Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP)

Pharmacies with Health Care Agencies

This information applies to community pharmacies where publicly funded influenza vaccine is administered by a health care agency that has been approved by the ministry to participate in the 2018/2019 UIIP.

This information does not apply to pharmacies within institutions (e.g., hospitals, LTCHs etc.) that provide services to patients/residents. It also does not apply to pharmacies with trained pharmacists that have been ministry-approved to administer influenza vaccine for the 2018/2019 influenza season, please refer to the Pharmacies with Trained Pharmacists section.

Health Care Agency-Administered Pharmacy Clinics

Pharmacies interested in providing health care agency-administered influenza immunization clinics are encouraged to contact their local public health unit for a list of qualified health care agencies that can be contacted to administer publicly funded influenza vaccine.

It is important to note that when the health care agency is administering the influenza vaccine, the vaccine cannot be stored in a pharmacy fridge as this would be a direct violation of the Prequalification Agreement that the health care agency has entered with the ministry.

Reimbursement for the Administration of Publicly Funded Influenza Vaccine

The pharmacy will receive $5.00 reimbursement for each dose of publicly funded influenza vaccine administered through health care agency-administered pharmacy clinics.

In order for a health care agency-administered pharmacy clinic to be eligible for reimbursement by the ministry all of the following criteria must be met:

• health care agency-administered pharmacy clinics must be held within the physical boundaries of the pharmacy;
• the pharmacy must retain the services of a health care agency that has completed the ministry prequalification process to administer publicly funded influenza vaccine;
• influenza vaccine can only be administered in a location that is within the jurisdiction of the local public health unit where the vaccine was obtained;
• clinics must be open to the public (i.e., open and accessible to any eligible vaccine recipient who lives, works or attends school in Ontario) and widely advertised in the community (e.g., local newspaper, posters, etc.);
• only administration of publicly funded influenza vaccine will be reimbursed (e.g., vaccine administered must not be obtained from a private supplier);
• all publicly funded influenza vaccines administered must be provided free of charge to the vaccine recipients; and
• the ministry must not be billed for the administration of the influenza vaccines through any other mechanism (i.e., the ministry's Health Network System).

Pharmacies that also plan to use trained pharmacists to administer influenza vaccines should refer to the Pharmacies with Trained Pharmacists section.

Reimbursement using the Influenza Vaccine Utilization Report form

The Influenza Vaccine Utilization Report form should be completed in order to receive reimbursement for influenza vaccine doses administered during a health care agency-administered pharmacy clinic.

It is the responsibility of the pharmacy owner or pharmacist to ensure that information on the Influenza Vaccine Utilization Report form is completed in full prior to submission, including the section for 'Reimbursable vaccine doses administered'.

Completed Influenza Vaccine Utilization Report forms must be submitted to UIIP.MOH@ontario.ca.

Influenza Vaccine Utilization Report forms without a valid Ontario Drug Benefit number cannot be paid as the ministry has no other means of providing reimbursement.