You will have received a letter from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management reminding contractors that the use of the private controlled drug requisition form (CDRF1) is mandated in the circumstances outlined (see the letter HERE for full details).
Contractors are required to ensure that:
Schedule 2 or 3 CD stocks for private or non-Health Service purposes are only supplied via a CDRF1 form
The CDRF1 is signed by an authorised person
The person/organisation ordering the CDs fully completes part two of the CDRF1 form – see guidance notes on the reverse of the CDRF1 form
The pharmacist supplying the CDs fully completes part three of the CDRF1 form – see guidance notes on the reverse of the CDRF1 form
Original completed CDRF1 forms (not copies) are submitted to the Business Services Organisation (BSO) ideally at the end of the month in which they are received, with the exemption of veterinary requisitions and those relating to inter-pharmacy stock transfers; these are not required to be submitted to BSO.
It is recommended that a copy of the CDRF1 form is retained in the pharmacy
ACTION
Contractors should ensure that:
Staff involved in the management and use of CDs are fully apprised of the content of this letter; and
SOPs reflect the legal requirements as appropriate.
Kind regards – Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
Dear Colleague
As you know, CPNI has been issuing updates relating to the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) which imposes legal obligations aimed at helping to prevent entry of falsified medicinal products into the supply chain. The Delegated Regulation was implemented in all EU Member States on 9 February 2019 and is still a legal requirement in Northern Ireland.
SecurMed has written to you recently advising that they will be implementing a new version of the UKNI Medicines Verification System (UKNI MVS) in April 2022.
This requires a change in the software and scanner system you use to connect to it. SecurMed indicates that your software supplier has been informed of this and should have implemented (or be preparing to implement) the relevant changes to update their End User software for continuation of your access to the UKNI MVS.
If your software and scanner system is not up to date when the new system is rolled out, you will no longer be able to access the UKNI MVS and you will not be able to remain compliant with FMD requirements.
ACTION
Contractors are advised to:
Check with your software supplier to ensure that you have the updated version of your FMD software installed (or will have it installed by April 2022). You should ask your software supplier to confirm that your NMVS software is, or will be, compatible with NMVS Core 1.10.
If you have any queries, please raise them with your software supplier in the first instance.
Kind regards – Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF. MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management.
SUMMARY
HSCB have been made aware of fraudulent private prescriptions having been presented in the Belfast area.
A female presented a prescription for diazepam reportedly from a GP surgery in Dublin. The address of the ‘patient’ was in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. The pharmacist contacted the practice concerned who advised this was a false prescription. At this time the female left the pharmacy and the prescription was not dispensed.
On the same day an individual presented a prescription for Diazepam and Stemetil in a separate area of Belfast. The GP was a genuine GP in Tallaght Cross, Dublin. As far as the pharmacist knows, all the details on the script were accurate (telephone number, registration etc.) but it was a forged script. This prescription was dispensed.
Pharmacists are reminded that when supplying medications and in particular medicines liable to abuse/misuse, against any prescription, due diligence must be taken to satisfy themselves that the prescription is genuine.
Please report all confirmed instances of false prescriptions, whether medication was obtained or not, firstly to the PSNI on 101 (or 999 in the case of an emergency) and also to BSO Counter Fraud and Probity Services (see 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
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management.
SUMMARY
Smoking in private vehicles and nicotine inhaling products regulations are being introduced on 1 February 2022 to protect children. To increase awareness and encourage support for the new regulations, the Public Health Agency has implemented two separate mass media campaigns.
From this date, it will be illegal to smoke in a private vehicle where children or young people under the age of 18 are present, when there is more than one person in the vehicle, and the vehicle is enclosed. It will be an offence to smoke in such a vehicle and it will also be an offence for a driver to fail to prevent smoking in a smoke-free private vehicle.
In addition, from 1 February 2022, it will be an offence to sell nicotine inhaling products to children and to purchase, or attempt to purchase, such products on behalf of a child (a proxy purchasing offence).
Both campaigns include radio, outdoor and digital advertising, including social media. The smoking in private vehicles regulations campaign also includes TV advertising. All campaign advertising signposts HERE.
See the communications toolkit for further information. Please help promote and encourage support for the new regulations, by sharing the assets available HERE via your own communication channels.
Please note, the PHA is urging smokers to use the introduction of the new regulations as motivation to stop smoking. Pharmacies offering “Stop Smoking” services may experience an increase in demand for these services.
Contractors are also asked to visit the communications toolkit for further information. Please help promote and encourage support for the new regulations, by sharing the assets available HERE via your own communication channels.
Please do not hesitate to contact your local Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find correspondence HERE from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.
SUMMARY
The HSCB is in the process of securing funding in relation to training of community pharmacy support staff.
It is anticipated that grant funding would be made available to pharmacies at the following levels (maximum of one grant per pharmacy):
Pharmacy Technician NVQ Level 3.
Funding of £5,000 will be payable in respect of each permanent employee that enrols on this course.
Pharmacy Assistant – NVQ Level 2
Funding of £2,500 will be payable in respect of each permanent employee that enrols on this course.
In order to assess the interest in this scheme, HSCB needs to receive an expression of interest from pharmacies by 11 February 2022. Expressions of interest that are received after this date will not be considered for this round of funding.
SENT ON BEHALF OF DR. GARETH C. GILVARY Governance & Support Pharmacist
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