Pharmaceutical Public Health
Pharmaceutical public health describes pharmacists contribution to the
delivery of Department and HSC objectives for public health. In Northern Ireland pharmacists work at
policy, strategic and service levels to support improved patient health across all areas of public health.
Policy level
The Medicines and Policy Group at the Department
provides pharmaceutical advice to Minister, administrative and professional colleagues on all public
health policy issues where there is a pharmaceutical dimension including:
- childhood vaccinations;
- HPV;
- seasonal flu;
- pandemic flu;
- emergency planning;
- tobacco control; and
- tackling health inequalities.
Strategic
level
Pharmacists at the HSC Board work with the Public
Health Agency on all areas of public health with a pharmaceutical dimension and are involved in commissioning
and managing the delivery of public health services.
The Regional Pharmaceutical Procurement Service
is responsible for the procurement processes which supports delivery of:
- childhood vaccination;
- HPV; and
- annual seasonal flu programmes.
This
service also has a significant role in emergency planning.
Service level
Community Pharmacies
Community pharmacists are highly accessible health professionals who
contribute to the delivery of public health in a range of ways including the provision of advice about:
- using medicines safely and appropriately;
- self care;
- health improvement; and
- healthy lifestyles.
They
also signpost individuals to other agencies.
Many community pharmacies are commissioned to provide public health
services which include:
Minor Ailments Scheme
Most community pharmacies provide a Minor Ailments
scheme which enables patients to access advice and also treatment for certain common conditions without
visiting their GP.
scheme which enables patients to access advice and also treatment for certain common conditions without
visiting their GP. Building the Community Pharmacy Partnership
The Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership
promotes and supports local communities to work in partnership with community pharmacists to address
local health and social wellbeing needs using a community development approach.
promotes and supports local communities to work in partnership with community pharmacists to address
local health and social wellbeing needs using a community development approach.The programme works towards:
- Increasing local people's skills, encouraging community activity and self help.
- Increasing local people's understanding of health issues.
- Encouraging local people to play a role in promoting health.
Specialist
Smoking Cessation services
Over 300 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland provide a Specialist
Smoking Cessation Service. The service offers a 12 week programme of
behavioural support with Nicotine Replacement Therapy to clients who want to stop smoking.
. The service offers a 12 week programme of
behavioural support with Nicotine Replacement Therapy to clients who want to stop smoking.Pharmacies are the largest provider of specialist smoking cessation
services in Northern Ireland. Further information about these services is detailed in the DHSSPS
Annual Smoking Cessation Statistics Report.
Hospital Pharmacies
Pharmacists and pharmacy teams in hospitals manage:
- the distribution of Childhood and HPV vaccines to GP practices and
- supply seasonal flu vaccines to Occupational Health Services for administration to healthcare workers.
