Majority support pharmacies delivering 'all vaccinations' offsite

Proposals that would allow community pharmacies to deliver more vaccines offsite have received strong support, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced, as it published the outcome of a consultation amending the Human Medicines Regulations (HMRs) 2012.

The plans were among several proposed amendments included in the consultation, which ended in November last year.

The DHSC said the change would help provide parity between pharmacy businesses and other healthcare providers, who can already provide offsite vaccinations in places such as community centres or places of worship.

Regulation 233 currently allows retail pharmacies providing Covid-19 or flu vaccines under a PGD to provide that service away from their registered premises. The ongoing consultation suggests expanding the scope of R233 to include ‘all vaccinations against a vaccine preventable disease’.

Of the 217 responses to this amendment, more than two-thirds (68%) were in support of the change, while 17% disagreed.

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The Government's response to the consultation included an anonymous response from an organisation operating in Wales, which highlighted the positive impacts for rural communities. It said: ‘Expanded use of community pharmacy delivery during the pandemic was invaluable in increasing vaccination uptake across rural communities.

‘Provided robust governance and competency frameworks remain in place, extending these provisions to all vaccine-preventable diseases and making these flexibilities permanent would enhance equity of access, increase workforce efficiency and support future preparedness.’

Another anonymous organisation operating across the UK, also in support of the proposal, highlighted the potential benefits in reducing health inequalities.

‘The proposal is fully aligned with the 10 Year Health Plan’s shift to community care. Analysis suggests that community-based access points may help reduce inequalities in adult vaccination uptake, with more flexible delivery models potentially supporting higher participation among groups currently less likely to attend traditional GP-led services,’ it said.

However, several respondents raised concerns about governance and assurance in community pharmacies, suggesting that practice was unregulated.

DHSC reassured these respondents that ‘as community pharmacies are already able to deliver Covid and influenza vaccinations off-site, there are existing robust governance processes in place to mitigate any risks’.

It added that these provisions would be extended to other vaccination services.

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Three respondents also raised concerns about the accurate recording of vaccinations because of incompatible information management systems between different healthcare providers.

In response, DHSC said that pharmacy staff can access patient records to support service delivery, and that these platforms will be available securely even when delivering services offsite.

The consultation also proposed expanding Regulation 3 to allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to prepare or assemble medicines for patients without a manufacturer’s license under limited circumstances.

NHS England said: ‘[This proposal] will offer parity between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who already have access to such a provision. Pharmacy professionals are adept at handling medicines, including preparation and assembly, through advanced training in this area.’

Of the 217 responses to this proposal, 61% agreed while 17% disagreed with this proposal – largely due to concerns about the competency of pharmacists to prepare and assemble medicines.

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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stressed that this change must be underpinned by ‘strong governance, training and infrastructure’ to protect patient safety.

DHSC received 218 responses to the consultation in total. Of those, 216 were received through the consultation platform and two by email. However, one response raised points outside the scope of the proposals.

The responses came from individuals sharing their professional views (61%), individuals sharing their personal views (4%), and organisations (34%).