AQW 21099/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 22/01/2025
Answered On Date: 06/02/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on plans to expand the role of community pharmacies in delivering public health campaigns, including the proposed Pharmacy First for Sore Throat Service and the continuation of vaccination services.


Answer:
Community pharmacies in Northern Ireland have an established role in the provision of public health campaigns. In addition to the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service and Community Pharmacy Vaccination Service, the Living Well and Stop Smoking Services are delivered extensively across the community pharmacy network.
The roll out of the Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service this year built upon a successful evaluation of the Pharmacy First Pilot Service for Sore Throat last year (November 2023 – March 2024). Following collaborative discussion with Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) DoH has secured £1m non-recurrent funding for a network wide service that commenced on 1 December 2024 and will run until 31 March 2025.
Community pharmacies are integral to the delivery of seasonal vaccination campaigns and this service has been established since 2021 following a successful pilot in 2019. The service currently provides seasonal flu and COVID vaccination for care homes and direct access walk-in patients. In 2023/24 during the Autumn and Spring campaigns, 96,186 vaccine administrations were delivered from 338 pharmacies. Over 68,500 vaccines have been administered in the Autumn 24/25 campaign to date. SPPG continues to work collaboratively with the Public Health Agency (PHA) to develop the service as appropriate, to meet the needs of the population and campaign targets.
The Living Well Service has been established since 2019 and is delivered in over 500 pharmacies. This service provides key public health messages and advice during an annual schedule of six campaigns, each of which runs for two months. During 2023/24 the campaigns had an estimated reach of 346,400 people and evaluations consistently demonstrate the unique reach and impact of this service. Campaign topics to date in 24/25 have included Cancer Screening, MMR vaccination, Physical Activity, Sexual Health and Staying Well over Winter.
Community pharmacy is the largest provider of a Specialist Stop Smoking Service. 6488 people enrolled in the service in 2023/24 and the 4-week quit rate was 57%.
The Department funds community pharmacy to provide a range of commissioned HSC services through an agreed 3-year Commissioning Plan, developed with Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI), the representative body for community pharmacy contractors in Northern Ireland.
Work will be commencing in early 2025 to update the current commissioning plan and outline the service priorities for the next three years, aligned with the Community Pharmacy Strategic Plan which was launched by my Department in May 2024. Public Health services and campaigns will be further considered during this process and in collaboration with PHA.