Numark has begun a pilot private pneumococcal vaccination service in the hope of gathering sufficient data to support the commissioning of an NHS service.

Numark members will have free access to the private PGD service in return for recording consultation data on PharmOutcomes. The anonymised data will be used to demonstrate community pharmacy’s capabilities to commissioners of local services and to the wider NHS. The 12-month pilot involves vaccinating patients against pneumococcal disease using two vaccines: Prevenar13 (a conjugate vaccine, PCV) and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV).

Michael Stewart, Numark's information pharmacist, said: “Each year, up to one in every 100 UK adults develops community-acquired pneumonia. By improving access to pneumonia vaccinations we can hopefully increase the uptake and contribute to individual and public health. This pilot will enable us to identify the extent of public demand for a private vaccination service.”

To participate in the service, pharmacists must have:

• Undertaken basic life support and anaphylaxis training within the last two years (with any provider)
• Previous experience of using PGDs to vaccinate patients in the pharmacy setting
• Basic policies and procedures in place such as Health and Safety, risk assessment, needle-stick injuries, infection control, blood and bodily fluid spillages in place.