Back in June, the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) announced that the age of adults eligible for a free NHS Covid jab would rise from 65-plus to “75 years and over”.
The eligibility change has seen demand for private Covid jabs soar this season, with pharmacy services provider Pharmadoctor revealing to C+D that the number of patients who received the jab privately last month was “five times” higher than the previous record in October last year.
Read more: CPE seeks ‘compensation’ for pharmacies over Covid jab chaos
The company added that its top partner pharmacies delivered 551 private Covid vaccinations in the two months since September 1, generating a total revenue of £52,345.
And while Boots and Tesco are charging £98.95 and £90 for private Covid jabs respectively, Pharmadoctor puts the estimated price at its partner pharmacies at between £75 and £90.
But how much are independents and small chains really charging - and can they compete with the prices offered by the big chains?
“Seeing strong demand”
Hampstead Heath Pharmacy superintendent Mahyar Saremi told C+D that it is offering private Covid vaccinations for £92 this year and is aiming to “keep [its] pricing competitive”.
Saremi stressed that independents “can often offer a more flexible and personalised service” and that his pharmacy is “seeing strong demand from patients who prefer the convenience, continuity and personal attention that local pharmacies provide”.
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Meanwhile, Mohammed Sharifi at Holborn Travel Clinic told C+D earlier this month that the pharmacy is “currently charging £99” for a private Covid jab.
He said that the pharmacy “[strives] to offer competitive pricing while maintaining the highest standards of care” and understands “the landscape of competing with larger pharmacy chains”.
“We focus on the personalised service and community trust that we can offer,” Sharifi told C+D, adding that independent pharmacies like his “play a crucial role in providing accessible healthcare services”.
“Always challenging”
Bramley Pharmacy in London is charging £95 for private Covid jabs.
Clinical prescribing pharmacist and superintendent Jaydev Varsani told C+D that the pricing “reflects several factors” including “the high cost of procurement and potential wastage, as vaccines are only available in packs of ten”.
“Last year, for example, we experienced significant losses, wasting eight doses after vaccinating only two patients,” he said.
“Competing with large chains is always challenging, but our focus remains on providing high-quality, clinician-led care with flexible access for patients,” Varsani added.
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Elsewhere, Epicare Health in Swindon is charging just £79 for a private Covid vaccination - while Peak Pharmacy, which operates branches across the East and West Midlands, Milton Keynes and Manchester, is charging £80.
Several independents - including Scotland’s Dears Pharmacy and Gilbride Pharmacy, and Murray’s Chemist and Hounslow East Pharmacy in London - are offering the jabs at £85 each.
And luxury London pharmacy John Bell & Croyden, which is owned by Well Pharmacy’s parent company, is charging £96 for its private Covid jab service.
Read more: ‘No plans’ to roll out all adult NHS vaccines in pharmacies
At the other end of the scale, a number of pharmacies are charging £100 or more for private Covid vaccinations - including London chemists Terry’s Pharmacy, which is charging £100, and Fleet Street Clinic, where they cost £112.
One of the highest prices C+D came across belonged to Grand Pharmacy Eastbourne, which is charging £119 for the jab this year.
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It comes after Community Pharmacy England (CPE) last month announced that it is “seeking financial compensation” from NHS England (NHSE) for pharmacy owners affected by ineligible patients presenting for Covid jabs.
CPE said that it has “written formally” to the NHS after reports of “high numbers of ineligible people” booking NHS Covid vaccinations following the “significant change” in eligibility this winter.
The negotiator said that it has been “a deeply frustrating time for pharmacy owners”, with the chaos around Covid jabs presenting “significant challenges for their teams to address”.
