PHARMACISTS REJECT MISLEADING CLAIMS MADE ABOUT PHARMACIST

23 March, 2014

reference : http://www.guild.org.au/docs/default-source/public-documents/news-and-events/media-releases/2014/140323-qld-immunisation.pdf?sfvrsn=0

PHARMACISTS REJECT MISLEADING CLAIMS MADE
ABOUT
PHARMACIST
DELIVERED
IMMUNISATION
S
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia have together
condemned false
and misleading statements made by
a
commercial group representing
some
nurse
practitioners
over the trial of pharmacist
delivered immunisations in
Queensland.
In an advertisement
in the Queens
land
Sunday
Mail
, the Revive
Clinic
Group claims
pharmacists
are not
legally
approved to vaccinate
anywhere in
Austr
alia because they do
not have the medical training.
However, National President of the Pharmacy Guild, George Tambassis, said that this
sta
tement was factually incorrect and reflected the misleading basis of the arguments raised
by the Revive
Clinic
Group.
“Pharmacists are legally able to administer vaccinations under the trial in Queensland and
the Northern Territory has introduced
legislation to this effect as well,” Mr Tambassis said.
“Vaccinations are conducted by pharmacists safely and professionally in countries around
the world, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, and the United
States. What is happeni
ng in Australia is that we are
catching
up to international
best
practice
.
The Pharmacy Board of Australia has confirmed that vaccination is within
pharmacists’
current scope of
practice
.”
The National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australi
a, Grant Kardachi, said
p
harmacists we
re completing additional training
in administering immunisations.
In addition to
pharmacists
already
being
highly qualified health professionals
, this
training
meets the competencies of all health professionals that
provide vaccinat
ions,
including
nurses
,” Mr Kardachi said.
“T
his is about the health of the community
pharmacists are increasing
delivery of
the
vaccinations in the general community
and
offering the community access to a highly skilled
health professio
nal
who is
easily accessible in community pharmacy
.
“Importantly, and this is something the Revive Group has not mentioned, the trial has been
developed within a robust research framework to ensure the health outcomes are measured.
“This is a public
heal
th
issue and not one which this group should try to sabotage
for its
own
short
term commercial gain a
t
the expense of the long
term health outcomes of the
Australian community.”