NPA Offers Private PGD Opportunity To Members - Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Main Category: Flu / Cold / SARS
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 25 Jun 2009 - 7:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The NPA has launched an exciting new service enabling members to offer seasonal flu vaccinations to customers under a private Patient Group Direction (PGD) that the NPA is facilitating for its members, in line with our objective to provide additional business opportunities. Currently regulators require registration with the Health Care Commission and the involvement of a medical agency before a private PGD service can be set up. Members can now set up new services under private PGD without having to undertake this bureaucratic burden themselves. For this flu vaccination service the NPA is working with an established flu vaccination provider, The Health Station.

A single fee of £370 plus VAT (£425.50) provides all the training and support necessary for a 2009/10 seasonal flu vaccination service. The fee covers:

- A comprehensive 1 day training course, specially prepared for pharmacists, practising the delivery of vaccinations, the management of anaphylaxis and resuscitation, and the use of PGDs
- An Operations Manual
- PGDs, supporting material, instructions on how to set up and deliver the service.
- Window posters and patient leaflets for your pharmacy promoting the service.
- A Clinical Governance programme supporting you and your customers.
- A pharmacist support telephone help line available 7 days a week, from 8am until 10pm. Medical colleagues will answer any questions that you may have about any customer or clinical issues
- A patient telephone helpline for any customer who needs support, available 24/7 following their vaccination.

Importantly, there is no commitment to purchase a particular brand of flu vaccine; members can source any brand and volume of vaccines that suits them.

Raj Nutan, NPA Head of Business Development, comments: "Members were telling us that the burden of regulation was frustrating them if they wished to supply prescription medicines via private patient group directions. So we have embarked on developing a series of PGD opportunities that will provide them with a means of clearing the regulatory hurdle effortlessly. A bonus for NPA members is that they won't need additional insurance - NPA Insurance already covers the pharmacist for providing flu vaccinations."

"The NHS offers free seasonal flu vaccinations for all individuals in the at-risk groups, including people over the age of 65. That amounts to about 15 million vaccinations a year. Of those, only about 70% take them up . there are still over 6 million people who miss their free vaccination. Together with the 28 million in the working population below the age of 65, the market is very broad."

Source