Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor,

The BSO have issued correspondence on 2 December 2024 regarding the submission of prescriptions to BSO for payment.

SUMMARY

• Contractors are responsible for ensuring that prescriptions are submitted securely to BSO on a timely basis to ensure that contractor BSO payments are not delayed.
• If your prescriptions are submitted late to BSO then BSO may not be able to process your payment in time for the end of the month.
• Prescriptions must be ready on the first day of the agreed collection period when using a courier service.
• Where a submission has not been collected by the third day, it is the pharmacy’s responsibility to contact the courier service or deliver the submission directly to BSO, 2 Franklin Street, Belfast, BT2 8DQ.
• When delivering submissions directly to BSO, deliveries must be made on the dates noted within the correspondence.
• Submissions received after the deadline are at high risk of not being processed.
• This is particularly critical for the BSO payment that is due at the end of December 2024.

CPNI are aware there have been some issues with prescriptions being collected and delivered to BSO within the necessary time frame. With December being a critical month, it is important that prescriptions are delivered to BSO on a timely basis to ensure payment is not delayed.

Contractors may choose any secure means of ensuring that prescriptions are delivered to BSO on time.

ACTION

Contractors are asked to:

• Review the correspondence issued by BSO regarding the submission of prescriptions for payment.
• Ensure that submissions are received by BSO within the agreed time-frame.
• Ensure that any courier used to collect and deliver submissions are contacted urgently where submissions have not been collected when expected and/or where there is a risk of a late submission to BSO.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you require any additional information.

Yours sincerely,

Reminder: The MS forms which has been issued to each Head office/ pharmacy regarding the refresh of handheld scanners should be completed today, 6th December 2024. If any contractor is unable to locate the SPPG email, please contact local integrated care offices.

Dear Contractor

SUMMARY

SPPG have issued correspondence regarding the refresh of handheld barcode scanners within community pharmacy. Each Head Office/pharmacy should now have received an email from SPPG which includes a Microsoft Forms link to complete. This should be submitted by Friday 6^th December 2024.

ACTION

Please check that you have received this correspondence from SPPG and that you submit the information requested in the MS forms link by the deadline stated.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI if you require any further information.

Kind regards

“Over half of UK small businesses identified a cyber attack last year” Free: My Cyber Toolkit

Dear Contractor

Over half of UK small businesses identified a cyber attack last year

Around 1 in 3 UK small businesses experienced a cyber crime

(Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024)

These are startling figures.

In response, the Northern Ireland Cyber Security Centre (NICSC) has launched ‘My Cyber Toolkit’ which you can access via this link: Cyber Toolkit.  This is supported by the NI Police Cyber Security Lead.

This free toolkit, which is aimed at the small business sector, contains actionable guidance and can be completed in your own time (it is estimated that it should take about two hours to complete).  This is a FREE user friendly tool that will help you to be more cyber resilient and help you reduce the likelihood of a cyber attack.

How it works:

Get personalised actions
After a few short questions, you’ll get a list of actions handpicked for small businesses by the government’s cyber security experts.

Complete them at your own pace
Starting with low-effort, high-impact actions, the guidance walks you through each one step-by-step.  You can then mark them as completed and keep track of your progress.

Build layers of protection around your business
As you complete actions, you’ll build layers of protection around your business that prevent common cyber threats such as email hacking, data breaches and ransomware.

Action

Contractors are advised to:

Note the free toolkit which is available here and consider applying it to your business.

Contractors are reminded that the storage and back up of patient sensitive data and any amendments to your systems should be carried out in line with advice from your PMR system provider and in line with Data Protection legislation.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dear Colleague

The final update of concessionary prices were granted today for November 2024:

Drug	Pack Size	Concessionary Price
Desloratadine 5mg tablets *	30	£4.56
Memantine 20mg tablets	28	£7.99
Melatonin 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free	150	£50.50
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets	25	£22.41
Travoprost 40micrograms/ml / timolol 5mg/ml eye drops *	2.5	£10.59
Vardenafil 20mg tablets *	4	£3.65

Please note that products marked with an * will roll over into December 2024.

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

Please continue to notify CPNI of any pricing issues you are experiencing via our Medicine Shortage Reporter.

Concessionary prices are also published on the CPNI website.

Kind regards

Dear Contractor,

Following the recent Autumn Budget announcement that included increases to both Employer NIC contributions and NLW/NMW in 2025/26, a letter, co-signed by the Chairs of Community Pharmacy NI, British Dental Association (NI), BMA NI General Practitioners Committee, and Optometry NI was sent to the Health Minister Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA seeking relief against these cost increases. The letter also asked that the relevant pay and remuneration uplifts for 2024/25 are provided in full to respective contractors at the earliest opportunity.

A press release was also issued today in relation to the co-signed CPNI, BMA, BDA and ONI letter to the Health Minister.

CPNI considers the joint approach to be highly significant, demonstrating very clearly the shared concerns that exist within primary care to both the 2025/26 Budget changes and the current levels of investment in primary care. CPNI will continue to make representations on behalf of community pharmacy contractors on on-going contractual and funding matters.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices if you require any additional information.

Yours sincerely,

**FAO LIVING WELL PHARMACIES ONLY**

Dear Contractor

Correspondence has been issued by SPPG on 02 December 2024 regarding the Living Well Campaign.

SUMMARY

• The survey for the campaign ‘Sexual Health’ has opened on 02 December 2024 and can be accessed here.
• The survey will remain open until 6pm on Monday 13 January 2025.
• The current campaign ‘Stay well this winter’ began on 1st December 2024 and online resources for this campaign can be found on the BSO website.

ACTION

• Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG on 02 December 2024 regarding the Living Well Service and share with relevant team members.
• The survey for the campaign ‘Sexual Health’ is now available and must be completed before 6pm on Monday 13 January 2025.

For any further information please contact CPNI offices.

Kind regards