COMMUNITY PHARMACY CONTRIBUTION ‘INVALUABLE’
As Northern Ireland’s community pharmacies continue to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, PiF asked Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA, for his views on how the profession has faced the challenges of the pandemic over the last year…
T
hroughout the last year, Northern Ireland’s community pharmacy – as with the entire community pharmacy throughout the
United Kingdom – continued to provide a first- class service to its patients.
Across the province, pharmacists and their teams were the first port of call for patients, who not only had health concerns, but who were also anxious and stressed about the situation.
PiF actually spoke to one pharmacy contractor, who said that the pharmacy’s three phone lines were often constantly engaged while they and their other pharmacists spoke to patients – usually elderly – who were feeling lonely and distressed by being cut off from family and friends.
PiF totally recognises the contribution that every community pharmacy across Northern Ireland has made – and continues to make – during the pandemic, so we decided to ask the Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA, for his opinion on the role that community pharmacy has played in primary care over the past year.
This is what Mr Swann told us…..
‘I welcome the opportunity to put on record my personal thanks to the community pharmacy network in Northern Ireland - for their invaluable contribution, and incredible hard work throughout this pandemic.
‘I am very aware of the important part that community pharmacies and their teams play in delivering health services to their respective communities, given that they are undoubtedly the most accessible healthcare professionals on the front line of community health services. The vital role of community pharmacy has been made particularly evident to all of us during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘During the current pandemic people have relied upon their local pharmacies for medicines and advice from an accessible, trusted and respected healthcare professional. Community pharmacy teams have been exceptionally valuable in supporting the public through very challenging times, and we have seen evidence of more and more people visiting their local community pharmacy every day to collect their prescriptions, and to obtain advice on general health issues and
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