He National Immunization Program in Portugal It is carried out in primary care units, but the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the participation of community pharmacies to increase vaccination coverage, especially in vaccination against seasonal flu. Specifically, between 2020 and 2021, the participation of pharmacies in the vaccination campaign allowed the administration of 192,385 vaccines from the stock of the National Health Service, thereby relieving the burden on public health services, so overloaded in this pandemic period. A particularly important solution for the most vulnerable and risk patients.
Vaccine administration service in pharmacies exists in Portugal since 2009, when other new pharmaceutical services were regulated. To guarantee the competence of pharmacists to provide the service, the Ordem dos Farmacéuticos de Portugal developed the Pharmaceutical Competence in Administration of Vaccines and Injectable Medications, granted by attending and passing a training course, as well as specific training in basic life support. (SVB). This competence is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed by pharmacists.
At the moment the service is available in more than 75% of the country’s pharmaciesalmost 5,500 pharmacists with active competition.
A pandemic would not be necessary to demonstrate the added value of pharmaceutical intervention for population vaccination coverage. This has been happening for several years in our country, with multiple vaccines and with absolute safety and comfort for the population, who access a local service, provided by highly qualified professionals and committed to Public Health.
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