In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has been continuing its discussions with the NHS on potential changes to this year’s community pharmacy flu vaccination service.
The pharmacy negotiator says it has asked Public Health England (PHE) for clear guidance on the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by pharmacy staff while vaccinating patients.
In a statement, PSNC said: “It would be safe for contractors to assume that the use of fluid resistant surgical masks will be a minimum requirement, as it will clearly not be possible for pharmacists to vaccinate patients while also maintaining a two-metre social distance.”
Whether the programme could be expanded to include a wider group of patients than normal is still being considered.
“The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has not yet made any decisions on extension of the scope of the programme this year and that Government decision will need to be made before any negotiations on the service can be completed. We will update contractors on the 2020-21 service as soon as we are able,” PSNC noted.
