Skip to content

This Site is Intended for Healthcare Professionals Only

Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Flu vaccination: NICE quality standard recommends pharmacists to notify GPs on time

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a new quality standard that covers increasing the uptake of flu vaccination among eligible people.

The first statement from the quality standard suggests the provider to use a range of different methods, including letter, email, phone and social media, to invite people from eligible groups for flu vaccination.


The quality standard recommends non-general practice providers, such as pharmacists, to notify the relevant GP practice when vaccinating their eligible patients.

“Timely, accurate and consistent recording of vaccination status in health records improves the accuracy of uptake figures and reduces unnecessary invites to people who have already had the vaccine,” the NICE statement read.

"Agreeing notification arrangements between commissioners and non-general practice providers means that GP practices receive information when their patients are vaccinated and allows them to maintain accurate records."

In case of a lower vaccine uptake, the quality standards advise to give information tailored to patients’ situation or clinical risk.

It further suggests health and social care staff who have direct contact with people to receive vaccination so that the risk of transmission of flu to vulnerable people will be reduced.

In October 2019, pharmacies and GP practices in Leeds participated in a first of its kind pilot by NHS Digital that enables sharing of flu vaccination details through clinical systems.

According to the latest flu vaccination data, published by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), community pharmacists across England have administrated a total of 1,490,992 flu vaccinations under the NHS Flu Vaccination Service in the last four months.

More For You

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) chief executive Janet Morrison was one of the signatories of the statement

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) chief executive Janet Morrison was one of the signatories of the statement

Primary care leaders join forces in effort to 'transform investment into primary care'

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has teamed up with other national primary care bodies to urge the government to allocate more funds towards the sector.

In a joint statement released on the back of the government’s spending review, last week, the organisations welcomed the government’s continued determination to ‘shift care from hospitals to community and from sickness to prevention’ but warned that this would not be possible ‘without further investment in primary care’.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cancer patients warned against using weight-loss jabs

Macmillan Cancer Support said there is not enough evidence on how the weight-loss jabs might affect anti-cancer treatments.

iStock

Cancer patients warned against using weight-loss jabs

Cancer patients have been advised to consult their doctor before taking any weight-loss jabs.

Macmillan Cancer Support has issued this advisory following a surge in calls by cancer patients asking whether they can take fat loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kamson Pharmacy to deliver more clinical services after installing hub and spoke technology

The FLOWRx auto hub in the new Kamson warehouse in Uckfield.

Kamson Pharmacy to deliver more clinical services after installing hub and spoke technology


Kamsons Pharmacy has announced that it has implemented a state-of-the-art hub and spoke dispensing model with the aim of freeing up more time to deliver clinical services.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS group aims to tackle barriers holding back black pharmacy students

Work is underway to improve inclusivity in teaching

Pic credit: iStock

RPS group aims to tackle barriers holding back black pharmacy students

A cross-sector group aimed at tackling barriers that block the progression of black students and trainee pharmacists held its first meeting this week.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has created the Differential Attainment Oversight Group to address issues that black or black British African student pharmacists and foundation trainees face such as limited access to work experience, financial support and visible role models in education and training.

Keep ReadingShow less
Older adult organizing medicine bottles in a cool, dry storage area during warm weather.

People are being advised to keep medicine below 25° C

Pic credit: iStock

Pharmacies advise patients on storing medicines safely during heatwave

Patients are being given important advice and guidance on the impact heat can have on their medicine and where to keep different medicines as the UK goes through a heatwave.

People are being advised to keep medicine below 25° C if they are able to, unless storage instructions state it needs to be kept at an alternative temperature, such as drugs that need to be refrigerated.

Keep ReadingShow less