Please find attached agenda for an ECHO session being held tomorrow evening, Tuesday 12th May 2020, from 7.30pm to 9:00pm.
Topics covered will include an update on the Furlough scheme and Misuse of Drug Regulations.
Please note, the Zoom Meeting IDs will change each month as a safety precaution. See updated meeting link and ID below, to access tomorrow’s ECHO session:
The email address NCTP@hscni.net should no longer be used.
It is also possible to request a home postal test kit through this portal (the number of home tests are limited at present). This option may be suitable for non-drivers.
Further details regarding the Covid-19 testing options for community pharmacy staff is contained in the attached document.
Reminder – Requirement for all Pharmacies to Complete Daily HSC SitReps
Thank you to the pharmacy teams who have been completing the HSCB Situation Reports (SitReps) and submitting them to HSCB on a daily basis.
It is important that all pharmacies do this on a daily basis and I would ask that you ensure your pharmacy staff complete this task. It may be useful to set a reminder on the PMR or on your phone. The purpose of the SitReps is to ascertain the daily status of all community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is reported to the highest level within the Department of Health.
Your support with this matter would be much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
BSO Payment Processed to Community Pharmacy Contractors on 30th April 2020
The BSO were able to process all March 2020 prescriptions that were submitted to it by Contractors in the first and second March Rx submissions thus enabling an actual March 2020 prescription payment to be made by BSO. This negated the need for the BSO to make the payment based on an estimate payment, which was the contingency arrangement, if required.
The total payments processed by BSO to Contractors yesterday were as follows:
Total March’20 BSO Prescription payment
£ 46,853,968.07
COVID related funding
£6,500,000
Total
£53,353,968.07
The attached letter, sent by Joe Brogan, HSCB to all pharmacies provides further detail on the various COVID payments being processed to Contractors between 31st March and 31st May 2020, including the breakdown of the £6.5m COVID funding allocated by BSO yesterday.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices should you require any additional information.
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
Notification from the Pharmaceutical Society NI on the Pre-registration Examination 2020
The Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) has today issued advice on the examination of pre-registration pharmacists for the 2019-2020 period. The letter can be accessed via the link below:
An examination will be scheduled in early August, subject to government advice on gatherings at that time. PSNI is currently researching venues with the intention of locating a number of sites which will facilitate adequate social distancing, and will make a further announcement later with dates, available venues and examination registration procedures.
PSNI urges as many students and tutors as possible to complete any remaining compulsory aspects of training including 39 week appraisals and ensure that at least 45 weeks training have been completed by the end of July.
PSNI advises that the Department will ensure pre-registration funding is available until the registration date in August, allowing trainees to remain in post with the agreement of their employer. Consideration is also being given to measures that may be needed to help students to prepare for the exam and to support professional development during the first year in practice.
PSNI advises that when 52 weeks training is complete, trainees will still require pharmacist supervision but need not be the sole pupil of their tutor. This additional period should be used to continue learning in preparation for entering practice and sitting the registration examination.
Action
Contractors are advised to:
(a) Read the letter issued by PSNI and take any action necessary to ensure all relevant staff are aware of the revised procedures.
CPNI will continue to update and support contractors over the months ahead.
Kind regards
Mike
Sent on behalf of Prof Mike Mawhinney| Head of Regulatory Affairs
Dear Colleague
Further to the letter issued by HSCB on 19th March (attached), we can confirm that arrangements to stand down supervision remain in place for the majority of OST patients. However, as outlined in a recent HSCB OST update letter (attached) recent discussions between HSCB and Trust Addictions services leads indicate that a small number of higher risk patients have been identified by Trust Addiction teams who still require a supervision service in community pharmacies where the pharmacy is able to safely do so.
Trust and HSCB teams are fully aware that there may be issues with the choice of pharmacy in that not all pharmacies can provide the service due to the challenges in respect of social distancing. HSCB will liaise with service providers and Addiction services should there be a necessity to find a suitable pharmacy. Please note HSCB is fully aware that this may not be possible at this time and contractors are not under any obligation to provide the service.
Should you or your pharmacy team be approached by Trust Addiction teams requesting this service, please contact your local HSCB Pharmacy Adviser to discuss the issue further.
Community Pharmacy teams who provide supervised OST should note that access to PPE is recommended when providing the service to patients during this COVID period and to that end updated advice on PPE and the process for replenishment of PPE, effective from 1st May 2020, was included in a letter from Joe Brogan and Cathy Harrison to all community pharmacies on 1st May 2020 (and shared with Contractors in the CPNI COVID Contractor Update#82 issued earlier today).
Yours sincerely
SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive
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