The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued correspondence to registrants on 18 February 2026 regarding upcoming webinars on the updated Code of Conduct, Ethics and Performance for Pharmacists in NI.
REMINDER CPNI Briefing at the Committee for Health on Thursday 26th February 2026
Dear Colleague,
An urgent opportunity has arisen for CPNI representatives to brief the NI Assembly Committeefor Health on Thursday 26th February 2026. This is an important meeting at which CPNI representatives will update MLAs on Medicines Supply and Community Pharmacy Pressures.
CPNI has been warning of heightened risks to medicines supply and patient access due to ongoing UK-wide shortages and severe financial pressure on the community pharmacy sector in Northern Ireland, which is making the situation more acute here.
What We Are Asking Contractors to Do?
This meeting provides a public platform at which CPNI can brief the Health Committee and to strengthen this engagement, we are inviting contractors to get in touch with their local Health Committee MLAs and share their own experiences. Given the limited timeframe, we are asking contractors to focus on the following specific actions:
1. Engage with Your Local Health Committee MLA
Please contact your local MLA by phone, email, or in-person over the next two weeks (contact details are listed below). Fridays are constituency days and MLAs are often in their offices to take calls or meet with local constituents.
Key points to raise:
Pharmacies are a critical front-line service for patients, dispensing millions of prescriptions annually. However current funding and supply chain pressures mean the sector’s ability to maintain reliable medicines access is increasingly under strain.
Where applicable, include references to any difficulties you have experienced in paying medicine wholesalers in recent months, if you anticipate this getting worse and any additional steps you have had to take to pay medicine bills.
With escalating medicines shortages, outline that you have growing concerns that patient care is being potentially compromised through delays, leading to increased clinical risk.
To illustrate the situation, provide examples of key medicine shortages you are increasingly dealing with and the conditions they treat.
Outline the significant time spent sourcing stock that is no longer readily available.
2. Patient Power
The patient voice is powerful and if you have any patients who would like to share their experiences of medicines shortages and how this has affected them, please do encourage them to also contact their local Health Committee representative.
3. Social Media
Take a screenshot of the list of shortages, including the lines you can’t secure at Drug Tariff price and share this on social media, tagging your local MLAs.
You could add in your own words that the Department of Health aren’t funding you properly to buy this/these medicines.
Why This Matters Now?
Without urgent stabilisation of the community pharmacy sector, medicines supply risks will increasingly affect patients, primary care services and the wider health system in Northern Ireland.
It is important that the Health Committee members are fully briefed and this can only happen if they hear directly from contractors ‘on the ground’ in their local constituencies. This will significantly strengthen the case being presented and ensure that the risks to patient care are fully understood, in addition to supporting CPNI’s call for urgent departmental engagement to address the unsustainable funding model to protect and maintain safe, sustainable pharmacy services.
If there isn’t an MLA from your area represented on the Health Committee, please share your experiences with the Committee Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.
This is a critical moment for community pharmacy and your engagement, will make a meaningful difference.
Thank you for your continued professionalism and commitment to patient care and please do get in touch with CPNI, if you need further information.
Yours sincerely,
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Reminder: NICPLD IP Training Course – Applications Close 3 March 2026
Dear Contractor
The application window for the next NICPLD IP training course (commencing August/September 2026) is now open. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 3 March 2026.
Full details are available on the NICPLD website here.
SUMMARY
50 IP training places are available for community pharmacists.
Applicants will be responsible for finding their own DPP.
A payment of £1,500 is available for each DPP supporting a community pharmacist.
ACTION
Contractors may wish to note the information on the NICPLD website and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team including:
Community pharmacists who are interested in undertaking IP training.
Community pharmacist IPs who might consider acting as a DPP.
Queries regarding the IP training course can be sent to nicpld-prescribing@qub.ac.uk. Alternatively, if you wish to speak to a member of the CPNI team you may contact Ennis.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
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