First pharmacy vax trial
January 14, 2014
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
(PGA) and the Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia (PSA) will launch
a pharmacist immunisation research
pilot program in community
pharmacies in Queensland.
The trial came after consultation
with the Department of Health
and would involve the Queensland
University of Technology and James
Cook University to ensure outcomes
were robust, the PGA and PSA said.
The Queensland Pharmacist
Immunisation Pilot (QPIP) will
begin in this year’s flu season,
around April, and target consumers
not covered by the National
Immunisation Program.
PSA Queensland branch president
Professor Lisa Nissen said that it
was estimated that the bulk of
immunisations would take place
over the first three to four months,
and that the pilot would not be
immunising those under 18.
Nissen said the pilot hoped to
have around 100 pharmacies across
Queensland involved.
Criteria for participating
pharmacists included general
registration and having professional
indemnity cover in place.
“A key part of the pilot is to
provide training for pharmacists
around administration of vaccines
and the management of adverse
events, including anaphylaxis.
“The training aligns to the
competencies expected of other
health professionals providing
immunisations and addresses the
competencies approved recently
by the board. This is in addition to
pharmacists having a current first
aid and CPR certificate.”
Queensland Pharmacy Guild
branch president Tim Logan said the
pilot could lay the groundwork for
more professional services delivered
through community pharmacy.
Immunisation expert at the
National Centre for Immunisation
Research and Surveillance at the
Children’s Hospital Westmead
Professor Robert Booy said the trial
was taking a considered and careful
approach in getting appropriate
training and regulatory approval to
do an appropriate, important pilot
study to see if influenza vaccination
uptake could be improved.
He said a key concern was that the
primary care oversight of patients
was integrated, so it was important
that the family doctor be informed
of any immunisation given, and that
the public kept their own vaccine
records.
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