Community pharmacies should play a greater role in delivering NHS vaccines in a bid to “drive uptake... and prevent ill health”, the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) said yesterday (February 25) as it announced the launch of a report into the provision of vaccines.
Published by the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group (PVDG) – which was created by the CCA – the report highlighted a “significant variation” in the uptake of vaccines.
It said that, among other things, this is due to “poor access to healthcare” and “insufficient capacity in the healthcare system”.
Read more: NHSE vaccination strategy points to ‘greater role’ for community pharmacy
“By commissioning pharmacies to deliver more NHS vaccines, the PVDG believe that this would lead to an immediate step-change in uptake,” the CCA said.
The PVDG has called on policymakers to increase vaccine uptake in community pharmacies by:
- Commissioning pharmacies to administer all the vaccines older adults are eligible for and expand existing pilots and early adopters
- Expanding the national booking service – the NHS service through which patients can book vaccination systems – to provide a one-stop-shop for patients
- Reviewing supply models to ensure vaccines are available for patients where and when they need them
Sleeping giant
The report comes over a year after the publication of NHS England’s (NHSE) vaccination strategy. It said to improve access to vaccines, “delivery [must be] in convenient local places with targeted outreach to support uptake in underserved populations”.
And the CCA stressed that “community pharmacy offers a route to rapidly increase the access to vaccination”.
Read more: ICBs to commission ‘all vaccination services’ from April 2026
CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said that “with [vaccine] uptake falling, we need action now to prevent further decline”.
“Community pharmacy has a strong track record in administering flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Pharmacists are highly trusted by local communities and already play a huge role in community relations, combating misinformation and ensuring vaccines reach underserved communities”.
No-brainer
“It’s time to awaken the sleeping giant that is community pharmacy and commission pharmacies to administer more NHS vaccines,” Harrison said.
“With people typically visiting their community pharmacists twelve times more than their GP, this is a no-brainer,” he added.
Read more: ‘Very little appetite’ to widen pharmacy vaccine delivery role
Speaking at yesterday’s launch, the Welcome Trust’s head of prevention in infectious disease Dr Charlie Weller stressed that “having a licensed vaccine isn’t enough, we need the vaccines to get to the people”.
Community pharmacies are “part of the solution” in removing any access barriers to vaccines, she said, adding they offer “a vehicle to reach those most at risk”.
“Advocates” in Westminster
And Labour MP for Worthing West Dr Beccy Cooper said that “keeping people well is something that doesn’t begin and end in hospitals... [or] general practice, it very much needs to be a community embedded approach”.
Community pharmacy is “absolutely integral to the public health team”, she said. “I really hope that you know that there are advocates here in Westminster for you”.
Read more: Flu: ‘No changes’ to eligibility as autumn start dates announced
Also commenting on the report, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) vice-chair Olivier Picard said that “we very much back the idea of expanding the administration of vaccines in community pharmacies, which have a strong track record of success in prevention and public health”.
“Our sector’s unmatched level of access and convenience makes this an obvious area of growth,” he said. “It clearly fits the aspirations of the forthcoming NHS 10 Year Plan, to prevent sickness and move more care into communities”.
“Pharmacies have consistently demonstrated their ability to improve vaccine uptake, including in diverse and generally underserved communities [and] we are therefore pleased to support the development of this new report.”
