Updated Sep. 25, 2023
Pending vaccine availability, LTC/AL residents may begin to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations before official coordinated campaign start date.
Procuring Vaccine Inventory
Influenza inventory (FluzoneHD) and COVID-19 vaccines for use in long term care and assisted living facilities must be procured from the Health Authority. In most cases the Health Authority will work with the facility to determine the number of doses needed and either the facility or pharmacy will pick-up the vaccine. Pharmacies should confirm with each facility they are servicing what the process is for procuring their vaccines.
Please note: for any pharmacy looking to setup another offsite flu clinic (not for LTC/AL), there will be an online ordering form available shortly after the campaign gets underway, but pharmacies should not set up these clinics until early November to ensure vaccine availability. For more information see Ordering and allocation of vaccines. This form is not for LTC/AL.
Inventory transfer in ImmsBC for LTC/AL
For the 2023/24 COVID-19/Influenza vaccination campaign the process for inventory transfers is changing.
To create inventory you are using for an LTC or AL facility follow the instructions below:
This process is only to be used for LTC/AL inventory. For inventory received from your distributor please follow the normal inventory reception process.
- Go into “Health Connect – Supply Console”
- Open your pharmacy’s ImmsBC Supply Location Profile
- To the right of your Supply Location name, you will see the buttons “Create Requisition/Return”, click on downwards facing arrow and select “Receive Supplies”
- Complete the pop-up screen with the appropriate vaccine information
- Ensure you select the correct product and lot number
- For the Quantity you can enter either the exact number of doses to be used or enter “1” and adjust the inventory afterwards
- For the “Reason for Reception” select LTC/AL inventory
- You can now proceed with entering vaccination records using this new inventory.
If you require assistance please contact immunizationsupport@bcpharmacy.ca or call 1 (800) 663-2840, press 5 for Immunization Support.
ImmsBC Data Entry and Payment
In order to trigger PharmaCare payment, participating pharmacies must:
- Have access to ImmsBC.
- Enter immunization records under their existing pharmacy profile in ImmsBC (set user default to the pharmacy clinic location in the In-Clinic-Experience).
- Enter the vaccine record on the date of administration in ImmsBC.
Ideally the LTC/AL staff have pre-registered residents into ImmsBC or if the individual was previously registered they would already be listed in ImmsBC and do not need to be registered again. If they are not pre-registered, you'll need to register them in the "In-Clinic Experience" app of ImmsBC under "Register --> Register New Citizen". You will require the following information to create their account:
- First Name, Middle Name, Last Name
- PHN
- Date of Birth
- Phone number (LTC facility)
- Postal Code (LTC facility)
There is no need to book appointment slots for the individuals. Pharmacies can open the individual’s profile and clicking on the “Check-In Client” button if providing the vaccination immediately which does not require an appointment to be scheduled. Follow the instructions on clinic day procedures, checking in a client without and appointment.
Important notes when completing vaccination records at an LTC/AL facility:
- When completing vaccination records in the ICE application of ImmsBC please ensure that your user default “Clinic Location” is set to your pharmacy location and not that facility. If it is set to the facility, your pharmacy will not be paid.
- In the “Reason for Immunization” please select either C19 AL Resident, C19 LTC Resident, C19 AL Staff or C19 LTC Staff as appropriate.
Please see the general ImmsBC Data Entry and Payment page for more information.