Category: News

The representative body for community pharmacy owners across Northern Ireland has said that the work of pharmacy teams made a seismic difference to the Covid-19 response over the past two years.

Community Pharmacy NI has hailed the resilience and adaptability of the workforce as over 330,000 Covid-19 vaccines have been delivered including almost150,000 booster vaccines.

Pharmacies also increased provisions with the Pharmacy First service by which  patients could get medical advice and treatment directly from their local pharmacies for a number of everyday health conditions. The Emergency Supply of Medicines service was also introduced which meant patients could access vital medicines when they were unable to obtain a prescription.

In more recent times, community pharmacies became the leading provider of Lateral Flow Tests with over one million kits delivered to the public across Northern Ireland.

Community pharmacies also continued to provide their central role of the safe supply of medicines to patients with over one million dispensing episodes weekly.

Community Pharmacy NI are calling on the Department of Health to continue to recognise the vast contribution of the community pharmacy network over the past two years and accelerate  workforce planning and investment strategies that will ensure that this work can continue and be developed further in the post-pandemic era.

Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene said:

The last two years has demonstrated that community pharmacy can go beyond day-to-day services to support the changing health and wellbeing needs of our population. Through the flexibility and adaptability of the sector, we have seen it taking on increased patient demands and providing additional services. I think it is hugely important that the Department of Health seeks to build upon the success to date and ensures that community pharmacy remains an integral part of the health and social care family going forward.

The community pharmacy network has worked tremendously hard to ensure that patients have been able to continue to receive services, uninterrupted by the pressures of the pandemic. Staff have shown flexibility and adaptability under extreme pressure.

Community pharmacy needs to be commissioned in a way that reflects increased responsibilities and demands. Emerging from the pandemic, more and more patients will look to their local community pharmacist first, as they have done during the last two years. It is imperative that we support community pharmacies to continue vital work in our communities.

Now is the time to maximize on the possibilities that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented and ensure that community pharmacy is utilized effectively and inclusively in transformation of the health service. We have seen the many benefits – accessibility, adaptability, community-facing care, as well as a range of new and additional services – I hope we are able to continue with this in the time ahead.

A new campaign that encourages adults to make healthy changes to their diet has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland as part of the Living Well service.

‘Making healthier choices’ will run until the end of March and aims to encourage people to make changes to their diet that will have a positive impact on overall health and wellbeing.

Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies 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 Health and Social Care Board (HSCB).

Dr Hannah Dearie, Senior Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Officer with PHA said that the new pharmacy campaign is an extension of the PHA’s wider Choose to Live Better campaign work:

“We want to encourage people to make simple changes to their diet that will help to have a positive impact on their health. Providing information through community pharmacies is a great way of reaching people.

“This campaign aims to make people think about portion sizes of food and drinks they are consuming and reduce portions sizes to improve health and wellbeing. It’s still the food you love, just a bit less.”

Combining healthy eating habits with being active can reduce your risk of developing a range of chronic conditions such as heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Paul McKenna, community pharmacist said:

“Community pharmacies are at the heart of our local communities with the public recognising pharmacists as trusted and accessible healthcare professionals. This makes community pharmacy the ideal setting to help encourage people to look after their health by engaging in initiatives such as the ‘Making healthier choices’ campaign.

“We can help support you to make those lifestyle changes. The first step is simple, just ask your pharmacist for advice.”

Simple tips for making healthier choices:

• Eat regularly – eat three meals each day, ie. breakfast, lunch and evening meal. This can help you stay fuller for longer and prevent you nibbling on snacks in-between meals.
• Eat slowly, to give your body a chance to tell you it’s satisfied. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full.
• Eat until you’re no longer hungry, not until you feel full.
• Use a smaller plate.
• Don’t nibble on leftovers – you can cut down on leftovers by cooking less or using them up in another meal.
• Check food labels – If you’re not sure how much of a food to eat in one serving, have a look at the food label, which appears on packaged food and drink.
• Watch out for supersized portions when you’re eating out. Come up with ways to deal with bigger portions, eg. opt for a starter portion, leave out the chips, don’t force yourself to clear your plate, share a dessert between two or three people.
• Try to be more active every day– remember, if you slip up one day, don’t dwell on it. Just carry on to the next day with your target in mind.

The Making healthier choices booklet is packed with lots of helpful information and is available in participating pharmacies now.

Further information on healthier portions and portion swaps can be found at: www.choosetolivebetter.com/content/eating-and-drinking-well  

Wearing a face covering may no longer a legal requirement, but it is still strongly recommended that individuals wear face coverings in health and social care settings including community pharmacies, as well as on public transport and other enclosed indoor settings.

Further information on the latest guidance, how members of the public can stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available HERE on the NI Direct website.

HSCB is also encouraging members of the public to continue wearing face masks in healthcare settings and the social media cards below can used on your social media channels / website to promote the continued wearing of face coverings to members of the public in your community pharmacy.

• Social Media Card 1
• Social Media Card 2
• Social Media Card 3

In light of the most recent COVID-19 guidance, available on NI Direct, pharmacy teams may wish review the COVID-19 signage, posters and information displayed in the pharmacy to ensure it reflects the measures they wish to maintain in their setting.

It is estimated that the sector has supplied as many as 5.7 million individual tests in total

Northern Ireland’s community pharmacies have this week reached the important milestone of supplying over 820,000 lateral flow testing kits. Coming in kits of seven, it is estimated that a total of 5.7 million tests have been distributed via the sector.

Community Pharmacy NI has welcomed the figures, highlighting that having the kits available from an accessible location has been essential to breaking the chain of transmission within our communities.

Lateral flow tests can be collected from 580 locations across Northern Ireland, including 500 community pharmacies.

Peter Rice, Chair of Community Pharmacy NI said:

“Reaching this significant milestone is a testament to the entire community pharmacy network who have worked tirelessly to distribute lateral flow tests to patients. Facing increased demands from patients as well as workforce pressures associated with the transmission of the Omicron variant, our community pharmacy teams have remained steadfast in their efforts to distribute lateral flow tests among communities. It has been a huge logistical undertaking to get to this point and community pharmacy has played an integral part.

“Over the festive period, as transmission of the Omicron variant rose sharply and demand for lateral flow tests increased as a consequence, in many instances community pharmacy was the only collection point available to members of the public. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown community pharmacy’s value as a key component in our health system, ensuring accessible healthcare and solidifying the link between pharmacies and their communities. I would encourage the Department of Health to consider this milestone when planning for healthcare transformation. Access to local, community-facing primary care is vital and I hope we can consolidate on this.”

Lesa McLoughlin, community pharmacist at Dundela Pharmacy, Belfast said:

“Working in a community pharmacy throughout the pandemic, I have seen first-hand the role my colleagues have been playing each day to support patients. We have continually stepped beyond our everyday role to take on additional services to support those living in the community. The rollout of lateral flow testing kits is an essential part of this as patients have come to rely on community pharmacy as part of their test, trace, and isolate routine.”

You can collect a free lateral flow testing kit from community pharmacies: https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/

Pharmacy staff work in the heart of their communities, providing vital services and trusted healthcare advice to those most vulnerable in society. It is completely unacceptable that they should be attacked while carrying out their jobs.

There is a zero tolerance on any form of abuse on pharmacy teams in Northern Ireland and we reiterate our support for the team who suffered such an attack. We call on the public to be kind, understand the difficult environment that our community pharmacists are working in and have patience.

The Living Well service provides key public health messages and advice through community pharmacies that are contracted to provide the service.

Through the Living Well service, pharmacies can help address risk factors which contribute significantly to the overall prevalence of disease in Northern Ireland. A campaign schedule has been developed that is aligned with public health priorities. Community pharmacists and pharmacy staff will display and provide information as well as give advice on targeted campaign topics to patients presenting prescriptions and to general pharmacy visitors.

The current campaign is Boost Your Immunity

Living Well Summary Reports

Looking after your health and wellbeing during COVID-19

Vaccinations