Think about the businesses you pass on your way to the pharmacy each morning. The salon down the street. The auto repair shop around the corner. The restaurant where you grab lunch. Have you ever introduced your pharmacy to the people who work there?
This October, a cash flu clinic could give you a reason to start that conversation.
For a small employer that does not offer health insurance, an affordable workplace flu clinic can be a practical way to support employees. For your pharmacy, it can generate cash revenue while introducing your team to people who may have never considered you for their prescriptions.
And that is where the opportunity gets bigger. A flu shot may be the first service someone receives from you, but it could become the beginning of a lasting patient relationship.
Start With the Right Person
You probably already know who on your team would be good at this. The technician who remembers everyone’s name. The person who makes patients feel welcome and can strike up a conversation with just about anyone.
That outgoing, caring personality can make a real difference when calling a business or walking through its door for the first time. Choose a pharmacy technician or immunization champion who enjoys connecting with people, listens well, and follows through.
Give that person time to build a short outreach list and make introductions. Encourage them to contact businesses your pharmacy has never worked with, not just the owners you already know.
Restaurants, salons, auto repair shops, construction companies, and independent retailers are good places to begin. Ask whether an on-site flu clinic would be helpful, particularly for employees without insurance.
There is no need for a complicated sales pitch:
“Hi, I’m with [Pharmacy Name], just down the road. We’re offering flu clinics for local businesses and wanted to see whether that would be helpful for your employees. We have an affordable cash option, and we can bring the clinic to you.”
The employer could pay for vaccinations, contribute toward the cost, or simply host while employees pay directly. Your champion can gather interest, coordinate sign-ups, and help schedule the clinic with your immunization team.
Meet People Where They Already Are
Small employers are a great starting point but look around your community for other connections.
Is there a farmers market where vendors spend their Saturday mornings? A gym with an active membership? A community or wellness center that could help spread the word?
These locations can introduce your pharmacy to people outside your usual patient base. At a farmers market, consider the vendors as well as the shoppers. At a gym, ask whether the owner would promote a scheduled clinic to members. A local organization or business might also be interested in sponsoring vaccinations for uninsured residents.
Choose a host willing to help gather interest ahead of time. Knowing who plans to attend makes it easier to schedule staff, plan inventory, and decide whether the clinic will cover its costs.
Make the Cash Model Work for Your Pharmacy
An affordable flu shot can still be a worthwhile service for your pharmacy. It starts with knowing your acquisition cost and planning for the expenses of taking your team off-site.
IPC offers vaccine purchasing contract options for GPO members and warehouse customers. Explore IPC’s Vaccine Headquarters for vendor options, ordering information, and immunization resources. Confirm your pharmacy’s eligibility, current pricing, and availability.
For example, using an approximate cost of $13.50 per dose for Fluzone and an illustrative cash price of $40.00, the numbers look like this:
| Vaccinations Provided | Cash Revenue | Vaccine Acquisition Cost | Remaining Before Other Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $1,000 | $337 | $663 |
| 50 | $2,000 | $675 | $1,325 |
| 100 | $4,000 | $1,350 | $2,650 |
That leaves $26.50 per vaccination after vaccine acquisition cost to cover staffing, supplies, travel, payment processing, and other clinic expenses. What remains after those expenses contributes to profit.
Use your actual costs to set your price. Before putting the clinic on the calendar, agree with the host on who is paying and how many participants you need to make the event worthwhile.
Give Your Technicians a Meaningful Role
Your technicians may be able to do much more than organize the event.
In most states, appropriately trained pharmacy technicians can administer immunizations under pharmacist supervision, subject to applicable requirements. Confirm your state’s rules for training, credentials, patient ages, supervision, and off-site administration.
Think about how that could work for your team. Your outreach champion helps secure the clinic and coordinate participants. Qualified technician immunizers help administer vaccines while the pharmacist provides clinical assessment, oversight, and patient support.
It is an opportunity to use your team’s skills, give technicians ownership, and create more time for conversations with the people you are meeting.
Let People Know What Else You Can Do for Them
Imagine an employee telling you they have trouble getting to the pharmacy before it closes. If you offer delivery, that is a chance to explain how you could help.
Or perhaps someone is tired of making several trips each month for refills. That could open a conversation about medication synchronization.
These connections happen when your team listens and shares services that fit the person’s needs. You can keep the invitation simple:
“We’d really love the chance to take care of your prescriptions, too. We offer delivery, which might make things easier during your workweek. If you’re interested, we can help with transfers. If not, no problem—we’re glad we could help with your flu shot.”
Bring a contact card or a short flyer featuring the services your pharmacy offers. Give interested patients an easy way to request follow-up, separate from vaccination consent, and make sure someone follows through.
The patients you meet may also be a good fit for your pharmacy’s cash prescription program. You know firsthand that more prescriptions do not always mean more profit when reimbursement falls below your costs. With direct cash prescriptions, you can set a price that supports your business while helping patients find affordable options and receive personal care. For someone without insurance—or someone exploring alternatives because of a high deductible—that relationship can be especially valuable. Your pharmacy benefits, too: those direct cash transactions do not require PBM claim submission or bring the same reimbursement challenges as insurance billing. That first flu shot could connect you with a patient you can serve well while building a financially sustainable prescription business.
As new patients get to know your pharmacy, there may also be opportunities to recommend appropriate over-the-counter products, supplements, and other services. Those additional purchases can contribute to revenue while helping patients address their needs.
Think Beyond What You Earn That Day
Start with one business and one manageable clinic. Gather sign-ups, confirm payment arrangements, and prepare for screening, consent, vaccine temperature monitoring, documentation, observation, and emergency response. Follow applicable off-site vaccination requirements and identify covered options for participants with insurance.
Then look at the full picture.
At the example price, 50 vaccinations would generate $1,325.00 in cash revenue. But what if a few participants transfer their prescriptions? What if one signs up for delivery and later brings their family to your pharmacy? What if someone discovers your cash prescription program, or the business owner tells another employer about your team?
Those outcomes are not guaranteed, but they are opportunities worth following. Track the clinic’s revenue and expenses alongside new patient inquiries, prescription transfers, cash prescription relationships, service enrollments, and related purchases. Stay in touch with the host, too.
The flu clinic gives you a reason to introduce yourself. The way your team treats people gives them a reason to come back.
For a pharmacy willing to reach out, listen, and follow through, a cash flu clinic can become both a seasonal revenue opportunity and a starting point for relationships that grow throughout the year.
Ready to Bring a Cash Flu Clinic to Your Community?
Visit IPC’s Vaccine Headquarters to explore vaccine purchasing options and immunization resources. Need help getting started? Contact our Pharmacy Services Department to talk through opportunities for your pharmacy.
About the Author
Samantha Pomeroy, CPhT-ADV
Director Member Engagement
Independent Pharmacy Cooperative
Samantha Pomeroy brings over 20 years of experience as a certified pharmacy technician and operations leader. She helps independent pharmacies identify new revenue opportunities, implement clinical programs, and enhance patient care through innovative, strategic solutions.
