Archives: Contractor Email

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

BSO ALERTS

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
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.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF 
DR. GARETH C. GILVARY
Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
As you are aware on 22 March 2022 Mr. Robin Swann MLA, Health Minister announced an additional funding of £8m into community pharmacy in 2021/22 in recognition of adherence services provided last year.

Work is now being prioritised and taken forward with SPPG to develop and introduce adherence support services in 2022/23. The first phase will be the introduction of an Interim Community Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Service for hospital and intermediate care discharge patients (cohort 3).

Until such times that service specification and funding is finalised, and shared with you, there remains no mechanism for community pharmacies to take on new patients. The letter issued by SPPG on 31 March 2022 remains the current position and this letter can be shared with other healthcare professionals enquiring about the proposed new service.

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 Contractor

Please see attached correspondence from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

  • Community pharmacies are reminded to promote vaccination uptake to all eligible individuals as per Update B12, in addition to those in Care Homes.
  • Community pharmacies are also reminded how to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak situation in Care Homes during vaccination in Update B12.
  • There are a small number of Care Homes which have residents with learning disabilities.  Care Home Managers can request support from Trust Learning Disability nurses.
  • VMS records for Care Home residents should be completed on the same day as the clinic, and no later than 48 hours after in accordance with Update G13.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the attached correspondence.
  • PHA vaccinators may be requested to support vaccination in Care Homes using the Vaccinator Request form.
  • Contractors can also claim for offsite visits to Care Homes for vaccination HERE.
  • Contractors can submit dates for Care Home vaccination clinics HERE.
  • Contractors are reminded if they have any queries relating to the CPVS service, they should contact their local SPPG office or pharmacy adviser.
  • Should you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact CPNI office.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Please see attached HERE correspondence from SPPG Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

  • Public Health Agency vaccinator agreement is in place and Community Pharmacies can make a request to PHA for vaccinator support HERE.
  • There are a small number of Care Homes which have residents with learning disabilities. Pharmacists are advised that Care Home Managers of these homes can request support from Trust Learning Disability (LD) nurses.  Where arrangements are made, any LD nurse attendance is for patient reassurance and they will not be undertaking vaccinations. Requests for LD support should be initiated by the Care Home Manager.
  • Vaccination can be planned even when a Care Home is in outbreak.  The Care Home Manager will conduct a risk assessment and liaise with the PHA duty room to establish the population of residents who can still be vaccinated. Residents who are COVID-19 positive cannot be vaccinated for 28 days post infection.
  • The Spring booster programme has been established to ensure Care Home residents are given the opportunity to be vaccinated in May 2022.  The aim is to complete vaccination for the majority of eligible residents before the end of May, so that this does not have consequences for any planned Autumn COVID-19 vaccination programme.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review correspondence.
  • Please return all e-forms for each Care Home with the planned dates for vaccinations by 5pm TODAY Monday 9 May 2022.
  • Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

The Department of Health has issued information relating to amendments made to The Health and Personal Social Services Pharmaceutical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 which came into operation on 1 March 2022 following previous amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations HERE.

SUMMARY

The amendments:

  • Add therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers; paramedic independent prescribers and dietitian supplementary prescribers to the list of professions in the 1997 Regulations who can prescribe;
  • Make provision for chemists to dispense against a HS21 prescription that is written by additional non-medical prescribers; and
  • Make provision to allow chemists to supply against “pandemic treatment protocols” (PTPs), which allow for the supply, without a prescription, of prescription-only medicines used for the prevention or treatment of diseases, that are, or in anticipation of them being imminently, pandemic. There are also supplementary provisions related to this requirement dealing with matters such as dispensing labels.

ACTION

Contractors are advised to:

  • Note the amendments to The Health and Personal Social Services Pharmaceutical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and to bring these matters to the notice of dispensing teams.

Kind regards – Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

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

BSO ALERTS 

CPNI ALERTS 

DOH(NI) ALERTS 

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
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.

Kind regards

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