About 200 Finnish pharmacies now offer vaccinations

About 200 pharmacies in Finland now offer vaccinations, around a quarter of the country’s pharmacies, the Finnish Pharmacists’ Association told Yle. The figure was just under 130 a year ago.

The actual number is likely higher, as pharmacies continue to submit registration applications and not all those providing vaccinations have notified the association. Inka Puumalainen, the association’s pharmaceutical director, said it was possible that nearly half of pharmacies would soon offer the service.

Pharmacies currently provide the most common vaccinations for a fee, including those against influenza, COVID-19, tick-borne diseases and pneumococcal infections. Depending on the pharmacy, they are administered by pharmacists or senior pharmacists who have completed vaccination training, or by other healthcare professionals.

The association has proposed that pharmacies also provide vaccinations included in Finland’s national vaccination programme. That would require cooperation with regional wellbeing services and a funding arrangement.

The association also wants pharmacies to expand into low-threshold healthcare services. Puumalainen said pharmacies in many countries safely treat some minor conditions, such as eye and urinary tract infections, under clear national guidelines and cooperation models.