Pharmacy Daily | Qld pharmacists to provide COVID vax

PHARMACISTS in Queensland will be on the frontline of vaccination efforts should a vaccine for COVID-19 be developed.

Queensland Health Minister, Steven Miles, announced pharmacist immunisers will be part of any COVID-19 vaccination rollout, on Sat, as part of a suite of measures aimed at improving access to medicines during the pandemic, including the implementation of emergency dispensing and therapeutic substitution authorisation, in line with rules previously implemented in other states and territories.

Welcoming the measures, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Queensland Branch President, Chris Campbell, noted the move to approve pharmacist administered COVID-19 vaccinations was an Australian first.

"This forward thinking plan will allow the most rapid uptake of COVID-19 immunisation possible, leveraging off the wide network of pharmacists in the state and will help to rapidly protect Queenslanders and will save lives," he said.

"Pharmacists are on the front line of health care and are doing a tremendous job of supporting the community during the COVID crisis.

"We are seeing more and more patients get the influenza shot this year in pharmacy than ever before, last year over two million influenza vaccinations were provided by pharmacists, this year with the improvement in access from 10 years and older in Queensland people are quite rightly choosing to be immunised."

Campbell added the moves to support therapeutic substitution and continued dispensing would ensure continuity of patient care.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Vice President, Trent Twomey, also voiced support for the Palaszczuk Government's changes to the Drug Therapy Protocol, saying the move would adjustments provide a greater scope for pharmacists to administer vaccinations and prescribe certain medicines to patients, if a prescriber is unavailable.

"Sharing the load between trained primary healthcare professionals will be essential during the coronavirus pandemic," he said.

"It's going to be a marathon and we need to work together to support Queenslanders.

"These Drug Therapy Protocol changes help to increase healthcare access for the community, with more than 6,200 pharmacists located in Queensland."

"With the influenza season upon us, it's critical that the community has greater access to flu vaccinations to limit the spread and reduce the likelihood of simultaneous flu and coronavirus hospitalisations.