Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Colleague
CPNI have been made aware of unsettling and disturbing instances in community pharmacies in recent days where members of the public have approached staff in Pharmacies commissioned to provide COVID-19 Vaccination services, and directed anti-vaccination sentiments at pharmacy staff and then serving what are stated by the individual(s) to be “legal papers” on the pharmacy.

CPNI’s general advice to Contractors offering COVID-19 Vaccination services includes:
– Inform your pharmacy staff that there have been instances of this nature occurring in Northern Ireland community pharmacies and that there may be a possibility of the pharmacy being approached by members of the public citing anti-vaccination statements with the individual(s) then purporting to serve what they refer to as “legal papers” on the pharmacy
– Engagement with the individual(s) should be kept to an absolute minimum.  Staff may wish to advise that they have patients to see to and/or prescriptions to dispense and therefore do not have time for a discussion.
– Pharmacy teams do not have to accept any such documentation presented but may choose to do so to avoid confrontation. If you do accept it, it should be retained and the pharmacy line manager/Contractor advised accordingly.
– The pharmacy indemnity provider can be contacted for further guidance and advice if any documentation given to pharmacy staff makes claim to be of a legal nature.
– Unless the individual(s) is also presenting for commissioned health services provided by the pharmacy (e.g. for a prescription to be dispensed) the pharmacy is entitled to ask the individual(s) to leave the pharmacy at any stage. The individual(s) can also be advised that they are not permitted to enter the pharmacy going forward.
– Pharmacy staff and patient safety in the pharmacy is paramount at all times. Should there be any abuse directed at staff or if there is a safety risk to staff or other members of the public in the pharmacy during such instances the police should be contacted immediately. The individual(s) giving rise to the incident/disruption should be informed accordingly.

A lot of ant-vaccination sentiment is being hosted on social media across the UK, often citing legal basis and threats therein. People who oppose vaccinations are entitled to their opinions, but the papers they wish to hand over have no legal status unless they bear the seal of a court of law, and nothing we have seen so far leads us to believe that the arguments expressed have any merit in law, whether here or elsewhere in the UK.

CPNI is also liaising with the Department of Health and HSCB in relation to this issue.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI Office on 028 9069 0444 for further advice or support.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Since joining the COVID-19 vaccination programme in March 2021, community pharmacy teams have worked incredibly hard to deliver the service, helping to maximise the levels of protection against COVID-19 across our communities. With over 317,000 vaccinations administered to date, the success of the service is credit to the hard work and dedication of our local teams.
 
Community pharmacy is the main provider of COVID-19 primary vaccinations, as well as delivering the booster. As we move through the pandemic and into a new phase of the programme, we are looking at new ways of delivering the community pharmacy service. This is particularly important as initial demand for the vaccinations has decreased overall.
 
To help do this we are asking community pharmacy teams to share their experience of delivering the service. We hope by capturing a range of case studies we can share good practice, support contractors, and help to increase patient uptake.
 
It is also an opportunity to highlight the network’s ability to introduce new services quickly and effectively, whilst continuing to deliver daily services such as dispensing.
 
If you would like to share your experience, please get in contact on 028 9069 0444 and a member of the team will contact you or send an email to info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk outlining what you planned, what went well, what the outcome was (include number of vaccinations administered if possible),  any novel measures you introduced to increase patient access to your service and what you would do differently in future.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Reminder

CPNI have prepared some resources to support pharmacy teams answer any subsequent queries in relation to the cessation of Non-Commissioned Adherence Service to new patients. 

These include:

  • *New* MDS Briefing is now available to inform discussions with other stakeholders such as MLAs etc.
  • Patient/Carer Information Leaflet: Adherence Service
    • Patients are invited to contact the Health and Social Care Board, details of which are on the patient and carer information leaflet.
    • Should a patient wish to make a complaint to HSCB, details can be found HERE.

To continue with adherence support in its current format would put patient safety and core pharmacy services at risk and contractors have taken this step to protect and support increasingly stretched community pharmacy teams.

Please ensure that these materials are shared with your pharmacy team members in each pharmacy you operate.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI Office on 028 9069 0444 for further advice or support.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please find attached updated correspondence HERE from Prof. Sir. Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer.

SUMMARY

DoH(NI) Correction

In line with the announcement of changes to the self-isolation guidance for those who have received a positive COVID-19 test result, health and social care staff who test positive will be able to leave self-isolation and return to work, if they test negative on days 5 and 6 after the date that symptoms started or the date of their initial positive test, whichever is the sooner. This means if a staff member tests negative on the morning of day 6 and was also negative 24 hours earlier, they can return to work on day 6 provided they meet the  requirements as outlined in correspondence:

  • The staff member should continue to undertake daily LFTs until day 14.

ACTION

  • There have been multiple changes to COVID guidance in recent weeks therefore Contractors are asked to review the correspondence.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your local HSCB office or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
The fourth update concessionary prices were granted for January 2022:
DrugPack SizeConcessionary Price
Cinnarizine 15mg tablets 84£3.92
Fenofibrate micronised 160mg tablets 28£4.08
Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free 100£1.70
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets 28£3.15
Prasugrel 5mg tablets 28£34.95
Valsartan 160mg capsules 28£11.95

Concessionary prices will be paid against the usual code, no additional endorsements are needed.

Concessionary prices may be granted up until the end of the month so CPNI will notify you of any further concessionary prices as and when they are agreed.

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our new Medicine Shortage Reporter. Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

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

FAO ALL Pharmacies delivering CCPVS services

VACCINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VMS) UPDATE RUNNING ON TUESDAY 25th JANUARY – 8pm to 10pm
The VMS software update will run on Tuesday 25th January from 8pm to 10pm. The system will be offline during the update and pharmacies will not be able to access the system during this period.
If you are administering any vaccinations during a time when VMS is unavailable, please record these manually in the interim so that you can enter into VMS after the release window is over. Paper vaccination record forms are available online at the BSO website.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY

Name changes to COVID-19 vaccines
The VMS is updating the names of the vaccines in line with the licensed products.
In summary:
Moderna vaccine brand = Spikevax®
AZ vaccine brand = Vaxzevria®
Pfizer vaccine brand = Comirnaty®
Addition of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (0.5ml)
The software update will add the option to record Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (0.5ml). As this NOT part of the current Community Pharmacy Vaccination service, please be careful when selecting from the drop down menus to ensure the correct vaccine is chosen and recorded on VMS.

ACTION

  • If you are administering any vaccinations during a time, please record these on paper vaccination record forms, in the interim so that you can enter into VMS afterwards.
  • Please do not hesitate to contact your Local Integrated Care Offices or the CPNI office should you require any further information.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive