Enabling Owings Functionality
In November 2022, the PCRS Pharmacy Circular 030 22 instructed each Community Pharmacy Contractor to contact their vendor requesting for the Owings functionality to be installed and enabled. If you have not contacted your vendor, the IPU strongly advises that you do so immediately. When you email the vendor, it is important to:
- Copy ProbityPharm@hse.ie, PCRS.PharmDeclaration@hse.ie, and pharmacy.response@hse.ie in the email;
- Put ‘Install and Enable Owings’ in the subject bar; and,
- Include your pharmacy name and GMS contract number in the body of the email.
The vendor contact details are:
- McLernons MPS: servicedesk@mclernons.ie
- Touchstore: support@touchstore.ie
- Clanwilliam QicScript: pharmacysupport@clanwilliamhealth.com
- NAVI dispenSense: dispensense@navi.ie
We have had for joint meetings with each of the system vendors and PCRS earlier this month. We have made it clear to the PCRS that community pharmacies cannot be held responsible for the inaction of the system vendors.
Monthly Declaration
In relation to HSE PCRS Circular 013/23 Re: Management of Owing issued in February 2023 our advice remains unchanged; that while the IPU supports the implementation of Owings transparency, the suggested declaration by supervising pharmacists and the non-payment of any Owings to members who, through no fault of their own, have not yet activated Owings transparency, is unfair and simply unworkable. The IPU cannot see how a supervising pharmacist can submit a monthly signed declaration advising that all items claimed have been supplied/provided to the patient and are not awaiting collection for the reasons set out in our letter to the PCRS dated 02 March and available here. For the reasons outlined in our correspondence, we advise our members not to sign the declaration. You should also note that the IPU is fully committed to our members providing Owings transparency to the HSE.
Managing Owings
As always, best practice in managing Owings is advised. This will be further facilitated by implementation of the ICT solution. Read more on our Owings page here.
