UCA NEWS
How community pharmacy stepped up!
By Peter Rice, Chair, UCA-NI
I think it is fair to say that the last six months have been the most challenging of my pharmacy career so far.
Community pharmacy entered this year under a dark cloud with both workforce pressures and a funding crisis. so bleak was the outlook that, at the end of February, industrial action seemed inevitable.
By Mid-March, however, the world had changed and, far from stepping back, community pharmacy stepped up!
An initial injection of crisis funding and the provision of a special Advance loan enabled pharmacy to face the crisis and rise to the challenge. Community pharmacy mounted a huge effort in the face of the global pandemic, facing increases in prescription volumes of more than 20 per cent.
Despite the significant increase in workload, pharmacy introduced a new emergency supply service. This had a hugely positive impact and ensured that patients, who were unable to access their GP, were able to get their medication when they needed it. Rota arrangements were increased and an out-of-hours palliative care service began.
The dynamic nature of pharmacy was clear. CPNI, in collaboration with uCA-NI, secured the delivery of visors for community pharmacy teams across Northern Ireland at a time when personal protection equipment was scarce.
New layouts were designed, screens erected and social distancing measures implemented to ensure both public and staff safety so that community pharmacies were
Peter Rice
open, accessible and could look after patients.
The response has shown the passion and energy community pharmacy has for local communities and its commitment to ensure that support and care is provided at all times. The pressures of the pandemic have, however, come at a cost. The emotional and physical toll has been difficult to bear and I would encourage anyone to avail of the services of PAss if required.
As public panic subsided and the dust settled, we found ourselves in a ‘new normal’, but the effort of community pharmacy throughout the first wave didn’t go unnoticed. unprecedented collaboration between the Health & social Care Board, CPNI and the Department of Health throughout the initial surge plus the support of our new Health Minister culminated in the announcement on 1 July of an investment of £13.25m in funding for the community pharmacy network by the Department of Health.
We can now look forward to a new era in community pharmacy.
There will undoubtedly be challenges, not least through COVID, but we can now look forward with hope.
pharmacyinfocus.com PHARMACY IN FOCus - 35
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