Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor
The Department of Health NI issued correspondence here dated 23 May 2025 extending the expiry dates of SSP060 and SSP061 for Creon® 10,000 and 25,000 gastro-resistant capsules, to Friday 21 November 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.

ACTION

Contractors should:

  • Review the letter here dated 23 May 2025, and ensure that their dispensary teams are aware of the extension of the expiry dates of SSP060 and SSP061 to Friday 21 November 2025, and of the specific details relating to these SSPs;
  • Note 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.

Contractors are reminded of information issued by BSO ‘Serious Shortage Protocols: Submission Information for Contractors’ which can be accessed here.

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 all community pharmacies who are contracted to provide the Pharmacy First Pilot Service for the Treatment of Shingles

Dear Contractor

  • SPPG have issued correspondence on 28 May 2025 regarding the Pharmacy First Pilot Service for the Treatment of Shingles.
  • SPPG have confirmed that the service will be further extended until 31 August 2025.
  • Pharmacies may wish to continue to promote the service on social media platforms using the resources available on the BSO website, and they may wish to let local GP surgeries know of the extension.

Please contact your Pharmacy Advisor at SPPG offices if you have any further queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
**FAO LIVING WELL PHARMACIES ONLY**
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued correspondence on 28 May 2025 regarding the Living Well Service.

SUMMARY

  • The ‘Know your units’ campaign will begin on 1 June 2025 and will run for two months.
  • The previous ‘Know your units’ campaign in 2024 was overwhelmingly positive and more information can be viewed here.
  • Resources will be provided by 28 May 2025 and as per the service specification, posters should be displayed in at least one window of the pharmacy.
  • If resources are not received by 28 May 2025, email reception.pha@hscni.net and ensure the email subject is titled ‘LIVING WELL PHARMACY CAMPAIGN’. Failure to report this by 4 June 2025 will result in no resources being provided.
  • PHA will release social media posts to support the campaign which can be shared on social media channels. Resources are also available to download on the BSO website.
  • Training resources will be detailed in the campaign briefing.
  • A requirement for the Living Well service is to complete an online survey for each campaign. Further information on this can be found in the letter.
    • The survey opening and closing dates have been added to the BSO 2025 calendar provided to all contractors.
  • The first campaign for 25/26 ‘Be cancer aware‘ will finish on 31 May 2025. The survey will open on 2 June 2025 at 9am, and close on 30 June 2025 at 6pm.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to read the correspondence issued by SPPG on 28 May 2025 regarding the Living Well Service and share with all relevant members of the team.

Please contact CPNI offices if you have any questions in relation to this correspondence.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
For the attention of all community pharmacies who are contracted to provide the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service Winter 24/25
Dear Contractor
  • SPPG have issued correspondence on 27 May 2025 regarding the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service Winter 2024/25.
  • SPPG have confirmed that the service will be further extended until 31 August 2025.
  • Pharmacies may wish to continue to promote the service on social media platforms using the resources available on the BSO website, and they may wish to let local GP surgeries know of the extension.

Please contact your Pharmacy Advisor at SPPG offices if you have any further queries.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
Correspondence was issued by SPPG on 3 April 2025 regarding the Community Pharmacy Stop Smoking Service.

SUMMARY

  • The service contract has been revised and all service providers are required to submit acceptance of the new contract for the service from 1 April 2025 via MS forms using the following link.
  • SPPG have requested that contracts which were not returned by the initial deadline (15 April 2025) are now returned as soon as possible.
  • If a contractor does not currently provide the Stop Smoking Service but wishes to do so, they are requested to contact the PHA for more information.
  • The service specification, quality standards, and other relevant information can be found on the BSO website.
  • The contractor must ensure all staff are trained and competent to deliver the service in line with the service specification, and must ensure they adhere to Appendix A: Capacities and responsibilities in respect of the processing of personal data.
  • The service is available for the whole population, with a particular focus on three priority groups as set out in the DoH ‘Ten year tobacco control strategy for Northern Ireland‘:
    • Children and young people
    • Pregnant women and their partners who smoke
    • Disadvantaged people.
  • Please note, support for vapers who wish to stop is not part of the service specification but is currently under review.
  • The Elite system is the main data collection tool for the community pharmacy Stop Smoking Service and it is essential that all clients accessing the service are recorded.
    • The required monitoring information for each patient should be recorded on Elite in a timely manner.
  • The fees paid for service provision are processed by BSO based on entry of a patient record on to the Elite system.
  • NRT can only be provided on a pharmacy voucher (PV1) for patients enrolled in the service and recorded on to Elite.
    • An assurance exercise in 2024 identified some pharmacy voucher claims for patients who were not recorded on the Elite system.
    • Follow-up with the affected pharmacies will occur over the coming weeks.
  • There are no reimbursement arrangements in place for NRT supplied on a HS21 by IP pharmacists through the Stop Smoking Service as this is not included in the service specification currently.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to:

  • Review the SPPG correspondence issued on 3 April 2025 regarding the Stop Smoking Service and share with all relevant members of the pharmacy team.
  • If not already completed, return a contract to SPPG as soon as possible.

If you have any queries in relation to this correspondence, please contact PHATobaccoAdmin@hscni.net.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Daffodil Standards Northern Ireland

Reminder: Community Pharmacies across Northern Ireland can now sign up to the Daffodil Standards for palliative and end of life care.

The Daffodil Standards are a joint initiative between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Marie Curie – Northern Ireland and provide a framework for pharmacy teams to use to build on the high standard of care already provided to palliative care patients and their families.

An ECHO session regarding palliative care and the Daffodil Standards was provided on 29 April 2025.  For those unable to attend, a recording of the session can be viewed on the ECHO moodle website here.

More information on how pharmacy teams can sign up to the Standards is available here.

SPPG also recently issued correspondence to community pharmacists regarding anticipatory prescribing for palliative and end of life care patients.  This can be viewed here.

Pharmacy team(s) can keep updated via CPNI’s Contractor Calendar and Contractor Emails.

Or report medicine shortages, pricing and staffing issues via CPNI’s Medicine Pricing/Supply Reporter and Situation Reporter.

Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
Gerard Greene
Chief Executive