Pandemic, practice and policymaking: European-wide review of community pharmacies

A European-wide research project has examined 31 pharmacy interventions on COVID-19 in 32 European countries. The comprehensive paper was published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy and was co-led by Professor Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, director of the Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice Research Centre at the University of Huddersfield.

The interventions include prevention, response and recovery measures. One of the recommendations outlines that a network of community pharmacies is needed in future national preparedness plans during public health emergencies, such as those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These emergencies present a need for rapid responses to a massive population. The paper also covers improved access to medicines, expanded powers granted to pharmacies, rapid antigen testing and vaccination.

“By April 2020, there seemed to be few research studies detailing the interventions on COVID-19 provided by community pharmacists in Europe,” explained Professor Babar, “despite there being several news reports of relevant practice changes occurring almost every week which had emerged in early 2020 stemming from pharmacy associations.”

Babar commented that community pharmacists have been included in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response to strategic guidance in the aftermath of the 2009 flu pandemic. Most examples, however, are from the US, Canada and Australia. This discrepancy of information is what prompted the authors to perform their research.

Although the research does not provide concrete guidance on practice and policymaking, Professor Babar believes the findings can pave the way for pharmacy associations to explore negotiations with governments for enhanced pharmacy roles in facilitating access to essential medication, medication usually supplied in hospitals, in point-of-care antigen-based test screening and emergency supply.

“Research on pharmacy interventions on COVID-19 is still in its infancy but this report confirms the wide array of interventions provided and the expanded powers that were granted to community pharmacies,” concluded Professor Babar. “These findings may provide a significant impact to improve pharmacy research, policy and practice in response to future public health emergencies in Europe and globally.”