Benefits of pharmacist-led flu vaccination services in community pharmacy.

Seasonal influenza is a major cause of excess winter deaths and increased hospital admissions. There is a high level of economic burden associated with the infection. Although vaccination targets have been set to tackle this international issue, many countries struggle to reach these coverage targets for their at-risk populations using traditional delivery methods. Traditional providers include family doctors and nurses; however, pharmacist-led influenza vaccination has become a more commonly utilised aid to support vaccination targets. Community pharmacies are convenient and widely accessible and evaluations consistently demonstrate that patients are satisfied with pharmacist-led vaccinations. Allowing community pharmacists to administer influenza vaccination as an alternative option for delivery helps to increase the coverage rate of vaccination. In addition, commissioning community pharmacists to provide this service has been shown to contribute to achieving targets for those at-risk. Pharmacist-led influenza vaccination services can create value for payors and reduce pressure on health systems. This review aims to demonstrate the success of pharmacy-led influenza vaccinations, and the impact it has had in driving up immunisation rates within other countries. Experiences of countries such as England, Portugal and the United States provide evidence to demonstrate the benefit to both the patient and the health system.

Implementation of flu vaccination in community pharmacies: Understanding the barriers and enablers.

Improving influenza vaccination coverage has been, and still remains a challenge internationally. There are now many examples where countries have pursued a pharmacist-led influenza vaccination service in order to enhance vaccination coverage of at-risk populations. England, Portugal and the United States are successful examples where their experience implementing this service can now be explored retrospectively and learnt from. This review aims to provide evidence to help overcome barriers to commissioning and implementation of such services in countries new to the experience. Implementation is influenced by differing regulatory frameworks underpinning the provision of pharmacist-led influenza vaccination, methods of remuneration, training, and operating procedures. Practical aspects such as the facilities required, how patient records are maintained and how patients and other healthcare professionals are engaged also have an impact. These examples illustrate how community pharmacists can be trained to deliver influenza vaccinations safely, and coupled with their accessibility and convenience, can provide a complementary service to that already provided by family doctors and nurses to deliver influenza vaccinations for the benefit of patients.