Survey shows the importance the public places in being able to access services in community pharmacies.
Community pharmacy NI and senior Department of Health officials have met with MLAs to discuss how community pharmacy can play a significantly expanded role in the Neighbourhood Model.
The discussion took place at the latest meeting of the All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy.
Senior Department of Health representatives Prof. Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, and Gearóid Cassidy, Director of Primary Care, briefed MLAs on collaboration with community pharmacy and the role pharmacies can play in supporting transformation across primary care services.
The session also heard from CPNI, who outlined the need for stabilisation of the sector to enable its role and input within the neighbourhood-based healthcare model to be tapped into and maximised.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of a recent CPNI patient survey* which highlighted the public’s increasing reliance on community pharmacies as a first point of healthcare. Patients reported contacting or visiting community pharmacies more often than GP practices. Overall, 89% of respondents said they had contacted or visited their pharmacy at least once in the previous two months, compared with 65% for GP practices.
The survey also found strong public support for expanding community pharmacy services. Overall, 91% of respondents said they would support community pharmacists managing and prescribing for more minor conditions instead of GP visits and 92% expressed support for expanded pharmacy services including health screening, long-term condition reviews, vaccinations, medication reviews and weight management support.
Findings within the Community Pharmacy NI survey also highlighted the scale of pressure currently facing the sector, including medicines supply disruption and rising drug price issues.
During winter 2025/26** alone:
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More than 22.5 million prescription items were dispensed by community pharmacies across Northern Ireland
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Pharmacy First consultations increased by almost 8% to more than 100,000 consultations
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Emergency Supply Service activity rose by 20%
Community pharmacies delivered 68,501 flu and COVID vaccinations, including more than 47,000 walk-in vaccinations
Representatives also warned that increased patient demand and increasingly complex clinical interventions are currently being absorbed by pharmacies without sustainable funding arrangements.
Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, said:
“Community pharmacy is already delivering frontline healthcare in every community across Northern Ireland, but there remains significant untapped potential to do more.
“The Neighbourhood Model presents a major opportunity to deliver care closer to home, improve access for patients and reduce pressure elsewhere in the health system.
“However, pharmacies cannot continue absorbing increasing levels of pressure without a sustainable long-term funding framework that properly stabilises, supports and values the role they are already playing.
“Community pharmacies are ready to deliver more through Pharmacy First services, independent prescribing and enhanced community-based care, but stabilisation must come first.”