Contractor Email Archive - Page 308 of 311

Dear colleague,

COVID-19 Update – CPNI Meeting with Health Minister

CPNI representatives met yesterday evening with the Health Minister Robin Swann and officials to agree immediate measures to support the network during the Covid-19 pandemic.  These measures will be outlined fully in correspondence from the Health and Social Care Board to be issued today.

The Minister gave a commitment of £10.5 million Covid-19 emergency funding to ensure pharmacy contractors can pay suppliers bills, increased staff costs and the special measures that many of you have put in place to protect your staff and the public.

The allocation of the £10.5m funding is currently being worked through, however £4m will be provided to contractors in the early part of April.

CPNI welcomed this much needed funding but reiterated that there are several further issues that need to be addressed urgently.

In relation to prescription delivery service, assurances were given that the Department would undertake public messaging, including ministerial statements to manage public expectation.   CPNI has been and will continue to roll out our own messaging in the media to reinforce these messages.

The Health Minister acknowledged and accepted that there is huge pressure on community pharmacy, including abuse which was not acceptable. He was receptive and prepared to listen and had been clearly informed of the funding and Covid-19 difficulties by several contractors and political representatives. 

Contractors should note that BSO will process the £10m advance referred to in the letter from the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on the 19^th of March with the February BSO prescription, payment payable on the 31^st March. The balance of £25m will be paid via BACS on the 3^rd April.

CPNI will continue to make representations on behalf of contractors at this difficult and challenging time.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

To help support Community Pharmacy in the current COVID situation, a series of “Frequently Asked Questions” has been developed by HSCB, in conjunction with PHA, DOH and CPNI. This document covers a range of issues and will be updated on a regular basis as the information changes. It can be accessed on the BSO website here.

The “Frequently Asked Questions” supersede the Community Pharmacy Standard Operating Procedure that was available on COVID-19 BSO website.

Please see attached HSCB correspondence for more information.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Download

Dear Colleague

For Information only at this stage: Coronavirus Bill 2020 – Emergency Powers

The Government has introduced the Coronavirus Bill 2020 to provide emergency powers to deal with the current crisis. It would appear that, when the Bill is passed:

Dentists and GP practice nurses may be asked to assist staff in hospitals in administering injections and medication that would normally only be administered by hospital medics. Although pharmacists are not mentioned here, potentially they may also be asked to do this;

There will be provision for indemnity for clinical negligence liabilities of healthcare professionals and others arising from HS activities carried out as part of the response to a coronavirus outbreak. The intention is to ensure that, in the exceptional circumstances that might arise in a coronavirus outbreak, sufficient indemnity arrangements are in place to cover all HS activities required to respond to the outbreak including where such activities are outside the scope of their usual day-to-day practices;

The Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland will be empowered to register as pharmacists fit and proper persons who are suitably experienced if a state of emergency is declared.

The Bill provides that, when passed as the Coronavirus Act 2020, the powers it contains will lapse after two years unless a power to extend the period is activated.

Action:

For information only at this stage.

CPNI will continue to inform and support you as these matters are rolled out.

Yours sincerely

Mike

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

Dear Colleague,

You will be aware that the first collection of March prescriptions to BSO is due to start today. We are fully aware of the current pressures facing community pharmacy teams and recognise that you may not have had a chance to prepare your prescriptions for submission to BSO. We have raised this issue with BSO/HSCB colleagues and the current advice is as follows:

If you can, please try to submit as many of the prescriptions that you have ready in the first submission to BSO
If you are unable to submit your prescriptions to BSO, we have been assured by BSO that there are contingency measures in place which would be based on BSO making an estimated payment, further details of which will be provided by BSO later this week

This position may change as we progress through this unprecedented COVID situation. We will keep you updated of any developments as they occur.

In the meantime, can I thank you and your teams for your ongoing professionalism and dedication in this most challenging time.

Yours sincerely,

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Deliveries – COVID-19 Update

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak community pharmacies have been inundated with requests for prescription deliveries. Today saw a further huge spike in requests from the public due to the announcement on Government Shielding made yesterday. CPNI understands that the advice to shield is likely to apply to between 40,000 to 50,000 patients in Northern Ireland. We understand that community pharmacies will not be in a position to manage all of this new demand.

Northern Ireland arrangements for the delivery of prescription medicines during the COVID period are still being worked through. A number of options remain on the table one of which includes a delivery service specification drafted by CPNI, we await further discussion with HSCB and DoH.

In order to try manage the demand for deliveries in the meantime I would urge community pharmacy teams to check if patients/carers can, as an initial step, try to make their own arrangements by asking a family member, or trusted friend, neighbour or member of a support group who may be offering services locally e.g. e.g. church groups, sports groups etc.

There will be instances where there is no alternative to the pharmacy delivering the medicines and pharmacies are advised to review delivery arrangements and SOPs to ensure these are updated to manage COVID-related risks.

I will provide further information as soon as the arrangements for Northern Ireland are clarified by the HSCB and Department later this week.

Please advise your pharmacy teams accordingly.

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

Dear Colleague,

RE: GP and COVID-19

Update Community Pharmacy Prescription Ordering and Collection Updated Arrangements

New arrangements were worked up with BMA, HSCB and CPNI over the weekend to improve prescription ordering and collection processes at the Community Pharmacy-GP interface.

These will be communicated to GP practices today, Monday 23^rd March 2020.

The new arrangements include the following:-

GP Practice Arrangements

Dedicated phone numbers to be provided by GP practices to community pharmacies

GP practices to facilitate access to the surgery for collection of prescriptions by pharmacies

GP practices to advise patients/carers the preference is for repeat prescriptions to be collected by nominated pharmacies and for patients/carers to allow 48-72 hours for the pharmacy to dispense the medicines

GP practices to seek which pharmacy the patient/carer prefers

GP practices to advise that contact telephone number for patient/carer should be given to allow the pharmacy the option of contacting the patient/carer when the prescription items are ready to collect from pharmacy

GP practices to include patient/carer contact telephone number on prescription

GP practices to facilitate collection of acute prescriptions from surgery by patient/carer

Policy change around one month supply is being considered therefore practice may issue 28/56 day prescriptions (certain circumstances may be longer e.g. contraceptives) – this may change following further discussion on Monday

2. Pharmacy Arrangements

Pharmacy to collect prescriptions and liaise with practice through dedicated phone line
Pharmacy opening will be from 10am to 1pm. Closed for lunch, cleaning and restock from 1pm to 2pm. The opening hours may reduce further due to self-isolation of staff, so local flexibility will be required
Repeats – Pharmacy may contact patient/carer when prescription items are ready for collection provided the patient/carer contact telephone number has been included on the prescription form, Pharmacy to be available for dispensing walk-in acutes during opening hours, but significant queuing times will be inevitable
Pharmacy to provide complete prescription if possible for 1 month or 2 month. Pharmacy may restrict supply to one month supply should excess prescription volume have been ordered and submit form for payment. Patient/carer to be advised to reorder after 3 weeks – as noted above, this may be more strictly regulated in coming days

It is acknowledged that in these extraordinary times closer working between the primary care providers will help manage the workload being faced in primary care at present. It will be important for pharmacies and GP surgeries to work closely at a locality level in operationalising these new arrangements. We are aware that a number of GP practices will become nominated COVID Centres, therefore further contingency measures are anticipated over the coming days.

To help you to manage patients queues, there are a number of queue management mobile Apps available which contractors are reporting to be useful.

Please advise your pharmacy teams accordingly.

The CPNI team is collaborating closely with the HSCB and DoH, we understand HSCB plans to issue a communication to the network today or tomorrow which should provide some further detail on these and other points.

CPNI office remains open to provide any advice and support to contractors, please do not hesitate contact the office on 028 9069 0444.

Yours sincerely

SENT FOR AND BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE | Chief Executive