The RACGP has slammed a new ruling that allows pharmacists to administer a broader range of vaccinations
The RACGP has slammed a new ruling that allows pharmacists to administer a broader range of vaccinations, saying they pose a “serious risk” and are likely to bump up healthcare costs unnecessarily.
Pharmacists in South Australia will now be able to provide a plethora of vaccinations to over-16s, including measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
But RACGP South Australia chair, Dr Danny Byrne, has panned the move by the state government, saying pharmacists were not trained to deal with the complexities of administering vaccines and potential adverse events.
As well as providing a safe, comfortable environment to discuss confidential details, general practices also had access to a patient’s medical history. General practitioners were also trained to deal with potential complications, Dr Byrne said.
“There is no evidence that delivering vaccinations via pharmacists is cost effective,” he said. If anything, it would increase costs, cause fragmentation of care and reduce opportunities for preventative care, he added.
