HSE Health and Wellbeing will be working with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) during 2026 to deliver on a partnership to promote health and wellbeing campaigns through the network of 1900 community pharmacies.
The agreement was completed recently in collaboration with HSE Primary Care as part of the overall Community Pharmacy Agreement between the HSE and community pharmacies which are well positioned to act as health and wellness hubs.
The majority of community pharmacies are open six days a week, with a significant proportion opening seven days a week, and have extended daily opening hours. Approximately 50 per cent of the population lives within 1km of a community pharmacy, and 85 per cent within 5km.
Community Pharmacy has long supported and participated in campaigns that enhance access to existing public health services, for example, screening services and health promotion initiatives, such as the HSE Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme.
During the coming months, community pharmacies will collaborate with HSE Health and Wellbeing in promoting the following public health campaigns:
- Pregnancy and Alcohol – April 2026
- Men’s Health week – June 2026
- Autumn Winter Vaccination Programme 2026/27
Pharmacists and their teams will be supporting the public with verbal advice, signposting to additional resources and referral to other services or healthcare professionals where appropriate. Applying the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) principle approach, when suitable, will further support the public in their health journey and enhance the overall experience.
As part of the Pregnancy and Alcohol campaign, Dr. Claire Neill (Health Improvement) outlines the background and the focus on the campaign in April edition of the IPU Review Magazine: https://ipu.ie/ipu-review-article/supporting-women-alcohol-free-pregnancy/