Patients across the ACT will benefit from an initiative announced today by the ACT Government to allow community pharmacists to provide more vaccinations and treat more everyday ailments.
Minister of Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the expansion of the vaccine program is part of the ACT Government’s commitment to improving access to healthcare in the community.
ACT Pharmacist Vaccination Standards were amended this week to allow Canberrans to receive vaccines for Hepatitis A and hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis, Typhoid and Herpes Zoster at local pharmacies without a prescription.
Pharmacists in the ACT can already administer the seasonal flu vaccine, the diphtheria, tetanus, a cellular pertussis (dTpa) vaccine, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines.
In addition, ACT Government has secured agreement with the NSW Government for ACT pharmacies to participate in the NSW-led trial to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacists prescribing antibiotics to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) in women.
The ACT Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Simon Blacker has welcomed the Minister’s announcement today.
“Pharmacists played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, being available to help patients at all times, and administering well over 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines to the community. The Pharmacy Guild welcomes the Minister’s decision to allow pharmacists to have a broader role in assisting the community with their health needs. We believe this will ease some pressure on the healthcare system,” Mr Blacker said.
“I’d like to thank the Health Minister for enabling pharmacists in the ACT to be of even greater service and assistance to their patients and I look forward to working with the Government to deliver these services into the future.”
“The ACT Government is to be commended for its commitment to patients’ welfare and health outcomes through this decision”.
Text by: Pharmacy Guild of Australia ACT Branch
