Irish pharmacists are calling on the Government to allow them to play a key part in rolling out Covid-19 vaccines.
With doses set to be available in the new year, the Irish Pharmacy Union has said that those in power must get the vaccine out "as quickly and seamlessly as possible."
“Pharmacists have the training and experience to play a prominent role in the vaccination campaign," IPU Secretary General Darragh O’Loughlin said.
"Over the past decade, pharmacists have safely administered hundreds of thousands of flu vaccines in Ireland.
"Pharmacists have the capacity to administer a minimum of 10,000 COVID vaccines per day across the country, which would be an enormous asset to the vaccination programme.
“Leading public health experts, such as Dr Gabriel Scally, have suggested that the task to vaccinate the population should not fall solely on GPs due to a concern that, should Ireland’s GPs, who regularly cite capacity constraints, be tasked with this additional responsibility it could lead to delayed diagnoses in other illness areas.
"Using and resourcing the capacity of pharmacies is a logical way of avoiding this potential problem.”
Numerous countries, including the US and UK, have already said they will use pharmacists as part of their rollout plans, something which the Government here is yet to confirm.
Mr O'Loughlin added: "We have come through so much in 2020 — lockdowns, social isolation and economic challenges.
"Now 2021 has the potential to be a year of renewal, but first we must continue to fight back against the virus, and soon each us will have an opportunity and a responsibility to support the campaign to rollout the vaccine.
"Pharmacists will play whatever part is asked of them.”
