The Welsh government has instructed local health boards (LHBs) to use community pharmacists to improve access to flu vaccinations and pledged to help by providing a patient group direction template and training support.

In a letter to LHB chief executives, chief pharmaceutical officer Roger Walker said he would be "asking for details of the role community pharmacists will play in LHB plans at the end of March".

"We envisage GPs will continue to be the main provider with community pharmacists supporting this work to further increase uptake and assist in targeting hard-to-reach groups and carers," Professor Walker wrote.

The government would arrange for "a national patient group direction template to be produced, support training where LHB plans show a need, and negotiate fees", the letter said.

"The government needs to give pharmacists a bigger role to play"              Mike Holden, NPA

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A government spokesperson told C+D that pharmacies providing an NHS flu vaccination service "would do so under the existing enhanced services arrangements". "Health board plans will be expected to demonstrate how, through working closely with GPs, involving community pharmacies can support increasing the rate of immunisation against seasonal influenza in the at-risk groups," the spokesperson added.

NPA chief executive Mike Holden agreed that the demand for seasonal flu vaccination "could not be met by GPs alone", and called for a greater role for pharmacy in vaccination acrodd the UK.

"To create a robust seasonal flu vaccination programme, the government needs to give pharmacists and their teams a bigger role to play," he said.

Community Pharmacy Wales chief executive Russell Goodway told C+D that the organisation was "very pleased" the Welsh government had "confirmed publicly that community pharmacies across Wales will be contracted to undertake flu jabs under the NHS next winter".

"It is likely that the ease of accessibility of community pharmacies will enable a much greater take up of NHS flu jabs among younger patients in at-risk groups, in particular those in work who do not want to take time off to get a GP appointment," he said.

Community Pharmacy Wales is set to meet the health minister next week to discuss the exact arrangements for flu jabs administered by community pharmacy.

C+D recently looked at why commissioners are reluctant to let pharmacy deliver flu vaccination services for NHS England.