Editorial

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Welcome to the first homepage edition of i2P for 2012.
In many ways it has been a slow start to the New Year because of having to deal with the “leftovers” from 2011.
One of those items for i2P was that a third-party provider to the site did not advise of a code change to the security section in our subscribe panel, creating a range of frustrated subscribers not able to get on board.
We apologise to all those potential subscribers who were unable to register with us in the second half of 2011, but if you try once more you should have no problem.

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Volume 2012 Number 1

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Vaccination clinics in pharmacy set to go

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	Peter Sayers articles by this author...
Peter Sayers is vitally concerned about pharmacy professional practice - its innovation, its research and development, and its delivery to create an ongoing revenue stream. Delivery of healthcare is increasingly involved with Information Technology systems. All perspectives in IT must be considered for the impact on pharmacy practice and its viability.

A surge of interest around vaccination clinics in pharmacy emerged this week after a report that Charles Sturt University would train its pharmacy students to equip them with all the skills required to give vaccinations.

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In the US, pharmacy clinics provide a range of vaccination services that has a very high rate of acceptance.

In 2004, it was estimated that the cost of influenza outbreaks to the United States economy was $20 billion. As the most accessible health care professional in virtually every community in the United States, the community pharmacist was thought to be ideally positioned to address this public health need by offering adult vaccinations and immunizations in the pharmacy and other community settings. Through a variety of practice designs, including participation with a visiting nurse, in-store clinics for vaccination/immunization or collaborative practice agreements, the community pharmacist combines accessibility with an in-depth knowledge of patients, their health care and the local community. A small, but growing number of community pharmacies have established successful niches in immunization, creating a template of preparation, marketing, operation and follow-up.

The physician community in the US, however, sees the situation differently, and similar echoes are heard here in Australia. Many believe that state health officials should make it a requirement for pharmacists to collaboratively work with doctors, since pharmacists may be unaware of a patient's medical history.

However, with the promise of e-health and the ability to share patient health summaries, this long heard refrain now has a hollow ring to it.

It is also a reason the doctors are uncomfortable with sharing information because it builds the potential for other health professions to intrude on hallowed ground – the doctor’s “turf”.

"The practice of medicine benefits from a team-based approach, and pharmacists are valuable and necessary members of the healthcare delivery team," said Dr. Edward Langston, a member of the American Medical Association board of trustees, "When working in collaboration with physicians, pharmacists can play an important role in helping to improve community health."

Few people would disagree with the above statement except that it mostly means that clinical services cannot be delegated by doctors, to allow newer models to freely emerge at a lower patient cost through other health practitioners.

In another comment directed at pharmacy clinics, Patrick Tranmer, president of the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians said, "A healthcare provider needs to take into account the patient's whole life, the whole medical history. Their role is to understand possible drug interactions. Their role isn't in the decision-making on what medication is appropriate in the context of the patient's entire medical history."

In an Australian context, the above comment is very much out of date given the quality of graduating pharmacists and their willingness to take on clinical roles.

Unfortunately, few doctors embrace the quality use of a pharmacist and feel distinctly threatened by their presence in the clinical setting, despite the fact that they are unable to cope with their own workload, most of which has become form filling – a job that can be performed by other personnel at a much lower cost.

I do not think the push for pharmacist clinical services can be restrained any longer.

Get set for rapid growth in this sector (provided the PGA gets its policy settings right – their behaviour in respect of non-pharmacy owners is appalling).

When the dust has settled we may end up with a more balanced and harmonious health system.

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