The multiple will pilot the service in five branches in the Liverpool area for six months from today (July 1), before rolling it out across the UK, Rowlands exclusively told C+D.

The Danish company – Practio – has produced an exclusive website cobranded with Rowlands Pharmacy to provide “comprehensive and up-to-date travel health information” about vaccinations.

“Through in-depth use of search engine optimisation, the initiative aims to capture a larger portion of the UK vaccinations market,” Rowlands added.

As part of the service, patients can book a free telephone consultation with a nurse prescriber via the website and receive a personalised travel health plan. The nurse will produce a patient-specific direction if appropriate, which will be sent to the patient’s chosen Rowlands Pharmacy, the multiple explained.

A Rowlands pharmacist will then complete a consultation and administer the vaccination at the cost of the available vaccine, it added.

For example, the typhoid vaccine is available for £35, while a hepatitis B vaccine is priced at £50.

“During the nurse consultation, the patient will be made aware of the vaccination pricing,” Rowlands told C+D.

Rowlands Pharmacy managing director Mark Bather said the travel vaccination scheme for the UK is an “exciting opportunity to ensure community pharmacy meets the needs of our local patients”.

“Our initial pilot in July will help us learn quickly and enable us to provide a service which is growing in demand,” he added.

Practio co-founder and CEO Mads Mikkelsen said the companies aim to “expand the travel vaccination services across the UK, and also look to add new medical services to the partnership in the near future”.

The five Rowlands pharmacies taking part in the pilot are:

• Field Road, Wallasey, CH45 5BG
• Lodge Lane, Liverpool, L8 0QQ
• Riverside Health Centre, 525 New Chester Road, Rockferry, CH42 2AG
• Picton Road, Liverpool, L15 4LF
• Park Chemist, 1 The Elms, Liverpool, L8 3SS.

Read C+D’s in-depth analysis of how shifting expectations from patients and GPs are changing pharmacy travel clinics.