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Please note: While some of the items provided in this update relate to vaccinating pharmacies, much of the information is relevant to all pharmacies. Please ensure you review the updates provided. |
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Requests from members of the public for pharmacists to ‘validate' RATs for the purposes of workplace or other clearances
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The Branch has become aware that some members of the public have requested pharmacists ‘validate’ a RAT, where the test would be undertaken under the supervision of the pharmacist and a negative result verified.
This would be likely requested if a person has been in a close contact situation, or has been isolating and has been undergoing self-tests confirming negative results.
Clarification has been sought from Public Health who responded as follows:
Under advice from the Medical Advisor for the Tasmanian Infection Prevention and Control Unit the following information has been provided:
- Pharmacists should not be assisting or supervising a person having a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or conducted in a pharmacy; due to infection control protocols, PPE requirements and the risk of infection to pharmacists and their staff.
- There is no evidence/indication that RATs are used for clearance purposes, but are only used to confirm infectivity.
- Undertaking RAT tests and authorising RAT results will put the pharmacy into a laboratory capacity .
- The person should be referred to Public Health to seek advice in the event they are seeking a (verified) RAT result prior to returning to work.
Members who receive such requests must decline them and refer to Public Health for further investigation.
If there is any change regarding this position we will inform members including required protocols to be undertaken. |
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Vaccinating in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF)
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Members should note the updated Community Pharmacy Provision of COVID-19 Vaccine in Tasmania Guidelines (V10) if requested to conduct vaccinations of residents in RACFs.
The Department of Health has confirmed a pharmacy with current program approval does not need to seek approval from the State to vaccinate in RACFs.
The pharmacy must however adhere to the conditions specified in the Guidelines and also must get offsite approval via the PPA as per all offsite vaccinations administered under the Community Pharmacy COVID Vaccination Program.
We urge members to also understand the extra payments that may be applicable through the PPA when vaccinating residents in RACFs. Please note the following:
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The Department has provided the following information in regard to Novavax:
Novavax has provisional approval for use in those aged 18 years and older only and is not currently approved for use as a booster.
Please note, there will only be a small eligible population for Novavax as >99% of Tasmanians over the age of 18 years have already received a COVID-19 vaccine dose, as such:
- Prior to administering Novavax, you must check the AIR and verify immunisation history with the individual to avoid administration errors. Prior to administering the second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine please check the AIR to ensure that the first dose given was with the same brand.
- Steps should be taken to minimise vaccine wastage through booking processes. Major wastage should be reported to the Commonwealth Vaccine Operations Centre as per their requirements.
Please note that many pharmacies will have more than one COVID-19 vaccine brand in their pharmacy and procedures should be in place to minimise risks.
This includes ensuring that the correct vaccine is administered as per the relevant eligibility criteria and considering the differing age recommendations, precautionary conditions, contraindications, dose intervals, dose preparation and cold chain requirements.
Vials must be kept in their original cartons if unopened, and once opened must be clearly labelled, stored separately and protected from light. It is recommended that pharmacists consider running dedicated sessions for specific COVID-19 vaccine brands to mitigate these risks. |
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Tax Deductibility of COVID-19 tests
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The Australian Government will legislate to ensure that COVID‑19 tests (including Polymerase Chain Reaction and Rapid Antigen Tests) purchased for work related purposes are tax deductible for taxpayers, and exempt from fringe benefit tax for businesses.
To remove any doubt, the Government will introduce legislation to make clear that work‑related COVID‑19 test expenses incurred by individuals will be tax deductible. This applies both when an individual is required to attend the workplace or has the option to work remotely.
By introducing this legislation, the Government will also ensure that fringe benefit tax will not be incurred by employers if they provide COVID‑19 testing to their employees for work‑related purposes.
This change will take effect from the beginning of the 2021‑22 tax year and will be in place permanently.
The Minister’s Media Release is available here.
If you have any questions or need advice or assistance, please contact the Guild’s Workplace Relations Team at nationalwr@guild.org.au |
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The Guild website carries a wide range of resources for members to utilise in their pharmacies and through their social media channels. Click here to find out more.
The Guild website also includes all slides, links, recordings and other resources associated with the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out webinar series. |
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