The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is calling for the removal of vaccination red tape and for national harmonisation of pharmacist vaccination scope to ensure access to equitable vaccination services.
PSA National President, Associate Professor Fei Sim said, “Pharmacists are underutilised in many states and territories, with regulatory barriers preventing them from practising to their full potential when providing vaccination services.”
“Pharmacists have demonstrated competency in delivering vaccines safely and effectively. Leveraging the accessibility of pharmacists to administer a greater range of vaccines would significantly improve uptake and reduce hospitalisations from vaccine preventable diseases.”
“Allowing pharmacists to deliver childhood vaccinations, including influenza vaccines, provides Australians with greater choice and equitable access to vaccines.”
“Allowing pharmacists to practise to the top of their scope makes efficient use of health resources, benefitting the broader health system.”
“With the Continuing Professional Development cycle for pharmacists ending on 30 September, I encourage all pharmacist immunisers to visit PSA Vaccination Education Hub to help you meet your professional requirements and maintain competence in vaccination services.”
“PSA offers a variety of immunisation educational resources for pharmacists, including the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) module and the Vaccination Webinar Series. The next webinar in this series focuses on promoting pharmacy vaccination services, particularly for adolescents who missed HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination due to COVID lockdowns.”
Pharmacists in 2030 is available to pharmacists and the public at www.psa.org.au/pharmacists_in_2030
