COVID vax legislation needed: PSA

STATE and Territory Governments need to implement legislation to ensure pharmacists can administer a COVID-19 vaccine should one be approved, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) believes.

The call follows the Federal Government’s announcement that it has placed an order for 25 million doses of a vaccine, which is being developed by Oxford University, if it proves successful in Phase III trials.

Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced the Federal Government had reached an agreement with AstraZeneca for the vaccines, which are expected to be made available to the public free of charge.

PSA National President, Dr Chris Freeman, told Pharmacy Daily that efforts needed to be made to ensure equitable access to the vaccine through pharmacies as well as other immunisation providers to optimise uptake of the vaccine.

“Administering a COVID-19 vaccine will be the primary way out of this pandemic and we will need all hands on deck to ensure that there is wide and comprehensive uptake of the vaccine,” he said.

“Some State and Territory Governments have already passed legislation that will allow pharmacists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine if and when it becomes available and pharmacists are more than capable and qualified to provide this service.

“We encourage all State and Territory Governments to be proactive in enabling the pharmacist workforce to participate in the delivery of the vaccine.

“Recently we have seen pharmacists have greater scope when it comes to providing essential vaccines to the community and the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine should be viewed no differently.”

A spokesperson for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia noted that the Federal Government had demonstrated its support for “harmonisation of pharmacist vaccination across all Australian jurisdictions” in the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement.

The Guild spokesperson also backed calls for pharmacists to be given access to Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) funding to provide vaccines to patients.

“Health professionals providing the same service should be remunerated accordingly,” he said.

“So, yes pharmacists should be paid [by the MBS] for administering COVID vaccines.”

The Guild Queensland Branch will host a webinar with Oxford University’s vaccine lead, Professor Sarah Gilbert, on 25 Aug.

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