The 250,000-vaccine milestone encompasses the primary and booster vaccinations administered since the sector’s inclusion in the vaccination programme in March 2021.

Community pharmacy is now the main provider of first and second COVID-19 vaccination doses as well as delivering the booster vaccination to those eligible through community pharmacy (currently those aged over 30 and three months on from their second vaccine dose).

Over 250 community pharmacies are currently providing the Moderna booster vaccination for all those who are eligible.

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene said: “Reaching this significant milestone is a credit to the work and dedication of our community pharmacy teams. The network joined the vaccination programme back in March and since then has been working incredibly hard to maximise the levels of protection against COVID-19 across our communities.

“Administering 250,000 vaccines in nine months shows the value of accessible and convenient community pharmacy locations and community pharmacy teams have played a significant role in getting overall numbers to where they are today.

“During the recent Community Pharmacy ‘Big Jab Weekend’ over sixty local pharmacies vaccinated over 11,000 people with their COVID-19 vaccine or booster, which is a tremendous achievement.

Busy week

“As we approach some of the busiest weeks in the year for community pharmacy, our pharmacy teams will be working hard to dispense the medicines patients will need for the Christmas and new year holiday periods. I would ask the public to be patient as this may affect the availability of the COVID-19 vaccination service at some community pharmacies in the lead up to and over the festive season.”

Sean Grimley, community pharmacist at Pharmacy Plus said: “As a community pharmacist, I’ve seen daily the benefit of providing the COVID-19 vaccine to those living locally in the community. Community pharmacy is the first choice for many in our neighborhoods, including the elderly and those unable to travel, due to our convenient location and the fact that patients trust us. It has been really encouraging to be able to provide primary and booster jabs to our patients and support them throughout this period.

“Working in the community, we are live to the concerns from patients in relation to increased COVID-19 transmissibility and ease of access to vaccines which is why it is so important that we continue to provide all doses required to give the maximum protection possible and allay the concerns patients might have.”

To find your nearest participating community pharmacy, visit: http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/booster-covid19-vaccination/

Caption: (L-R): Community pharmacist, Ryan McKinstry; pharmacy team member, Claire McQuade; Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene; pharmacy team member, Marjorie McCowan; and community pharmacist, Liam Grimley.

The post NI’s community pharmacies surpass 250K vaccination milestone first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

At a meeting of community pharmacist contractors last week, 97% voted to close the medicine adherence service to new patients from the start of next month.

Faced with mounting pressures and without the appropriate investment, community pharmacists have serious concerns about their ability to continue providing this non-commissioned service, that is delivered largely on a goodwill basis, Community Pharmacy NI said.

The service involves community pharmacists supporting patients in the community to manage their medicines, and involves an in-depth pharmacist consultation, continuous monitoring, medicines provision in a specialised container, and regular and ongoing collaboration between a patient, their family and the pharmacist.

Community pharmacists have continually warned that due to sustained workforce pressures and increasing staffing shortages, they would reach a point at which they could no longer accept new patients if they were to ensure the safe delivery of commissioned core services, including the dispensing of medicines and Covid-19 vaccination and Booster services.

Increasing pressures

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene said: “Due to increasing pressures, community pharmacists must prioritise core services and the contractor vote to cease providing new patients requiring non-commissioned compliance aid services was not taken lightly.

“We are now in a position which no community pharmacist wants to be in, but continuing to accept new patients whilst managing an already demanding workload, coupled with severe workforce shortages would put both patient safety and commissioned pharmacy services at risk.

“Community pharmacists are an essential part of the delivery of the adherence service, using their clinical skills at a community level to support patients in managing their medicines safely. They want to continue to support their patients but only via a service commissioned and appropriately funded by the Health and Social Care Board.”

Community Pharmacist Peter Rice said: “As essential primary healthcare providers, it deeply concerns me that we have arrived at this point, but my staff are stretched extremely thinly, and we cannot continue to take-in new patients for the service without the appropriate resources in support.

“As part of this service, we have been assisting patients, often those who are elderly, to safely manage their medicines at home and in the community, reducing the need for patients to be transferred to other settings such as hospitals. It is worrying that by not commissioning this service, there could be additional and avoidable hospital pressures.

“We are continually approached by new patients and their families who want to avail of the medicines adherence service, and as healthcare providers we want to help. Without the support from the Department to do this, we have to protect core services until a solution can be found.”

 Caption: Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene

The post Community pharmacists to cease providing medicines in compliance aids first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.