The solution is to make use of our local community pharmacies, of which there are more than 11,000 in England, 1,200 in Scotland, and 700 in Wales. Many of these already provide flu vaccinations to their customers every year, and this year they have proven that this can be done safely, efficiently and in greater numbers than ever before – even under the social distancing guidelines of the pandemic. Many community pharmacists are already vaccination trained, have the necessary IT recording and reporting systems in place, and have suitable premises which are more easily accessible to many people than GP surgeries or mass vaccination centres. Older people, and the more vulnerable – the very groups whom the government intends to target first for vaccinations – often already have good and trusted relationships with their local community pharmacies. In addition, many in these patient groups can’t drive, not to mention those people who live in villages or areas of the country where there is no local GP surgery, but there is a pharmacy. In fact, this is not just a solution; it’s also an opportunity to create greater public health equalities by enabling those who already have a relationship with their community pharmacy to access the COVID-19 vaccination in place they know and trust, as well as introducing those who may not have had much interaction with their local pharmacy thus far to the wide range of services, advice, support and expertise that the pharmacist and their team can offer. As in life, all good relationships take time – and trust – to develop. By helping people safeguard their health on their own doorstep, and being able to offer them unhurried expert advice and support, not just about the COVID-19 vaccine but many aspects of their health and wellbeing, community pharmacy teams are ideally placed to encourage their customers to take responsibility for their own health, and support them to do so on an ongoing basis – something which will help them stay healthier for longer, and ultimately save the NHS money.
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