Numark has developed a private pneumococcal vaccination service with which it hopes to gather sufficient data to support the commissioning of an NHS service for pharmacy.

The pharmacy symbol group is encouraging its members to participate in the 12-month pilot scheme, which will involve vaccinating patients against pneumococcal disease with two vaccines – Prevenar 13 (a conjugate vaccine, PCV) and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) – and the recording of anonymised patient data on the PharmOutcomes platform.

The service is designed to build on the expertise of pharmacies in delivering flu vaccination services, and is available to members who have experience of using PGDs to vaccinate patients, have the relevant policies in place and have completed training.

Numark’s information pharmacist, Michael Stewart, said: “Each year, up to one in every 100 UK adults develops community-acquired pneumonia. By improving access to pneumonia vaccinations we can hopefully increase the uptake and contribute to individual and public health. This pilot will enable us to identify the extent of public demand for a private vaccination service.”

Numark members who are interested should log onto Numarknet and complete the online registration form or call Michael Stewart on 0800 783 5709.