Community pharmacy involvement will take the vaccination programme in Northern Ireland to the next level

By Pam Cameron MLA, Deputy Chair of the Health Committee and Chair of the All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy

The vaccination programme has been the beacon of hope we have all needed over the last number of months. Now that local pharmacists across the whole of Northern Ireland are administering the vaccine to their communities, we have even more hope of brighter days.

As Chair of the Assembly’s All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy, I was thrilled to see community pharmacies getting the green light to begin vaccinating the public against Covid-19 at the end last month.

Having the vaccine available on our high streets and in our communities is a hugely significant development as we take steps towards the return of normal life.

With nearly 350 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland involved, the vaccine is being delivered to eligible groups across Northern Ireland, taking our already brilliant vaccination programme up an extra gear.

This will of course be especially welcome news for those who might feel hesitant or have difficulties travelling to one of the mass vaccination centres. I was really heartened to hear an update from Community Pharmacy NI on the rollout of the vaccine at the most recent meeting of the All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy last week.

From a standing start and with a total stock of around 27,000 vaccines, community pharmacies have come on strongly to the vaccination programme. To date, a total of 12,000 first doses have taken place, 5,000 of these in the first week alone.

In little over two weeks since the service was launched, community pharmacy is reaching the halfway point in their stocks which just goes to show the demand for the service in our communities.

I have been really impressed to hear how well they have put in place the arrangements to get to this point so quickly. Eligible patients are able to use an interactive map to locate the most convenient participating pharmacy https://covid-19.hscni.net/community-pharmacy-covid-19-vaccination-service/ and this will also facilitate online booking in many pharmacies.

This is all the more impressive given the service was trialed, tested and implemented whilst the pandemic persists, and community pharmacists continue to see a surge in footfall and demand for services such as prescription medications.

The Health Minister demonstrated this ease of access when he, along with thousands of others, opted to receive his vaccine from a local community pharmacy.

As the vaccination programme moves into its next phase and expands to the wider population, accessibility and convenience are only going to become more important. The success of the vaccine rollout through community pharmacy to date is another key win on the road to getting life back to normal as quickly and safely as possible.