Terry White in vax trial
January 31, 2014
TERRY White Chemists’ southeast
Queensland pharmacies will
participate in the Queensland
Pharmacist Immunisation Pilot
(QPIP).
The Expression of Interest
(EOI) was sent out to Pharmacy
Guild of Australia (PGA) and the
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
(PSA) members on Wednesday
night for the pharmacists
immunisation pilot, which will
start around April in community
pharmacies (PD 14 Jan).
PSA Queensland branch president
Professor Lisa Nissen said there had
been more than a dozen responses
from people or groups overnight.
The trial would involve about 100
pharmacies and Professor Nissen
stressed that this was a pilot, which
needed to be a small, controlled
trial to see if it could work and
gather robust evidence for
pharmacists administering vaccines.
There had been “overwhelming
support” from the profession, and
any disappointment from not being
able to participate should become
momentum for the future, she said.
Terry White Chemists said the
trial was a “great opportunity”,
with ceo Anthony White saying
a successful pilot would boost
influenza immunisation availability
and address supply and demand
issues.
The group already provided
flu immunisation throughout its
pharmacies in an annual program
relying on the support of nurse
practitioners and immunisation
program nurses, White said.
Previously, the Australian
Medical Association president Dr
Steven Hambleton had labelled
the trial “irresponsible”, saying
vaccinations should be performed
by appropriately trained and
accredited health professionals
- doctors - or under direct
supervision of doctors in a safe and
private clinical environment, with
issues including privacy, training
and possible side effects.
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