Public Health Committee
General Law Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF INJECTABLE VACCINES TO ADULTS IN PHARMACIES
SUMMARY: This act expands the authority of licensed pharmacists to administer vaccines to adults. Under prior law, pharmacists could administer federally approved vaccines to prevent (1) flu, (2) invasive pneumococcal disease (pneumonia), and (3) herpes zoster (shingles). The act instead allows them to administer any federally approved vaccine listed on the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Adult Immunization Schedule.
As under existing law, pharmacists must administer these vaccines according to a licensed health care provider's order and Department of Consumer Protection regulations. By law, these regulations must require that pharmacists administering flu, pneumonia, or shingles vaccines complete an immunization training course. The act extends this training requirement to pharmacists administering any adult vaccine on the CDC schedule.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2012
BACKGROUND
CDC Adult Immunization Schedule
The CDC currently recommends 10 adult immunizations depending on a person's age and medical condition:
1. flu;
2. tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap);
3. varicella (chicken pox);
4. human papillomavirus (HPV);
5. shingles;
6. measles, mumps, rubella (MMR);
7. pneumonia;
8. meningococcal (meningitis);
9. hepatitis A; and
10. hepatitis B.
OLR Tracking: ND: KM: PF: ts