Dear Colleague
Please seeherefor your attention, letter from Dr McBride, Chief Medical Officer and letter from the four UK Chief Medical Officers here.
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Archives: Contractor Email
Dear Colleague
Please see here for your attention, correspondence from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management and Dr Stephen Bergin, Director of Public Health and Medical Director (Interim), PHA.
Summary
- A National Patient Safety Alert (August 2020) asked healthcare providers to ensure that:
- All eligible patients are issued with a Steroid Emergency Card
- Processes are in place to check if a patient has a Steroid Emergency Card ahead of any emergency treatment, elective surgery, or other invasive procedures
- Work is underway (by HSCB/PHA/HSC trusts) to develop a Steroid Emergency Card specifically for patients on Northern Ireland
Action
- Be aware of the issues highlighted in letter and bring these to the attention of the dispensary team.
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please see here for your attention, correspondence from Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.
Summary
- While the level of influenza remains low at present, an increasing number of Influenza virus isolates are now being confirmed by the Regional Virus Laboratory in respiratory samples taken from patients in Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
- NICE guidance on the use of antivirals (oseltamivir and zanamivir) in influenza now applies.
Action
- Community pharmacies should order antiviral medicines through their usual pharmaceutical wholesalers.
- Every effort should continue to be made to ensure a high uptake rate of influenza vaccine in all eligible groups, including healthcare staff.
- During the 2020/21 flu season, front line health and social care staff can now obtain the influenza vaccine free of charge from many community pharmacies.
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated with drug information, alerts and shortages information via CPNI’s contractor calendar here or via the BSO website as per the links below.
| Weekly Summary 04.12.20 |
| Drug alerts available here: BSO Communications (Drug Alerts) MPS 2738 – Medicines Recall – Simvador 10mg, 20mg and 40mg tabs 3rd December 2020 |
| Shortages Information available here: BSO Shortages Information MPS 2739 – Rifadin (Rifampicin) 100mg/5ml Oral Susp – Supply Alert 3rd December 2020 |
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Yours sincerely
Kerry
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF KERRY GRIMES |Governance & Support Pharmacist
Dear Colleague
Please see correspondence for your attention, from Joe Brogan, Assistant Director of Integrated Care, Head of Pharmacy and Medicines Management.
Letter_to_CPs_OTC_Stop_List_Letter.pdf
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
Please see below a letter for your attention from Dr Brid Farrell, Assistant Director of Service Development, Safety and Quality, PHA.
SUMMARY
A new antibody testing service that has been introduced into Northern Ireland as part of the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) antibody testing programme to support surveillance studies across the UK. The study will include the following group: those working in primary care (for example a GP, pharmacist, community nurse, dental nurse or optician). Further information on the testing and the seroprevalence study is included in the attached document.
ACTION
In order to participate, individuals must register for a test online through the GOV.UK website:
https://www.gov.uk/register-coronavirus-antibody-test
NB. Not all who register for a test may receive one.
Antibody_testing_letter_3.12.2020.pdf
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive