Vaccinations Now Available in Czech Pharmacies

The process is the same as in a doctor’s office. You come to the pharmacy, sign the declaration of consent and are then received by a doctor. This, and not the pharmacy employee, does the vaccination. With this concept, people in the Czech republic should be relieved to be vaccinated, says Ondřej Jakob, spokesman for the Ministry of Health:

“The meaning of this pilot project is primarily to be tested to what extent the vaccination process in pharmacies can be realized at all and in what form.”

According to the ministry, vaccination in pharmacies could be a measure to increase the proportion of immunized people in the population. The project is supported by the central health department. The test operation will run in four pharmacies in the Benu chain this autumn. In two pharmacies in Prague, as well as in one in Brno and one in ostrava, flu vaccinations will be offered. For this, a doctor will be present on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Self-payers between the ages of 18 and 65 are targeted.

Czech Pharmacists Raise Concerns Over Expanded Vaccination Authority

Milan Kubek, the head of the Czech Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, has voiced strong concerns regarding a proposal to allow pharmacies to administer a wider range of vaccinations. He argues that pharmacies may lack the necessary expertise to handle severe allergic reactions,such as anaphylactic shock.

“We are concerned with the security of the patient. I have already experienced anaphylactic shocks in humans. I really don’t want to have one treated in a pharmacy who has never seen it before and does not no how to do it. This is not good. In addition,we are not in an emergency,” Kubek stated.

Kubek suggests that,unlike during the COVID-19 pandemic when specific vaccination measures were implemented,the current proposal appears motivated by pharmacies seeking to attract new customers. He believes expanding vaccination services without adequate training and preparedness poses a risk to patient safety.

Irena Storová, the head of the association of pharmacy chains, represents companies like Benu, where the proposed expanded vaccination services would be offered.