Pharmacists train to give flu shots
Many Saskatchewan pharmacists are taking the prescribed training so they can provide influenza and other types of shots this year.
As of Tuesday, 242 out of 350 pharmacies in the province have signed up to provide the flu vaccine. Ultimately, about 800 of the 1,500 pharmacists in Saskatchewan are expected to be trained by the end of November.
This is the first flu season that Saskatchewan pharmacists will be vaccinating residents.
“We’re going great guns in the first year here,” said Dawn Martin, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan. “It’s a really concrete example of the additional kinds of services and options that pharmacists can provide in the community so we can help to contribute as part of that larger team.”
Since Alberta pharmacists starting giving flu jabs in 2009, the vaccination rate increased dramatically.
In 2009-2010, pharmacists gave 6,500 flu shots. Over five years, the numbers continued to rise and by 2014-15, pharmacists had provided 487,000 shots to Albertans.
“We’re simply providing easier and more access to the shots for folks who are just not able to get into the clinics that the regions are offering,” Martin said. “We have a great deal of respect for the public health group that’s been offering these all along.”
The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals set the training requirements. The online training course that pharmacists take includes 15 competencies — essential knowledge and skills.
“Fourteen are Public Health Agency of Canada competencies for the administration of immunizing agents, like vaccines, and then there’s a 15th competency that was developed by our national association of pharmacy regulatory authorities on administering other drugs by injection,” said registrar Ray Joubert.
As a result of the training, pharmacists will be able to give other types of injections — such as Vitamin B and hormonal agents.
Training includes a refresher on pharmacology and teaches pharmacists that drugs administered by injection can act differently than when they are taken orally.
“Not least of which is injecting in the right spot, in the right way and with the right device,” Joubert said.
Typically, pharmacists take between 25 and 30 hours to complete the online course.
“It’s a sizable commitment, plus your commitment to attend the skills training and the Saskatchewan module,” Joubert said. “We’re very impressed by the commitment of pharmacists all across Saskatchewan to this new service.”
CPR and First Aid are prerequisites to the online course to ensure pharmacists are prepared to deal with the rare situation where a patient might adversely react to the flu shot.
Currently, about 450 Saskatchewan pharmacists have completed all training requirements and are certified.
“This will increase public access to the flu shot and hopefully that will increase the immunization rates and all of the negative impacts on the health system from the flu,” Joubert said.