• Training

All pharmacy staff involved in the provision of the flu vaccination service should receive appropriate training relevant to the role they will undertake. PSNC has a number of flu vaccination training resources available.

• Insurance 

Before starting to provide the immunisation service it is essential that pharmacies inform their insurer so they are covered in the unlikely event of a claim. Individuals involved in the service may also wish to get additional cover.

• Storage, handling and disposal of vaccines 

The Green Book is a resource providing information for public health professionals on immunisation. Chapter 3 describes the storage, distribution and disposal of vaccines.

• Record keeping 

Record keeping is an important part of an immunisation service in terms of keeping individual clinical records, monitoring immunisation uptake and facilitating the recall of recipients of vaccines, if required. Chapter 4 of The Green Book states that the following information should be recorded accurately: 

PSNC has a wealth of information about record-keeping and data requirements for the flu vaccination service. 

Many pharmacy services now use PharmOutcomes to ease the burden of record keeping, service management and financial tracking.

• Standard operating procedures and maintaining standards and quality 

When setting up an immunisation service it is likely that pharmacies will write a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure all staff understand how it operates. 

One of the problems with immunisation services, is that once the initial period is over, personnel may change and standards may start to slip. Keeping the SOP up to date is important for maintaining momentum. It may be worth having three-monthly review dates, perhaps linking the dates to reporting dates for the commissioner. 

Pharmacy teams must make sure that the cleanliness and ergonomic standards that are set at the beginning of the service are maintained. 

Finally, to keep the commissioner on side and ensure that the pharmacy is considered for future services, contributions to reports and audits should be completed as required and on time.