Pharmacist vaccinations and injectables

This page has information for registered pharmacists and intern pharmacists about administering vaccines and injectables.

Pharmacists are authorised to administer certain vaccines without a prescription under the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008.

The ACT Pharmacist Vaccination Standard made by the Chief Health Officer set the conditions and criteria under which a registered pharmacist may initiate administration of the particular vaccines.

Conditions pharmacists can vaccinate against

An authorised pharmacist may vaccinate people against conditions listed in Appendix 1 (Approved substances) of the ACT Pharmacist Vaccination Standard (the Vaccination Standard) provided you comply with all aspects of the Vaccination Standard.

An intern pharmacist may also vaccinate against these conditions provided you do so in accordance with the Vaccination Standard and under the supervision of a pharmacist who is authorised to administer the vaccine.

Requirements

The Vaccination Standard also includes the requirements pharmacists must meet including training, premises and record keeping. These requirements are in place to ensure that effective safeguards are in place for the administration of vaccines to health consumers.

Go to the Vaccines Standard for the full requirements.

The Vaccination Standard aims to complement other immunisation services and improve public access to immunisation in the ACT.

Vaccination training

Registered pharmacists and intern pharmacists can only administer vaccines once you have completed appropriate training. Only training programs that comply with the Australian Pharmacy Council’s Standards for the Accreditation of Programs to Support Pharmacist Administration of Vaccines will be considered compliant in accordance with Part A of the Vaccination Standard.

The training must be provided by an APC-accredited pharmacy education provider. Pharmacists must ensure they have the required knowledge for all authorised vaccines they intend to administer.

Accredited training for individual vaccines is available from accredited providers.

You must also maintain current first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificates, and a current certificate for the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) anaphylaxis e-training for pharmacists.

Premises and procedural standards

Immunisation services provided by pharmacists must only be provided in a safe, clean environment for the benefit of both you and the patient.

All vaccinations must be conducted in accordance with the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

Vaccine storage must be consistent with the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5’.

The administering pharmacist must obtain valid patient consent before vaccine administration. You must also maintain appropriate premises standards and patient health records in accordance with the Vaccination Standard.

You should follow professional guidelines, such as:

the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Practice Guidelines for pharmacists providing immunisation services
the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Guidelines for conducting pharmacist initiated and administered vaccination services within a community pharmacy.

Post-vaccination observation

You must either observe, or direct an appropriately trained staff member to observe, the person for 15 minutes post-vaccination to monitor and respond to any adverse events.

Record keeping

All vaccines you administer must be reported to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), preferably within 24 hours of administration, but must be within 10 business days.

You are encouraged to ask a person if they identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and record this in the clinical records.

While all health service providers are strongly encouraged to ask if a person self-identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in origin, reporting this information is voluntary and is not linked to a pharmacist’s authority to supply and administer vaccines.

Adverse events following immunisation

An adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) is any untoward medical occurrence that follows immunisation. An adverse event may be caused by the vaccine or vaccines or they may occur by coincidence (they would have occurred regardless of the vaccination).

Adverse events are not limited to an anaphylactic response and may include other physiological responses such as localised bruising or swelling at the site of injection, migraine, or fainting.

AEFIs are a Notifiable Condition under the Public Health Act 1997 and must be reported to the Health Protection Service Immunisation Unit. If requested by the person, or in the event of an unexpected or serious AEFI, you should also report the AEFI to the person’s nominated medical practitioner.

If you become aware of an AEFI, you must notify the ACT Health Immunisation Unit, by:

phoning 02 5124 9800 or
by completing an online adverse event reporting form.

Find out more information, including pharmacist reporting obligations, at adverse events after immunisation.

Vaccine program arrangements

ACT community pharmacists can administer select National Immunisation Program (NIP) funded, Commonwealth funded and privately funded vaccines.

Community pharmacists can register with ACT Health to administer NIP vaccines listed on the NIP ACT Pharmacy Immunisation Schedule. While NIP vaccines are free, there may be a fee charged for administration.

Pharmacies participating in the Commonwealth Government’s NIP Vaccination in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) Program can offer eligible patients select NIP vaccines at no administration cost.

If a community pharmacy is not participating in the NIPVIP and an individual is eligible for a vaccine under the NIP or other Government program, pharmacists should advise eligible individuals of their options for receiving the funded vaccine at no administration cost.

COVID vaccines are funded by the Commonwealth Government at no cost to patients.

Travel health consultations

Pharmacists are an important source of health advice for travellers. When you support a traveller’s pre-travel healthcare needs, it is important they receive a comprehensive assessment and advice based on their individual needs.

They may need a referral to talk to their GP or travel medicine practitioner.

Find out more about pharmacists and travel vaccines and health advice.

Administration of medicines for injection by pharmacists

The Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 and the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 Schedule 1, Part 1.9 (Pharmacists and employees) authorises pharmacists to administer medicines, including medicines for injection.

This includes all medicines for injection in:

schedule 2 and schedule 3 of the Poisons Standard without prescription
schedule 4 and schedule 8 in accordance with the prescription issued by an authorised prescriber to the patient.

If medicines for injection is within your scope of practice, you must ensure you have completed:

an accredited pharmacist administering medicines by injection course
any other specialised training to administer a specific medicine by injection if required.

Injectable services provided by pharmacists should only be provided in a safe, clean environment for the benefit of both the pharmacist and patient.

These services should be provided in a closed consultation room.

Pharmacists administering medicines for injection should electronically document the administration of the medicine.

Administration of long-acting injectable buprenorphine by pharmacists

Pharmacists undertaking the administration of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) must only administer in accordance with a prescription.

Pharmacists administering a LAIB injection must ensure they have completed an accredited pharmacist administering medicines by injection course; and should:

complete Opioid Maintenance Treatment in the ACT - Pharmacist Training Program provided by Canberra Health Services; and
complete accredited clinical training, covering:
- pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine
- compare available formulations, including dose titration
- correct administration techniques
- practical considerations for providing a LAIB service
- recognition and management of side effects
- documenting the service
undergo supervised practical injection training for administration of LAIB.
- this may be facilitated using a blended model including - attend and observe a public clinic (Canberra Health Service, Alcohol and Drug Service at Building 7 at The Canberra Hospital can facilitate this via appointment only) or observe a private prescriber or nurse currently providing this service.

Pharmacists administering LAIB should electronically document the administration of the medicine and provide documentation to the patient’s LAIB prescriber.

The ACT Health Policies and Procedures guidelines for Opioid Maintenance Treatment in the ACT will be updated to support these changes to practice, following engagement with stakeholders.

More information and resources

Go to the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 available on the ACT Legislation Register for full legislative requirements.

Place an order for immunisation information resources by filling-in the Resources Order Form.

For further information, contact the Pharmaceutical Services Section of the Health Protection Service on pss@act.gov.au or 02 5124 9208.

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