Interview with Elżbieta Piotrowska-Rutkowska, president of the Supreme Pharmaceutical Chamber, conducted during the Vaccine Forum Congress.
Elżbieta Piotrowska-Rutkowska: The NFZ order on vaccination in pharmacies was expected. It is a pity that the draft was published so late
Published Oct. 20, 2023 12:37
The National Health Fund has presented a draft order on the general conditions for the conclusion and implementation of contracts for the performance of recommended vaccinations in pharmacies. Are there already any opinions on this draft coming from the pharmacy community?
We are collecting opinions from the environment. In the near future they will flow to us and we will give our opinion on this project. I regret that, it was not created earlier, it was not announced,. We can vaccinate against influenza already, in fact, from the beginning of September, and we would like this vaccination and the same service to be free for our patient. This announcement was highly anticipated by us. It is a pity that it is so late, but we hope that nevertheless many people will take advantage of this opportunity and get vaccinated at pharmacies free of charge.
A much-anticipated solution, especially since patients go to pharmacies very often. A big expectation was that the patient's path to vaccination should be shortened and made easier.
We have been asking for the road to vaccination to be very short, but unfortunately it is not. The patient must bring the prescription to us, we fill it, and then we perform the vaccination. I regret that the vaccination of people between the ages of 18 and 65 is billed on a commercial basis. Patients expect a different solution. Vaccination is a long-term investment in our health. So we will continue to demand that the vaccination service, as well as vaccines, be free for our Polish patients.
The regulation mentions COVID-19, influenza and pneumococcal. Is this a sufficient catalog, or would the potential for pharmacists to vaccinate be greater?
This catalog is not enough, but we realize that we have to start somewhere. In other European countries, pharmacists vaccinate against far more diseases. I hope that this solution will be introduced into the Polish health care system.
