Flu Service Specification for 2020-21 Launched

Last week saw the publication of the  service specification for the 2020/21 Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service and the associated national Patient Group Direction (PGD).

These include some key changes to allow greater flexibility for community pharmacies to deliver flu vaccines safely, including:

• Flexibilities to help contractors to offer the service in a COVID-safe way, allowing for vaccinations off-site and outside the consultation room
• Permission for pharmacies to offer flu vaccinations to care home staff at their place of work
• Administrative improvements including a new verbal consent model

Please make sure you’ve read and reviewed these documents. Even if you are not providing influenza vaccines this year, you may wish to review these to ensure that you can promote flu vaccinations effectively and signpost accordingly.