Development and design of injection skills and vaccination training program targeted for Australian undergraduate pharmacy students

Introduction: In 2014, vaccination was included within the scope of practice for Australian pharmacists. A number of Australian pharmacy schools have either commenced or are planning to incorporate vaccination training into pharmacy curricula. The primary objective of this article is to articulate the process undertaken to develop an Australian vaccination training program with nested injection skills training for pharmacy students.

Material and methods: A set of learning outcomes, assessable knowledge, and assessable skills were developed following a critical review of relevant literature, guided by the Australian Pharmacy Council Standards for the Accreditation of Programs to Support Pharmacist Administration of Vaccines. This ensures that the modules will enable students to demonstrate competency required for vaccination, similar to that of current Australian vaccinators: doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

Results: A vaccination training program with nested injection skills training was developed and validated. The new teaching and learning concepts will be integrated and delivered via spiral curriculum. Knowledge and skills should progressively improve as students advance through the pharmacy course. Core skills will be assessed on a number of occasions. Integrated modules are embedded into the first year, third year, and fourth year of the pharmacy program.

Conclusion: A vaccination training program with nested injection skills training was developed for Australian pharmacy students.