THE Australian Government has released its new National Immunisation Strategy to guide Australia's fight against vaccine-preventable diseases over the next five years, with pharmacists playing a key role in workforce objectives.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has renewed calls for national harmonisation of pharmacist immunisers' scope, saying now is the time for action.
Immunisation is one of the main lines of defence against vaccine-preventable diseases, and while Australia's vaccination rates remain high, they have fallen in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
With input from healthcare professionals, health experts, state and territory government representatives and the community, the National Immunisation Strategy for Australia 2025-2030 sets a vision for a healthier Australia through immunisation, emphasising a whole-of-system approach.
The strategy is one of the first deliverables of the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC), with the PSA welcoming the CDC's backing of pharmacists' full scope vaccination.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim said a nationally consistent approach to regulating vaccination is a critical step to improving uptake within the community.
"There should be no wrong door when it comes to vaccination," Associate Professor Sim said.
"Harmonising the regulation of pharmacist-administered vaccines is overdue - it just makes sense.
"Now it has been recommended by a number of policy leaders, from the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control to the Grattan Institute," she continued.
"Now is the time for all stakeholders - state governments, Federal Government, peak bodies, vaccine providers and Australian patients - to come together and make the changes needed to ensure all Australians have equal access to preventative healthcare."
A/Prof Sim pointed out that the Australian Immunisation Handbook should be the national standard for defining vaccine formularies, instead of relying on complex regulatory instruments unique to each state and territory.
"The National Immunisation Strategy has supported this approach - now it's time for action."
"Regardless of where someone lives, whether in metropolitan or remote Australia, whether in NSW or Western Australia, everyone should be able to go to any vaccination provider and receive the vaccines they need," A/Prof Sim concluded. KB
Read the national strategy HERE.
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