What's next for pharmacy vaccination centers?

According to data from the Supreme Pharmacy Chamber, more than 127,000 flu vaccinations were performed in pharmacies this season. Meanwhile, there are more than 2,000 pharmacy vaccination centers throughout Poland. According to the president of the NIA, however, there is no legal framework to ensure that patients continue to have access to free vaccinations in pharmacies.

- We do not know whether the established principle of free for the patient, that is, to perform the vaccination service at the pharmacy, will be maintained. Legal solutions are needed to secure the patient's ability to access free vaccination at the pharmacy. We negotiate with the Ministry of Health every time. The negotiations of the previous season have ended, and hence my question about what about the next season? Let's remember that this is a recommended vaccination. We are bound by the Infectious Diseases Act, and here the Minister's decision is crucial," stressed Elżbieta Piotrowska-Rutkowska.

The issue of COVID-19 vaccination is also a matter of uncertainty for the pharmacy community, as on July 1 the state of epidemic emergency will be lifted and the regulations that have been in effect until now will be outdated, especially since COVID-19 vaccination is not on the list of recommended vaccinations. Pharmacists also ask whether the list of vaccinations performed in pharmacies will be expanded to include more items.

- Pharmacy vaccinations have been very well received by the public and patients, not only seniors, but also active people who do not have time to spend hours in primary care clinics. Access to immunizations in primary care is not as easy as is commonly said. It's a complicated road, and patients are eager to get vaccinations at pharmacies. Patient feedback shows that they would also benefit from vaccinations carried out for other disease entities, the NIA president pointed out.

A survey conducted by the Pharmacy Workers Union found that 97 percent of those vaccinated at pharmacies were satisfied with the service. 90 percent of those surveyed said they would also vaccinate at a pharmacy once again. Almost all survey participants felt that pharmacists should also be able to vaccinate against other disease entities.

According to Elzbieta Piotrowska-Rutkowska, pharmacists are eager to perform vaccinations, but launching pharmacy vaccination centers requires investment, which is difficult to decide without clear declarations from the health ministry. It is also necessary to launch new qualification courses, and as soon as possible, still in the summer season, so that as many people as possible are authorized to carry out vaccinations in the autumn.