Influenza (Flu)

Government removes prescribing restrictions to allow certain medicines to be prescribed outside of flu season

The changes to prescribing regulations enable GPs and pharmacies to prescribe oseltamivir and zanamivir without a patient-specific direction.…

PJ view: Neighbourhood health will not work without stronger primary care relationships

As pharmacies prepare for another flu season, the government’s neighbourhood health vision faces a critical test: can stronger collaboration between primary care providers and better recognition of pharmacy skills ensure services grow without fuelling competition?…

Health news round-up: NICE approvals, fighting AMR and medicines safety concerns

Senior clinical reporter Joanna Robertson summarises some important developments in health news.…

Pharmacies to offer children’s flu vaccinations from October 2025

The NHS England advanced service will enable community pharmacies to opt in and expand the delivery of vaccines to children too young to be offered them in school.…

Community pharmacies in 2024/2025 administered highest number of flu vaccinations outside of pandemic

Of the 4 million flu vaccinations delivered by community pharmacies in England during the 2024/2025 flu season, data show that 11% were administered in the most deprived areas.…

Walk-in flu vaccine finder for community pharmacy to be launched for 2025/2026 flu season

NHS England said the “flu walk-in finder” was developed in response to patient feedback that complained of restrictions to the national booking service and a lack of information on clinic times.…

Pharmacy flu vaccine delivery to over-65s increased by 20 percentage points in five years

Data from the UK Health Security Agency show that since 2019/2020, the proportion of vaccines administered to at-risk patients via community pharmacies rose from 11.4% to 26.7%.…

Community pharmacy offers ‘key opportunity’ for increasing flu vaccination uptake in children, says NHS England chief

Amanda Pritchard said exploring the use of other flu vaccination providers — including community pharmacy — to expand convenience was one of three “key opportunities to go further” identified by NHS England.…

Use community pharmacies to combat falling vaccine uptake, report urges

A report published by the Company Chemists’ Association on behalf of the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group has suggested that community pharmacies are well placed to increase vaccine uptake, raise patients’ confidence and prevent ill health.…

Community pharmacies form part of flu vaccination ‘mop-up’ programme

Flu vaccines are being offered at COVID-19 vaccination clinics, on weekends, and at pop-up clinics across Wales to tackle low uptake rates.…