UCA - MONEY-SAVING EXPERTS


Fire and security Uca has a new partner supplier for your fire safety and security requirements. dynamic fire & Security can cover both issues, bringing expertise and savings in these two very important areas.


dynamic are BafE accredited and will offer Uca members a free no-obligation site survey for both your fire safety and security requirements. for more information contact Uca on 028 9065 6576 or call their Sales Manager, robert Borne, directly on 028 9543 0900.


REDUCE MY COSTS IN 2018 review one expense each month and ask Uca for our member deals:


• telephone/broadband • Merchant services • Insurance • Electricity • Stationery


Uca has teamed up with PfP Wealth to bring you a ‘Planning for retirement’ seminar on 31st May. after a meal in a quality location in Belfast, attendees will hear from financial planning experts how best to maximise income in retirement. Personal invitations will be sent out but if you wish to register your interest please contact adrienne@uca.org.uk.


£ CODEWORD


Concessionary prices once again there are a high number of concessionary prices on the list for March 2018. BSo pick up these concessions using the code and pay accordingly for the month they are awarded. If the concessionary price is awarded after that month is paid, BSo should allocate retrospectively in the following month. It is important that you check your payment and any queries passed to BSo using the query sheet provided.


You can log on to the Prescription Payment Support section of www.uca.org.uk to view our six- month concessionary Price tracker.


Payment Q & A Q


My local doctor has specified a particular maker for a generic


item for one of his patients. the medication from this particular maker is more than the drug tariff price. I have queried it with the doctor but


he insists that the patient needs this particular manufacturer’s product. If I send in the invoice, will I be paid for the maker prescribed?


A


no. You will only receive the drug tariff price regardless of


the maker prescribed. Many contractors may not be aware that, in northern Ireland, if a prescription is written by a gP for a drug or preparation listed in Part 1 with a specific manufacturer requested, this will only be paid at the drug tariff price irrespective of the cost charged by the prescribed manufacturer. to fulfil the doctors’ instructions and dispense the manufacturer prescribed, you may receive a reimbursement that is less than you have had to pay.


I have queried this with BSo, cPnI and the department who all agree this to be the case.


• lighting • Energy efficiency • finances • hr/payroll


PAYROLL UPDATE


don’t forget to check the new national minimum and living wage increases coming into effect in april to ensure your payroll complies.


national living and Minimum Wage increases: Year


april 2017 (current) £7.50 april 2018 Increase


£7.83 +33p


25 and over 21 to 24 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice £7.05 £7.38 +33p


£5.60 £5.90 +30p


£4.05 £4.20 +15p


£3.50 £3.70 +20p


Uca members can access our updated Uca Wages guide on www.uca.org.uk


Auto-enrolment Pensions Going Up auto-enrolment pension contributions see their first increment for both employers and employees with effect from 6 april 2018. the increases are planned in two phases from 6 april 2018 and then again in april 2019.


Until 5 April 2018


Employer contribution 1% Employee contribution 1% total


6 April 2018 to 5 April 2019


2%


2% 3% 5%


6 April 2019 onwards


3% 5% 8%


these rate changes mark a relatively significant increase in contributions, so use this information along with the annual minimum wage increases to plan ahead for your payroll commitments.


Employees and employers can make more than the minimum contribution. contact your pension provider as they may have template letters to help inform your staff of the change. also, ensure that you have completed any online updates to employee details required by your pension provider. If you use an outsourced payroll provider, check they have made the necessary adjustments.


PRE-REGISTRATION


Exam Planning PSnI recently confirmed the summer pre-reg exam will take place on 12 June and all students must be registered for the exam by 1 May. all students must have a hard copy of the april 2018 drug tariff for the exam.


this is a weighty document which most people only access online. Uca is once again offering a print service for the drug tariff and you can order a copy by contacting the office team on 028 9065 6576 or by emailing support@uca.org.uk


If you have any questions about your exam, please feel free to contact the Uca for help and support from our resident drug tariff expert katie Mckittrick.


once you have completed your exam, we can also help with guidance on locum work, job searches, cV writing and interview skills.


UCA Pre-reg Training Programme all students should by now be registered with the Pharmaceutical Society for their 2018-19 placement year.


don’t forget to reserve your place on the Uca Pre-reg training Programme noW by emailing info@uca.org.uk with your student’s name.


If you need any assistance with employment paperwork for your pre- reg pharmacist, please give us a call or email with your query.


PharMacY In focUS - 25


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