Can you get vaccinated at a pharmacy?

Each year, a flu vaccination campaign begins in October. The great novelty since 2019 is that the pharmacist can now perform this preventive action. But who is affected? And how to get vaccinated in pharmacies? Everything you need to know about vaccination in pharmacies.

Summary

Who can be vaccinated at a pharmacy?

At the doctor’s, anyone can get vaccinated against the seasonal flu in their office. On the other hand, the situation is different for the pharmacist, who must necessarily be voluntary and trained.

Have received the voucher

Thus, in pharmacy, only certain adults targeted by the vaccination recommendations can receive the shot. For this, you must have received a care voucher at your home. This document makes it possible to obtain the vaccine without advance payment. The voucher, generally issued by the Health Insurance, can be established by a doctor, a midwife, but also by the pharmacist himself in the event of loss or non-receipt.

the care voucher indicates that you are part of the population concerned in priority by the vaccination campaign. However, the vaccine is contraindicated in case of allergy to ovalbumin (egg protein) or risk of anaphylactic reaction.

People affected by the vaccine

The persons concerned are therefore:

65 and over;
over the age of 18 suffering from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, renal, hepatic pathologies, diabetes 1 and 2, or immunocompromised, or suffering from sickle cell disease;
obese whose BMI is equal to or greater than 40 kh/m2;
18-year-old pregnant women;
the entourage of certain infants under 6 months who present risk factors (premature, carriers of broncho-dysplasia type sequelae, suffering from congenital heart disease, congenital immune deficiency, pulmonary, neurological or neuromuscular pathology, a long-term condition). The notion of entourage includes the family environment (people living under the same roof), the maternal assistant and all regular contacts.

To note : your pharmacist will not ask you no prescription for the flu vaccine. The voucher is enough for him. Note, however, that pregnant women, relatives of at-risk infants and obese people do not receive a voucher for the vaccine.

The conditions for being able to vaccinate

The pharmacist to vaccinate must be:

voluntary ;
registered with the Order of Pharmacists:
form. This is CPDa training in accordance with the educational objectives defined by the decree of April 23, 2019 on the technical conditions and training necessary for vaccination by community pharmacists;
in line with the technical conditions defined by law;
able to report vaccination activity to the regional health agency.

How to get vaccinated in a pharmacy?

First, know that you can get vaccinated in any pharmacy in France, but at provided that the pharmacy is voluntary and authorized to carry out the act.

Then, a poster at your pharmacist tells you that he performs the vaccination. At the counter, he can offer you a flu shot. If you agree, the pharmacist will direct you to the confidentiality area, fitted out according to health and safety standards. And this, in order to give you a short interview.

During this exchange in the confidential area, your pharmacist will enter the vaccination in your health record or your personal medical file, now online. By default, he can also give you a certificate to keep. In a register, the professional then notes the type of vaccine administered as well as its batch number. And with your agreement, the pharmacist informs your attending physician of the vaccination in pharmacies.

The course of vaccination in a pharmacy

Before the vaccination act, the pharmacist washes his hands. He must then put on a pair of single-use care gloves.

Then, after the injection, he places a compress on the site of the injection. And he replaces it with a bandage.

Finally, the pharmacist checks for any reaction to the flu vaccine (fever, headache, swelling, pain).

To know : after the injection of the vaccine, count about fifteen days to be immunized against the flu virus.

Can the pharmacist refuse the injection?

Even if you have a voucher, the pharmacist can refuse to vaccinate you in the following cases:

you have ever had an allergic reaction to a previous vaccination;
you are sick.

In the first case, the pharmacy will refer you to your attending physician to carry out the vaccination procedure. And in case of illness, the vaccine will simply be postponed, as long as your state of health improves.

Why can pharmacists perform the vaccine?

This was a long-awaited measure, now effective since the fall of 2019. In addition, it is good news because it should allow better vaccination coverage. Moreover, the measure is part of the « Priority Prevention » plan of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.

Indeed, each winter, the flu virus affects between 2 and 6 million French people on average. And according to figures from the French public health agency, 8,100 deaths were attributed to the flu in 2018/2019, including 84% among people over 75 years old.

An experiment was launched in 2019 in four regions of France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie). The device was therefore tested. And it aroused great enthusiasm among the public. Indeed, a million French people have chosen vaccination in pharmacies rather than at the doctor’s.

To note : pharmacists join nurses, doctors and midwives who are also authorized to perform this preventive action.

Vaccination in pharmacy: is this supported?

In terms of health costs, be aware that theHealth insurance covers the entire vaccine. And there is no advance fee to be expected for those over 65, people with a chronic condition (asthma, diabetes, heart failure, etc.), in the event of living in a community (Ehpad, for example ).

For the flu vaccine to be 100% covered, however, you must present your vaccination voucher. The document was sent to you by post or issued by your attending physician.

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