One of the last emergency measures from the pandemic-era COVID-19 response is transitioning.
Next quarter, COVID-19 vaccination will move from the COVID-19 Vaccination in Community Pharmacy (CVCP) Program to the National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) Program.
AP explores what pharmacists need to do to prepare.
When is the changeover occurring?
The CVCP Program will cease on 1 October 2026, when COVID-19 vaccination officially moves onto the NIP, as communicated by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd recently at the Immunisation Coalition’s Annual Immunisation Forum.
PSA Senior Pharmacist – Strategic Policy, Peter Guthrey MPS reflected on the significance of this in the PSA recent webinar: What’s new in vaccination – recent legislative changes and NIP updates.
‘This is one of the very last aspects of normalising COVID-19 from the emergency response that we saw in the pandemic, where the government set up an entire COVID-19 program, initially through public hubs, then through general practice and community pharmacies,’ he said.
Who will be eligible for a funded vaccine?
Under the CVCP, any person physically present in Australia is eligible to access a COVID-19 vaccine if they meet the eligibility criteria.
‘When this moves on to the NIP, only Medicare-eligible people will be able to access the vaccine on the NIP,’ Mr Guthrey told delegates.
This means temporary visa holders and others who are not Medicare-eligible will no longer have access to a funded COVID-19 vaccine through community pharmacy.
The government has not yet announced its final decision on eligible patient cohorts for COVID-19 vaccination on the NIP.
However, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) was asked to consider this question earlier this year in response to an application from the company sponsor, Pfizer.
The recommended groups include:
- adults aged 75 years or older (two doses per year, 6 months apart)
- adults aged 65–74 years (one dose per year, every 12 months)
- adults aged 18–64 years with severe immunocompromise (one dose per year, every 12 months)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50–74 years (one dose per year, every 12 months).
‘This is a massively smaller cohort than is currently eligible,’ Mr Guthrey said.
Further information is expected to be released by the Australian Government in a phased approach in coming months.
What about patients who don’t qualify?
Patients who are not eligible for a funded COVID-19 vaccine but who would still like to receive one will need to access it through the private market from 1 October onwards.
Individual pharmacies will be able to determine their own service fee. But no further details on private market supply arrangements or pricing has been confirmed at this stage.
Pharmacists should expect to field questions from individuals who have previously received free COVID-19 vaccines under the CVCP and will now face out-of-pocket costs.
How will the ordering process work?
Although not publicly confirmed, it can be assumed that from 1 October, COVID-19 vaccines will need to be ordered through state and territory vaccine platforms – the same systems used for all other NIP vaccines.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Administrative System for ordering is expected to be decommissioned, with state and territory health departments becoming responsible for distribution, just like other NIP vaccines.
The administration fee for COVID-19 vaccines administered via the NIP will be claimed as an NIPVIP fee, rather than through the CVCP program.
Are off-site COVID-19 vaccinations still funded?
Yes, and no. Offsite vaccination, including in residential aged care facilities, will remain eligible for claiming as this is permitted within the NIPVIP Program Rules.
However, other off-site locations are ineligible for NIPVIP claiming. Under the CVCP, COVID-19 vaccines administered in any location are currently eligible for claiming.
What should pharmacists do in the interim?
Professor Kidd has advised health professionals to ‘continue recommending and administering the COVID-19 vaccines as you have been, until we reach that transition point on the 1 October’.
This should be viewed as a window of opportunity rather than business as usual.
A large number of patients are currently eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine who will likely have to seek access through the private market after 1 October.
‘So there is an opportunity to help make sure people are fully protected against COVID-19, considering their relevant risk factors and whether the vaccine is appropriate for them,’ Mr Guthrey added.
AP will provide further updates on the transition of the COVID-19 vaccine to NIPVIP ahead of 1 October.
Access PSA’s Vaccination (Immunisation) Education Hub to stay up to date with the latest vaccination news.
