Category: News

Painkiller supply issue highlights fundamental risk to NI medicines security

Community Pharmacy NI has warned of an imminent risk to the supply of essential medicines in Northern Ireland.

Briefing MLAs at an All-Party Group meeting at Stormont on Tuesday 3 February, representatives from CPNI advised of a growing shortage of many common medicines including the painkiller, co-codamol 30/500mg* which is likely to extend for several months.

In Northern Ireland, approximately 50,000 packs, equating to around 5 million tablets of co-codamol are dispensed each month to a population of fewer than two million people. 

As things stand, community pharmacies may be forced to ration supplies of medicines related to shortages, potentially affecting on average 50 to 100 patients per pharmacy so that people have some supply and do not run out of vital medicines.

Community Pharmacy NI highlighted that this is not an isolated example with another shortage affecting specific low-dose, dissolvable aspirin used primarily as an anti-platelet medicine for patients at risk of stroke or heart attack.

When questioned by MLAs on the potential impact for Northern Ireland, Community Pharmacy NI confirmed that community pharmacies here are typically trying to source stock for over 100 common medicine lines in short supply.

While the current shortages are driven by global manufacturing and supply chain constraints, the organisation stressed that these issues represent significant medicines security and supply concerns in Northern Ireland with potentially direct implications for patient safety and consequential pressures for GPs, out-of-hours services and other parts of the health system.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI said,

“Today’s discussion made clear that community pharmacy in Northern Ireland is operating under sustained and increasing pressure. The gap between medicine costs and reimbursement is widening, and pharmacies here are also struggling to pay medicine wholesaler bills and receive sufficient supply of many common medicines to meet patient need.

“The supply issue sees community pharmacies working intensively to source medicines, often under severe constraints. We have pharmacy teams reporting back to us daily that they are seeing growing numbers of other commonly prescribed medicines also in short supply.  All of this is taking place while pharmacy teams try to support patients who are understandably keen to get the medicines they need.

“We are appealing to the public to be patient with pharmacy teams as they try to source medicines, and we are appealing once again to the Minister to again prioritise support for the sector so that pharmacies can pay medicine wholesalers. This does not involve finding new funding for the sector, but rather to remove clawback which reduced the payments pharmacies received last year for medicines dispensed by £23m.

“The stability of the medicines supply chain, while it is a UK wide issue, is of particular concern to us locally because of Northern Ireland’s small market and additional logistical costs compared to GB.

“We have raised these concerns with the Health Minister and are calling on the Minister and the Northern Ireland Executive to work with the UK Government to strengthen medicines security and supply for Northern Ireland, including ensuring that medicine stock is appropriately ring-fenced, so patients continue to receive the medicines they rely on.

“If this is not addressed, there is a real risk that Northern Ireland will become a lower-priority market for medicine wholesalers, with serious implications for patient safety, continuity of care and the resilience of the wider health system.”

Community Pharmacy NI are advising strongly against patients self-selecting alternative medicines or altering doses without professional guidance, as this may be clinically inappropriate and, in some cases, harmful.

Community Pharmacies in Northern Ireland dispense millions of packs of commonly prescribed medicines each year and even relatively small interruptions in supply can have a rapid and disproportionate impact on patients, pharmacy teams and local health services.

A new campaign – ‘immunise, protect, thrive’ – focussing on the importance of childhood immunisations has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination and highlight that it is the most important thing you can do to protect your child from ill health.

The campaign will run during February and March 2026 and supports the new vaccination schedule changes which commenced on 1 January 2026.

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 Project Operations Manager at the PHA, said: “After clean water, vaccination is the most effective public health intervention in the world for saving lives, promoting good health and preventing serious illness.

“During 2024 and 2025, Northern Ireland saw the return of measles cases, increasing the risk of serious infection for children who had missed their vaccines. 

Other serious childhood infectious diseases such as polio or diphtheria may rarely be heard of these days. However, they can return from parts of the world where they still occur if vaccination rates continue to decrease as they have been over the last few years. 

“It is really important vaccine uptake remains high in Northern Ireland to help prevent many of these serious diseases returning. If this happens, children who are not vaccinated will be at risk of these infections and potentially life-changing complications – even death.”

The PHA strongly recommends babies and children receive all their vaccinations according to the routine childhood immunisation schedule, which has recently been updated to adjust the timing of vaccines for the best protection. In addition, the schedule has been enhanced with the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, now available in the form of the combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV).

This will be the first time in Northern Ireland that children will be offered protection against chickenpox for free through the childhood programme. Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of helping to protect our children against serious diseases.

Siobhan McNulty, Community Pharmacist and owner of Melvin Pharmacy in Garrison, Co Fermanagh, said: “Community pharmacists are trusted healthcare professionals and can provide information, advice and reassurance to parents and guardians on childhood immunisation. Often the first point of contact for many families’ healthcare needs, community pharmacists are ideally positioned to highlight the important role vaccinations play in protecting our children and to also dispel myths and misconceptions regarding immunisations.”

As with other childhood immunisations, parents will be contacted by their GP surgery to arrange an appointment if their child is eligible.

If you are unsure if 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 health visitor or GP surgery.

If your child has missed a vaccination, please contact your GP practice to book an appointment as soon as you can to make sure they have maximum protection against disease.

For more information on childhood immunisations and eligibility for the MMRV see www.nidirect.gov.uk/childhood-immunisation

The Health Minister has launched the Community Pharmacy Palliative Care Network during a visit to McCoubrey’s Chemist in north Belfast.

The Palliative Care Network will operate in around 60 community pharmacies across Northern Ireland and will ensure patients have timely access to palliative care medicines and specialist advice. It will lead to better patient care at the end of life.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “The launch of the Community Pharmacy Palliative Care Network marks an important step in strengthening palliative care across Northern Ireland. The Network, which was referenced in our Winter Preparedness Plan, will ensure that patients and their families receive timely, compassionate support at one of the most difficult times in life.

“I want to acknowledge the dedication of our community pharmacists, Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) and officials in my Department, for working together to make this service a reality.

“Your commitment and collaboration demonstrates the power of partnership in delivering better care for our communities, as well as helping to ease pressures on our hospitals during this busy season.”

The Department of Health has collaborated with Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) to design and implement the new Community Pharmacy Palliative Care Network. 

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI Gerard Greene said: “Community Pharmacies play a vital role in supporting patients and their families at what can be a very difficult end of life stage. The launch of the Palliative Care Network provides a further level of support ensuring timely access to medicines and specialist advice will be available.”

The Network further highlights the Minister’s commitment to ‘shift left’, with more emphasis being placed on Community Pharmacies in the new Neighbourhood Model of Care, as referenced in the Reset Plan. 

The Department of Health is also encouraging all pharmacies to sign up to the Daffodil Standards, which is a joint initiative between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Marie Curie, supported by Pharmacy Forum NI, and Community Pharmacy NI. They provide a framework for community pharmacies to build on the high standard of care they already provide to palliative care patients and their families.

A new campaign has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland, encouraging people to look after their mental health and wellbeing.

Running throughout December 2025 and January 2026, the campaign encourages people to ask themselves and others a simple but powerful question: “How are you feeling?”. The campaign encourages people to check in with themselves and others turning a common greeting into a meaningful mental health check-in.

The campaign is running in over 500 community pharmacies as part of the Living Well service which highlights the role of pharmacy teams in supporting people to look after their mental health. Living Well is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Health (DoH).

Using the Take 5 steps to wellbeing – Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give – the campaign promotes everyday actions that can help people feel more positive and better equipped to manage life’s challenges.

Clodagh Crowe, Health and Social Wellbeing Senior Improvement Officer at the PHA, said: “Mental health is just as important as physical health, and looking after it is not something we should only do when we are feeling down. Research tells us that someone who practises all five steps daily feels higher levels of wellbeing.  And they are things that you can incorporate in to your everyday routine which are simple, practical and proven to make a difference.

“In Northern Ireland, one-in-five adults have mental ill-health at any one time and we want everyone to know that support is available. Community pharmacies are trusted spaces where people feel comfortable and this campaign gives them the tools to start meaningful conversations.”

Pharmacies will display posters, leaflets, and staff will start conversations to help the public reflect on their mental health. Staff will also signpost individuals to further support, including local services, apps, and professional help.

Patrick McCallion, Champion Pharmacist at Bradleys Pharmacy, Claudy said:  

“We see people every day who may be struggling quietly with their mental health. This campaign gives us a practical and approachable way to start conversations, share simple tools and offer support in a non-judgemental space. Community pharmacies are another trusted source of advice and support. Whether it’s through a leaflet, a friendly chat, or signposting to services, we want people to know they’re not alone and that help is available in their local community.”

The campaign also encourages pharmacy teams to look after their own mental health, with ideas like mini-workshops, self-care challenges, and wellbeing resources for staff.

Next time you visit your local community pharmacy, look out for the campaign displays and pick up a “How are you feeling?” leaflet for advice on looking after your mental health.

For more information and mental health resources, www.pha.site/living-well or www.mindingyourhead.info

For anyone in a crisis, Lifeline is available 24/7, call 0808 808 8000 or visit www.lifelinehelpline.info/i-need-help

If you or someone else is in immediate danger or you require urgent medical attention, please call 999.

Days after the publication of the Department of Health’s Winter Preparedness Plan, MLAs at Stormont have heard that Community Pharmacy consultations prevent over a million GP appointments and tens of thousands of A&E visits a year. 

At the meeting with an all-party group of elected representatives, the Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI), Gerard Greene, shared the high-level findings of a survey of everyday patient consultations, that do not fall within commissioned pharmacy services, and which prevented attendance at other healthcare services.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) said,

“The findings of the survey conducted in September 2025, show that 24,700 unfunded community pharmacy consultations requiring treatment or intervention are typically undertaken each week. That represents 1.28 million patient consultations across 507 pharmacies annually in NI.

“Of these, 136,000 would have resulted in GP out of hours consultations (at weekends) and 47,000 patients would otherwise have resorted to seeking help at an Emergency Department.  The remaining 1.1million patients were given diagnosis, treatment or advice which, in the absence of a local pharmacy, would have required a GP appointment.”

In spite of this success story, Community Pharmacy NI says that opportunities have been missed to build further and make better use of pharmacies’ clinical expertise in tackling winter pressures.

Gerard Greene continued,

“The 2025/26 Winter Preparedness Plan published last week recognises the role that community pharmacy teams can play in relieving winter pressures on other parts of the health and social care system.

“The findings of our survey provide a striking indicator of the scale of the workload and the heavy lifting that is being done by community pharmacy teams on top of the normal health services that are provided. They play a vital role in the frontline of healthcare here, as trusted clinical experts, available without an appointment, within less than a five mile radius for the majority of the population.

“However, we believe that key opportunities have been missed to build on treatment programmes which are proven to take pressure off other parts of the health system.

“There are many additional services which are funded and commissioned under Pharmacy First services in other UK regions– for conditions like sinusitis, ear infections, impetigo, blood pressure and many other common ailments.

“As things currently stand, a highly qualified pharmacist faces the incredibly frustrating scenario of assessing and diagnosing conditions and knowing the treatment required but having to refer the patient in front of them to a GP, out of hours service, or Emergency Department, to access the treatment.  This is a missed opportunity to take additional (and we would even say, unnecessary) pressure out of the system.

Gerard Greene highlighted that the survey had also shone a light on the extent of the numerous exceptional circumstances in which pharmacists provided urgent, unplanned, or emergency care: delivering first aid to patients who had collapsed or been injured, assessing and signposting patients presenting with symptoms associated  with serious medical conditions such as stroke, heart attack, and hypoglycaemia, managing safeguarding and mental health crises. 

Despite the obvious clinical value of community pharmacy practice and its contribution to the overall system, much of this additional work remains unfunded.

Gerard Greene concluded,

“Sustainable funding and further service development are urgently needed to ensure that community pharmacies can continue to deliver these essential interventions.  Community pharmacies cannot simply absorb additional workload when other parts of the service come under pressure.  We are seeking fair funding for the clinical expertise and the very valuable contribution made by community pharmacies to keep people well in winter, and throughout the year.”