Community Pharmacy NHS Flu Vaccination

NHS Fife Community Pharmacy Flu Vaccination Service 23/24

Please see link for the last year's webinar recording - https://youtu.be/LT1ixHvj7xE.

Here is the link to issue 5 of the Flu PGD, please sign and return the professional agreement asap (no need to complete the authorising clinician/manager section) 

Here is the link to the VMT landing page and VMT help sheet

NHS Fife welcome the involvement of community pharmacy in the blended model of flu vaccination delivery again this year. 

The service specification fully explains how Community Pharmacy flu vaccination will work this year but in summary please see below: 

• Patients who cannot attend their arranged flu vaccination clinic appointment at centrally arranged hub clinics will be advised that they can access their vaccination at a community pharmacy
• Patients who attend the community pharmacy without referral through the vaccination pathway should be encouraged to attend any pre-arranged clinic appointment, however the patient will be eligible for vaccination in the community pharmacy if the pharmacist believes there is a risk that the patient will not attend the clinic
• Patients who arrange to receive their flu vaccination through the private community pharmacy flu vaccination service but are evidently eligible for a free vaccination can be provided with their vaccination free of charge under the service specification

To protect core service delivery, provision of NHS Flu vaccination should not be actively advertised by individual Community Pharmacies and should not appear on social media and the internet.  Advertising and communications to the public for flu vaccination availability will be made by NHS Scotland and NHS Fife.  Participation will be searchable on NHS inform and included within NHS board patient referral pathways.

Training

All pharmacists delivering flu vaccination must undertake immunisation training including anaphylaxis management, and this must be delivered by a recognised private immunisation training organisation. Please also visit the NES Seasonal Flu TURAS page here

Ordering

NHS National Procurement has awarded a new contract for the supply of adult seasonal influenza vaccines to Community Pharmacies in Scotland to AAH Pharmaceuticals. 

All orders should be placed via AAH point or by calling the AAH Customer Care team on 0344 561 2266. The supply will follow the normal AAH supply route with associated delivery expectations.

Recording

Recording of vaccination will be through the Vaccine Management Tool (VMT).  You will need access to this system to record vaccinations, it is held on the TURAS platform.  To gain access please send your name, email address you use to access TURAS and your usual pharmacy to fife.fifepharmacycommpharm@nhs.scot   using the title "VMT Access Request" and we will arranged to have the VMT option added.  If you do not have a TURAS account, please send your name, nhs scot email address and usual pharmacy details so one can be created for you.

If you are new to Turas you will receive an onboarding email which will guide you to log in and change your password. If you already have an existing Turas account you won't receive an onboarding email and will just be able to see that you have access through the following link:

https://vaccination.nhs.scot/ 

Please make sure you have access to VMT and try out this link before commencing vaccination.

ACTIONS REQUIRED

1.       Please note that pharmacists  will require to have undertaken and be up to date with immunisation training (including previous face to face) in order to participate in this service to provide immunisation under the NHS Fife PGD. 

2.  The PGD for administration of the Flu vaccination is here.  Please note the PGD covers all age groups from 6 months upwards however the service agreement for Community Pharmacy permits vaccination of adults aged 18 and over only.  Please sign the professional agreement form and return to fife.pgd@nhs.scot (no need to complete authorising clinician/manager section)

3. Register for the Vaccine Management Tool by sending your full name and TURAS/NHS email address to fife.fifepharmacycommpharm@nhs.scot using the email title "VMT Access Request"