Central West pharmacists will be allowed to administer vaccinations for various diseases amid opposition from medical practitioners.
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Pharmacists will soon be able to give vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (dTpa) besides influenza shots.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said this will make it easier for people to get vaccines in regional areas.
“People tell us access to a GP can be difficult at times whether you live in the city, country or on the coast, so expanding pharmacy vaccinations gives people more choice," he said.
Pharmacists will have to undergo training before they can start dispensing vaccines.
Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory allow their pharmacists to administer vaccines for some selected diseases.
The NSW Government move, however, has divided pharmacists and doctors in the state.
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David Heffernan, a Charles Sturt University alumni and the president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW branch, said patients will benefit from the convenience of being able to obtain these vaccination services from their trained local pharmacists.
“The community as a whole will benefit from better herd immunity, especially in areas where access to a general practitioner is limited,” he said.
“The inclusion of the whooping cough vaccine is especially beneficial for grandparents, carers of young children and partners of pregnant women, ahead of having contact with newborn infants.”
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Australian Medical Association NSW president Kean-Seng Lim said vaccination is important but they don’t want healthcare to be fragmented.
“We know patients who regularly visit GPs have a reduced rate of hospitalisation and complicated illnesses,” he said.
“It is also a loss of opportunity for patients to receive medical care and advice from doctors. Vaccination is important, but it is only one part of the whole medical care.
“If we want to run a proper health system then we need to design a system which allows people to get the best care possible.”
Mr Lim denied the Australian Medical Association’s opposition was based on an argument that doctors would lose business.
“It is about doing our jobs better,” he said.
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Mr Lim said patients might have to incur an additional cost in buying vaccines.
“Flu patients probably would have to buy vaccines from pharmacists, which a doctor may provide for free under the national immunisation programme.”
He said when patients are not sure about the nature of a disease, it is highly advisable that they visit their doctors or GPs.