The Autumn Winter Vaccination Programme 2025/2026 numbers are in, and the June IPU Review backs up what we’ve all seen first-hand: community pharmacy is now central to Ireland’s immunisation efforts.

For pharmacy owners and managers, the numbers speak for themselves. At the October peak, pharmacies were giving over 80,000 vaccines each week. That’s a big win for patient care, but it also means a lot more admin work for your team.

How did your team manage the phone calls, appointment scheduling, and paperwork during that busy period?

The “New Normal” for Irish Pharmacy

The latest IPU Review shows that community pharmacists now give 35% of all flu vaccines in Ireland, which is a big jump from previous years. Pharmacies aren’t just supporting the national programme anymore; we’re leading the way.

Key successes from the last season included:

• A Dominant Market Share: Pharmacies delivered over 474,000 influenza vaccines.
• Protecting the Next Generation: Pharmacies administered over 56% of all LAIV (nasal flu) vaccines in the Children’s Primary Schools Programme.
• COVID-19 Resilience: Nearly 173,000 COVID-19 doses were administered in pharmacies, achieving a 33.2% market share of all doses given nationally.

The Hidden Cost: Administrative Burnout

These numbers are great for the profession, but they come with a price. Handling 80,000 appointments a week means thousands of hours on the phone, entering patient details by hand, and chasing up on no-shows.

As Ciarán Lynch of Fortune’s Pharmacy recently noted, without a robust digital booking system, “the ability to provide a fully functioning pharmacy service would have collapsed”.

If your team is still booking vaccinations over a busy phone line while also trying to help patients with the Common Conditions Service, your workflow is under pressure.

Why Refill Assistant is Your “Digital Shield”

At Refill Assistant, our goal is simple: Less Calls, More Care. We provide a specialised Services Booking Engine designed specifically for the Irish pharmacy context.

• Automated Scheduling: Let patients book their own Flu and COVID-19 shots 24/7 through your website or mobile app.
• School Clinic Solutions: With pharmacies now delivering 56% of school vaccinations, our platform helps you manage offsite clinics and coordinate with HSE PharmaVax requirements efficiently.
• Integrated Payments: Take the “front counter” friction out of private vaccinations by handling payments online before the patient even arrives.
• Let’s Talk Business (No Jargon)We know that as a pharmacy owner, you aren’t looking for a complex tech project. You’re looking for a system that works in the background so you can focus on your patients in the foreground.

You’ve seen the data. The demand for pharmacy-led vaccinations is only going to grow as we head toward the October 2026 season. Don’t wait for the October rush to realize your workflow is overwhelmed.Give us a call today. We’ll skip the long online demos and have a proper, 5-minute chat about how we can save your staff hours of phone time every single week.

Ready to Transform Your Workflow in 2026?

If you are ready to reduce interruptions and work more efficiently, now is the time to make a change. Refill Assistant has helped hundreds of Irish pharmacies streamline operations.

Whether your goal is to reduce phone calls, improve prescription management, streamline vaccination bookings, or enhance the experience for your team and patients, Refill Assistant offers solutions designed for Irish pharmacies.

Contact Refill Assistant today:

• Phone: +353 21 2121393
• Email: des@refillassistant.com
• Website: www.refillassistant.ie