https://ipu.ie/communication/owings-update/
While the vast majority of IPU members do not have any issues managing their owings, for years, at every meeting the IPU has had with a Minister for Health, the transparency of Owings has been raised as a problem. Before we can progress talks on fees, additional services, and a new contract, we need to show how the behaviour of our members is demonstrably in line with the PCRS rule under the Owings functionality.
Enabling Owings Functionality
In November 2022, the PCRS Pharmacy Circular 030 22 instructed each Community Pharmacy Contractor to contact their vendor to have Owings functionality installed and enabled. If you have not contacted your vendor, the IPU strongly advises that you do so immediately. If you have already contacted your vendor by email, you should find the email request in your sent items and forward it again. If the request to the vendor was made by phone call, you should send a fresh email to your vendor. In all cases it is important that you:
- Copy PCRS.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
The PCRS has agreed to our request for joint meetings with each of the system vendors to increase pressure on them to act promptly. The IPU and PCRS will meet with Clanwilliam next Monday and are still awaiting a response from the other vendors.
Monthly Declaration
As you will all be aware by now the HSE PCRS issued Circular 013/23 Re: Management of Owing in February 2023. Where the ICT solution has not been enabled in a pharmacy the circular requests that the supervising pharmacist submits a monthly signed declaration advising that all items claimed have been supplied/provided to the patient and are not awaiting collection and that the pharmacy is operating in compliance with PCRS Requirements. 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. 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.
