Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:511. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health his plans to incentivise pharmacists to carry out off-site vaccination clinics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30072/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 13 October 2020
Ceisteanna (511)
Freagraí scríofa
The 2020/2021 influenza vaccination season will be the 10th year that pharmacists have provided this service to patients. Since the pharmacy vaccination service began, the pharmacy regulator, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (the PSI) have carried out a number of evaluations and a user satisfaction survey which have identified that this service is well received by the public and is provided to a high standard.
It was therefore considered appropriate to build on the existing good practice and patient trust to further develop this service, in order to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the public and support the national healthcare system, particularly during this time of a pandemic.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, there is a public health need to increase access to the influenza vaccine. I, as Minister for Health, have signed into law Statutory Instrument No. 401 of 2020 - Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2020. These Regulations amend the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003 to allow for influenza vaccination to be administered by registered pharmacists in places other than the premises of the retail pharmacy business in which they carry on their professional practice.
This has the potential to greatly increase uptake of the influenza vaccine in all the groups, who can avail of the vaccine free of charge in particular those in the at-risk categories, as well as patients wishing to access this service privately. It also enables pharmacists who may be unable to provide a vaccination service on their pharmacy premises during the 2020/21 flu season, (due to requirements for social distancing/staff restraints etc.) to continue to provide this service for their patients and local community, albeit at a different, but safe location.
Given the importance of maximising the level of uptake in the flu vaccination, my Department, in conjunction with the HSE and following discussion with the IMO and IPU, has agreed to a process to enable and incentivise GPs and pharmacists not only to deliver vaccination to the expanded groups, but to actively seek out relevant patients and deliver vaccinations in a programmatic way, such as through dedicated flu vaccination clinics. This approach is considered necessary and appropriate so as to replace the more opportunistic vaccination approach of previous years with a much more proactive one. The ability to allow for vaccination to be administered by pharmacists in places other than the premises of the retail pharmacy business in which they carry on their professional practice is considered to be an enabler of this approach.
However, it is not the role of the Minister for Health to set up off-site influenza vaccination clinics led by pharmacists or any other healthcare professional, rather this is demand led and arranged locally as the need arises, in lines with applicable regulatory requirements and clinical and practice guidelines.
Question No. 512 answered with Question No. 478.