Pharmacists Welcome Extension of Qld Immunisation Trial

The success of the pharmacist-delivered flu immunisation trial in Queensland has led to the Queensland Government extending the pilot to cover other vaccinations including measles and whooping cough for adults.

The immunisation trial, being conducted by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, has already seen more than 10,000 people vaccinated by pharmacists.

Queensland State President of the PSA, Professor Lisa Nissen, said the extension of the immunisation trial was welcomed and reflected the success of the flu season pilot.
“The number of people who have been vaccinated and the fact that there have been no significant adverse events is testament to the robustness of the processes in place and to the professionalism of pharmacists delivering the vaccinations,” Professor Nissen said.
“PSA and the Guild developed this pilot with the Queensland Department of Health, Queensland University of Technology and James Cook University to ensure the highest standards were adhered to and this has underpinned the success of the pilot.
“The announcement made today by the Queensland Government presents a broad-ranging strategy that is designed to work in conjunction with the National Immunisation Strategy to ensure that 95 per cent of Queensland children and some 85 per cent of adolescents will be fully immunised.’’
Queensland State President of the Pharmacy Guild, Tim Logan, said the accessibility of community pharmacies was a major factor in the high uptake during the pilot.
“Community pharmacies are very accessible and people can quickly and easily get a vaccination without long waits or booking weeks ahead,” Mr Logan said.
“This has resulted in the pilot capturing a cohort of the population who might not normally be vaccinated.
“Extending the trial to other vaccinations is a very welcome move and means pharmacists will be able to make a very significant contribution in helping meet the vaccination targets.”