News Archives - Page 4 of 26 - Community Pharmacy NI

Community pharmacy teams have administered over 10,000 COVID-19 vaccinations across 432 care homes in Northern Ireland since late April 2024.

As the spring booster programme ended on Sunday, 30 June it marked the second year of which community pharmacy teams were the sole providers of this service, achieving 98 per cent care home coverage across Northern Ireland. These vaccinations were a key part of the wider community vaccination programme aimed at boosting the protection for adults aged 75 and over and those who were immunosuppressed, with vaccinations also administered in local community pharmacies.

Community Pharmacy NI has commended pharmacists and their teams for the widespread delivery of this vital service, hailing its success as further evidence of the efficient, high-quality pharmacy expertise available locally.

Commenting on the Spring Vaccination Programme, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI Gerard Greene said:

“We have once again seen community pharmacy play a key role in protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society and the success of the programme is a testament to the hard work and dedication of community pharmacy teams across Northern Ireland.

He continued, there has been some discussion about the possibility of a summer COVID wave, and it is reassuring to know that through the vaccination programme,care homes residents will be better protected, providing that extra reassurance for family members visiting over the summer period.

Community pharmacy’s accessibility and capability to administer this volume of vaccinations is further proof that if the network is funded appropriately, pharmacy teams across Northern Ireland could do a lot more to ease pressures on the health service and provide expert, trusted healthcare in the heart of the community”.

Community pharmacies in Northern Ireland joined pharmacies from across the UK in the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) one day to #saveourpharmacies campaign in an emergency protest to call for an end to the funding crisis on Thursday 20th of June.

Thank you to all the community pharmacy teams for taking part, it was great to see support from all across Northern Ireland with teams taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the pressures facing the community pharmacy network.

A new campaign focussing on the importance of getting the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland, as the total laboratory confirmed cases of measles in Northern Ireland stands at 11.

The MMR campaign highlights the importance of vaccination in protecting against measles, mumps and rubella which are highly infectious viruses that can easily spread between unvaccinated people. The campaign is running in community pharmacies throughout June and July as part of the Living Well service.

Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Health (DoH).

Geraldine Mallon, Immunisation Programme Manager, PHA said: “Measles is on the rise. It is highly infectious and can easily spread between unvaccinated people. We have seen a fall in the numbers of children receiving the MMR vaccines and these children are at risk. It is therefore important that unvaccinated children and young adults get any missed MMR vaccines as soon as possible.

“If you are unsure if you or your child is up-to-date with vaccinations, the easiest way to check is to look at your child’s red book or speak to your GP practice. If you or your child has missed any vaccination, please book an appointment as soon as you can to make sure of maximum protection.”

Two doses of the MMR vaccine help provide the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

Measles can be unpleasant and will usually clear in about seven to 10 days without causing any further problems. Unfortunately, for some individuals, measles can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications. It used to be very common in children, but following the introduction of the MMR vaccine, cases became rare, with no confirmed cases in Northern Ireland in the last seven years, until recently.

Dean Lennon, community pharmacist at Allens Pharmacy, Cookstown added: “As trusted healthcare professionals found at the heart of local communities, community pharmacists are well placed to provide advice and reassurance to parents and the public on the MMR vaccine. Equipped with this information, parents will have a better understanding of the crucial role the MMR vaccine plays in protecting their children against the highly infectious viruses.”

As measles is very infectious it is important that anyone with suspected measles avoids any situation where they can spread the disease, such as a GP’s waiting room or an emergency department. People should phone in advance and get advice rather than turning up to a healthcare setting, except in an emergency.

The initial symptoms of measles can include:

a high temperature (fever);
a runny or blocked nose;
sneezing;
a cough;
sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light;
a few days later, a red-brown blotchy rash will appear. This may start on the head or upper neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body.

Most childhood rashes are not measles but you should consult your GP without delay if:

you suspect it is measles;
symptoms worsen;
temperature increases to above 38°C;
temperature stays high after other symptoms have gone.

For information on the MMR vaccination see www.nidirect.gov.uk/mmr

For further information on measles see www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/measles

New figures from the Public Health Agency (PHA) show a total of 31,851 transactions were made by the Needle and Syringe Exchange Service (NSES) across Northern Ireland in 2023.

Helping to stop the spread of infection from potential drug-related litter and sharing of injecting equipment, the NSES also provides those who use the service with direct contact with a health professional who can help them engage with additional services they may require.

Anyone who injects substances can use a needle exchange service to access clean equipment, and this includes people who inject substances such as performance enhancing steroids, tanning agents, stimulants and opioids.

Of the substances reported to the NSES, heroin/morphine was reported most frequently (11,201), with cocaine powder (9,265) and anabolic steroids (6,996) the next most reported.

Kevin Bailey, Regional Lead for Drugs and Alcohol at the PHA, said: “Sharing or reusing injecting equipment can increase the risk of bloodborne viruses so needle exchanges have an important role to play in helping to protect not only those using the service, but also the wider community more generally by providing clean equipment for people who inject substances.

“NSES are based in areas where there is an existing pattern of people who inject, but the service benefits the entire community by helping to lower the risk of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C within the wider population.

“Providing services locally is vital, as people who inject substances are often vulnerable, may be in poor health, dealing with complex social issues and without local access to sterile equipment and advice. Needle exchanges are particularly valuable for engaging these people, because it may be the only service they are willing to use and provides opportunities to signpost them to additional support and information.”

Community pharmacies continue to complete most of the overall transactions of the NSES at 50.4% of the total in 2023, followed by the community-based providers completing 46% of the total transactions.

In 2022, the PHA fully implemented a new online database to record needle exchange activity alongside anonymous, non-identifiable client data. This database is called the Neo360 Harm Reduction Information System and became fully operational across all NSES sites on 1 December 2022.

Kevin Bailey continued: “With the introduction of the new online Neo360 Harm Reduction Information System, live data can be accessed, immediately, which in turn will allow for a timely and effective public health response to any trends we identify.

“For the first time, Neo360 provides the client the opportunity to report how they administer the substance used, which is additional information we can capture and respond to appropriately. For example, as part of our strategy to promote harm reduction, staff within needle exchange sites are encouraged to dispense foils which will support smoking, thus, reducing the added harm that is caused through injecting.”

The full report NSES Report can be found at www.pha.site/NeedleExchangeReports

If you or someone you know is affected by drug and/or alcohol misuse, a range of support services in your local area can be found on www.DrugsAndAlcoholNI.info

Over recent weeks and months, CPNI has been lobbying elected representatives to outline the financial challenges being faced by our sector – and the implications for patients and pharmacy services.

We are aware of the extremely difficult financial challenges of managing payments to wholesale suppliers. We know that there are increasing occasions when medicines cannot be supplied because cash flow is so restricted that payment to wholesalers cannot be made. We understand the frustration and despondency this is causing in the sector. And we know how diligently community pharmacists are working to look after the needs of their local community patients and customers.

To support contractors and their teams, CPNI is running a campaign which will help to explain to patients why that due to the current financial pressures medicine supplies and pharmacy services cannot be guaranteed.

We want your patients to know that their local community pharmacy is doing its best and that this problem is affecting the whole community pharmacy sector in Northern Ireland.

In sharing this with patients, we are also seeking their support for our campaign. Pharmacies will have received campaign resource packs with information and materials which we hope will help you to create awareness and provide ways that patients and customers can give their support.

Changes we are calling for:

– Urgent stabilisation of community pharmacy funding in the short term and a re-set of community pharmacy funding.

– Putting in place a Northern Ireland specific Drug Tariff that reflects Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances that will assure sustainable service provision and medicine supply to patients going forward.

– Investment in the community pharmacy network to extend the range of community pharmacy services, so that we can play a transformative role in helping to keep patients closer to home, for longer, and reducing pressures on general practice, out-of-hours, and secondary care.

As part of the Living Well service, community pharmacies are highlighting the importance of attending for screening when invited.

The ‘Cancer screening saves lives’ campaign will run in over 500 community pharmacies throughout April and May and aims to increase awareness of the cancer screening programmes available in Northern Ireland and to encourage all of those who are eligible to participate.

There are three screening programmes in Northern Ireland – breast, bowel and cervical – which aim to detect cancer, or risk of cancer, early. The programmes are aimed at those who don’t have any symptoms of cancer.

Jeni Rosborough, Cancer Screening Programmes Manager at the PHA, said: “Pharmacists are an integral part of the community and they are well positioned to help inform the public of the types of screening services available. This is an invaluable partnership and will really help us raise awareness of the importance of attending for screening when invited.

“While healthier lifestyle choices can help to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, cancer screening is very important. Regular screening helps detect certain cancers even before there are symptoms. When you receive an invite to take part in screening, don’t ignore it as it could save your life.

“Screening is aimed at those without symptoms of cancer. If you do have any symptoms that concern you or you feel something isn’t right, don’t wait until your next screening appointment, please reach out to your GP.”

It is estimated one in two of us will develop some form of cancer during our lifetime. However, due to the many advances in diagnosis, treatment and care cancer survival rates have almost doubled in the past 50 years.

Garrett Maguire, community pharmacist at Maguire Pharmacy in Bangor, added: “Community pharmacies are visited by nearly 123,000 people every day in Northern Ireland, providing the ideal setting to help people to look after their health. As trusted healthcare professionals at the heart of our local communities, we can help to raise awareness of the different types of cancer screening services available and the importance of attending these programmes.

“If you are eligible to attend for screening, don’t ignore your invite. Call in and ask us any questions and pick up an information leaflet with useful links and contacts for support.”

Living Well is a community-based pharmacy service offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland. It is delivered in partnership by the PHA, Community Pharmacy NI, and the Department of Health, and provides key public health messages and advice through these pharmacies.

For information on the individual cancer screening programmes, please visit: