Table 4.
Newly commissioned services and community pharmacy initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| New services or initiatives | Implemented in March–May 2020 n (%) |
Stopped in June–August 2020 n (%) |
Started at a later date n (%) |
||
| Yes | No | Yes | No | ||
| Emergency supply during a pandemic service | 121 (93.1) | 9 (6.9) | * | 117 (90.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Influenza vaccination service (front-line health and social care workers) | 101 (77.7) | 29 (22.3) | 101 (77.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Situation reporting (staffing/stock) to the health and social care board | 74 (56.9) | 56 (43.1) | 10 (7.7) | 64 (49.2) | 0 (0.0) |
| Measures to flag/assist patients with sensitive issues such as domestic violence reporting | 73 (56.2) | 57 (43.8) | 0 (0.0) | 73 (56.2) | 6 (4.6) |
| Prescription delivery by volunteers in the local community | 71 (54.6) | 59 (45.4) | 32 (24.6) | 39 (30.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Referrals to test and trace services | 70 (53.8) | 60 (46.2) | * | 68 (52.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Employment of additional staff, for example, dentists, volunteers, students, retired pharmacists | 49 (37.7) | 81 (62.3) | 22 (16.9) | 27 (20.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Drive-through (or equivalent) pharmacy services | 33 (25.4) | 97 (74.6) | * | 32 (24.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Replenishment of care home pandemic packs | 19 (14.6) | 107 (82.4) | * | 15 (11.5) | * |
| Palliative care on-call services | 19 (14.6) | 111 (85.4) | * | 17 (13.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Supply of medicines usually supplied in the hospital setting (eg, oncology, antiretroviral drugs, ‘Healthcare at Home’) | 11 (8.5) | 119 (91.5) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (8.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Medicines delivery service (to vulnerable people) (commissioned September 2020) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 95 (73.1) |
*Not reported as less than 5, and potentially identifiable.