How to run an effective pharmacy flu vaccination service
1. Advertise.
It is important to ensure that you effectively advertise the service in advance. Whilst there was late
notification of the service and delayed implementation of the pharmacy flu vaccination service
2014, there was still the opportunity to advertise and target your customers, knowing the service
was coming. For 3 weeks prior to commencing the service, all eligible patients, were given a
pharmacy flu vaccination leaflet advertising the service. The advice I would give, is to prepare
posters, leaflets (on prescription bags) and target all eligible NHS patients a month in advance and
throughout October too, so that patients are aware that they have a choice. Commence the service
at the earliest opportunity, the longer it is left, the fewer NHS there will be that have not yet had
one.
2. Method
Decide whether you are going to operate an appointment system, or an drop in clinic. There can be
advantages and disadvantages to both methods. It can depend on whether your local surgery
operate an appointment system and how early they have booked their patients in. Appointments
may help spread the workload and you can anticipate the demand. A drop in clinic, can prove
popular with patients as they are not tied and can call in when it suits them, but that may impact
your workload and schedule.
3. Staff involvement.
It is important to ensure that you have adequate staff cover. This may involve the need for an ACT
to take over certain tasks when you are no longer available. Train all staff into operating a fixed
procedure for engaging with patients, and to encourage staff to also target any eligible patients that
come into the pharmacy.
4. Be prepared
Ensure a procedure is established, that requires little extra input from the pharmacist. A patient
leaflet on flu can be prepared in advance and the following information added to that leaflet. The
staff should obtain all the information needed; name, address, postcode (bag label?), date of birth,
surgery, NHS number (obtained from the nomination process if not from the patients PMR).
Because this information needs to be entered into the PharmOutcomes record prior to the patient
being administered the vaccination, it may be advisable for the pharmacist (or staff?) to enter this
information, and prepare the vaccination, prior to the patient coming into the consultation room.
The PharmOutcomes patient questionnaire can then be completed by the pharmacist and printed,
whilst the patient is in the consultation room ready to receive the vaccination. If done correctly,
each patient and completed entry should be completed within 4 minutes. I would strongly advise
completion and printing of records as you go along.
5. MUR opportunity?
If time allows, is there an opportunity to carry out an MUR on a patient that has never had one?
You will be checking their medication anyway and may already be looking in their PMR. If so, make
that the task of the staff, to check the PMR to see if a patient is eligible/due and have a form ready
prepared (we managed to secure 30 new MUR's over 6 weeks).
6. Interact with patients
Continue to target patients, throughout the season, particularly the at-risk groups. Remember that
30% over 65's and 50% at risk groups do not have one, so the likelihood of having a meaningful
discussion about the benefits of the flu vaccination is high.
7. Anticipate
The first 3 weeks of October are going to be the busiest, if you offer a flu vaccination service you
may have to consider foregoing any October holiday plans! Consider carefully what pharmacists
are providing the service, as any pharmacists not already trained will require a full course, full
practical experience and cover/pay to attend the training. Refresher courses for subsequent years
are much cheaper. This may impact on the first years profits.
Providing a flu vaccination service is a real bonus for pharmacy, and a great step into
demonstrating the clinical value that pharmacists can offer. Providing the service gives a great
sense of satisfaction and achievement and is a step in the right direction, but preparation is needed
for the service to run smoothly.