Community Pharmacy England (CPE) committee member, Fin McCaul, recently highlighted before a parliamentary committee the vital role community pharmacies play during vaccination drives and emphasised that patients visit pharmacies “12 times more than GPs” for vaccinations.
During a detailed evidence session of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee on Tuesday (11), he said while pharmacies were being used “quite well” for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, but far greater potential remained untapped.
He highlighted that pharmacies help boost the vaccine uptake among ethnic monitory groups and deprived communities.
McCaul lamented that during the winter rollout, pharmacy teams had to bear the brunt of confusion over COVID vaccine eligibility criteria and booking system errors.
He urged the NHS to prioritise clear communication and consistent eligibility criteria ahead of next winter.
He also warned that underinvestment in primary care, lack of payments for housebound patients, and poor data flow continue to limit pharmacies’ impact.
Better data sharing, he said, was “critical for vaccination equality”.
CPE wants national action to unlock the full potential of pharmacy-led vaccination.
This includes commissioning of more NHS vaccines through community pharmacy; the integration of booking and data systems across all providers; investment in premises, cold chain and workforce; and the proper use of pharmacies to tackle healthcare inequalities.
The CPE wants the government and NHS England to provide clear, consistent national communications around eligibility and campaigns, and to ensure community pharmacy is fully embedded as a core partner in future pandemic preparedness planning.
McCaul said, “With better data, investment and planning, pharmacy can make a major difference to national vaccination goals.”
