THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is again calling for vaccines to be made accessible to more Australians by fully utilising pharmacists as part of the immunisation workforce, following a new report from the Australian think tank Grattan Institute.
The Grattan Institute's report A fair shot: How to close the vaccination gap specifically recommends action on a National Vaccines Partnership Agreement and harmonisation of the state-based regulations that determine pharmacists' authority to deliver certain vaccines.
The report calls for new funding for Primary Health Networks to support general practice, pharmacists and aged care providers to promote vaccination in mainstream primary care.
PSA National President Dr Fei Sim welcomed the Grattan Institute's recommendations, which echo PSA's calls for nationally consistent vaccination authorities.
"The Grattan Institute's report is a stark look at how far we still have to go to make vaccination equitable for all Australians," said Sim.
"We know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving vaccine uptake, with the report rightly highlighting the need for a tailored approach to ensuring vulnerable cohorts don't fall through the cracks".
The Federal Govt's move to open up National Immunisation Program funding for pharmacist-administered vaccines is a welcome first step, but Sim added there is more work to be done to allow pharmacists to deliver all vaccines to patients of all ages.
"At the moment, every jurisdiction in Australia has different regulations around which vaccinations can be administered by pharmacists."
"A nationally consistent schedule of pharmacist-administered vaccines is key to achieving equitable access to govt-funded vaccines by all Australians," Sim concluded - see the report HERE. JG
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