AQW 23598/17-22

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 04/10/2021
Answered On Date: 18/10/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to outline the increased support that is being given to community pharmacies as they become the primary facilitators of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Answer:

As of 7 October 2021, 135 pharmacies are contracted to provide first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine to everyone aged 18 years and over who is not already vaccinated. The lead role of community pharmacy in this important new phase of the vaccination programme builds on the important part that the sector has played in the vaccination rollout to date, with over 145,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered through community pharmacy since March 2021, and taps into the accessibility and ability of community pharmacies to engage with harder to reach patient populations.

My Department has worked collaboratively with the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) to develop robust service arrangements that enable community pharmacy teams to deliver this important role while maintaining other essential HSC services. These arrangements have included agreement on remuneration for vaccines administered, as well as payments for additional service set up costs such as staff training and development of standard operating procedures.

In addition my Department continues to support the capacity and capability of the community pharmacy network to lead the ongoing delivery of vaccination programmes through the issue of vaccination protocols under Regulation 247 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, which provide an additional legal mechanism for an expanded workforce to administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has also recently written to community pharmacy contractors to provide clarification around the requirement for fully vaccinated community pharmacy staff who are close contacts of COVID-19 cases to self-isolate, which will also help to support the availability of the community pharmacy workforce to meet these challenges.