Pharmacists giving injections!?!

Nurses Medications

Published

I went into a a local store the other day to get a presription filled. I saw a sign that said basically get your flu, tetorifice, meningitis, and other vaccinations right there. My first thought was "Great, I missed the flu shots given at work and they take my insurance." I went onto read that the vaccinations are given by specially trained pharmacists that took a course. I was a bit upset reading this. I don't want to fill my pts meds and I don't want a pharmacist who took an hour course to be thinking that is enough training to safely do part of my job!

Am I overreacting? Just seems like nursing should remain nursing. Once they start this, who knows what's next!

I have yet to see compelling evidence with conclusions that state pharmacists administering vaccinations is inherently dangerous other than "in my N=1, n=1 experience I saw this."

A clarification: I was using older statistics when I quoted 30. According to the American Pharmacist Association, pharmacists are allowed to administer vaccinations in all 50 states.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I have yet to see compelling evidence with conclusions that state pharmacists administering vaccinations is inherently dangerous other than "in my N=1, n=1 experience I saw this."

A clarification: I was using older statistics when I quoted 30. According to the American Pharmacist Association, pharmacists are allowed to administer vaccinations in all 50 states.

N=1, n=1? Pharmacist training isn't standardized? Some pharmacists are magically trained in assessment if they work at some other place other than where I work? Riiight!

I am firmly against the idea that we should allow them to administer the vaccines and then see if any patients are harmed in the process. Why are you in favor of this idea?

Again, they are not trained in assessment. I am sorry that you think we should turn the patient population in to guinea pigs to find out if any of them are harmed in the process. (I suspect they will be. How about you?)

The process that resulted in vaccinations being administered by pharmacists is a legal process and was implemented by room fulls of legislators who have no understanding of the training involved in either nursing or pharmacy but were responding to a percieved need to have vaccines more readily available. Making something legal does not make it legitimate. It makes it legal. Period.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

um im not qualified or able to tell you when a pt needs to be intubated either. even as nurses we have different sets of skills and abilities and just to let you know technically lpn are not qualified to 'assess' either at least by our bon standards. they merely collect data.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

At our facility, all pharmacists are PharmDs. They get a base pay of approximately 15/hr more than RNs. It is NOT cost effective to divert ANY nursing task or responsibility to pharmacists. I imagine in the few scenarios where this does occur, it has more to do with convenience than some sort of covert plot.

Case in point: why hire an RN to administer flu shots for a few hours a day, when you can have someone already on staff, available 24 hours a day, to do it? Hiring an extra person does not make sense.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
um im not qualified or able to tell you when a pt needs to be intubated either. even as nurses we have different sets of skills and abilities and just to let you know technically lpn are not qualified to 'assess' either at least by our bon standards. they merely collect data.

I didn't say an RN should know when to intubAte though you should in my opinion. I said you should be able to identify respiratory distress which the pharmd can't!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER / Critical Care.

I got my meningitis vaccine from a local pharmacist. He was about 70 years old. (I know that's besides the point) Best vaccine I have ever received!! Didn't even feel it, no bruise either. Pharmacists are highly educated and have more training and education pertaining to medicines and vaccines than nurses don't they? (i may be wrong...) Being angry about something of this nature is silly. It's like the unit clerk getting angry at a nurse for answering the telephone (seeing as it is the clerks job)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I get it, but had to laugh because our unit clerk hates it when we answer the phone! Yells it's her job and to bug off, lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
They are also not trained in patient education. Were you saying something about inane?

You're kidding right? Patient education is a huge part of what pharmacists do in community pharmacy practice.

This debate is such a tempest in a teapot!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
I dont want my Pharmacist jumping over the counter to give me CPR but they sure have to have BLS if they want to work here!
My PhD pharmacist neighbor teaches ACLS, so I will ask for him.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I cannot believe this thread went on for seven pages! Flu vax are given by med assistants in medical offices all the time; I know one who doesn't have enough cranial electrical action to walk and chew gum at the same time, but she gives the shots. No law requires the shot be given by a nurse. So why are people thinking that someone with the education and abilities of a licensed pharmacist (who, btw, will have been required by their employer to take a course before giving the shots) are less capable?

Weird.

A friend of mine is a pharmacist, and she called me when she first got the news that she'd be taking a course (complete with printed material and end-testing). She wanted to know any tips I could give her, what to expect, how to do it well. This from a woman with higher education and a better understanding of drugs than me, to be sure. But she wanted to be sure she did it well, etc, and she was just one of her co-workers that felt the same way.

Give me a pharmacist with a needled syringe any day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

It's pretty common for Medical Assistants to give immunizations. As a Nurse I really don't have any problem with MA's or Pharmacists giving shots.

Giving a flu shot is just a task and does not threaten Nursing any more than allowing someone to draw a line on a piece of paper threatens the professional integrity architects.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I went into a a local store the other day to get a presription filled. I saw a sign that said basically get your flu, tetorifice, meningitis, and other vaccinations right there. My first thought was "Great, I missed the flu shots given at work and they take my insurance." I went onto read that the vaccinations are given by specially trained pharmacists that took a course. I was a bit upset reading this. I don't want to fill my pts meds and I don't want a pharmacist who took an hour course to be thinking that is enough training to safely do part of my job!

Am I overreacting? Just seems like nursing should remain nursing. Once they start this, who knows what's next!

Pharmacist Immunization Training by APHA actually consists of 12 hours of self study and 8 hours of live training for a total of 20 hours. It's totally sufficient and get them prepared to meet the public health needs especially in case of a wide spread outbreak.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment