PHARMACIST immunisers are being urged to review all vaccination processes before administering a shot, following an increase in incident reports to professional indemnity insurer, Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL).
In a practice alert issued yesterday, PDL said the surge in vaccine-related calls had coincided with the rollout of booster doses of Moderna's COVID-19 bivalent vaccine.
"With the availability of the Pfizer bivalent booster vaccine imminent, the PDL professional officers would like to remind pharmacists of the need to review all vaccination procedures before offering a new vaccine and ensure steps are in place to minimise the risk of errors," the insurance said.
"Verbally confirm the expected vaccine with the patient, parent or carer using an open question prior to each vaccination.
"Don't make assumptions, if your pharmacy only stocks one type of Moderna vaccine, it is still important to confirm which type the patient is expecting.
"Incidents have been reported where the original Moderna vaccine was administered as it was the only one in stock, but the patient had expected the bivalent formulation.
"Always check the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) before vaccinating every individual.
"Pay close attention to how many COVID-19 vaccinations the patient has had and how long since the last dose.
"Ensure the selected vaccine is appropriate for the patient's age and be mindful that this can be dependent on whether the patient is having a primary or booster dose."
PDL also noted that the latest NSW Vaccination Standards, released on 11 Nov, which lists the broader heading of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines, rather than listing the individual brands, has caused some confusion.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 07 Dec 22
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 07 Dec 22
