Unease over injections

MANY new, recent and experienced pharmacists do not feel confident about administering injectable medicines, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Chief Officer Health Practitioner Compliance, Licenses and Permits Medicines and Poisons Regulation, Stefan Tulloch, says.

Responding to comments made by Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Vice President, Trent Twomey, at a Queensland parliamentary hearing calling for pharmacists in the state to be authorised to administer injectable medications (PD 20 Jul), Tulloch noted Victorian legislation allows pharmacists to deliver injections in emergencies when approved by the prescriber.

“However, pharmacists must practice within their competency,” he said.

“Most new, recent and experienced pharmacy graduates I have spoken with have advised that they do not feel confident administering medicines by injection and have advised that they were not taught these practical skills during their undergraduate training.

“An exception are pharmacists who have completed an immuniser training course and developed competency administering vaccines.

“The immuniser course does not provide practical training or assessment for intravenous administration of medicines.

“I am not aware of any undergraduate or postgraduate pharmacy courses that provide practical training and competency assessment covering the main parenteral routes of administration, eg IM, SQ, IV routes.”