Pharmacists who have appropriate theoretical knowledge and practical skills to administer Covid-19 vaccine injections to residents, as suggested by amendments to the Epidemiological Safety Law viewed in the first reading by the Saeima on Thursday, 11 November.
According to the Saeima press-service, it is planned to let pharmacies to freely decide if they want to provide vaccination services. Letting pharmacies administer Covid-19, influenza and tick encephalitis vaccine injections would help reduce the risk of overload for general practitioners, as noted in the annotation to the legislative draft.
The legislative draft also provides a duty to pharmacists that detect complications caused by vaccination to report it to medical authorities in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers requirements.
Authors of the legislative draft mention that pharmacists can help expand access to information that is backed by scientific results and expand the accessibility of vaccination services to residents.
Read also: Non-vaccinated Saeima deputies may be prohibited to work in the parliament in person
Currently the law states that vaccination is permitted to be administered only by a certified medical worker.
For the law amendments to come to force, the Saeima needs to pass them in the second and final reading.
Latvian government considers letting pharmacists administer Covid-19 vaccine injections
