COMMUNITY PHARMACY SERVICES KEEPING ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE AT HEART OF COMMUNITIES
By James McCaughan Chair, Community Pharmacy NI
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year, during which COVID-19 has changed the face of community pharmacy. We are one of the key primary healthcare providers on the ground, ensuring the safe supply of medicines, and our patients and communities remain healthy and looked after. This is a role which we do not take lightly.
Community pharmacists and their teams have consistently proven their valuable role during this period. At a time of uncertainty and fear, they have been a steady hand of reassurance, advice, and support for
many people, including some of the most vulnerable in our local communities. I am proud of the work of my colleagues who stepped up to the plate when they were called upon.
We have also focused on the expansion of our services within public health, including the Community Pharmacy Flu vaccination service (CPFv) for health and social care staff which has been successfully rolled out in community pharmacies from september. Over 350 local community pharmacies across Northern Ireland have been able to administer the flu vaccination and the uptake has been hugely positive and encouraging; clearly demonstrating the role community pharmacy can
play in vaccination services. At the time of printing, almost 13,000 health and social care staff received their vaccination through a community pharmacy.
The expansion of community pharmacy services such as CPFv, Pharmacy First and the emergency supply service clearly eases pressures across the health service. Allowing our HsC colleagues in other areas, such as GP surgeries and emergency Departments, to focus on critical patients and work towards ensuring accessible services are provided within all our communities.
Going forward - and particularly during this challenging winter period - I know that all our community
PHARMACY FIRST WELCOMED BY ALL
As community pharmacy teams gear up for the introduction of the new Pharmacy First service for winter ailments, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Cathy Harrison, has hailed the new service as a welcome opportunity for community pharmacy.
‘Community pharmacy teams,’ she said, ‘are now developing their role as an integral part of the Health service, and are delivering a range of new services specifically designed to meet the needs of our population during the pandemic period. The Pharmacy First service will offer people the opportunity to readily access a consultation with a highly-trained
healthcare professional for advice and treatment for common winter conditions, and will relieve pressures on other acute care providers, such as GPs and emergency Departments.
‘Throughout the pandemic,’ added Michael Hill from Hill’s Pharmacy in Tandragee, ‘we have seen the enormous pressure placed upon our
health services and that requires a radical rethink of how we treat patients. Community pharmacy teams are proud to be able to play our part in ensuring care continues to be provided in the local community as far as possible, becoming important hubs for people so they can access good advice and healthcare this winter.’
CPNI WEBSITE
CPNI has launched a newly designed website at
www.communitypharmacyni.co.uk
#PHARMACYHEROES CAMPAIGN
Look out for the #pharmacyheroes campaign rolling out across CPNI social media channels over the coming months, including CPNI’s new Instagram account @compharmacyni. These social media cards highlight and promote the vital role community pharmacists and their teams play as they work on the frontline in their local communities.
38 - PHARMACy IN FOCus
The new website is a one-stop communications resource which allows pharmacy contractors and their teams to access community pharmacy information and news, quickly and easily. some elements of CPNI’s previous website have been refreshed and some exciting new features added including: • COvID Hub • Contractor Calendar • Online Medicines shortage Reporter • Community Pharmacy services Webinars
The Members’ only area* feature has been retained and pharmacy contractors who were previously registered will still need to register on the new site to access member only content. * Members’ only area is for registered pharmacy contractors only.
James McCaughan
pharmacy teams will again pull together to deliver these services. All with the same high standard of professionalism and dedication which has been delivered up to this point and I thank you for this.
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