Breaking News:- 2015-16 Flu Service to be Commissioned from Pharmacy

The LPC is delighted to announce that community pharmacy has been commissioned for 2015-16 to provide an NHS flu vaccination service. All eligible groups will again be able to be vaccinated in community pharmacy, i.e. those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and those with clinical risk aged under 65 years. One significant change this year is that pharmacists will be able to vaccinate those in the clinical risk group aged 14 and upwards, i.e. 14, 15, 16 and 17 year olds will be included in the pharmacy service for the first time.

The commissioner wants 100% of pharmacies to provide the service to maximise the number of patients receiving their vaccination. Last year, we had 76 pharmacies which provided the vaccination service which is 49% of pharmacies in Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The LPC's will be contacting those pharmacies which didn’t provide the service to understand why and encourage sign-up unless there is a genuine reason provision is not possible.

Provision of the service in participating pharmacies ranged from 391 in the top provider to 4 in the bottom provider. The LPC will be arranging a series of meetings to discuss the flu service and some top tips will be shared from the best performing pharmacies to support those which struggled with engagement. Details of these events will be circulated in due course.

If purchasing is within your remit, then now is the time to be looking to place a vaccine order to secure the best possible price. Remember, for the NHS service, you can use whichever vaccine you want, as the PGD is for generic flu vaccine.

As more details come out we will update our website and send out news on the Email, Facebook and Twitter.  Make sure your sign up to our newsletter  or follow us on Twitter / Facebook.  LPC commissioned training will also be advertised as soon as a provider is secured.

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