The pharmacy sector has welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DH) plans to expand the role of pharmacies in vaccination delivery.
In a consultation outcome published on January 20, the government said it was proceeding with proposed amendments to Human Medicines Regulations 2012, meaning that community pharmacists could be allowed to deliver “any vaccine against an infectious disease caused by a virus or bacteria”.
“Pharmacies increase uptake”
National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Henry Gregg said the body has “pushed hard for the expansion of NHS vaccination campaigns into community pharmacy” and is “delighted that the government has taken [its] arguments on board”.
“Enabling regulation is vital, we now need ministers to go a step further and commission the full service that pharmacies can deliver and that patients want,” he added.
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He said “evidence suggests that pharmacies increase uptake” and “people find pharmacies convenient and trusted places” for receiving jabs.
And he added that the government “should seize the opportunity to expand their role and use their expertise, trusted status and accessibility to deliver all national vaccination campaigns”.
Read more: ‘No plans’ to roll out all adult NHS vaccines in pharmacies
The Company Chemists’ Association’s (CCA) head of policy Dr Nick Thayer said it is “pleased to see the government take forward further learnings from the pandemic, placing key changes into legislation and moving them into business-as-usual practice”.
He added that community pharmacy “is capable of routinely administering many more NHS vaccines” - and that “in time”, the CCA “would like to see all vaccines commissioned from community pharmacy”.
“This will help drive uptake, especially amongst underserved communities,” he said.
A positive step
Community Pharmacy England’s (CPE) director of NHS services Alastair Buxton welcomed the outcome and said “we were supportive of the proposals during the consultation process and are pleased to see the government moving forward with changes that will help maintain a safe, effective and resilient national vaccination system.”
He added the decision “represents a positive step in supporting the future of vaccination services and the continued contribution of community pharmacies within national immunisation programmes”.
“Makes sense”
Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) chief executive Leyla Hannbeck said pharmacists “have shown they can deliver safe, high‑volume vaccination” and “it makes sense for flu and Covid to remain part of what community pharmacies do”.
“Being able to vaccinate off‑site is important”, she added. “It lets us go to where people are - for example care homes or workplaces - rather than expecting everyone to come to us.”
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But she warned that expanding pharmacy vaccination services “must come with realistic funding, staffing and clear guidance” so pharmacies “can do it safely without putting more pressure on already stretched teams”.
“Any extra vaccine work must be properly funded, with fair fees that recognise preparation time, cold chain, admin and follow‑up,” she said - adding that workload and staffing “need to be considered” as pharmacies “cannot keep absorbing more without support or something else giving way”.
Read more: NHSE assures pharmacists flu jabs ‘remain available’ despite reports
It comes after health minister Baroness Merron revealed in October that the DH “does not currently have plans to enable community pharmacies to administer all NHS adult vaccinations”.
But Merron added at the time that the government is “piloting the use of community pharmacy across several routine vaccination programmes, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for older adults”.
