SOUTH Australian pharmacist immunisers can now authorise and administer any vaccine within their individual scope of practice, including for the first time travel health vaccines for cholera, rabies and typhoid.
The decision was announced yesterday by the Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton, and the government has also removed red tape regulating age cohorts for vaccinations, which has constrained and disincentivised service provision by pharmacists.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has commended the South Australian Government for its "decision to remove the regulatory shackles holding pharmacists back from fully using their skills and expertise to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases".
PSA South Australia and Northern Territory President Dr Manya Angley celebrated the announcement.
"From today, South Australian pharmacists will be authorised to prescribe and administer vaccines from the same vaccine formulary as every other vaccinator - the Australian Immunisation Handbook," Dr Angley said.
"This will dramatically improve access and convenience for South Australians," she said.
"No longer will patients need to wait for pharmacists to review unnecessarily complex legal authority before safely authorising and administering recommended vaccines, including travel health vaccines.
"South Australia is leading the nation in scope of pharmacist-administered vaccines, a fact that we should be very proud of."
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim heralded the "nation-leading" reforms and called for other jurisdictions to adopt the SA approach.
"Today's announcement in South Australia means that pharmacists will be able to prescribe and administer vaccines consistent with their skills and knowledge, rather than be held back by regulation.
"Regulation should enable, rather than restrict good health care provision," A/Prof Sim said.
"This approach will unlock a new level of care, and should be the standard all other states and territories aspire to."
The government is encouraging South Australians to obtain their travel vaccinations six to 12 weeks before they leave Australia to ensure they have time to develop full immunity, and also because some vaccines require several doses to achieve the best protection.
The government pointed out there are also certain requirements for vaccines such as Yellow Fever, so travellers will need to speak to a GP or pharmacist for more information. KB
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