Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague

Pharmacies providing the Living Well service will be aware that the current campaign “Making Healthier Choices” concludes on 3^rd April 2022.  The upcoming campaign will be called “Know, Check, Ask” and will run from 4^th April 2022 for two months.  The aim of this campaign will be to reduce medication related harm, raise awareness and educate the public about safe medication use.  Pharmacy teams are ideally placed to promote this important public health message, and during the campaign teams will encourage patients to:

KNOW your medicines and keep an up-to-date list
CHECK that you are using your medicines in the right way
ASK your health care professional if you’re not sure

Summary

As part of the launch of the Know, Check, Ask campaign the HSCB will issue a press release, supported by social media posts.  Additionally, the HSCB are inviting pharmacy teams to get involved.  This would involve taking a photo of your team at the pharmacy displaying some of the Know, Check, Ask campaign materials (e.g. posters, leaflets, counter mat, prescription bag stickers).  A representative of the pharmacy would also be asked to add their details to a campaign press release which would be shared, along with the photos, with local media in their area.

Action

If you or your pharmacy team would like to get involved in this opportunity to promote the Living Well campaign and the role of the community pharmacists as experts in medicines and medicine safety, please contact Jude Austin, CPNI Communications Manager – judea@communitypharmacyni.co.uk by close of business on Tuesday 02 March 2022.

As always, if you have any questions a member of the CPNI team will be happy to assist you.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Kathryn Turner, Pharmacy Lead, Health and Social Care Board.

SUMMARY

• The Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply during a Pandemic Service commenced on Monday 6 April 2020.
• Approximately 9,500 items are supplied each month, via the service, to patients in Northern Ireland.
• As we move out of the current phase of the pandemic, the HSCB will be seeking to commission a routine Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service.
• To better inform the transition to routine service, HSCB in conjunction with CPNI, are inviting community pharmacists to participate in a data collection survey for a period of one week. The collection form can be found HERE.
• A newsletter supplement highlighting some of the learning identified has been developed and is available HERE.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• From Monday 28 February 2022 until Sunday 6 March 2022, community pharmacists are invited to capture  data for all patients who are requesting an emergency supply.
• If you have any queries in relation to the completion of the survey please contact your local HSCB office.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.

SUMMARY

• HSCB is seeking completion of the Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) declaration form for your pharmacy, for the 2021/2022 year.
• The aim and purpose of the framework is to monitor compliance with Terms of Service, service specifications, related professional standards and best practice guidance.
• HSCB has recently worked with CPNI to review, update and agree the Assurance framework for the 2021/22 year.
• A payment of £1200 will be made to each pharmacy, upon return of the completed declaration, for compliance with the CPAF process in 2021/22.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• Complete and return the individual prepopulated declaration form which you will have received by secure email. Please submit a return for each pharmacy you operate, to your local HSCB office via email by Monday 28 February 2022.
• You are also required to submit a copy of your practice leaflet and complaints procedure.
• CPNI have produced a guidance document and resources to support you with this submission, including a template practice leaflet, available on CPNI’s website HERE.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Dear Colleague

Please find attached correspondence HERE from HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management team.

SUMMARY

• Overall demand has reduced over the past number of weeks but that pharmacies in some areas continue to experience high demand, with some regularly running out between deliveries or having to ration the number of packs given per transaction to extend their supplies.
• There now exists capacity, under the current arrangements, to allow those pharmacies experiencing ongoing high demand to submit a request to receive a larger order (2-3 cartons).
• If demand at your pharmacy is at a consistently high level and you would like to request a fixed, ongoing increase please state this within the email request and we will work with UKHSA and Alliance to see if this can be accommodated.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
• If you would like to arrange this for your pharmacy please email is LFDtests@health-ni.gov.uk
• Please state clearly;
  • Name of pharmacy
  • Pharmacy Address
  • Alliance Account Code
  • indicate if you would like to request an order or 2 or 3 cartons.
• Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

Tuesday 22 February 2022

Dear Colleague As you will be aware, the Pharmacy First for Winter Conditions Service commenced in November 2021 and will be concluding at the end of March 2022. The key aims of the service are to promote the role of the community pharmacy as the first port of call for the management of Winter Conditions, and to displace activity, including consultations, advice and prescribing from general practice to community pharmacy.  For those pharmacies providing the service this year, it is important to remember that the following records are to be returned: 1. The completed monthly activity form – The form can be accessed here and should include the details of all Pharmacy First Winter Conditions consultations conducted throughout the month.  It should be scanned and returned by email each month to the local HSCB office.  2. The completed PV1 forms – These should be bundled separately and returned to BSO in the second monthly prescription submission. Returning both of these elements, i.e. the PV1 forms and the monthly activity form is an essential part of the service contract and the data they provide will help secure the commissioning of future Pharmacy First Services for Winter Conditions.  The monthly activity form demonstrates the many Pharmacy First activities which are not captured through the PV1 forms alone. For example, the monthly activity form provides data on the number of consultations carried out in which medicine supply was not necessary or appropriate, instead advice was provided, a referral made, or an alternative treatment was purchased. Failure to demonstrate the impact of community pharmacy via this service may mean we will be unable to secure funding for this service next year. CPNI appreciates it has been an incredibly busy few months for pharmacy teams, but it is vital the service returns are made monthly to demonstrate the value of Pharmacy First to the Health Service. Resources to help promote the service within your pharmacy are available here. As always, should you require any further help or assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch with the CPNI team.

Kind regards Ennis Ennis Shields CPNI Governance and Service Support Pharmacist

Dear Colleague

The Health and Social Care Board, in collaboration with the Department of Health and CPNI, is developing a Pharmacy First Service for emergency hormonal contraception (EHC).  

All community pharmacists are invited to attend an ECHO training event tonight, Monday 21 February 2022 at 7.30pm.

Further details are available in the letter of invite which can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Kind regards