Vaccine Information for Pharmacists

In Louisiana, Board of Pharmacy credentialed pharmacists may administer any vaccine to any individual age 17 or older - except for influenza vaccine which may be administered to any individual age seven (7) or older provided the vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP). At the time the pharmacist administers the vaccine, the pharmacist must inform the patient the administration of the vaccine should not be construed as a substitute for an annual checkup with the individual's primary care or family physician.

 

Requirements for Pharmacists

Louisiana law requires the immunizing pharmacist to comply with a number of other provisions:

  • The pharmacist shall obtain the appropriate credentials (Medication Administration Registration) from the Board prior to administering any medication.
  • Prior to administering an immunization to a patient, the pharmacist shall request the name of the patient's primary care provider. The pharmacist shall notify that provider of the patient's immunization by written or electronic communication as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.
  • The pharmacist shall report each immunization to the Dept. of Health (DHH) Office of Public Health's (OPH) LINKS (immunization information system) at the time of immunization or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter since this is the official state vaccination record.
  • The pharmacist shall maintain a record of each immunization administered for at least two years thereafter.
  • The pharmacist shall report all adverse events he observes or which are reported to him to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), the cooperative program for vaccine safety administered by the US CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and further, the pharmacist shall refer the patient with an adverse event to an immunization for appropriate medical care.

Louisiana's Board of Pharmacy also requires pharmacists administering vaccinations without a prescription or medical order to create a record in their prescription files which contains a prescription number and lists the vaccinating pharmacist as the prescriber.

Additional Information