Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor

Update on CPD Requirements for 2020/21

In May 2020, the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society NI agreed to postpone CPD submissions from 31 May 2020 to 31st August 2020 for the CPD year 2019/20 in response to pressures on the profession arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Society has subsequently issued a letter updating pharmacists on the requirements for the 2020/21 CPD year which can be accessed here.

Summary

The CPD Year 2020/21 will run for 9 months from 01 September 2020 – 31 May 2021;

The time requirement for portfolio submissions will be reduced as follows:

  •  Full portfolio: reduced to 22.5 hours including 3.75 hours documentation time;
  •  Partial portfolio: reduced to 11.25 hours including 2 hours documentation time.

Action

Contractors are advised to read and note the content of the letter.

The CPNI team will continue to keep you informed of any further developments.

Kind regards

Mike

Sent on behalf of Prof Mike Mawhinney | Head of Regulatory Affairs

+++ FAO Pharmacies Contracted to Provide This Year’s HSCB Commissioned Flu Service +++

Dear Colleague,

Please find attached a letter being issued by HSCB today giving you an update on the flu vaccination service planned for this year.

Please share this with your pharmacy teams accordingly.

We will keep you informed of any further updates as they become available.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

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Dear Colleague,

PROTECTING COMMUNITY PHARMACY TEAMS

Please see attached for your attention, letter from Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

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Dear colleague,

I am delighted to officially launch CPNI’s newly designed website.

Our goal when developing the new website was to create a one-stop communications resource which allowed contractors to quickly and easily access community pharmacy information.

We hope this has been achieved as the website is home to a wide variety of pharmacy news and guidance, covering several topics including COVID, community pharmacy funding and services.

Some elements of CPNI’s previous website have been refreshed and some exciting new features added including:

The Members’ only area feature has been retained, but due to GDPR guidelines, contractors who were previously registered will still need to register on the new site.

This section contains private and confidential information and I would strongly urge you to register as a Member by clicking here.

If you would like to nominate a pharmacy superintendent or another person on your team as a Member on your behalf, please email Karen Douglas.

I hope you find the website informative and if you have any questions, suggestions or feedback please contact Jude Austin.

Click here to see CPNI’s new website

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

Please see information below which is being sent to all community pharmacies and GP practices from Mr Joe Brogan.

HSS(MD)62/2020 – LITHIUM CARBONATE (PRIADEL®) 200MG AND 400MG MODIFIED RELEASE TABLETS – SUPPLY DISRUPTION ALERT – Further update

Further to Department of Health (NI) correspondence HSS(MD)62/2020 issued on 24th August 2020, GP Practices and Community Pharmacists are advised that a Regional Steering Group is to be established which will work with relevant key stakeholders to effectively manage the discontinuation of Lithium Carbonate ( Priadel ®) 200mg and 400mg Modified Release tablets. This is to ensure that affected patients in primary and secondary care have their treatment switched to a suitable alternative in a safe and coordinated way. It is expected that further advice on this will be issued to GP practice and Community Pharmacists no later than the end of October. In the interim, GP practices are therefore asked not to refer patients back to secondary care, or request a review or advice in relation to this discontinuation from secondary care colleagues.

GPs and Community Pharmacists should advise any concerned patients to continue on their existing lithium regimen until they are contacted directly by their prescriber, and assure them that arrangements are being put in place for a managed switch.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

You will be aware that funding was secured for up to a 2 month extension for pre-registration students who were due to sit their examination in June (depending on whether pre-registration was commenced on 1/7/2019 or 1/8/2019). Further information can be found in the following letter:

http://www.hscbusiness.hscni.net/pdf/300620_Letter%20to%20CPs_Pre_reg_19_20_extension.pdf

The claim form can be accessed at this link:

Pre-Registration Trainees in Community Pharmacies

The claim form can only be completed after the registration date so you should now be able to do this.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive