Please be aware that correspondence issued to pharmacy contractors yesterday evening from the HSCB Pharmacy and Medicines Management Unit in relation to the ordering, delivery and use of lateral flow antigen tests by patient-facing staff. Contractors who have not yet registered to receive tests are reminded to do so using the form which can be accessed here.
Please be aware that correspondence issued to pharmacy contractors yesterday from Mr Joe Brogan, HSCB Assistant Director of Integrated Care and Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management. Mr Brogan’s letter will be of interest to contractors as it provides further detail on the opening funding position and the commissioning plan 21/22. Matters addressed in the correspondence are:
1. Pharmacy Advance Payments 2. Core Pharmacy Services (including Global Sum, Non-global Sum and Retained Purchase Profit) 3. Additional Services 4. COVID-19 Vaccination 5. Services Maintained from April until June 2021 (including Business Continuity, Staff and Premises Costs and enhanced service payments) 6. The Commissioning Plan
This updated factsheet should now replace the PHE patient resource that was recommended as an interim measure for community pharmacies providing clinics over the last number of days. Printed copies of the fact sheet will be issued to community pharmacists as soon as possible.
Information for healthcare professionals in light of the JCVI guidance will also be shortly available via the PHA website. Further information will be provided in due course.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
CPNI ALERTS
Contractors will have received correspondence from CPNI this week in relation to:
Eligible patients – reminder that only patients from eligible cohorts should be vaccinated. Reserve lists must only include patients eligible for vaccination through this service.
Vaccine stock – supply still remains limited. Your pharmacy will receive an email notification advising of when you can place an order for stock. Please do not place an order until you receive a notification email as your order will not be processed.
Waste Report – reminder that the waste report and DNA figures must be completed for “Week 6 – 3th May to 9th May” using the online form, even if it is a nil report. This is a mandatory requirement and those who have not submitted a report will be contacted. The report can be accessed at Waste Report. Entries should only be submitted from midday Friday 7th May and must be submitted by Monday 10th May at 4pm. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL CONTRACTORS. IF YOU ARE YET TO PLACE AN ORDER OR USE ANY STOCK PLEASE SUBMIT A NIL REPORT. If you are able to get a 9th dose from a vial but do not use it, this is not classed as waste and should not be included in your report.
Monitoring fridge temperatures – HSCB has been informed of another cold-chain breach in a community pharmacy that has resulted in the wastage of a significant number of Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Please take this opportunity to review your cold chain procedures to ensure there are adequate measures in place to prevent a similar incident occurring. Ensure that vaccine fridge temperature is observed and that vaccines are stored between the recommended temperatures of 2-8°C. The Trust Medicines Information Team recommend twice daily monitoring as a minimum requirement, as most errors occur when the fridge temperature is not checked at the start and end of the working day.
VMS – If a patient doesn’t match on VMS do not proceed to vaccinate. This applies even if you know the patient and they have an H&C number. Their details must match on VMS to proceed. You will not be paid if you proceed to vaccinate. The patient will not have a vaccination record to share with their GP. If a patient’s VMS status indicates that they have already been vaccinated at another centre, but the patient informs you that they have not been vaccinated – do not vaccinate the patient. If you are having problems accessing VMS, please contact your local HSCB office.
COVID-19 vaccination programme social media resources can be found at – http://pha.site/cparesources You can either download directly from the page or share from the PHA social media feed.
New material: Graphic – Vaccine questions and answers – links to updated Q&A Graphic – What to expect – links to updated leaflet Video – Did you get your COVID-19 vaccine? – vimeo.com/540693980 BAME Video – Bulgarian – Todor Petrov, Consultant in Dermatology speaks in Bulgarian about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine BAME video – Arabic – Aziz Laamrani, support worker STEP NI, speaks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine BAME video– Tetum – Arsenia Guterres, Support worker, speaks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine
Queries: From day to day, information on the service has been changing very rapidly. Therefore it is really important that you read all the update letters as soon as possible. They have all been date marked to make it easier to identify the recent updates. Before contacting your local HSCB office, please refer to:http://www.hscbusiness.hscni.net/services/3250.htm for all the latest information
Service FAQs at Service FAQs ** These are not for public viewing and are password protected** Password: CPVS001!
Support on VMS – please refer to the FAQs available at VMS FAQs
Please do not contact individual HSCB staff directly. Please contact your local HSCB office who will triage your query and send to the appropriate contact.
Kind regards
Gerard Greene
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Colleagues,
Please find attached for your attention, correspondence from Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.
The JCVI have today issued updated guidance on the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine.
The updated JCVI advice states:
JCVI advises that, in addition to those aged under 30, unvaccinated adults aged 30 – 39 years who are not in a clinical priority group at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, should be preferentially offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, where possible and only where no substantial delay or barrier in access to vaccination would arise.
Importantly, this updated advice does not mean that JCVI advises against using the AstraZeneca vaccine in the 30 to 39 year cohort, only that an alternative is preferable when this would result in no substantial delay or barrier in access to vaccination would arise.
Actions for Community Pharmacy:
1. First doses for unvaccinated adults who are aged 30 to 39 years and are not in a clinical priority group at higher risk of COVID-19 disease:
Community pharmacies may offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to individuals in this cohort who have made a fully informed choice to receive the vaccine. Individuals should be informed that it is preferred that an alternative vaccine is used in this cohort and that they can access an alternative vaccine from the HSC Trust vaccination centres, subject to appointment availability. Individuals may still choose to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine having received clear information on the benefits and risks of vaccination and consenting accordingly, for instance where someone has an appointment booked for vaccination in the coming days and may prefer not to reschedule to receive an alternative vaccine through the HSC Trust vaccination centres. Individuals should receive clear information on the extremely rare thrombosis/thrombocytopenia adverse events, how to monitor for symptoms that might be related to the adverse event, and what action should be taken by individuals and health professionals in the event of such symptoms arising.
2. First doses for unvaccinated adults who are aged 30 to 39 years and are in a clinical priority group at higher risk of COVID-19 disease:
The advice from JCVI remains that the benefits of prompt vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh the risk of adverse effects in unvaccinated adults who have underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. No further action is required for this cohort.
3. Second doses:
All those who have received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should continue to be offered a second dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, irrespective of age. The second dose will be important for longer lasting protection against COVID-19.
4. First doses for unvaccinated adults who are aged 40 years or over:
Community pharmacies should continue to offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to unvaccinated individuals aged 40 years and over, unless otherwise contraindicated.
Advice for Vaccine Clinics in the coming days:
CPNI appreciate that this information may have an impact on vaccine clinics underway and those which are planned. If contractors have concerns in relation to non-attendance and potential waste implications please feel free to contact the office and speak to a member of the team.
In ensuring that patients are fully informed of these changes, contractors can provide them with a copy of the Public Health England patient leaflet which has been updated. An updated version for Northern Ireland is expected to follow shortly.
Kinds regards
Ennis
SENT ON BEHALF OF Ennis Shields Governance & Support Pharmacist
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
