Vax poll pro pharmacists

ALMOST two thirds of Australians believe pharmacists should be allowed to administer common vaccinations currently only offered by GPs, according to new research released this morning by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

A nationwide poll conducted by YouGov Galaxy found 64% of respondents supported pharmacists administering common vaccines, with 62% citing greater convenience as a key benefit of such a move.

PSA national president Shane Jackson said legislative changes at state and territory levels would allow for vaccination against diseases such as meningococcal and whooping cough, along with routine travel vaccinations.

“Pharmacists are highly accessible and ideally placed to take on increased responsibility for vaccination,” he said.

Jackson said PSA analysis had revealed that in the last four months about 250,000 Australians had received flu jabs via a pharmacy.

“That’s almost 100 flu vaccinations occurring every hour in pharmacies across the country... clearly this represents a better protected and subsequently healthier Australia, and is evidence enough that enhanced access to vaccination results in strong uptake,” he said.

Jackson said PSA’s new research confirmed that Australians clearly understood that pharmacists had the skill and training to do more than they currently did.

“Common-sense should see legislative changes that allow pharmacists to administer a number of commonly used vaccines,” he added.

Of the 1,023 respondents, 60% believed the cost of a pharmacist administering a vaccine should be covered by Medicare, while a further 24% were of the view that private health insurance should cover some of the cost.