In the previous flu season, only from January 12, 2022, pharmacies could apply for participation in the National Influenza Vaccination Program (NPS). Joining the NPS only in mid-January did not make much sense. The results confirmed it. Only about 8,500 vaccinations were performed in pharmacies, which was only 2 per mille of all flu vaccinations in Poland.
Walenty Zajdel
It was bad, and it's even worse
Published Jan. 11, 2023 11:31
On January 10, 2023, a meeting of the Parliamentary Health Committee was held, which concerned the consideration of the government's draft act on clinical trials of medicinal products. Amendments have been tabled and adopted to allow pharmacists to prescribe flu vaccines. It is very good that pharmacists will receive a new authorization under a pharmaceutical prescription. It should be emphasized that obtaining a prescription for the influenza vaccine was not and still is not a problem because the First Contact Teleplatform operates within the Home Medical Care programme. This is the place where every adult Polish woman and every adult Polish woman can call and get a prescription for a flu vaccine.
The President of the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council thanked the deputies and said, among other things, that "we have over two thousand pharmacy vaccination points." This is not true because there are so many registered pharmacy vaccination points against COVID-19. On the other hand, 1,430 joined the National Influenza Vaccination Program We have another proof that something is wrong with the proverbial pharmacy accuracy. It should be emphasized that a big mistake of the Supreme Pharmacy Council was the failure to introduce the provision in the Act on the profession of pharmacist that "information about the provision of pharmaceutical care is not an advertisement for a pharmacy." Therefore, pharmacies cannot inform about vaccinations, because it will be treated as prohibited advertising, which is punishable by a large financial penalty.
The draft law on clinical trials will be adopted by the Sejm and then sent to the Senate. The Senate session will take place on February 8 and 9, 2023. Only the President's signature is needed and the act will enter into force 14 days after its announcement. The introduction of the possibility for pharmacists to issue prescriptions for flu vaccines only at the end of the season is a mockery of common sense, as such a regulation should enter into force on September 1, 2022 at the latest. It should also not be forgotten that the Minister of Health introduced different rules from those that were in force in the previous flu season, which directly affected the reduction of vaccination coverage.
The ability for pharmacists to prescribe flu vaccines will not increase vaccination coverage. There is no doubt that the main cause of low flu vaccination coverage is only one. This is due to the low social awareness of the need for vaccinations. Therefore, only raising awareness will increase vaccination coverage. Half-measures such as pharmaceutical prescriptions for influenza vaccines will be of no use. It is necessary to carry out a professional nationwide educational and promotional campaign similar to the one that was conducted in Great Britain by the National Health Service and brought tangible results. Currently, flu vaccination coverage in the UK is around 70 per cent.
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Walenty Zajdel
