Training your team and ensuring everyone’s knowledge is up-to-date are important CPD triggers for you. We suggest that you get the team together for a training session based on the activities below and discuss the various ways in which you can offer customers and patients added care in this category.

Subject: Flu jabs

This Train Your Team checklist provides support and information to run a team training session on flu vaccination in the pharmacy. This content can also be used for your own CPD.

Reflection

• Can the pharmacy team explain the benefits of having a flu jab to people who are eligible?
• Do they know which groups of people are eligible for the flu vaccine as part of the new national pharmacy service?
• Is the pharmacy team confident about recruiting pharmacy customers who may be eligible for the flu jab?
• Have I considered providing the flu jab outside the pharmacy (e.g. in a care home setting)?
• Do we need any other training to be able to provide this service effectively?

Training checklist

Ensure your support staff understand the following key points:

• The importance of the flu jab for eligible people
• How to identify customers eligible for the flu jab
• Who should and who should not have the flu jab
• Why the pharmacy is an appropriate place for providing a flu vaccine service
• The importance of helping people with long-term conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depressed immune function) who are at risk of or have contracted flu
• When to refer customers with coughs, colds and flu to the pharmacist.

Action. I will ensure:

• We have clearly visible information in the pharmacy on the flu vaccination service
• The pharmacy team is appropriately trained to provide information on the flu jab
• We are all confident about playing our part in providing this service
• My pharmacy assistants are able to meet the points in this training checklist

Practice point

• What is herd immunity and why is it important? What implications does this have for flu vaccination in people of any age who are eligible?