Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 February 2021

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Chris AndrewsChris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is growing concern from community sector pharmacists on the timeframe for them to receive the vaccine. In recent months they have seen more and more patients referred to community pharmacies for what would have been standard procedures in any general practitioner practice, including blood pressure and supervised methadone checks. Their face-to-face contact with patients has dramatically increased to allow for the reduction in face-to-face contact for patients with local GPs. They have shouldered their fair share in this pandemic. In keeping the pressure off local GPs as much as possible, the risk to them has dramatically increased but the protections have not. If a pharmacist in the HSE becomes pregnant, she is given the maximum protection possible. She works remotely from home for the full duration of the pregnancy. However, if a pharmacist in a community pharmacy becomes pregnant, she shows up to work every day as normal right up to the weeks before she gives birth, despite the significant increase in risk for her and her unborn child.

Pharmacists will be needed for an effective mass roll-out of these vaccines. This will have to involve not only those working for the HSE but the thousands throughout the State working in local community pharmacies. When will community pharmacists be vaccinated? I have one more question that I will come back to.

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