The National Assembly gave the green light on Thursday to the experimental authorization for pharmacists to vaccinate against flu, and also for general practitioners to store the vaccines for administration.
“As for the flu, only 48% of the those at risk were vaccinated in 2015-2016, a decline of more than 14 points since 2009” , said the rapporteur for the health insurance of the proposed budget social Security, Michèle Delaunay (PS).
Already adopted in committee, the amendment to allow for three years, as an experiment, administration by pharmacists of the vaccine against seasonal flu to adults has been widely adopted by the Assembly. “There is a denial of vaccination in France” and “must be offensive” , claimed Jean-Pierre Door (LR), stressing the importance of the measure in particular for the rural world.
“An important step”
While ensuring that “the economic situation of the pharmacies is treated differently” , the Health Minister Marisol Touraine greeted with this experiment “an important step” in increasing immunization coverage and a “simplification to patients’ lives” .
Funding for the measure must be provided by the regional intervention fund and the persons concerned should receive vouchers worth prescription.
Pregnant women, the elderly …
The minister passed another amendment, presented as symmetrical, providing experiment for three years detention by the general practitioner for the vaccine against seasonal flu for pregnant women, people with long affection time and again people aged over 65. The idea is to simplify the course of care for the patient, who can directly consult the professional who will vaccinate him.
This provision Chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs, Catherine Lemorton (PS), a professional pharmacist said “Watch where you walk” , she warned, pointing out that the doctor should do the paying agent as in pharmacies, it should repay the VAT and also ideally would have both types experiments are conducted in the same territories.
