'We've been shunned': Northamptonshire pharmacists question lack of involvement in Covid-19 vaccine roll-out

Pharmacists in Northamptonshire have questioned why they are not being used to their full potential in the roll-out of the coronavirus vaccines.

Very few of the 11,000 pharmacies and their staff are being used to give out the jabs despite administering immunisations on a daily basis.

While the government has pledged to involve more community pharmacies, this newspaper and sister titles are calling for ministers to make better use of them.

Ebrahim Aziz, the pharmacy superintendent at Berrymoor Pharmacy in Wellingborough, said: "It's very disappointing that the government hasn't made up its mind on whether they are awarding pharmacies the contract to carry out Covid-19 vaccinations."

So far the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been handed out at hospitals because it has to be kept at very low temperatures and cannot be moved too many times.

The approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has meant GP surgeries can organise mass immunisation clinics as it can be stored in a normal refrigerator.

Mr Aziz believes pharmacies are ideally equipped to be part of the roll-out but the government has been slow to confirm they will be and in what capacity.

"We are qualified and ideally placed in the community to provide this service to help out country get through this pandemic.

"If every pharmacy vaccinated 20 patients a day that would mount up to 20,000 vaccinations per day, six days a week that would mean 120,000 per week, 12 weeks that would mean nearly 1.5 million patients vaccinated without additional government spend.

"Why they don't understand this is another question. The PSNC (Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee) and the RPS (Royal Pharmaceutical Society) are all lobbying but so far we have just been shunned."

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing this afternoon (Monday, January 11) that they would be looking to bring more than the initial 200 pharmacies on board.

Nadhim Zahawi, the minister in charge of vaccine deployment, said that most people currently had 'about a 45-minute drive' or less to a vaccination centre but his aim was that no-one in the UK was 'more than a 10-mile radius'.

And he told Times Radio that he wanted to reach the point where people could simply walk into their community pharmacy or local GP to receive a vaccine.

David Ashton, the pharmacy superintendent at Abington Pharmacy in Northampton, thinks the vaccination programme is 'eroded' by a lack of pharmacy involvement.

"It's not any different to what we do on a day-to-day basis, I appreciate the government has a position on this but I'm not sure of the reasoning for why we're not partaking in the roll-out," he said.

Mr Ashton, who is also the pharmacy lead for Grand Union primary care network, volunteered to administer coronavirus vaccines at Abington Park Surgery this weekend.

He said the clinic was well-organised with appointments running to schedule and clear safe areas for people to sit in before and after having the jab.

The pharmacist has been busy with flu jabs this winter, with 530 handed out at Abington Pharmacy alone since September despite stock issues.

NHS England kept some vaccines back to ensure all vulnerable people got one but that meant some appointments were cancelled last minute, according to Mr Ashton.

"There's a lot of sense in what the government has done but I just wish they would communicate it better so we can pass it on to the customers," he said.

Mr Ashton urged anyone over 50 who is yet to have their flu jab to get it to ensure there are no issues once they can have the Covid-19 vaccine as they cannot be administered within seven days of each other.

"Any over-65s who have not had the flu jab or Covid vaccine and are waiting to be called should go for their flu jab now, don't wait in case you get called for your Covid vaccine," he said.

"Vaccinations at the minute are for over-80s and care home residents and carers but there are several missed appointments as people are poorly and can't attend.

"So there are sometimes a few vaccines left over but they have to be used so people are called in at short notice.

"So people in the next bracket need to make sure they have had the flu jab to avoid any issues."