Wearing a face covering may no
longer a legal requirement, but it is still strongly recommended that
individuals wear face coverings in health and social care settings including
community pharmacies, as well as on public transport and other enclosed indoor
settings.
Further information on the latest guidance, how members of the public can
stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available HERE on the NI Direct website.
HSCB is also encouraging members of the public to continue wearing face masks in healthcare settings and the social media cards below can used on your social media channels / website to promote the continued wearing of face coverings to members of the public in your community pharmacy.
In light of the most recent COVID-19 guidance, available on NI
Direct, pharmacy teams may wish review the COVID-19 signage, posters and
information displayed in the pharmacy to ensure it reflects the measures they
wish to maintain in their setting.
It is estimated
that the sector has supplied as many as 5.7 million individual tests in total
Northern Ireland’s community pharmacies have this week
reached the important milestone of supplying over 820,000 lateral flow
testing kits. Coming in kits of seven, it is estimated that a total of 5.7
million tests have been distributed via the sector.
Community Pharmacy NI has welcomed the figures, highlighting
that having the kits available from an accessible location has been essential
to breaking the chain of transmission within our communities.
Lateral flow tests can be collected from 580 locations
across Northern Ireland, including 500 community pharmacies.
Peter Rice, Chair of Community Pharmacy NI
said:
“Reaching this significant milestone is a
testament to the entire community pharmacy network who have worked tirelessly
to distribute lateral flow tests to patients. Facing increased demands from
patients as well as workforce pressures associated with the transmission of the
Omicron variant, our community pharmacy teams have remained steadfast in their
efforts to distribute lateral flow tests among communities. It has been a huge
logistical undertaking to get to this point and community pharmacy has played
an integral part.
“Over the festive period, as transmission of the Omicron variant rose sharply and demand for lateral flow tests increased as a consequence, in many instances community pharmacy was the only collection point available to members of the public. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown community pharmacy’s value as a key component in our health system, ensuring accessible healthcare and solidifying the link between pharmacies and their communities. I would encourage the Department of Health to consider this milestone when planning for healthcare transformation. Access to local, community-facing primary care is vital and I hope we can consolidate on this.”
Lesa McLoughlin, community pharmacist at Dundela Pharmacy, Belfast said:
“Working in a community pharmacy throughout the
pandemic, I have seen first-hand the role my colleagues have been playing each
day to support patients. We have continually stepped beyond our everyday role
to take on additional services to support those living in the community. The
rollout of lateral flow testing kits is an essential part of this as patients
have come to rely on community pharmacy as part of their test, trace, and
isolate routine.”
Pharmacy staff
work in the heart of their communities, providing vital services and trusted
healthcare advice to those most vulnerable in society. It is completely
unacceptable that they should be attacked while carrying out their jobs.
There is a zero tolerance on any form of abuse on pharmacy teams in Northern Ireland and we reiterate our support for the team who suffered such an attack. We call on the public to be kind, understand the difficult environment that our community pharmacists are working in and have patience.
The Living Well service provides key public health messages and
advice through community pharmacies that are contracted to provide the
service.
Through the Living Well service, pharmacies can help address risk factors which contribute significantly to the overall prevalence of disease in Northern Ireland. A campaign schedule has been developed that is aligned with public health priorities. Community pharmacists and pharmacy staff will display and provide information as well as give advice on targeted campaign topics to patients presenting prescriptions and to general pharmacy visitors.
Northern Ireland’s community pharmacies have
administered 250,000 COVID-19 vaccinations as the professional teams continue
to push ahead with the expanding vaccination service.
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 30
and over, and three months since second vaccine dose).
Currently, over 250 community pharmacies are 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 the 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.
As we approach some of the busiest weeks in
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 doses 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.”
Belfast’s community pharmacy workforce has been
recognised at the prestigious Aisling Awards in recognition of their continued
commitment to patient care throughout the past twelve months.
Receiving the ‘Roll of Honour’ award, for those who
have repeatedly gone the extra mile for the people of Belfast, a special
recognition was given to the city’s community pharmacists for going beyond their
day-to-day services to support their patients in communities across the city.
Earlier this year saw the community pharmacy network introduce
an Emergency Supply of Medicines Service and a prescription delivery service to
provide vulnerable, self-isolating and shielding patients with direct access to
their medicines from home.
In taking home this year’s Award, the accessibility of
the community pharmacy network was highlighted with the sector now the leading
provider of first and second dose Covid-19 vaccinations; as well as a community
access point for the flu vaccine and distribution of Lateral Flow Tests, reducing transmission and winter pressures at a pivotal
moment for our health service.
Speaking as he receives the award on behalf of
the Belfast pharmacy network, Chair of Community Pharmacy NI, Peter Rice said:
“It’s an incredible honour to accept this
year’s Roll of Honour Award on behalf of the community pharmacists of Belfast.
During the last twelve months, community pharmacists from right across the city
have shown remarkable levels of commitment and dedication to patient care.
Whether through the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, which began back in March
to the launch of new winter pressure measures to guide us through the months
ahead, community pharmacy has been steadfast in its dedication, delivery, and
commitment at each stage.
“This has been a year like no other and
community pharmacy teams right across Belfast and beyond have been tested like
never before. The pandemic brought increased footfall and a spike in demand for
services such as the dispensing of medicines. As a sector we recognised at an
early stage that this would be a hugely uncertain time for many of our patients
and stepped-up services to support those increasingly contacting their local
community pharmacy as other parts of the health service became less accessible.
“I want to pay tribute to each and every
community pharmacist for continuing to go the extra mile in support of their
communities. The hard-work and unyielding commitment to patient care has been
the defining characteristic of my colleagues over the last year and it is
fantastic for this to be acknowledged in this way.”
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