Category: News

Before all thoughts turn to summer holidays, the body representing community pharmacists, CPNI, has briefed politicians on the need for a whole service, whole community approach to tackling this winter’s health pressures.

Presenting to a cross-party group of MLAs at Stormont this week, Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) discussed how creatively exploring funding opportunities within health service budgets to enable community-based health services could be key in averting the health service crisis seen in previous winters.

He said, “Last winter our hospital Emergency Departments witnessed some of the worst scenes ever experienced here.  Community Pharmacy has been closely involved in the Department of Health’s winter preparedness planning over recent months, and we would like to acknowledge the Minister Nesbitt and officials for driving this forward. 

“We are pleased that the value and contribution of Community Pharmacy is being recognised as a pivotal part of the Minister’s “shift left” approach.  Winter is a test for the whole health service and our integration in winter planning will ensure pharmacies are ready to step up.

“Through Pharmacy First, the Department of Health has invested in services aimed at keeping people well in their communities, close to home – and as a key way of alleviating the pressure from other stretched parts of the health service.  Community pharmacies provide highly skilled, highly trained healthcare professionals who can advise and treat many common ailments.  Pharmacy First services such as advice and treatment when needed for sore throat, shingles and urinary tract infections mean that GP appointments are freed up.

“One of last year’s biggest additional health service pressures came from the pre-Christmas winter flu outbreak which snowballed across the generations over the festive period.  There is a highly effective tool to tackle such outbreaks in the form of vaccination, and community pharmacies will be heavily involved in the Covid and winter flu vaccination service from the autumn. We will be actively encouraging eligible members of the public to seek out the vaccinations in their local pharmacy, when they are available, and our pharmacists will also deliver the important vaccination programme in nursing and residential homes.  This too is aimed at keeping older people well where they live and out of hospital.

Community pharmacies are based at the heart of towns and villages, they should be the first point of contact into the health service and by offering expert advice, treatment and services they can help us all to stay well, ease some of the winter pressures and relieve pressure on GPs and emergency hospital services.”

The Living Well ‘Stay well this winter’ campaign ran throughout December 2024 and January 2025 and aimed to help the public prepare for the winter months by encouraging them to take actions to protect their health.

The patient stories captured in the evaluation, including the one below, show the positive impact community pharmacy teams have on the health and well-being of the local community.

“There is a local hostel near our pharmacy. We spoke with several residents about hand hygiene and staying well over winter. We encouraged those eligible for flu vaccines to get protected — later, some residents told us they had received their vaccines after our chat.”

Read more of the patient stories here.

A new campaign in community pharmacies is encouraging people to be more aware of how much alcohol they drink and the impact it could be having on their health.

The Public Health Agency’s (PHA) ‘Know your units’ campaign will run in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland throughout June and July 2025 as part of the Living Well service. It aims to increase awareness of the drinking guidelines and the health risks associated with drinking alcohol in excess of these guidelines.

Stephanie Hanlon, Joint Regional Lead for Drugs and Alcohol at the PHA said: “The most recent statistics from 2023 show the total number of alcohol-specific deaths registered that year was 341. That’s 65.5% higher than the number registered a decade ago so it’s of great importance that everyone takes a look at how drinking may be impacting their lives.

“Drinking too much can seriously affect your health. The risk of developing a range of health problems increases with the more you drink on a regular basis.

Some alcohol-related harms impact overwhelmingly on women. For example, we know that drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in women. This is why it’s so important to be aware of how much alcohol you are drinking, it’s impact on your body, your mental wellbeing, and the steps you can take to reduce the amount you drink.

“Speak to your pharmacist or GP if you are concerned about your own or someone else’s drinking.”

The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have developed guidelines to help people understand the risks alcohol may pose to their health and make decisions about their consumption in light of those risks. The ‘Know your units’ campaign supports awareness raising and education on these guidelines.

To keep health risks from alcohol to a lower level, it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week, as recommended by the UK CMOs.

George Wright, Community Pharmacist from Clear Pharmacy, Bangor said: “Understanding your weekly alcohol units is key to keeping track of how much you’re drinking, so it is essential to get to know how many units are in your favourite drinks and take charge of your health. If you regularly drink the maximum of 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking over three or more days. If you want to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days each week.

“Community pharmacy is the ideal setting to help encourage people to look after their health. Pharmacy teams play a critical role in supporting, educating and raising awareness of the risks associated with drinking too much alcohol. Call in to your local pharmacy to find out how we can help.”

As part of the Living Well campaign, community pharmacies across Northern Ireland are offering a free information leaflet, ‘Focus On Alcohol’ and unit calculator wheel, to members of the public. A copy of the ‘Focus On Alcohol’ resource can be found at www.pha.site/FocusOnAlcohol

For more information and local services that offer help and support, visit www.drugsandalcoholni.info

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced £4m for community pharmacy to provide support towards the recent increases in National Insurance. 

The full announcement can be read HERE.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) has welcomed the news that the Health Minister has made funding available to help support community pharmacies in meeting the additional cost of new National Insurance Contributions which came into effect from April 2025.

He said,

“We welcome the news that £4million has been earmarked for community pharmacies facing the impact of increased staff costs resulting from the new employer National Insurance Contributions introduced in April 2025. 

“We have worked closely with the Minister to ensure that the financial impact of these increased staff costs is understood.  We have estimated that the total cost of national minimum wage rises, coupled with the NIC cost increases on the sector will be c£12million in this financial year.  These costs fall directly to pharmacy owners to cover, while trying to balance the books in the face of other mounting financial pressures.

“Further stabilising investment is needed for Community Pharmacy so that the sector can continue to work with the Department of Health to maximise the impact of community based pharmacy services which treat and care for people close to home, take pressure off GPs and hospitals and support the Minister’s vision for transformation of healthcare in Northern Ireland.”

Northern Ireland community pharmacy owners are reeling from a £1m financial hit as April staff salary bills are paid this week.

This is the first month-end when the real financial impact of the new minimum wage and national insurance changes (NIC) are being felt. The £1m bill has landed in spite of urgent pleas to the Department of Health, the Health Minister, the Department of Finance, and UK Treasury, seeking relief for providers of public health services such as community pharmacy.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves explained that the increased income from raising Employer NIC would be used to fund “public services”. Community Pharmacy is, in fact, one of those public services, and these latest payroll costs will compound funding difficulties with no sign whatsoever of additional investment in the sector.

Community Pharmacy services are provided by a network of individual pharmacy owners, who each run their pharmacy as a small business. Unlike private sector businesses, as the provider of a heavily utilized and contracted public health service, community pharmacies do not have the opportunity to raise their fees to the Department of Health, or to pass costs on to patients.

With no sign of relief from April’s increased NIC taxes being provided to community pharmacy owners, they either have to fund the higher staff costs out of their own savings or cut staff or opening hours in order to reduce the cost.

At Minister’s Questions in the Assembly on Tuesday 8 April, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt was challenged over the matter, when Kellie Armstrong MLA highlighted that his Department is “effectively asking…pharmacy owners… to absorb the cost, and that they will close the gap through personal finances.”

The Minister replied, saying, “I do not accept that at the moment, because it is just too early… I will work with the new permanent secretary and senior officials in the Department to see what can be done. Certainly, trying to avoid individuals having to put their hands in their own pockets to cover these costs is a motivation for me.”

Representing the contractors for Northern Ireland’s 508 community pharmacies, Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) said,

“We need urgent support now. We have already made representations to the Minister, urging him to either seek relief from the Chancellor and HM Treasury, or to fund full cost recovery for community pharmacy.

“The total annual cost for our sector will be in excess of £12million. As we reach the first month-end after these new taxes came into effect, our sector is feeling the full force of an additional £1million month end cost. By the end of June this will be £3million. To be absolutely clear, this hit is entirely shouldered by individual pharmacy owners as our pleas to the Department of Health appears to be falling on deaf ears.

“At a time when community pharmacy owners are already struggling to balance the books, the Department of Health cannot expect this to be tolerated and patient services to remain unaffected: it will cripple the sector.

“By allowing these new staff costs to slide in, unaddressed, the Minister is essentially allowing individual contractors to prop up vital health services out of their own pockets This is not a fair or reasonable way to run public health services.

“We know the Northern Ireland health budget is under pressure and we would urge the Minister to take this back to Treasury for immediate review and reparation.”

A new campaign has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and help with early diagnosis.

The ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign is running in community pharmacies this April and May as part of the Living Well service. It highlights the role of pharmacy teams in providing advice and support, and encourages people who may be experiencing possible cancer symptoms to talk to their GP. It also aims to promote healthy changes to help reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future.

Dr Anna Cullen, Public Health Registrar at the Public Health Agency (PHA), said: “Cancer is a common condition. It is estimated that around half of us will develop some form of cancer in our lifetime.

“Everyone knows what feels ‘normal’ for them and it’s important to be aware of any changes in your body, but there are some common changes and symptoms to look out for and act on. Being aware of the general signs and symptoms of cancer can help in early detection and increase your chance of survival.”

Some signs and symptoms to look out for include:

· coughing up blood;

· blood in urine;

· blood mixed through bowel motion (stools);

· a change in bowel habit that lasts for three weeks or more;

· unexplained, significant weight loss (5kg/10lbs over a couple of months);

· a lump anywhere on your body;

· changes on your skin or to an existing mole (such as itching, bleeding or a change in shape or colour);

· a sore that doesn’t heal;

· symptoms that refuse to clear up, for example a cough or hoarseness that lasts for more than three weeks.

Dr Cullen concluded: “If you notice any of these symptoms and you feel something isn’t right, do not hesitate to contact your GP. In many cases, these symptoms will turn out to be a sign of something far less serious, but it is always best to get them checked out. If it is cancer, an early diagnosis means treatment is more likely to be successful.

“You can also ask your pharmacist for advice and further support. They can help you identify ways you can reduce your risk of developing cancer.”

Clare Conroy, Community Pharmacist from Meigh Pharmacy, Co Down added: “The earlier you find cancer, the easier it is to treat. Community pharmacy is the ideal setting to help encourage people to look after their health, and pharmacy teams play a critical role in supporting early cancer diagnosis.

“As well as advising on how to spot cancer early, pharmacy teams can help support people to make healthy changes that could reduce the risk of cancer. The first step is simple, just ask your pharmacist for advice.”

As part of the Living Well campaign, community pharmacies across Northern Ireland are providing the free information booklet, ‘Be Cancer Aware – Spotting symptoms and reducing your risk’, to members of the public. A copy of this leaflet can be found at www.pha.site/be-cancer-aware-leaflet

For further information on the signs and symptoms of cancer see www.BeCancerAwareNI.info