Pharmacists in Canberra may be able to administer vaccines to patients without a prescription before the 2016 influenza season.
The proposed changes, detailed by the ACT government in a discussion paper, are intended to improve access to immunisation services and public awareness.
The ACT, Tasmania and Victoria are the only jurisdictions that do not allow pharmacists to administer vaccines to walk-in patients without a prescription.
The changes would require amendments to legislation and pharmacists would have to comply with minimum training standards enforced by the ACT Chief Health Officer.
“Several other states and territories have also amended their local legislation to authorise an appropriately trained pharmacist to administer a vaccine to a patient without a prescription,” the ACT Health discussion paper said.
“These programs have been aimed at increasing consumer access and awareness of immunisation services and raising immunisation rates.”
There were 1043 influenza notifications in the ACT between January 1 and September 12, which was more than double the five year average of 471 during the same nine month period.
Influenza cases peaked during August although ACT Health has described the spike as consistent with seasonal patterns and national trends.
Notifications were most common among children younger than nine followed by adults aged between 30 and 33. The median age of cases was 33 with women accounting for 54 percent of notifications.
According to ACT Health, most Canberrans access immunisation services through their GP or workplace vaccination programs.
“Introduction of an ACT pharmacist vaccination program is intended to complement and not replace these existing immunisation services,” the discussion paper said.
“The vaccination program would be largely consistent with other jurisdictions and include patient eligibility requirements, procedures for dealing with adverse events and the mandatory reporting of vaccination records to the patient’s nominated medical practitioner.”
The pharmacist vaccination program would not be subsidised under the National Immunisation Program and would be restricted to community pharmacies.
The health directorate is considering a requirement for participating pharmacies to report vaccination data to the chief health officer.
“This data would help ACT Health assess local immunisation rates and better direct future public health campaigns and initiatives,” the discussion paper said.
“Unlike pharmacist immunisation programs of Queensland and the Northern Territory an ACT vaccination program is not intended to operate as a trial”
In December 2013, the Pharmacy Board of Australia declared vaccinations to be within the scope of trained and registered pharmacists.
In 2014, the Queensland government launched a trial in partnership with the Pharmacy guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, with 10,000 influenza vaccinations administered and no significant adverse events recorded.
“Several other states and territories have also amended their local legislation to authorise an appropriately trained pharmacist to administer a vaccine to a patient without a prescription,” the discussion paper said.
“These programs have been aimed at increasing consumer access and awareness of immunisation services and raising immunisation rates.”
The government has called for public submissions to consider whether program should be limited to influenza vaccinations and community pharmacists, and restricted to certain ages.
Submissions close on October 28.