Archives: Contractor Email

This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

MHRA UPDATE

Community Pharmacy Awareness Campaign – Extended to 17th May 2024

Thank you for supporting the community pharmacy campaign which calls for fair funding for pharmacies. We hope the resources have been helpful when engaging with patients and the wider community.

With the availability of additional video resources, we have extended the campaign timeframe until the week ending the 17th of May 2024.  This will give contractors the opportunity to share the social media assets across their social media channels.  You may consider adding your own experiences.  If you need additional petition copies they are available here.

I would encourage you to make your pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.

Thank you again for your support.

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 Shortage 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

Dear Contractor,

Thank you for supporting the community pharmacy campaign which calls for fair funding for pharmacies.  We hope the resources have been helpful when engaging with patients and the wider community.

With the availability of additional video resources, we have extended the campaign timeframe until the week ending the 17th of May 2024.  This will give contractors the opportunity to share the social media assets across their social media channels.  You may consider adding your own experiences.  If you need additional petition copies they are available here.

I would encourage you to make your pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.

Thank you again for your support.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued an important reminder to check the expiry date of Spikevax® XBB.1.5 stock.

SUMMARY

  • Some vaccines that were provided early in the Spring Booster Campaign have an expiry date of the 11th May 2024.
  • Due to Spikevax® XBB.1.5 vaccine having a thawed expiry date of 30 days, any stock that was delivered in the first week of April will also be expired. The thawed expiry date should be noted on the outside of the box by Movianto.
  • Quotas at Movianto have now been reset to allow further orders to facilitate stock replenishment.
  • Due to the 30 day expiry, orders should only be placed within 2 weeks of clinics taking place.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG on 9th May 2024 regarding the Spring COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Pharmacies are asked to check all expiry dates of Spikevax® XBB.1.5 vaccine stock and dispose of any that are out of date.
  • Please share this information with all relevant staff members

If you have any queries relating to this correspondence please contact Gráinne McMahon (Grainne.McMahon4@hscni.net) or Greg Miller  (Greg.Miller@hscni.net).

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
SPPG have issued important information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination programme on 9th May 2024.

SUMMARY

  • Community Pharmacies who are involved in vaccinating care homes for the Spring Booster Campaign are able to access the PHA vaccinator pool. Trained vaccinators employed by the PHA can offer additional support for care home vaccination clinics. This is a free service to community pharmacy and further information can be found here.
  • Support from Trust learning disability nurses is available for those pharmacies administering vaccinations to patients with learning disabilities within care homes. This support can be requested through the care home manager, who can arrange provision with the local Trust learning disability team.
  • Community Pharmacies are encouraged to continue to progress the care home vaccinations as a priority, and to enter patient data as soon as possible onto the VMS, to confirm vaccination status and facilitate the real time monitoring by PHA.

ACTION

  • Contractors are asked to review the correspondence issued by SPPG on 9th May 2024 regarding the Spring COVID-19 vaccination programme.
  • Community Pharmacies wishing to avail of the PHA vaccinator pool are asked to access this information here. The request form should be emailed to PHAVaccinesitrep@hscni.net
  • Support from a Trust learning disability nurse for pharmacies vaccinating patients in care homes with learning disabilities can be requested through the care home manager.
  • Pharmacies are asked to continue the progression to date of vaccinating care homes and enter the data on to the VMS to confirm vaccination status.
  • Please share this information with all relevant staff members
If you have any queries relating to this correspondence please contact Gráinne McMahon (Grainne.McMahon4@hscni.net) or Greg Miller (Greg.Miller@hscni.net).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor,

DoH(NI) today launched the new Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy with a press release that is available on the DoH(NI) website here.

The new Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy is an important document that has been developed in conjunction with DoH(NI) and SPPG over recent months.

It is encouraging to see a roadmap for the sector, including the development of important clinical roles in the period through to 2030. While the Strategic Plan for Community Pharmacy and the general content of the DoH(NI) press release is to be welcomed, CPNI is concerned about references to community pharmacy funding in the “Notes to Editors” section at the bottom of the DoH(NI) press release.

The CPNI view on the funding reference within the Notes is available here.

CPNI will be updating political representatives as a matter of urgency and we would ask you to also use the information provided in this Contractor Update in your discussions with local MPs, MLAs and Councillors.

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

Yours sincerely,

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

CPNI ALERTS

DOH(NI) ALERTS

BSO ALERTS

Community Pharmacy Awareness Campaign

Thank you for supporting the community pharmacy campaign which calls for fair funding for pharmacies.  We hope the resources have been helpful when engaging with patients and the wider community.

Over the coming weeks we will be issuing campaign related video clips such as this one across our social media platforms which we would ask you to share on your own channels.  You may want to add your own experiences and perspectives.

Available here is a social media asset which you may wish to add to your social media channels with the following copy running alongside: Underfunding means that community pharmacies across Northern Ireland can no longer guarantee that you will get the medicines you need, when you need them.  Please call into your local pharmacy to find out how you can support the campaign.

The petition is running until the week ending the 10th of May and if you need additional petition copies they are available here.

Your support of the campaign is working as we have been contacted directly by MLAs who have received correspondence from concerned constituents regarding the need for fair funding for pharmacies to help guarantee the supply of medication to patients in Northern Ireland.

I would encourage you to make your pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team aware of the campaign and the important impact patients and customers can make in supporting it.

Thank you again for your support.

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 Shortage 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