No. 3 2015
Transcription
No. 3 2015
To: All IPU Contractor Members From: Secretary General Date: 1 April No. 3 2015 From: Date: 31 March 2015 NOTE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL It’s election time again at the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. The candidates for election to the PSI Council have been announced and the ballot papers have issued. This is a serious and important process, through which pharmacists have a say in who oversees the regulation of the profession and the business of pharmacy. Technically PSI Council members are appointed by the Minister for Health, but the Minister may not refuse to appoint pharmacists selected by members of the profession through this election. The Pharmacy Act sets out the functions of the PSI, which are to regulate the profession of pharmacy to protect, maintain and promote the health and safety of the public; to ensure a high standard of education, training and appropriate experience for pharmacists and those seeking to become pharmacists; to ensure that pharmacists undertake appropriate CPD and to supervise compliance with pharmacy and medicines legislation. In order to fulfil its functions, the Pharmacy Act grants to the PSI “all such powers as are necessary or expedient for the performance by it of its functions”. These include powers of entry and inspection, as well as the power to conduct inquiries into the qualifications and fitness to practise of pharmacists and to impose sanctions on pharmacists whom it finds to be unqualified or unfit to practise and on pharmacy owners whom it finds have failed to comply with legislation, regulations or rules. These are very significant powers and must be exercised in a fair and proportionate manner. The costs of all of this regulatory and enforcement activity are borne by our profession through the annual registration fees paid by pharmacists and pharmacy businesses – fees which in Ireland are a multiple of similar fees in other jurisdictions. The Act vests the authority and responsibility to carry out these functions in the PSI Council. Although the Council may delegate any of its functions to its committees or to the Registrar and staff, it is the Council which remains accountable for the proper running of the PSI. Under the Pharmacy Act, the Council has 21 members, of whom only ten are pharmacists: one nominated by the schools of pharmacy and nine elected by the members. The elected pharmacists are not there simply to represent the interests of practising pharmacists but they do contribute an important perspective. They use their experience of the profession and their knowledge of the realities of pharmacy practice to assist the Council to make better informed decisions. They ensure that protection of the public doesn’t become an excuse to over-regulate or oppress pharmacists and that the very significant powers of the PSI are exercised in a manner that is proportionate to actual, not theoretical, risk and that respects pharmacists’ right to the presumption of innocence. In addition, as representatives of the source of all of the PSI’s funding, the elected pharmacists have an important role in ensuring that resources are properly managed and prudently spent and that fees are set at a reasonable level. Concerns over the PSI’s governance have become deeper and more widespread in the last year and we all recognise that there needs to be a sea-change in its attitude towards the pharmacy profession. However, pharmacists are in a minority on the Council and so cannot bring about the necessary change by force of numbers. Instead, they have to influence their nonpharmacist colleagues on the Council. It is a very difficult position, requiring tact, diplomacy and dogged perseverance. Change, if it happens, will be slow; we will need to be patient and to grant our Council members the time to achieve results. There are eight pharmacists nominated for election and all eight are to be commended for putting their heads above the parapet. They have volunteered for a position which carries onerous responsibility, a heavy workload and little thanks. We offer them our gratitude for their willingness to sacrifice their time and energy to this endeavour. Our role, as members, is to decide which candidates we believe best understand the issues and have the experience, the character and the track record to be most effective and then to vote for those candidates. A large voter turnout is essential to show that we take this role seriously; apathy sends the opposite signal. So use your vote, and make sure your friends do too. Regards, 1. IPU NATIONAL PHARMACY CONFERENCE AND AGM, 24-26 APRIL, THE MALTON, KILLARNEY, CO KERRY The IPU National Pharmacy Conference will take place on 24-26 April. The AGM is part of the conference weekend and is held in two parts. Reports from the IPU Committees and Secretariat will be taken at 5.30pm on Friday, 24 April and the AGM Motions will be taken at 12.30pm on Sunday, 26 April. Please remember that you cannot attend the AGM unless you have paid your Annual Subscription. The closing date for receipt of Motions for the AGM is Friday, 3 April. 2. HSE Urinary and Ostomy Reimbursement Products Review The HSE has advised that, following the conclusion of the above review, price changes for a number of existing Urinary and Ostomy products will be implemented for 1 April 2015. These changes will be included on the April 2015 IPU Product File Updates. However, as the HSE only provided us with the list of the products affected at 4pm on the afternoon of Friday 27th March, the prices have not yet been verified with suppliers. Emailed motions should be sent to [email protected] or faxed to 01 493 6626. Alternatively, you can send your motions by post to Butterfield House. The HSE has said it is their intention to provide a further update to the list of reimbursable Urinary and Ostomy products in mid-April. This additional update will provide details of new products and deletions to the list of reimbursable Urinary and Ostomy products. Full Conference details www.pharmacyconference.ie. on These new product details will be included on the May 2015 IPU Product File Update. 12 Sessions to choose from at IPU Conference There is a fantastic line-up of speakers for this year’s IPU National Pharmacy Conference. The clinical sessions will be delivered by a range of speakers, including a number of specialist consultants from across the country. The business sessions will be delivered by leading experts, including top international speakers Kevin Kelly and Dr Johnny Walker. The conference will give you the opportunity to attend six educational sessions over the weekend, supporting you with your CPD. 3. HSE CONTRACT a. April HSE PCRS Claim Submission Dates Tuesday, 7 April is Early & Normal Payment Final Submission Date In April, the final submission date for transmitting your electronic claims and paperwork for Early and Normal payment is Tuesday, 7 April. are A breakfast briefing will take place on Saturday morning. The session, Improving Profitability in Community Pharmacy will discuss ways to improve profitability and the benefits of joining a symbol group. A financial review of the pharmacy sector will also be presented by Stuart Fitzgerald, Business Advisory Director, Fitzgerald Power. A light breakfast will be served. For further information and to book your place, log on to www.pharmacyconference.ie . The HSE PCRS has confirmed that all pharmacies who transmit their claims by midnight on Tuesday, 7 April (3rd working day) and whose paperwork is received in PCRS by close of business on Tuesday, 7 April, will qualify for early payment. Pharmacies who continue to send in claims for manual processing will qualify for normal payment. Fixed exception claims need to be transmitted by midnight on the 8th Working Day, Tuesday, 14 April. Log on to www.ipu.ie > HSE Contract > Claim Submission Dates to view a copy of HSE PCRS Circular 031/14 regarding the 2015 Pharmacy Claim Submission Dates. b. Reference Prices – Further Cuts The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 states that the HSE ‘should review the reference price set for any group of interchangeable medicinal products at least once a year and may, following any such review, set a new reference price for the relevant group of interchangeable medicinal products’. We understand that the HSE is proposing a second wave of reference price cuts to a very wide range of commonly dispensed generics. Current information is that these will be significant reductions. We will follow up with the HSE to establish the exact implementation date for these price cuts and will publish more details as soon as this information becomes available to us. In the meantime, you are advised to manage your stocks carefully over the coming months in order to minimise your losses. The HSE has said that it would give a minimum of four weeks’ notice before changing a reference price, as per the legislation. The HSE confirmed that it was their intention to implement any price changes on the 1st of the month (unless DoH says otherwise). Reference prices will be determined by reviewing prices in all other EU Member States, taking into account any previous agreements in place, e.g. IPHA Agreement, and also considering security of supply concerns. 4. PROFESSIONAL a. Health Screening Training We are delighted to announce another IPU/Irish Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Training for Pharmacists, which will take place on 21 April in Dublin. To register for this highly sought after course, log on to www.ipu.ie > Training & HR > Health Screening Training and download the registration form. The cost of the course is €250, including lunch, teas/coffees and course material. We also recommend that you use IPU NET for your health screening service. IPU NET provides a patient-specific consent form and report, which will give a more professional look and feel to your service. It will also supply the IPU with aggregated anonymised information to assist us in evaluating the service on your behalf. b. Data Protection Booklet You will have recently received a booklet detailing all you need to know about Data Protection. We recommend that all pharmacy staff read this booklet, even those who do not have access to confidential records, to ensure that they are aware of the principles of data protection. Log on to www.ipu.ie > Professional Assistance > Guidelines & Protocols for data protection templates to customise for your pharmacy. c. Veterinary Register A record of all purchases and sales of POM, POM(E), PS and LM animal remedies, both incoming and outgoing transactions, must be maintained in the pharmacy. This record must contain: • The date the transaction occurred; • The precise identity of the animal remedy (i.e. name, form, strength) or medicinal product; • The quantity received or supplied; • The name and address of the supplier or purchaser; • The manufacturer’s batch number of the product received/supplied; • Where the transaction relates to the supply of a prescription only medicine (POM), the serial number of the veterinary prescription. You don’t have to keep this record for purchases and sales of companion animal medicines (CAM). The legislation requires the record to be kept for five years. In addition, pharmacists must, at least once a year, carry out an audit to reconcile incoming and outgoing supplies with supplies currently in stock and any discrepancies shall be specifically recorded and this record shall be retained and made available at the premises for inspection by an authorised officer for a period of not less than five years. d. IPU Academy Webinars IPU Academy is pleased to announce the following webinars in association with MSD: Inflammatory Bowel Disease Webinar Date: Tuesday 14 April (7.30 to 8.30pm) Venue: River Lee Hotel, Cork City Speaker: Dr Jane McCarthy, Gastroenterologist Mercy University Hospital, Cork The aim of this webinar is to provide an overview of the patient journey over from pharmacy/ primary care to secondary care and understanding how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be misinterpreted as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Please contact Lorraine Carr 087 057 9331 [email protected] to attend the live event or alternatively log onto www.ipuacademy.ie to participate in the broadcast webinar. The Management of Stroke Webinar Date: Thursday 16 April (7.30 to 8.30pm) Venue: Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway Speaker: Dr Ronan Collins, Consultant Geriatrician AMNCH, Dublin The aim of this webinar is to review the role of anticoagulants in reducing the risk of stroke and describe the options for treating atrial fibrillation. Please contact Siobhan Maloney 087 064 2677 [email protected] to attend the live event or log on to www.ipuacademy.ie to participate in the broadcast webinar. e. Launch of new CPD ePortfolio for Pharmacists The Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIOP) has confirmed that, with effect from 27 March, all registered Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Assistants have access to the IIOP ePortfolio. According to the IIOP, the ePortfolio will provide a valuable support to pharmacists in planning and recording their continuing professional development (CPD), hence this marks an exciting step in the development of a CPD system to support Irish pharmacists. A Quick-Start Guide has been posted to all pharmacists to help them to get started using their IIOP ePortfolio. It also directs pharmacists to more detailed resources for further information and support. ePortfolio Information Sessions will be held nationwide which can now be booked on the website (www.iiop.ie). f. Naloxone Cascade Training The HSE is launching a National Demonstration Project on Naloxone. This will be prescribed and used by service users throughout the duration of the project. The product's availability will be limited to four areas: Dublin, Limerick, Waterford City and Cork City, as advised by data from the NDRDI. The HSE has asked us to advise IPU members that, as part of the project, Naloxone cascade training took place in Dublin on 25/26 March and will take place at other locations in April and May. All members are invited to attend. For further information log on to www.ipu.ie > Training & HR > Naloxone Cascade Training. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Nicola Corrigan [email protected] or [email protected] and indicate your preferred date and time in the email. Places will be allocated according to availability. We will notify you of the dates, times and locations of additional training sessions once they are confirmed. g. Postgraduate Certificate in Health Promotion NUI Galway has asked us to circulate details of their one-year distance education programme Postgraduate Certificate in Health Promotion – Approaches to Cardiovascular Health and Diabetes Prevention, in partnership with the Irish Heart Foundation, Diabetes Ireland and the National Institute for Preventive Cardiology. For this programme, a primary degree at any level is required. The programme aims to provide candidates with professional education and training in the principles and practice of health promotion as applied to the promotion of cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention. Further information is available from Ms Anne O’Grady, Discipline of Health Promotion, NUI Galway at 091 493644 / [email protected]. Applications can be made online at www.nuigalway/apply. h. Alleged Forged Rx The IPU has been notified of an alleged forged private Rx purporting to have been issued from Longford Medical, Longford Medical Park, Ballyminion, Co Longford. If you receive a Rx from Longford Medical and you are not satisfied that it is authentic, please contact them on 043 334 5223. 5. BUSINESS a. Review of the Community Pharmacy Sector in Ireland 2013/14 A copy of the Review of the Community Pharmacy Sector in Ireland 2013/14, which was commissioned to Fitzgerald Power on our behalf, is available on www.ipu.ie > Communications & Events > Publications. The Review provides an overview of the community pharmacy sector in Ireland in 2013/14. It describes the healthcare role of community pharmacists, looks at the international context and profiles national medicine demands. The financial performance and the economic contribution of the sector are also highlighted. The Review is an important service provided by the IPU to members, outlines the changing profile of the sector and provides you with the opportunity to benchmark against others. As the contents are extremely relevant to all pharmacists we hope that you take the time to read and analyse the report. Also, those who completed the survey as part of the Review should have already received a comprehensive online Benchmarking Tool, confirming how your pharmacy has performed over the previous 12 months in comparison to other pharmacies in the survey. b. Business Training There are only four places left on the IPU Business Academy Customer Services and Complaint handling workshop in Butterfield House on 22 April. Log on to www.ipu.ie > Training & HR > Business Training to book your place on this training programme. Due to the demand for places at our Sales & Merchandising workshops in March we will be holding a further workshop on 20 April in Butterfield House. Log on to www.ipu.ie > Training & HR > Business Training to book your place on this training programme. c. Health Market Research Ireland (hmR) The IPU, together with the Portuguese Pharmacy Association (ANF), will shortly be rolling out its new business intelligence service to be delivered by hmR. This unique new service, called Pharmacy Watch, will be going live in May and will allow participating pharmacies to see trends or changes in product mix as well as transaction values across the sector and within their own businesses. The service will provide participants with access to accurate and up-to-date information to assist them in running their business more efficiently and in benchmarking performance against the local and national pharmacy market. The data will be completely anonymised and aggregated, and the reports will not allow individual pharmacies to be identified. If you have not registered yet with hmR Ireland and wish to avail of their new state-of-the-art business intelligence service, you can do so by logging on https://hmrireland.wufoo.eu/forms/healthmarket-research-ireland/ and completing the online registration form. For further information, contact John Donnelly at [email protected]. d. Security Alert We have received a number of Security Calls recently and would like to highlight the following: There has been an increase in the number of calls involving pharmacy overnight break-ins, particularly in the Dublin area; and When receiving a delivery, please take extra care with the new stock as thieves may be targeting pharmacy deliveries. We received a report of an unsolicited call being made to a pharmacy in relation to their pharmacy alarm/CCTV systems. Please ensure that you know the identity of anyone to whom you give details of your security systems. Please continue to be extra vigilant with regard to security in your pharmacy. Ensure that you have opening and closing procedures in place and that all staff are briefed and familiar with those procedures. If you have experienced a break-in, raid, attempted raid, hold-up or attempted holdup in your pharmacy, please inform both the Gardaí and the IPU. Aoife Garrigan in the HSE Contract Unit deals with the reporting and monitoring of pharmacy raids and can be contacted at [email protected] / 01 493 6401. We also provide a Security Pack, which includes advice on keeping your pharmacy secure, how to deal with suspected thieves and more. If you would like a Security Pack, please contact Aoife. Darren Kelly, Business Development Manager, provides advice to members on all issues around pharmacy security and liaises with the Gardaí. He can be contacted at [email protected] or on the direct business line at 01 406 1558. e. Cash Processing/Purchasing Following the increase in bank charges for lodging cash, we have negotiated a group rate for IPU members for cash processing/purchasing with G4S. G4S Cash Solutions is licensed by the Private Security Authority and the National Standards Authority of Ireland. They conform to I.S. 998 Cash-in-Transit quality standard and all their security personnel are PSA licensed. G4S is a member of the Irish Security Industry Association. Log on to www.ipu.ie > Business Assistance > Banking for further information and pricing details. 6. TRAINING IPU Supervisory Development Course The IPU Supervisory Development Course is a new initiative to add to our current training portfolio. This course is an introduction to Leadership and Management and is targeted at candidates who are in a supervisory or management role or aspire to be in the future. This interactive workshop will be delivered over two days, one month apart. For further information and an application form on this course go to www.ipu > Training & HR > Supervisory Development Course or telephone Darren, Janice or Susan on 01 493 6401. 7. COMMUNICATIONS Pharmacy in the Media The IPU met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in March to discuss the price of medicines. There was significant media coverage of this, quoting IPU representatives warning that if prices continue to fall, it may lead to further medicines shortages. Interviews were carried on Newstalk (Breakfast Show and Lunchtime Show) and media coverage was also received on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One, RTE.ie, the Irish Times, Irish Independent and Irish Examiner. Many photographs of the Technician’s Graduation at the beginning of March were published in regional newspapers across the country. A press release was issued at the end of the month warning parents of some risks when giving children medicine. Media coverage was received in the Irish Examiner and Daily Mirror, as well as regional media. 8. PSI COUNCIL ELECTIONS We wish all the candidates in the upcoming elections to the PSI Council every success. Community Pharmacy needs a strong voice on Council and it is vitally important that you vote. A list of the candidates is available on www.thepsi.ie. 9. PHARMACY BENEVOLENT FUND (PBF) The PBF has asked us to remind you that 31 May is the closing date for entry to the 2015 PBF Draw. The subscription is €250. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Pharmacy Benevolent Fund Ltd’ and posted to Pharmacy Benevolent Fund Draw, c/o 3 Rossmore Avenue, Dublin 6W. If you wish to pay by credit or debit card please donate via the mycharity.ie page; the link to this page can be accessed by clicking the mycharity button on www.pbf.ie. Please donate €250, mark your donation “draw” and include your name with the donation so that you can be included in the draw. The Pharmacy Benevolent Fund (PBF) is a lifeline for members of the pharmacy profession who have fallen on hard times. The PBF not only provides financial assistance but it also offers a hand of friendship though personal visits, telephone calls and letters. There has never been a greater need for the PBF. You are invited to attend a PBF meeting at 5.30pm on Saturday 25 April at the IPU National Conference to learn more about the work of the PBF and how you can help make a difference. The PBF is struggling to meet ends meet, so please support it if you can. Thank you for your continued support and, as ever, please keep us informed on any issues of concern to you. Kind regards, _______________________ Darragh J O’Loughlin, Secretary General. This communication is the property of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU). The contents of this communication are confidential to IPU members and should not be forwarded to a third party. If you receive this communication in error, please return to the IPU. ©2015 Copyright. All Rights Reserved, Irish Pharmacy Union.