They want to vaccinate in nursing homes. Today it is impossible, but GIS announces a change for pharmacists

• At the meeting of the Sejm's Permanent Subcommittee for the Elderly, experts discussed vaccinations of seniors
• Wherever a senior citizen appears, whether in a healthcare facility or a pharmacy, the vaccine should be waiting for them on the same terms. The system must be coherent, and it is not yet - said Dagmara Korbasińska-Chwedczuk from the Ministry of Health.
• This is due to the fact that it was necessary to apply for financial resources to develop therapeutic options. As a result, many different paths of access to vaccines were created - she explained
• We are working on a solution in which the financing of the guaranteed benefit will not apply to each specific vaccine. The goal is to create a common mechanism for all vaccinations - she added

- We live longer and longer, the average age in Europe is already exceeding 77-78 years and will increase. At the same time , from the age of about 50+, the inevitable process of slow aging of the immune system begins , which means increased susceptibility to infections. And let's remember that our society is aging. One quarter is already 60+ - reminded Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, Chief Sanitary Inspector at the meeting of the Sejm's Standing Subcommittee for the Elderly, which was devoted to infectious diseases in seniors.

- Infectious diseases are the third cause of death after circulatory system diseases and cancers. Respiratory diseases dominate among them, mainly seasonal ones: flu, RSV and Covid, as well as bacterial infections, primarily pneumococcal infections, which are most often their complications - said GIS.

As he argued, the best protection is vaccination.

- The flu vaccine is widely available, free of charge for the 65+ group. The RSV vaccine is also free for this population, but only if the criteria for the risk group are met. The same applies to the shingles vaccine or the pneumococcal vaccine - Dr. Grzesiowski pointed out.

As he noted, during the infectious season, flu, RSV and Covid are of a mass nature in the 60+ population. The last flu season was very difficult: over 2 million cases were recorded. People 60-65+ also accounted for about 50% of those sick with whooping cough , in the case of which the wave of illnesses (over 32 thousand ) was very high last year. The vaccine against whooping cough is not yet reimbursed for the senior population, which is a challenge for the near future.

- Another topic that requires a broader approach is tuberculosis . The number of cases is starting to decline, but the number of cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis is growing. Work is currently underway on a comprehensive tuberculosis control program based on molecular diagnostics, treatment coordination, and monitoring patients after treatment - said Dr. Grzesiowski.

Magdalena Stolarczyk from the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council reminded that pharmacists have contact with 2 million Poles in pharmacies every day, a large group of whom are seniors.

- We would like to draw attention to several challenges that arise in connection with vaccinations. The RSV vaccine is indeed reimbursed for patients 65+, but the service of performing this vaccination is no longer reimbursed , although in the case of vaccinations against influenza, Covid, or pneumococci, such reimbursement takes place. The community of pharmacists expects a change in this situation, as well as a re-pricing of vaccinations - indicated the pharmacist.

- We also request access to medical records , because we cannot issue a reimbursed prescription for the purchase of a vaccine in all cases. Without medical records, we can only rely on the PESEL number. In the case of flu, this is not a problem, but in the case of other vaccinations, where it is necessary to meet specific requirements and assign to a risk group, we have no possibility of verification - she emphasized.

She added that pharmacists would be happy to vaccinate seniors not only in pharmacies, but also, for example, in nursing homes.

Referring to the demands of pharmacists, Dr. Grzesiowski assessed that in the current legal situation there is no chance for them to be granted full access to the patient's medical records.

- However, there was an idea for a doctor to enter the ICD10 code of the disease in the system when writing a prescription. The pharmacist could send a query to the database whether the patient has one of the eight diseases that entitle him to reimbursement of the vaccine. In this way, the doctor is released from determining the reimbursement, and the pharmacist can issue a prescription. The matter is already being processed, and its finalization in the form of appearance on the P1 Platform will make life much easier for everyone - GIS argued.

As he said, when it comes to vaccinations performed by pharmacists outside of a pharmacy, there are no contraindications.

- Vaccinations in the field are nothing new. It's just about expanding the rights - he added.

Prof. Agnieszka Naumann-Podczaska from the Polish Gerontological Society is an advocate of vaccinations in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

- Already in 2050, 50% of the Polish population will belong to the ageing group. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate against influenza in Poland is terrible: it does not exceed 17% and instead of growing, it is falling. We are a long way from 75% , which is the level recommended by the WHO - she reminded.

- Elderly people, especially those aged 80+, due to multiple illnesses, suffer from infectious diseases not only more severely, but also have severely impaired functional capacity after recovering from the flu. This generates huge costs: patients are hospitalized in the most expensive beds in the system, and it is often necessary to refer them to long-term care, for which there are already 20,000 people waiting in line. All the more reason why every senior staying in such a facility should be vaccinated - she argued.

Dagmara Korbasińska-Chwedczuk, director of the Department of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, commented on the financing of vaccinations.

- We are working on preparing a solution in which the financing of the guaranteed benefit will not apply to every specific vaccine. The aim is to create a common mechanism for all vaccinations covered by state support and recommended under the vaccination schedule. If another vaccine covered by reimbursement appears, it will automatically enter the same security system - she explained.

- The idea is that wherever a senior citizen appears, whether in a healthcare facility or a pharmacy, the vaccine will be waiting for them on equal terms. The system must be coherent, and it is not yet. This is due to the fact that it was necessary to apply for financial resources to develop therapeutic options. As a result, many different paths of access to vaccines were created , which greatly complicated the situation. It is high time to unify the rules - emphasized Dagmara Korbasińska-Chwedczuk.

She added that the planned solutions will unfortunately not be implemented before the next infectious season.

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