Historically, the nursing and medical professions have provided immunisation services, but there is increasing evidence that community pharmacies can play an important role in disease prevention by advocating and administering immunisations.

Immunisation services initially started in the United States of America, where pharmacists are given authority to administer vaccines under individual state laws and regulations €“ pharmacists are now authorised to administer the influenza vaccine in all 50 states. Within the UK, pharmacy immunisation services are less well developed, although they are growing rapidly.

Pharmacy services are highly rated by patients and nearly all patients say they would use the pharmacy service again. One example is NHS Wales, which developed a national Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service to provide an NHS influenza vaccination enhanced service for patients aged 65 years and over, and those under 65 years in other at-risk groups.

In the 2012/13 influenza season, 81 pharmacies in Wales provided the service between 1 October 2012 and 31 January 2013, representing 11 per cent of pharmacies in Wales. And in December 2013, NHS England published Community pharmacy €“ helping with winter pressures, which detailed proposals for three services, including influenza vaccination.

This report has been influential in supporting commissioning of pharmacy influenza immunisation services. In the 2013/14 influenza season, Pharmacy London (a forum of 12 of the London local pharmaceutical committees that represent the interests of pharmacist contractors across the capital) worked with commissioners at NHS England London region to develop a pan-London community pharmacy influenza vaccination service. Approximately 1,100 community pharmacies across London vaccinated 70,000 people in 2013-14.