Pharmacists are authorised to administer vaccines as per the three Structured Administration Supply Arrangement (SASA) documents issued by the Chief Executive Officer of Health.

• SASA - Pharmacist HPV, dTpa, MMR, MenACWY Vaccination
• SASA - Pharmacist Influenza Vaccination
• SASA - Pharmacist COVID-19 Vaccination

As per the SASA documents and providing that all conditions of the SASAs are met, pharmacist immunisers may administer the following vaccines to eligible patients:

• Influenza vaccines
• HPV vaccines
• dTpa vaccines
• MMR vaccines
• Meningococcal ACWY vaccines
• COVID-19 vaccines

A quick reference SUMMARY TABLE outlining patient eligibility for each vaccine is available as a guide.

DOWNLOAD TABLE

Storage & Dosage Summary Table for COVID-19 Vaccines

Pharmacists may charge an administration fee for providing government-funded vaccines (with the EXCEPTION of the COVID-19 vaccines) to eligible patients however they are required to advise these patients that free vaccination services are available through bulk-billing GPs.

For patients not eligible for government-funded vaccines, pharmacists may charge for the vaccine AND also an administration fee.

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) is an established collaborative program involving the Australian Government along with State and Territory Governments.

NIP funded vaccines will continue to be provided through WA community pharmacies.

Pharmacies wishing to order government-funded vaccine stock are required to have a Onelink Vaccine Ordering account.

Government-funded influenza vaccines will continue to be available through community pharmacies.

Each year influenza vaccines are administered in accordance with the updated clinical advice provided by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

Click here to read the ATAGI Clinical Advice regarding the administration of seasonal influenza vaccines in 2023.

An Influenza Online Training Module is available for completion as an annual refresher to support immunisers and ensure they stay up to date with the latest information on influenza immunisation.

Stock transfers of government-funded vaccines are NOT encouraged by the WA Department of Health.

This includes pharmacy-to-pharmacy, pharmacy-to-GP and any other stock movements.

Please direct any queries to vaccineorders@health.wa.gov.au

It is mandatory for all vaccinations to be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Pharmacist immunisers should access the AIR to view the patient's immunisation history prior to administration of any vaccines to ensure appropriateness of vaccination.

Further information on how to register for the AIR and how to record vaccines on the AIR is available on our website.

Vaccines must be stored and managed in cold-chain as per the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines Strive for 5.

A cold chain breach occurs when the vaccine is exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range or exposure to light after it has been removed from the packet and the glass vaccine fridge door allows light to penetrate.

In such instances a cold chain breach protocol must be followed and reported.

Please note that COVID-19 Vaccine breaches and wastage are reported to the Vaccines Operations Centre (VOC).

Any unwanted or unexpected events following vaccine administration, AEFIs, must be reported to the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) via SAFEVAC.

Pharmacist immunisers are required to maintain currency of their CPR Certificate, First Aid Certificate and ASCIA Anaphylaxis Certificate.

In addition, an online Influenza Training Module must be completed annually.

Further information on training requirement is available on our Annual Updates for Pharmacist Immunisers webpage.