In recent years, the pharmacy profession has seen significant expansion in the range of medicines that pharmacists can administer by injection. The scope has broadened to encompass different age groups and medicines, via different routes of injection.
PDL guide to support pharmacists in the preparation and delivery of medicines by injection
PDL has released a new guide to support pharmacists and their teams in the preparation and delivery of injectable services.
Injectable services include vaccinations many pharmacists are already familiar with, such as influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as newer medicines and administration routes, such as vitamin B12, long-acting injectable buprenorphine and others. The guide is not specific to any kind of medicine or practice setting but is designed to capture a holistic stance on the key considerations every pharmacist must take into account before providing injectable services.
Using the guide
Administering medicines by injection carries several areas of risk. PDL Professional Officers would like to remind pharmacists of some of the types of error that may occur when administering medicines by injection:
- Error in vaccine selection
- Incorrect vaccine provided, e.g. for wrong age group
- Privacy issues
- Cold chain breach
- Process or administrative errors, e.g. involving wrong medicine selected on booking tool, duplication of injection when the AIR is not checked, interval issues and more
As such, the PDL Guide to Medicines by Injection has been produced to assist pharmacists in understanding the risks involved and raise awareness of the key considerations before providing the service, as well as during and after the injection has been administered.
As with many pharmacy services, the ability to provide safe and effective services relies upon the pharmacy team to support the pharmacist to deliver the service. The PDL Guide to Medicines by Injection is designed to be of value to pharmacists and any other staff (including students, interns and pharmacy assistants) who are involved in supporting the successful delivery of the service.
The guide can be printed and displayed in a prominent area of the consultation room, dispensary or common area, and can be used as a staff training and development tool.
Accessing the guide
The guide can be accessed and downloaded at any time via the ‘Member Resources’ section, found in the footer of the website. Additional resources are also located here, to assist with safe work practices in the pharmacy.
PDL Professional Officers’ top tips for administering injectable medicines
As with most processes in the pharmacy, the Professional Officers would like to remind pharmacists that delivering a safe and effective medicines by injection service requires a systematic approach, risk assessment and clear documentation, as outlined below:
- Make sure you are familiar with legislation and regulations in your local jurisdiction.
- Review staff capacity to maintain the service and meet workload demands, e.g. delegation of booking tool management, managing walk-ins and managing usual pharmacist responsibilities whilst immunising/injecting is in action.
- Be diligent with documentation and record-keeping. Take note of all platforms: your pharmacy’s internal risk register, recording on the AIR, patient consent forms, OH&S and other evidence of training, reporting adverse events to the TGA and reporting to PDL.
To learn more and acquire CPD credits
Access the CPD-accredited webinar The PDL guide to medicines by injection – a risk management perspective recording via the AJP website. The webinar provides a comprehensive breakdown of the guide and how you can use it to deliver a safe, efficient and well-considered medicines by injection service in your pharmacy.
Registrants will have the opportunity to attain up to 14 CPD credits – just over one-third of a pharmacist’s annual CPD requirements – by completing both the Group 2 and Group 3 assessments.
For immediate advice and incident support, call PDL on 1300 854 838 to speak with one of our Professional Officers. We are here to support our pharmacist members 24/7, Australia-wide.
Article last updated on 30 April 2024
