Róisín Shortall
Question:1332. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason community pharmacists are not reimbursed for administering the shingles vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12987/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 March 2023
Questions (1332)
Written answers
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The HSE does not supply vaccines or provide reimbursement support for vaccines through community pharmacies under the Statutory Drug Schemes. When the public health imperative to support particular vaccines to defined cohorts becomes national policy, vaccines are directly procured by the HSE and supplied through the national vaccine distribution arrangements to GPs for eligible cohorts.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation.
The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time. Shingles vaccination is not currently provided as part of the national immunisation programme.
However, it is open to an individual to source a vaccine from a GP or pharmacy, where available, outside of the national immunisation programme on the basis of a private arrangement.