Guild welcomes vaccination finding

Dec 06, 2013
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia welcomes the finding of the Pharmacy Board of Australia that vaccination is within the current scope of practice of pharmacists.
This paves the way for further work to be done to bring Australia in line with the majority of comparable countries where health systems benefit from the capacity of pharmacists to vaccinate patients.

The Pharmacy Board has stated that following work undertaken on its behalf by the Advanced Practice Framework Steering Committee it believes vaccination is within the current scope of practice of a pharmacist. 

Board Chairman Stephen Marty noted that further work around competencies, standards, training and where vaccination may take place will need to be completed before pharmacists will be able to vaccinate.

The Guild supports the development of standards and training programs to achieve this end, with patient safety always of paramount importance.  The intention is to add value to the health system by complementing the existing provision of vaccinations by doctors to at-risk patients.

There are many healthy Australian adults who opt not to have influenza vaccinations because of the inconvenience of attending a doctor’s surgery. There is real potential for pharmacist vaccinations to supplement the existing provision of vaccinations – enhancing the preventive health care role of Australia’s 5300 community pharmacies.

The recognition by the Pharmacy Board follows a submission made by the Advanced Practice Framework Steering Committee which mapped the competences required to be able to vaccinate against the National Competency Standards for Pharmacists. 

Guild National President George Tambassis said: “Community pharmacies are the most accessible healthcare professionals and so we are a natural destination for the delivery of vital immunisation services.”

Media inquiries: Greg Turnbull  0412 910261