SPPG issued correspondence today to community pharmacies informing that all community pharmacist NIECR access accounts were reactivated on 29 November 2024.
SUMMARY
The NIECR team noted a high volume of Community Pharmacist NIECR accounts were deactivated.
NIECR accounts automatically deactivate after 90 days of inactivity.
All deactivated community pharmacist accounts were reactivated on the 29th November.
Pharmacists can log in to their NIECR account regularly to prevent deactivation from occurring.
The NIECR team advise that there is no requirement to access a patient record in order to remain active.
Login issues can be raised using the vFire link contained within the HSCNI Portal.
Requests for password resets/reactivation of accounts take on average 1 day to be actioned by the NIECR team.
The Community Pharmacy NIECR – FAQ Document is available here.
Review the correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
Should you have any queries please contact a member of the CPNI team.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
** FAO Pharmacies Providing the Vaccination Service to Care Homes **
Dear Contractor
SPPG and PHA would like to know if there are options to improve and support community pharmacists in the delivery of the Vaccination Service to Care Homes and would greatly value your feedback through a short survey.
The Department of Health NI has issued correspondence here dated 10 December 2024 detailing the issuing of SSP077 and SSP078 relating to cefalexin 125mg/5ml and 250mg/5ml oral suspensions sugar free respectively. These SSPs are due to expire on Friday 31 January 2025.
BACKGROUND
SSPs made under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are an additional tool to manage and mitigate medicines shortages.
SSPs enable community pharmacists to supply specified medicines in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber – saving time for patients, pharmacists and prescribers.
Pharmacists should refer to the latest versions of the existing SSPs which are now available on the Business Services Organisation dedicated page on its website HERE.
Operational guidance on the implementation of SSPs in Northern Ireland can be found on the BSO website HERE.
DETAIL
These two SSPs provide for the supply of non sugar free suspensions in place of the sugar free suspensions. Contractors and their dispensary teams should be aware of the key points outlined in the letter, particularly as they relate to the supply to patients with diabetes.
ACTION
Contractors should:
Review the letter here dated 10 December 2024 relating to SSP077 and SSP078 (cefalexin 125mg/5ml and 250mg/5ml oral suspensions sugar free respectively);
Note the key points specific to these two SSPs and note the guidance relating to the decision pathways for SSPs; notification of GPs; the need for patient/carer agreement, and action to take when this is not given; professional judgement; and actions regarding unclear quantities; and
Ensure that their dispensary teams are fully briefed.
Contractors should contact their local SPPG office in the first instance should further information be required. CPNI colleagues are also available for assistance.
Kind regards
Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
**FOR THE ATTENTION OF PHARMACY COLLECT NI (LFD DISTRIBUTION) PHARMACIES ONLY**
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued a reminder today regarding the Pharmacy Collect NI LFD Christmas and New Year ordering and delivery arrangements.
SUMMARY
Communication from BSO has been issued to outline the Pharmacy Collect NI LFD ordering deadlines over the Christmas and New Year period.
No orders will be processed the week commencing 23 December 2024.
ACTION
Contractors are asked to:
Read the correspondence issued by SPPG regarding the Pharmacy Collect NI LFD ordering deadlines over the Christmas and New Year period.
Please share this reminder with all relevant team members including staff who may cover this role due to annual leave etc.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.
Chronic Underfunding in the Northern Ireland Community Pharmacy Sector Raised Directly with UK Government
A delegation has travelled to London to seek UK Government NIO Minister Fleur Anderson MP’s support for vital community pharmacy services that are in financial crisis and at risk of collapse in Northern Ireland.
Representatives from Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), including local pharmacy owners were led by Ulster Unionist peer Lord Rogan as they met the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to seek stabilisation of the community pharmacy network.
Community pharmacy employers have been invited by the DoH (NI) regional task and finish group on selection into FTY 2026/27 to attend an information and engagement webinar at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 December 2024.
The webinar will be hosted by NICPLD and attendees can register by logging in here.
Background information on the work of the Task and Finish group is provided in their letter to employers.
A paper summarising the options for discussion at the event is available here.
Suicide Prevention Training Available to Community Pharmacy Teams
CPNI has been made aware of upcoming suicide prevention training supported by the Public Health Agency which will be available to community pharmacy teams in the Belfast, Southern and South Eastern areas.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
CPNI wishes to make contractors aware of a number of updates in relation to independent prescribing (IP), including the application process for the NICPLD IP training course.
SUMMARY
Reforms to pharmacy education and training in Northern Ireland will mean pharmacists joining the register from 2026 onwards, who have completed their training under the new education standards, will be annotated as IPs.
Pharmacists registered prior to 2026 may become an IP by completing a recognised training course.
The application process for the NICPLD Independent Prescribing (IP) training course opened on 02 December 2024 and can be accessed on the NICPLD website. Applications will be accepted until the closing date: 18 February 2025
Advice for prospective applicants is available here.
To train as an IP, a pharmacist must have the support of a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP). This a non funded role and can be a medical prescriber, or a non-medical prescriber.
Full information on the DPP criteria is available here, and an e-learning course for prospective DPPs is available here.
KEY POINTS FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACY
50 NICPLD IP training places are available for community pharmacy applicants.
CPNI is aware of the difficulties experienced by community pharmacists in terms of securing a DPP, and continues to highlight this issue to DoH(NI), NICPLD, and other stakeholders.
NEW: It is no longer necessary for a DPP to have three years of prescribing experience.
NEW: The DPP must oversee and sign off on the trainee’s 90 hours of learning in practice, and must directly supervise a minimum of 45 hours. (Previously this was 20 hours). The trainee can spend time with other clinicians during the other 45 hours of learning in practice, with the agreement of their DPP.
WHAT THIS MEANS: A community pharmacist IP who is actively prescribing and working in a patient facing role may now be eligible to act as a DPP for a fellow pharmacist.
SPPG and BSO are currently developing an updated process for community pharmacist IPs to obtain HSCNI ciphers and prescription pads, and further information is expected to follow. In the interim, queries regarding ciphers can be directed to Siobhan.O’Hare-Smith@hscni.net.
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION
The Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) guidance for IPs is available here.Note: this guidance was published in 2013.
DoH(NI) guidance for non-medical prescribers is available here.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer sent a letter in February 2024 urging all pharmacist IPs to consider acting as a DPP for a fellow pharmacist.
The PSNI issued a clarification in April 2024 to dispel misinformation around the liability of a DPP for any future actions by an IP they have supervised.
The NICPLD team have indicated that they will support any community pharmacists with queries regarding IP training or the DPP role. Queries can be sent to: nicpld-prescribing@qub.ac.uk.
ACTION
Contractors are advised to:
Review the information provided above and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
Please contact NICPLD if you have any questions or queries relating to IP. Alternatively, should you wish to speak to a member of the CPNI team please call or email Ennis.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
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