Pharmacies in Queensland now have the ability to provide public vaccinations, under new legislation given the green light by the state government. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and Pharmacy Guild of Australia explained that the move would deliver healthcare benefits to people in local communities – something medical businesses in other parts of the country could learn from.
Meeting the required standards
The new laws cover specific types of vaccination, including measles, pertussis and influenza. Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2011 Adult Vaccination Survey show that as many as 74.6 per cent of people over the age of 65 have been vaccinated against influenza.
Pharmacists who plan to administer vaccines need to comply with both the Pharmacist Vaccination Standard and the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996, Drug Therapy Protocol – Pharmacist Vaccination Program.
Pharmacists could prove critical in providing vaccinations.Offering vaccinations in pharmacies not only improves access to the medication people need, but also helps alleviate some of the pressure on other healthcare providers. Rolling the scheme out in New South Wales could have far-reaching implications for accountants for pharmacists in Bankstown.
Responding to emergency situations
President of the PSA Bruce Elliot explained that allowing pharmacists to provide these services would be critical in dealing with emergencies. During pandemics, there would be a much greater workforce on hand to help victims and avoid the further spread of the disease.
Data from the Pharmacy Board of Australia shows that in December 2015, there were almost 27,000 registered pharmacists throughout the country. Giving these people the training they need to give immunisations is therefore an untapped resource that many parts of the country so far haven’t used, with Queensland now leading the way for change.
Lessons from the Queensland Pharmacy Immunisation Pilot
The Queensland Pharmacy Immunisation Pilot (QPIP) was carried out to discover more about how influenza vaccines could be given to members of the public in a community pharmacy setting.
Allowing pharmacists to provide these services would be critical in dealing with emergencies.
Over the course of the two-year trial, more than 35,000 adults were given a vaccination. Results showed that satisfaction levels remained elevated throughout, revealed QPIP Pilot Research Lead Lisa Nissen.
“QPIP highlighted the long-term viability of in-pharmacy vaccinations services, with 99.4 per cent of patients surveyed saying they would be happy to return to a community pharmacy to receive a vaccination in the future,” said Dr Nissen.
“99.5 per cent of patients surveyed would recommend the service to others.”
With IBISWorld estimating there are as many as 4,000 pharmacies in Australia, there’s real potential for this scheme to be introduced in other parts of the country, potentially affecting accountants for pharmacists in Strathfield.