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A range of resources are now available to help pharmacies in England hit the ground running regarding the new NHS flu service, says NPA head of communications, Stephen Fishwick.

We promised in last month's column that the NPA would be on hand to help pharmacies in England when it came to preparing for the NHS flu service. A range of NPA resources are now available €“ from SOPs to training, guidance on vaccine ordering, marketing materials, record pads, vaccination kits and much in between.

Our Stepping Up Together conference, which took place in Manchester on September 20, included a practical session on the flu service. And the NPA-PSNC flu webinar on September 16 was well received by members and non-members alike.

Challenging

The flu service is good news, but it is yet another implementation challenge, alongside so many others in the sector. Delivering quality services is easier said than done €“ a fact clearly expressed at the latest NPA Your Voice events, in Belfast, South Wales and elsewhere. Our Stepping Up Together events are therefore consciously about making service delivery easier €“ practical business and practice solutions for independent pharmacies, covering a range of services and day-to-day challenges on the pharmacy front-line. Find out more at npa.co.uk/events.

Ask Your Pharmacist Week

This year's Ask Your Pharmacist (AYP) Week will take place between November 9-15. AYP Week provides a platform for pharmacy public awareness activities across the UK. It also serves as a prompt for conversations with key stakeholders at a local level about community pharmacy services.

The theme for this year's AYP Week €“ 'Ask your pharmacist about medicines... and more' €“ is deliberately broad so that there can be maximum flexibility for pharmacies and pharmacy stakeholders to focus on specific priorities at a local level. Any NPA member or pharmacy stakeholder wishing to get involved should contact our communications team for more information.

Finally, may we remind Pharmacy Magazine readers that Check34 is currently free of charge to NPA members. Over 2,000 independent pharmacies have already signed up and we expect the majority of independents in England to be registered by the end of the year €“ don't miss out!