Numark chairman Harry McQuillan has criticised NHS England over its failure to update the service specification for the 2024-25 flu season to allow pharmacy technicians who are trained to vaccinate to provide jabs in the absence of a pharmacist who is competent to do so.

Mr McQuillan (pictured) told Independent Community Pharmacist he was “surprised, to say the least” by NHSE’s “oversight” given the changes made in June to the Human Medicines Regulations, which gave registered pharmacy technicians the ability to supply and administer medicines under a patient group direction.

The 2024-25 flu season specification says “vaccinations should be administered under the supervision of a pharmacist trained in vaccination.” It also says “where vaccinations are undertaken off the pharmacy premises, the pharmacy contractor must ensure there is an on-site pharmacist supervising delivery.”

Clarifying its position, Numark told ICP: “This, therefore, means that should a pharmacist not be trained [in giving vaccinations], then the technician will not be able to vaccinate even if they are perfectly competent to do so.”

Mr McQuillan added: “I can only hope this has been an oversight. After all, why go through a consultation and legislative change process to amend regulations to allow technicians to operate independently, only to put a roadblock in the way at the first opportunity? That would be a very worrying prospect should that be the case.

“This is counterintuitive to me, especially after the enabling legislation was introduced earlier this year aiming to maximise the skills of the network’s registered and regulated healthcare professionals, a situation welcomed by many pharmacy owners.”

Pregnant women and children will be vaccinated from September 1 and other cohorts from October as part of the 2024-25 flu campaign.

NHSE did not respond directly to Mr McQuillan’s comments but pointed to its PGD guidance and flu service specification, which it says allows pharmacy technicians to provide vaccinations. The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK was also asked to comment.