This year we have a unique challenge managing our pharmacy flu service alongside COVID.
The LPC is working closely with CCG's and councils - covering all health and social care - and the message is: "there is no wrong place to have your flu jab", it has to be "one big flu team" across our patch, which means pharmacy and general practice working well with each other like never before.
This is because there are enhanced targets to 75% for at risk groups, a massive anticipated increased demand due to Covid19, and the expectation that 100% of all health and social care staff will be vaccinated. This means that there will be much more pressure on the service along with social distancing, PPE and infection control measures to consider.
We have recently sent a PPE message via our newsfeed. This can be summarised as needing to wear a sessional facemask and good hand hygiene between patients. You do not need single use PPE items for every patient. It is also important to have good infection control measures in place, such as, spraying/wiping down your work surfaces and door handles between patients.
Thinking about offering flu clinics, suggestions from the LPC would be:
The LPC is working closely with CCG's and councils - covering all health and social care - and the message is: "there is no wrong place to have your flu jab", it has to be "one big flu team" across our patch, which means pharmacy and general practice working well with each other like never before.
This is because there are enhanced targets to 75% for at risk groups, a massive anticipated increased demand due to Covid19, and the expectation that 100% of all health and social care staff will be vaccinated. This means that there will be much more pressure on the service along with social distancing, PPE and infection control measures to consider.
We have recently sent a PPE message via our newsfeed. This can be summarised as needing to wear a sessional facemask and good hand hygiene between patients. You do not need single use PPE items for every patient. It is also important to have good infection control measures in place, such as, spraying/wiping down your work surfaces and door handles between patients.
Thinking about offering flu clinics, suggestions from the LPC would be:
- offering clinics out of normal hours, such as evenings or weekends,
- making appointments and advising patients to turn up on time, not early, to save queuing
- maintaining social distancing between all patients and staff (aside from administering the jab)
- early advertising of your pharmacy to patients
- It may be wise to screen patients as they attend (or a phone-call the day prior) to check they have no covid like symptoms before attending for their jab
- consider if the pharmacy is closed, having a one way system, if your pharmacy layout permits safely
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