COVID-19 vaccine rollout – Accelerated Site Activation and mRNA Vaccinations (July 2021 Onwards)
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COVID-19 Vaccination in Community Pharmacy (CVCP) Program
On this page pharmacists can find information relating to the CVCP Program, that will assist in both initial registration and continued participation in the Program.
Updated CVCP Onboarding Pack
The COVID-19 vaccination Onboarding Pack has recently been revised. An updated version can be found in the COVID-19– Primary Care Vaccine Roll-out and Vaccine Factsheets and Information section below.
PPA Notices
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This section provides an overview of recent correspondence from the PPA regarding the CVCP Program.
April 2024
17 April 2024 – COVID-19 Pharmacy Bulletin | Vaccine Supply | Vaccine Operations Centre Update
March 2024
15 March 2024 – COVID-19 Pharmacy Bulletin | Vaccine Supply | AIR Update | VOC Update | Resources
February 2024
29 February 2024 – COVID-19 Pharmacy Bulletin |COVID-19 Vaccination Program Advice
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
5 October 2023 – CVCP Bulletin – ATAGI Update| In-Reach | Ordering update | Reminders
September 2023
1 September 2023 – CVCP Bulletin – ATAGI update
12 September 2023 – CVCP In-reach Factsheet
August 2023
9 August 2023 – CVCP Bulletin – Cold Chain Breach | Vaccine updates | Reminders
31 August 2023 – CVCP Bulletin – Training update
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
12 January 2023- COVID-19 Taskforce Bulletin – Moderna and Pfizer Vaccine Updates | Reminders
December 2022
2 December 2022 – Upcoming VCF Connect and VCF Changes | Pfizer Bivalent | Reminders
November 2022
October 2022
24 October 2022 – ATAGI Update – Booster Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine in Children Aged 5-11 Years
September 2022
26 September 2022 – COVID-19 Taskforce Update – Moderna Monovalent Vaccine
August 2022
July 2022
1 July 2022 – Recent ATAGI Considerations | Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) Update | Reminders
7 July 2022 – ATAGI Update – Recommendations for a Winter Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
29 July 2022- COVID-19 Taskforce Bulletin
June 2022
9 June 2022 – ATAGI Update | Help stop the Flu | Stock on Hand Reports | AIR Provider Number
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
31 March 2022- Wastage Reporting Update | CVAS Enhancements for Additional Orders
February 2022
January 2022
12 January 2022 – Packaging and Use By Dates – Defrost Use By Dates – Vaccine training
19 January 2022 – Booster Update – Moderna Allocation Increase
December 2021
3 December 2021 – Additional Dose available in Portal
10 December 2021 – ATAGI Advice about Pfizer 5-11 years vaccine (orange top) | Placing Orders
13 December 2021 – Moderna Booster – Intervals for Boosters – VCF Update
23 December 2021 – Booster Dose Fee Increase | PPE Available to Pharmacies
24 December 2021 – Important Updates from ATAGI and National Covid Taskforce
November 2021
1 November 2021 – VCF Pharmacies with no Booking Links Survey
5 November 2021 – Pfizer, Incentive Payments, Fees and VCF updates
8 November 2021 – Reminder to check patient eligibility prior to each vaccination
16 November 2021 – Checking Vaccine Expiry Immediately Prior to Administration
22 November 2021 – VCF Pfizer bookings and booking provider changes
24 November 2021 – Managing multiple COVID-19 Vaccines
October 2021
August 2021
Purpose
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The CVCP Program is a temporary program, which aims to support and protect members of our community from novel coronavirus (COVID-19) by providing a fee for service payable to Australian pharmacies for administering the COVID 19 vaccine.
Eligible patients will be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations from pharmacies selected for participation in the program.
Paediatric Vaccine Administration
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Children Vaccine Administration Checklist
A Children Vaccine Administration Checklist has been developed to help avoid vaccine administration errors in children. Service Providers may view a copy of the checklist here.
Pfizer 5-11 years Vaccination
Participating pharmacies were approved to begin administering Pfizer 5-11 years COVID-19 vaccines (orange top) from 10 January 2022. The vaccine schedule for children is 2 doses, given 8 weeks apart. This interval can be shortened in special circumstances to a minimum of 3 weeks. Further information regarding TGA Approval for the vaccine can be found here.
Pharmacies are reminded that:
- Pfizer 5-11 years doses (orange top) are a specific paediatric formulation and contain a lower dose of vaccine than the adult formulation
- The vaccine can be stored for a maximum of 10 weeks between 2°C to 8°C.
Note:
- At this stage, ATAGI does not recommend the use of mixed primary schedules in this age group
- As outlined in the CVCP Program Rules, you must ensure that your jurisdictional regulations have been updated to allow Community Pharmacy to administer COVID-19 vaccines to this cohort
- Pharmacies are able to register paediatric dose of a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) as per usual practice. Please remember to check the AIR prior to administering any COVID-19 vaccines
- Booster doses are not yet recommended for this cohort (those under the age of 18 years), as severe COVID-19 is uncommon in this age group and the primary course of COVID-19 vaccines generate a strong immune response, so the benefit from additional doses of vaccine is likely to be small.
Patient Consent
The Service Provider must obtain appropriate written or verbal consent from the Patient’s parent or guardian prior to providing the Service. For further information regarding valid consent, including how to obtain consent in special populations, refer to the section ‘Preparing for vaccination: Valid consent’ in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Consent forms for the Pfizer 5-11 vaccines are available on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.
Claiming and Payments
Service Providers must submit their paediatric vaccine administration claims online via the PPA Portal. Claims are to be submitted in the same format as existing adult vaccination services and will be paid at the current dose administration rate; outlined in the Registration, Claiming and Payments section on this page.
How do new pharmacies participate in the CVCP Program?
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New eligible Section 90 pharmacies must submit an Online Form expressing their interest in administering COVID-19 vaccines. An Online Form may be requested by contacting the PPA Support Centre at: support@ppaonline.com.au. Pharmacy details will then be forwarded to the Department of Health and Aged Care for approval. Once approved by the Department, the PPA will provide the pharmacy with additional onboarding information.
Pharmacy Eligibility
To be eligible to become an Approved Service Provider under this temporary program, a Pharmacy must:
- Be approved to dispense pharmaceutical benefits as part of the PBS defined in Section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 (Cwlth) (Section 90 Pharmacy)
- Have received notification from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (or delegate) of their selection to participate in the national vaccine program
- Be located in a State or Territory where appropriate legislation has been enacted to allow vaccinations to be administered in pharmacies
- Agree to deliver CVCP Services in accordance with the General Terms and the CVCP Program Rules, including those related to Patient eligibility
- Agree to meet the CVAS Vaccination Site Readiness Checklist and Declarations
- Provide CVCP Services in accordance with the PSA Standards and Guidelines, ATAGI Guidelines and relevant state or territory legislation
- Agree to appear in the national Service Finder
- Have registered with the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and undertake to report all CVCP Services within the set timeframe (within 24 hours)
- Maintain a secure facility for the appropriate storage, including cold storage, of vaccines, in accordance with the approved product information
- Undertake to obtain appropriate patient consent for the provision of a CVCP service prior to providing the service. A consent form is available online on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website
- Ensure that services delivered under the CVCP Program are carried out by an Appropriately Qualified Person. Where the service is delivered in a Community Pharmacy premises, the area must meet the ATAGI site requirements for COVID-19 vaccination in community pharmacies. Where the service is delivered off-site, the pharmacy must ensure that both the Taskforce requirement for conducting off-site COVID-19 vaccinations and any jurisdictional requirements are met
- Agree to ensure that any person involved in providing CVCP Services through this Program abides by the current hygiene and isolation protocols relevant to the containment and management of COVID‑19 within the community as issued by each State and Territory
- Ensure the Approved Pharmacist or Appropriately Qualified Person conducting the services under the Program is not responsible for dispensing or undertaking other professional duties at the time of consultation
- Register via the PPA Portal and continue to meet the above Eligibility Criteria while participating in the Program.
An Approved Service Provider must notify the PPA immediately when it becomes aware of any circumstance, event or fact that may affect the Service Provider’s eligibility to participate in the Program.
COVID-19 Onboarding pack – Primary Care Vaccine Roll-out and Vaccine Factsheets and Information
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As each site is approved by the Department of Health and Aged Care, the PPA will send pharmacies an onboarding email which contain the following onboarding pack, as well as their site specific CVCP Program Approval Code required to register for the CVCP Program on the PPA Portal. Pharmacies should not register for the CVCP Program in the PPA Portal until they have been sent their onboarding email from the PPA. Additional information on how to register in the PPA Portal can be found in the CVCP user guide located in the Program Rules and other Downloads section of this page.
Onboarding Pack and Factsheet
The onboarding pack contains information and advice specific to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines in a community pharmacy setting. This includes but is not limited to details on registering and ordering through the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration System (CVAS), stock management, compliance and quality assurance.
COVID-19 Onboarding Pack – Primary Care Vaccine Rollout
Onboarding Factsheet for Pharmacies
Checklists and Posters
There are also several checklists and resources provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care to help pharmacies with the day-to-day operation of the vaccination service in accordance with ATAGI best practice guidelines and Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care reporting requirements.
Recommended COVID -19 Doses and Vaccines Poster
COVID-19 Vaccine Comparison Poster
COVID-19 Vaccine Transfer Policy
Factsheets
The Department of Health and Aged Care have provided factsheets relating to each available vaccine type, as well as factsheets for Service Finders and Online Bookings, and the Australian Immunisation Register for COVID-19 Vaccines.
Service Finder and Online Bookings Factsheet
Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Factsheet
COVID-19 Australian Immunisation Register Factsheet
Pfizer Bivalent (BA.4-5) 12 years+ (Grey) Vaccine Factsheet
Pfizer 5 to 11 years (Orange cap) Vaccine Factsheet
Moderna Bivalent (BA.4-5) 12 years+ (PFS) Vaccine Factsheet
The PPA encourages all CVCP Program participants to regularly review this section as these links will be updated as new information becomes available.
Administering Off-Site Vaccinations
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Approval Process
Pharmacies must notify the PPA of their intention to deliver vaccinations off-site from the pharmacy premises. This will enable the pharmacy to administer vaccines to any eligible patient cohort in any eligible location (refer to requirements below) and notification must only be made once.
In order to do so, pharmacies must initially email the PPA at support@ppaonline.com.au and include:
- The pharmacy name, address and Section 90 number; and
- A written declaration indicating that the pharmacy will meet the Requirements for Off-Site Vaccinations set out in the CVCP Program Rules (outlined below).
Requirements for Off-Site Vaccinations
Pharmacies may conduct off-site vaccinations if they meet the eligibility requirements defined in the CVCP Program Rules and both the pharmacy and the off-site vaccination location are in State/s and/or Territory/s which have appropriate regulatory arrangements that allow pharmacists to vaccinate off-site. Pharmacies must ensure they are aware of and adhere to the relevant requirements of the relevant State /Territory. It is the pharmacy’s responsibility to check these requirements are met before requesting approval from the PPA.
Patient Consent and Medicare Eligibility
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Patient Consent
The Service Provider must obtain appropriate written or verbal consent from the Patient or the Patient’s carer prior to providing the Service. For further information regarding valid consent, including how to obtain consent in special populations (i.e. children or people with impaired decision making ability), refer to the section ‘Preparing for vaccination: Valid consent’ in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Consent forms are available on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.
Patients with no Medicare/DVA card
Patients who meet all other Commonwealth and State/Territory eligibility criteria but who either do not hold a Medicare/DVA card or are not eligible to hold a Medicare/DVA card, can receive a vaccination in a Community Pharmacy free of charge. Pharmacies must ensure they first seek confirmation from the patient that the patient does not hold, or is ineligible to hold a Medicare/DVA card and use the ‘Urgent Clinical Need’ special Medicare number (25437529911) when submitting a claim in the PPA Portal for administering vaccinations to these patients.
The ’Urgent Clinical Need’ Medicare number should not be used for manual reporting to the AIR. Please note some professional services software packages that integrate with both AIR and the PPA Portal may be set up in such a way that the ‘Urgent Clinical Need’ number must still be entered into the software for PPA claiming purposes. In these instances, the software is built to ensure the number is not reported to AIR.
Registration, Claiming and Payments
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CVCP Program Registration
To register as a CVCP Service Provider, a Community Pharmacy must register for the CVCP Program via the PPA Portal. If a Community Pharmacy has not been notified by the PPA of their suitability and subsequent selection for the Program, the application to register for the CVCP Program will not be approved.
A user guide to assist you to register is located in the Program Rules and other Downloads section of this page.
Change of Circumstances
It is the responsibility of the Main Authorised Person of the Approved Service Provider to ensure that the Pharmacy’s registration is up to date at all times. Approved Service Providers must notify the Pharmacy Programs Administrator within 14 days of the following changes:
- Change of ownership
- Change of Section 90 approval number.
If either of these have occurred since the EOI was submitted, a further declaration will be required to confirm the new Section 90 pharmacy approval details meet, at a minimum, the same EOI requirements that were confirmed to be met, as per the original EOI submission.
Vaccine Administration Claims
Service Providers must submit vaccine administration claims online via the PPA Portal.
CVCP Services delivered under the Program must be claimed by the end of the following calendar month following provision of the Service (e.g. services provided in May should be claimed by 30 June). Claims that are outside this timeframe, that are incomplete, or that do not meet Program Rules cannot be submitted and will not be paid.
All information entered in the Claim must be correct as any inconsistencies may prevent claim submission.
Vaccine Administration Claim Lodgement
The following information must be provided to the PPA in order to lodge a claim for a vaccine service:
- Section 90 number
- Confirmation of patient consent
- Name and AHPRA number of person administering vaccination
- Patient’s Medicare/DVA Card number (or special Medicare number (25437529911) if the patient does not hold a Medicare/DVA card or is not eligible to hold a Medicare/DVA card)
- Patient’s full name
- Patient’s date of birth
- Whether the vaccination is the first or second in a course of an eligible vaccine
- Date of vaccination/administration
- A declaration that the vaccination has been recorded in the AIR.
If the Patient is presenting for the second vaccination and has received the first vaccination elsewhere, this must also be noted by selecting the claim type 2nd Dose (where the first administration was undertaken by a different Service Provider).
3rd Dose vaccinations and Booster doses can be claimed by selecting the claim type Additional Dose.
Vaccine Administration Supporting Documentation
The following information must be retained by the Service Provider for seven years to support any claim for payment made under these Program Rules:
- Section 90 number at the time of the provision of the CVCP Service
- Details of the Appropriately Qualified Person administering the vaccination including their AHPRA registration number
- Patient’s name and address
- Patient’s Medicare/DVA Card number (if applicable)
- How the Patient has satisfied all Eligibility Criteria
- Dose and brand of vaccine administered
- Whether the vaccination was administered off-site and if so, the location of the vaccination.
Vaccine Administration Payments
For vaccinations provided on or after 1 February 2024 approved Service Providers can claim the following payments under the Program. These fees are GST exempt.
| Description – vaccinations provided on or after 1 February 2024 | MM*1 Fee | MM2-7* Fee |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Payments | $27.50 | $30.65 |
*Modified Monash (MM)
For vaccinations provided up until 31 January 2024 approved Service Providers can claim the following payments under the Program. These fees are GST exempt.
| Description – vaccinations provided on or after 1 July 2023 | MM*1 Fee | MM2-7* Fee |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Payments | $27.35 | $30.50 |
*Modified Monash (MM)
Service Providers cannot apply any additional Patient charge for a service. This includes Patients who do not hold or are ineligible to hold a Medicare card.
Fees cannot be charged for residents, workers or facilities for providing off-site vaccinations.
Vaccination Incentive Claiming and Payments
From 8 November 2021, approved Service Providers can claim an additional vaccination incentive payment under the Program for the delivery of offsite COVID-19 vaccinations. Pharmacies can lodge claims for incentive payments by navigating to the CVCP Program page in the PPA Portal and following the instructions at the top of the View Claims tab. A User Guide which includes details on what information is required to lodge off-site claims is available on this page.
Vaccination incentive payments will be made monthly in arrears and are GST Exempt.
Pharmacies claiming vaccination incentive payments still need to ensure they are separately claiming their vaccine administration fees as per the process above.
Site Visit payments of:
- $123.00 per site visit undertaken on or after 1 February 2024, regardless of how many vaccinations are completed at the site. This is in addition to any other fees payable (e.g. CVCP vaccine administration fee).
Site visit payments must be claimed by the end of the following calendar month following the site visit. Claims that are outside this timeframe, that are incomplete, or that do not meet Program Rules may not be paid.
Record Keeping and Auditing
Approved Service Providers must retain all records for seven years to demonstrate that they have complied with the General Terms and these Program Rules when providing and claiming for a CVCP Service.
Approved Service Providers may be subject to audits by the Australian Government and the PPA to ensure Services are provided in accordance with the General Terms and these Program Rules.
Approved Service Providers that do not provide Services in accordance with the General Terms and these Program Rules may no longer be able to participate in the Program or be eligible to receive Program payments and repayment may be required. Under section 137.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995, giving false and misleading information is a serious offence.
If an audit is to be conducted, Service Providers will be required to produce documentation within a specified timeframe.
Compliance and Tip-Offs
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The Pharmacy Programs Administrator is responsible for monitoring and compliance related activities including tip-offs for the COVID -19 Vaccination in Community Pharmacy Program. These activities relate to Program claims which are inaccurate, inappropriate or are not in accordance with the relevant Program Rules (i.e., are ineligible).
Service Providers and consumers should contact Services Australia on 13 15 24 if you suspect or know of a member of the public (not a health provider) who has a false COVID-19 vaccination certificate or is creating false COVID-19 vaccination certificates for themselves or others. Any tip-offs regarding identify fraud must be sent to the relevant state police and not reported to the PPA. A detailed breakdown of potential reporting situations can be found at https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/medicare-compliance/reporting-incorrect-billing-claiming-or-suspected-fraud
Further details on PPA Compliance activities can be found at https://www.ppaonline.com.au/compliance
Please note: The Children Vaccine Administration Checklist has been developed to help avoid vaccine administration errors in children. Service Providers may view a copy of the checklist here.
Program Frequently Asked Questions
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Please see the links below for Frequently Asked Questions regarding the CVCP Program and Vaccine Boosters.
As new information becomes available these FAQs may be updated, please regularly review the links if you have any questions.
Additional Resources
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This section includes additional resources provided by the Department off Health and Aged Care to support community pharmacies in their critical role as vaccine providers in the community and encourage all vaccine providers to familiarise themselves with the range of material available to inform their awareness around safety information.
If there is a particular resource, poster, or guideline that you would like to see made available please provide your feedback to PCRpharmacy@health.gov.au
Information for pharmacists around vaccines and safety
Safety Information
- ATAGI website, including links to all ATAGI Statements and Weekly Updates
Other General Information
- ATAGI clinical guidance on COVID-19 vaccine in Australia
- Consent form for COVID-19 vaccination
- Spikevax (Moderna)
- Comirnaty (Pfizer)
- COVID-19 vaccination – Provider resources
Promotional and Educational Resources
- Moderna Vaccination Clinic printable poster
- Additional Vaccination Posters for Communities and Families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources
- Promotional material for social media accounts
- Fact Sheet: Vaccine Side Effects
- Common questions
- Vaccine provider and clinic resources
- Vaccine Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Resources for the Pfizer 5 – 11 Vaccine
Key Contacts
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Ordering
Contact the Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au or on 1800 318 208.
VOC Opening Hours:
| Day | AEST | AWST |
| Monday – Friday | 9:00am – 5:00pm | 7:00am – 3:00pm |
| Saturday | Closed | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed |
Clinical issues
Reporting a Cold Chain Breach (CCB)
Complete the CCB reporting form and email it to the VOC at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au for assessment. If you require assistance or have an urgent clinic scheduled, the VOC can be contacted on 1800 318 208 during opening hours (listed above).
Vaccines that have been involved in a CCB should be clearly labelled with ‘DO NOT USE, DO NOT DISCARD’, isolated and stored within appropriate cold chain requirements until the case can be assessed and clinical advice provided.
Please note that it is mandatory to report all potential CCBs affecting COVID-19 vaccines to the VOC.
Advice for managing a Vaccine Administration Error (VAE)
Contact the VOC on 1800 318 208 or at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au if you would like advice for managing a VAE.
The ATAGI clinical guidance on COVID-19 vaccine administration errors document can be referred to for advice on the management of a range of possible VAEs, including when a replacement (repeat) dose is recommended.
For other clinical enquiries
Contact the National coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccine helpline on covidvaccineenquiries@health.gov.au or 1800 020 080 (operates 24 a day, 7 days a week).
The VOC can also be contacted on 1800 318 208 or at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au if you require assistance with a clinical enquiry.
The latest clinical guidelines can be found on the Department of Health and Aged Care ATAGI clinical guidance for COVID-19 vaccine providers website.
Registering and claiming via the PPA Portal
Contact the PPA Support Centre, between 9am to 8pm (AEST), Monday to Friday on support@ppaonline.com.au or 1800 951 285.
Withdrawing from Program
If you wish to withdraw from the COVID-19 Vaccination in Community Pharmacy (CVCP) Program please contact the PPA Support Centre between 9am to 8pm (AEST), Monday to Friday on support@ppaonline.com.au or 1800 951 285.