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The new national flu vaccination service will enable pharmacy to deliver significant health benefits in the years to come, says NPA head of pharmacy Leyla Hannbeck.

The NPA welcomes the new national flu service recently announced by NHSE and PSNC. This service is an opportunity to engage in a new way with patients and further enhance the pharmacy sector's profile in health maintenance.

From next month, community pharmacists in England will be able to provide flu vaccinations under the NHS to eligible adult patients who are defined as 'at risk'. These include:

• People aged 65 years and older
• Pregnant women
• People in long-stay residential care homes
• Carers
• People aged between 18 and 65 years with specified medical conditions.

The national roll-out of the service is an acknowledgement that pharmacy schemes locally have been effective at reaching people that other parts of the NHS sometimes do not reach. It plays to the strengths of a widely distributed pharmacy network that is highly convenient, at the heart of communities.

The success of pharmacy-based schemes in London and elsewhere gives us every confidence that pharmacy will deliver significant public health benefits in the years to come. However, the limited time for implementation in the 2015 season does present challenges.

Training available

In spite of the very short notice, the NPA is in a good position to support independent pharmacies across the country with training and other implementation elements. Our flu training for private patient group directions (PGD) is recognised by the NHS as a suitable underpinning for the NHS service. NPA training provides pharmacists with the necessary skills for various vaccination techniques, plus basic life support and anaphylaxis certification.

To book vaccination training, contact the NPA pharmacy services team on 01727 891 800 or e-mail pharmacyservices@npa.co.uk. The NPA will also be producing resources including a template SOP for the NHS service and information on vaccine ordering and availability, plus promotional materials.

You're covered

NPA members can rest assured that they will be covered under their NPA professional indemnity insurance for providing the national flu vaccination service, which must be provided in accordance with the requirements of the service specification, the NHS flu PGD, as well as any associated training requirements, procedures and guidance available. Our second Stepping Up Together member event, in Manchester on September 20, will include a session on flu service implementation. You can register to attend the conference at npa.co.uk/events.