TASMANIAN pharmacists can now administer RSV vaccines to pregnant women and those over 60, thanks to an update in the Tasmanian Pharmacist Immunisation Program Guidelines.
The change, which follows a similar update in the ACT, has been welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).
Tasmanian PSA President Mark Kirschbaum said, "RSV is a serious condition, and I urge those who are at risk to talk to their pharmacist or doctor regarding the benefits and costs of the vaccination".
PSA National President A/Prof Fei Sim called for other states to adopt similar measures, pointing out inconsistencies in vaccine administration regulations across the country.
Currently, pharmacist immunisers in Northern Territory and Western Australia can only administer RSV vaccines after a prescription has been issued.
However, this isn't the case in South Australia even when prescribed by a doctor.
Meanwhile, in other states, pharmacists have prescribed and administered thousands of doses of vaccines, explained Sim.
"It just makes no sense, and it's placing Australians at risk," remarked Sim.
She advocated for a nationwide standard based on the Australian Immunisation Handbook, saying, "we should be working towards using this as our standard to define all vaccinators' vaccine formularies, rather than using complex regulatory instruments in each state and territory".
In a related development, Western Australia has expanded the role of community pharmacists to treat common conditions like shingles and acne.
PSA WA President Kristian Ray said, "extending the role will better utilise WA pharmacists skills to improve healthcare access in regional and remote communities". JG
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