“Time for action”: Australia’s CDC backs pharmacists full scope vaccination
13 June 2025
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) renews its calls for national harmonisation of pharmacist immunisers scope, echoing recommendations made in the National Immunisation Strategy 2025-2030 released on Thursday.
Vaccination authorities are regulated by states and territories, many of whom have expanded pharmacist vaccination scope to varying degrees. The result, however, is a health system that limits access to lifesaving vaccines.
As the peak professional body for pharmacists, PSA believes pharmacist immunisers should no longer be subject to arbitrary red tape that prevents them from delivering certain vaccines.
Instead, PSA has long advocated for all states and territories to allow pharmacist immunisers to administer all vaccines, to patients of all ages.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said a nationally consistent approach to regulating vaccination is a critical step to improving uptake within the community.
“There should be no wrong door when it comes to vaccination,” Associate Professor Sim said.
“Harmonising the regulation of pharmacist-administered vaccines is overdue. It just makes sense. Now it has been recommended by a number of policy leaders from the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control to the Grattan Institute.
“Now is the time for all stakeholders – state governments, federal government, peak bodies, vaccine providers and Australian patients – to come together and make the changes needed to ensure all Australians have equal access to preventative health care.
“PSA has said previously that the Australian Immunisation Handbook should be the national standard for defining vaccine formularies, instead of relying on complex regulatory instruments unique to each state and territory. The National Immunisation Strategy has supported this approach. Now it’s time for action.”
“Regardless of where someone lives, whether in metropolitan or remote Australia, whether in New South Wales or Western Australia, everyone should be able to go to any vaccination provider and receive the vaccines they need.”
PSA also supports all other recommendations of the National Immunisation Strategy and congratulates the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control for the development of such a robust vision for vaccination in Australia. We welcome the focus on improved transparency and use of data, workforce development and drive greater equity in design of vaccination programs.
PSA is committed to working with government as a partner in its implementation.
Media contact: Georgia Clarke M: 0480 099 798 E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au
