Guild urges NIP extension

THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia says extending the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to cover influenza vaccination services delivered by pharmacists would ensure more vulnerable people are protected against the disease.

Writing in Forefront yesterday, Guild executive director David Quilty noted several reports highlighting the success of community pharmacy vaccinations, which for the first time this year were available across the country.

Quilty said the accessibility of pharmacist vaccinations was a strong factor in high levels of uptake of the service, adding that while it was a record flu season in terms of length and confirmed cases, “there is little doubt the numbers would have been higher this year if not for the availability of pharmacist-delivered vaccinations in community pharmacies”.

He said the research had shown more than six million Australians were more likely to have a flu shot if it could be administered at a local pharmacy, including two million who previously had no intention to vaccinate under the flu.

Under the NIP, free vaccination is available to people in several risk groups including those over 65, pregnant women, Indigenous Australians (aged 6 months to under 5 and 15+) and people aged over 6 months with medical conditions predisposing them to severe influenza.

“The fact that 95% of Australian adults visit a community pharmacy annually makes pharmacies the ideal locations to immunise patients who may not visit a doctor,” Quilty added.