MediloonAutumn marks the start of vaccination season, and the same questions keep coming up at the dispensing counter: Can I get vaccinated here? Do I need an appointment? Which appointments are available? Taking every request by phone or at the counter adds work during an already busy period.
Walk-in patients arrive while the team is filling prescriptions, and booked appointments run late when consultations and documentation take longer than expected. This article explains how to make vaccinations bookable online, combine appointments with walk-in options and communicate without putting pressure on patients.
Why it pays to plan your vaccination season
A Pharmazeutische Zeitung report dated 26 October 2026 puts last season's influenza vaccination coverage among people aged 60 and over at 34 percent, the lowest level in 17 years. It reports COVID-19 vaccination coverage of 13 percent across all age groups.
Infectious disease specialist Prof. Dr. Irit Nachtigall describes a communication problem. An accessible service and understandable information can help pharmacies make vaccination easier to access.
Which vaccinations may your pharmacy offer?
Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are established services in appropriately qualified German pharmacies. The Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz extends the legal framework to additional non-live vaccines for adults. This does not automatically authorise every team to provide every vaccination: additional services require the necessary medical training and other implementation requirements.
The ABDA announcement of 13 October 2026 describes the introduction of supplementary training. Before adding services, check current chamber guidance, staff qualifications, premises, documentation and billing arrangements. Offer only services whose requirements your pharmacy actually meets.
Pharmacy vaccinations: making appointments bookable online
Online booking complements the conversation with patients. A practical setup involves five steps:
Define your offer: Confirm which vaccinations you may provide and when appropriately qualified staff will be available.
Allow realistic durations: Include the consultation, vaccination, documentation and required observation afterwards.
Group vaccination times: Keep the dispensing counter staffed while another colleague vaccinates.
Make booking visible: Add it to your website, app and Google Business Profile.
Use reminders: A reminder can help patients remember their appointments.
Mediloon lets patients book vaccination appointments through your website and app. See online appointment booking for pharmacies and the guide to pharmacy scheduling. During setup, check which reminder and calendar features are available in your configuration.
Appointment or walk-in: combining both approaches
The North Rhine chamber of pharmacists (AKNR) describes vaccination-record checks as brief reviews that can often take place without an appointment. For the vaccination itself, a booked slot is often easier to organise. Walk-in availability depends on the individual pharmacy.
Service | Appointment? | Benefit | Planning point |
|---|---|---|---|
Vaccination-record check | Often not needed | Easy access | Private conversation area and vaccination record |
Vaccination with online booking | Yes | Predictable workload | Realistic duration and reminders |
Walk-in vaccination at set times | No | Flexible access | Explain possible waiting times |
Special event evening | Depends on the offer | Visibility for the service | Plan additional staffing |
One practical approach is an open vaccination-record check followed, where appropriate, by a booked vaccination appointment. A short conversation at the counter then leads to a clear next step.
On the day: what matters most
Realistic time slots
Short appointments can cause backlogs. Allow time for informed consent, questions, documenting the vaccination, updating the vaccination record or certificate and any required observation. Leave buffers between appointment blocks.
Preparing before the appointment
Ask patients to bring their vaccination record and the documents required for your service. Ask them to contact the pharmacy beforehand if they have a fever or feel unwell. Individual suitability is assessed in the professional consultation. Put organisational information on a dedicated service page.
Answering routine questions digitally
A chatbot can help with opening times and booking questions after closing time. The guide to AI chatbots in pharmacies explains their scope and limits. Questions about individual suitability, risks or vaccination recommendations require professional advice. Mediloon's Medi chatbot supports routine organisational questions and handover to the team.
Reaching patients
A vaccination-record check can identify questions about a person's vaccination status. It does not mean that every vaccination discussed can immediately be administered in your pharmacy.
Who to keep in mind
AKNR highlights older people, people with chronic conditions, travellers and parents reviewing their children's vaccination records. Individual recommendations depend on current professional guidance and the person's circumstances.
A personal conversation
The PZ report describes Nachtigall's recommendation to discuss quality of life. In practice, ask clearly and without pressure whether the patient is interested in a vaccination-record check, and explain how to book. Avoid exaggerated promises of protection.
Websites, social media and posters must comply with applicable advertising rules. See the guide to pharmacy marketing.
Preparing for the Long Night of Vaccination
The nationwide Lange Nacht des Impfens takes place on 12 November 2026. Participating pharmacies and other vaccination sites offer additional opportunities to get vaccinated. Hours and booking arrangements vary by location.
Decide early who will vaccinate and who will cover the counter. Publish your own hours on your website, in your app and in the pharmacy, and explain whether appointments are required or walk-ins are welcome.
Data protection and the legal framework
Vaccination bookings may involve health data. Review the information collected, access rights, privacy notices and contractual arrangements with service providers. Establish where data is processed in your actual configuration and which other providers are involved. A hosting location alone does not replace this assessment.
Permitted vaccinations, documentation, booking processes and advertising depend on applicable rules. Check your implementation with your chamber of pharmacists and, where needed, qualified legal advisers. Information as of 29 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Should we offer vaccinations by appointment only?
Not necessarily. Combine walk-in vaccination-record checks with booked appointments and selected walk-in times where appropriate. Communicate the same rules on your website, app and phone.
What if a vaccinating colleague is unexpectedly absent?
Check whether another appropriately qualified colleague can take over. Otherwise reschedule and inform affected patients promptly.
How do we reach people who never ask about vaccinations?
Use suitable opportunities, such as dispensing a prescription, to offer a voluntary vaccination-record check. Ask interested patients to bring their record. Individual recommendations belong in a professional consultation.
Conclusion
Accessible booking and realistic planning make vaccination days easier to manage. Time buffers, walk-in checks and clear communication complement each other. Mediloon online appointment booking makes your available services accessible through your website and app and connects them with team scheduling.
Sources
AKNR promotes vaccination-record checks – Pharmazeutische Zeitung, 26 October 2026
Genügend Oberarme für alle da – Pharmazeutische Zeitung, 26 October 2026
Vaccination guideline – ABDA, accessed 29 October 2026
Long Night of Vaccination – official event website, accessed 29 October 2026
About Mediloon
Mediloon is a Leipzig-based healthtech company building digital infrastructure for German pharmacies — including E-Rezept integration, pharmacy apps, Click & Collect, Botendienst coordination, and the Medi AI assistant. This article is part of Mediloon's pharmacy digitalisation guide series. It is intended as general operational and regulatory information. For specific legal or compliance queries relating to AI systems in your pharmacy, consult your regional Apothekerkammer or a qualified legal advisor.