Pharmacists call for end to red tape so they can join the battle
HIGH street pharmacists are calling for a change in the rules so they can play a full role in the vaccination battle and give jabs to at least half a million people a week.
There is “extreme frustration” that community pharmacies unable to deliver at least 1,000 vaccines a week are not being allowed to become official vaccination sites.
Andrew Lane, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, had a simple message for Boris Johnson on behalf of 11,400 pharmacies: “We’re here, we’re trained and we will deliver.”
He argued that this year pharmacies are at the forefront of “one of the largest flu vaccine campaigns the country has ever seen” and are equipped to deliver the Oxford-astrazeneca Covid-19 jab.
Last week, Mr Lane talked with Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi, and said he was hopeful a change of policy was on the way to allow the greatest number of people to be protected in the shortest possible time.
He said: “We are just saying that time is of the essence. Even if we can’t begin to administer the vaccine immediately, at least
‘Let us begin to plan. Time is of the essence’
let us begin to plan without delay to achieve that widespread pharmacy engagement in this urgent national effort.”
Mr Lane said a conservative estimate suggested pharmacists could deliver 500,000 vaccines a week, but others said the figure could be as high as 1.3 million.
He said there was “extreme frustration” in the sector at the current rules.
NHS England invited applications from pharmacies to become inoculation sites at the end of November, but its criteria included the capability to deliver at least 1,000 doses per week.
NHS England was last week assessing just 200 “pharmacy-led” sites, with some due to start vaccinations this week.
Mr Lane said: “Pharmacy teams right across the country just want to be given that green light to start planning to deliver the Astrazeneca vaccine.
“As it stands today, there is no process currently in place to allow pharmacies even to express an interest because that gate was closed in December.”
An NHS spokeswoman said: “Pharmacies are already working with GPS to deliver the vaccine in many areas of the country.
“As more supply becomes available, community pharmacists able to administer large numbers of vaccine will play a role in the NHS’S phased vaccination programme, the biggest in the health service’s history,” she added.