesday 1st August regarding the Care in the Sun survey.  SPPG have advised CPNI that there are a number of contractors who have not yet submitted responses to other recent Living Well surveys.  In the event that a survey is not completed, SPPG may seek to recover all, or part of, the associated funding via an adjustment to the pharmacy’s BSO payment account.  Further details of the open surveys and their respective closing dates are provided for your convenience below.

SUMMARY

ACTION

  • Contractors who provide the Living Well service should note the surveys listed above and ensure that responses have been submitted.
  • Contractors are reminded to ensure they include the contractor number for the pharmacy when completing their survey.

Please contact CPNI offices should you have any queries.

Kind regards,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor,
The Department of Health NI issued correspondence on 01 August 2023 regarding the Pharmacy Foundation Training Year grant for 2023/24.

SUMMARY

  • In the correspondence, the CPO confirms that this year (2023/24) the Department of Health is making a total FTY grant of £25,548 available to each contractor for each trainee pharmacist, who will be commencing their placement from July 2023.
  • This will be subject to the registration and regulatory requirements of the Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) being met by trainees, educational supervisors, and employers.
  • The grant allows for a salary of £20,048 for each full-time foundation year trainee and the remaining £5,500 grant should be paid to individual contractors to include a protected employer specific funding allocation per placement to cover educational supervision and employer on-costs associated with each placement.
  • Reductions to these amounts should be made proportionately in respect of part-time placements.
  • A decision on the FTY intake and grant for 2024/25 will be made in the next year and advice will follow in respect of next year’s student placements.
  • Thanks are extended to pharmacy contractors for continuing to support the supervisors and future Pharmacists especially during this period of change and adjustment.

ACTION

  • Contractors should note the information provided in the correspondence.

Please contact CPNI offices should you have any queries.

Kind regards,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive