A new report by the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group (PVDG) underscores the importance of robust and responsive vaccine supply chains to driving uptake and coverage.
Read the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group’s report here
Inventory control & hybrid models – a hybrid model which involves allocation of stock and the ability of providers to order additional vaccines based on demand.
It follows the PVDG’s call, earlier this year, to harness community pharmacies to administer a greater range of NHS vaccines to patients.1
The report explores three models for vaccine supply:
- Inventory control & hybrid models – a hybrid model which involves allocation of stock and the ability of providers to order additional vaccines based on demand.
- Push/allocation – with commissioners responsible for ordering vaccine stock. This model is currently used for many vaccines.
- Pull/drawn down – with providers procuring vaccines which are delivered by wholesalers, as used in the NHS flu vaccination programme.
With community pharmacy now administering a wider range of NHS vaccines than ever before and due to deliver further programmes,2 the report assesses each of the models on their merits and suitability for different vaccination programmes.
Moreover, each model is measured against its ability to meet several fundamental requirements. These include the ability to build confidence in providers and patients, ensuring commissioners can predict where and when vaccine will be needed, and streamlined processes which ensure stock can be moved, to minimise wastage, or re-ordered with ease.
The report highlights the importance of understanding current and future patient demand to successful supply chains.
The report makes two recommendations to help better understand demand:
1. Integration of proprietary booking systems with the National Booking System (NBS) and other booking portals3. This would simplify patients’ ability to book vaccination appointments and provide a better overview of total demand.
2. Ensuring the impact on private vaccination activity is considered when planning NHS vaccination supply chains. Any NHS supply models must consider the possible impact of changes to supply chains on well-established private vaccination services, such as the flu service, to avoid unintended consequences.
Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association said:
“As community pharmacies are asked to deliver more and more NHS vaccines, it’s important that we consider how existing supply chains may need to adapt.
If patients and pharmacies are to have confidence in the system, we need reliable, transparent and flexible supply models that adapt quickly to changing demand.
An obvious starting point for policymakers is to enable the integration of proprietary booking systems into the National Booking System, and to consider the data from vaccines already administered privately.
We look forward to commissioners working with the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group to unlock the full potential of pharmacy vaccination services”.
References
1 – New report calls for community pharmacies to be harnessed to combat falling vaccine uptake, 25 February 2025
2 – From 1 October, communities pharmacies began administering the flu vaccines, a nasal spray, to two and three year olds – see NHS England, NHS makes it easier than ever to protect toddlers against flu, 24 September 2025. Furthermore, the 10 year plan announced that from 2026, women and young who missed out on HPV vaccination at school will be able to have the vaccine administered at their local pharmacy – see Department of Health and Social Care, Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, 3 July 2025.
3 – Including NHS booking portals in Scotland and Wales.
Notes to Editors
About the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group (PVDG)
The Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group (PVDG) provides a dedicated forum for stakeholders involved in the design, manufacture, commissioning, and provision of vaccination programmes. The group’s purpose is to improve access and uptake of vaccines across GB. The group is working to establish the model for commissioning, promoting, and delivering vaccination programmes in community pharmacy.
Members of the PVDG include representatives from AAH Pharmaceuticals, Asda, Alliance Healthcare, Boots UK, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Numark, Pharmacy2U, Phoenix Medical, Rowlands Pharmacy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Superdrug, Tesco, and Well. The PVDG is currently sponsored by GSK, Pfizer UK, MSD and Viatris.
National Booking Service (NBS)
People can use this service to book vaccination appointments at vaccination centres, community pharmacies, primary care networks and hospital hubs across England. They are shown appointments based on the type of vaccine allocated to them and their previous vaccination history.