National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) Program

Expansion of the National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) Program.
From Monday 29 April 2024, NIP vaccinations can be administered off-site in residential aged care and disability homes under the NIPVIP Program. See here for further information on off-site vaccination.

The National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) Program allows eligible patients to access free National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines in a community pharmacy, with no out-of-pocket costs.

The NIPVIP Program increases patient access and affordability of vaccinations to help protect our community from vaccine preventable diseases.

From Monday 29 April 2024, participating pharmacies can receive a payment of $18.85 per vaccination for the administration of NIP vaccines for individuals aged 5 years and over, in a pharmacy setting, as well as for off-site vaccinations in residential aged care and disability homes. The NIP vaccines that can be administered by pharmacies are determined by state and territory legislation.

Service Provider Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to become an Approved Service Provider under the Program, a pharmacy must: 

  • be approved to dispense pharmaceutical benefits as part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) defined in Section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 (Cwlth) (Section 90 Pharmacy).
  • agree to deliver NIPVIP Services in accordance with the General Terms, the NIPVIP Program Rules and the NIP, including those related to patient eligibility.
  • hold current and relevant accreditation to administer NIP vaccinations, in accordance with the applicable state or territory requirements/legislation.
  • ensure that NIPVIP Services are administered:
    • at the registered pharmacy location, either in a dedicated room or area, or an existing consulting room, or
    • in a residential aged care or disability home, in accordance with state or territory requirements/legislation
  • provide NIPVIP Services in accordance with the following:
    • PSA Standards and Guidelines
    • Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) Guidelines
    • Australian Immunisation Handbook recommendations, and
    • Applicable state or territory requirements/legislation.
  • stay updated about state or territory legislation governing vaccine types and age requirements, specifying authorised vaccines for administration by pharmacists and non-pharmacist vaccinators in pharmacy settings or residential aged care and disability homes.
  • be registered with the AIR and report all NIPVIP Services to the AIR in accordance with the reporting requirements under the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015.
  • maintain a secure facility for the appropriate storage, including cold storage, of vaccines, in accordance with the approved product information.
  • obtain appropriate patient consent (from the patient or the patient’s authorised representative) for the provision of a NIPVIP Service prior to providing the service. A consent form (regular and low ink version) is available in the Program Rules and Downloads section below.
  • ensure the Appropriately Qualified Person conducting the services under the Program is not concurrently responsible for dispensing or engaging in other professional duties during the consultation.
  • register via the PPA Portal and consistently meet the above eligibility criteria throughout participation in the Program.

An Approved Service Provider must promptly notify the PPA if aware of any circumstance, event or fact that may affect the Service Provider’s eligibility to participate in the Program.

Patient Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for vaccination under this program, the patient must be:

  • aged 5 years and over at the time of vaccination and
  • eligible to receive the NIP vaccine in a pharmacy setting, residential aged care or disability home, as per the NIP Schedule and in accordance with state or territory requirements/legislation.

Please note:

  • The NIP vaccines that pharmacies can administer are determined by state and territory legislation, including by vaccine and age cohort including by vaccine, age cohort and location (i.e. off-site setting)
  • Where a patient does not meet the eligibility criteria or does not consent to their details being provided to the PPA for claiming purposes, the NIPVIP Service Provider may offer the service at a patient’s cost, ensuring compliance with state and territory requirements/legislation
  • Where a pharmacy is administering a NIP vaccine to a patient less than 5 years of age at the time of vaccination, the pharmacy must not charge for the NIP vaccine itself. They may however choose to charge the patient a fee to administer the vaccine, so long as they are authorised to administer the vaccine for the age group in a pharmacy setting as per state/territory legislation.

Claiming

To become an Approved Service Provider and participate in the NIPVIP Program, eligible pharmacies must first register via the Pharmacy Programs Administrator Portal. An AIR provider number is required at the time of program registration.

Refer to the PPA NIPVIP Program User Guide, available from the Program Rules and Downloads section below for information on registration assistance.

Please note: NIPVIP Service Provider registration is separate from any state or territory specific registration that may be required by pharmacies to administer NIP vaccines. Pharmacies must ensure they are approved to administer NIP vaccines by their State or Territory Health Department prior to registering for the Program.

Claims must be submitted by the end of the next calendar month following the service provision (e.g. services provided in May must be claimed by 30 June). Claims falling outside this timeframe, incomplete entries, or those not aligning with the Program Rules cannot be submitted by the pharmacy and may not be paid.

Accuracy is crucial in claim entries, as any inconsistencies may prevent successful claim submission.  

Payments

For the provision of a NIPVIP Service, the following fee is payable by the PPA:

Description – NIP vaccination administered on or after 1 January 2024 Fee
NIP Vaccine Administration Payment $18.85

Please note:

  • The fee is GST exempt.
  • NIPVIP Services can only be claimed if the administration of the NIP vaccine was on or after:
    • 1 January 2024 in a pharmacy setting or
    • 29 April 2024 in an off-site setting (residential aged care or disability home)
  • Service Providers cannot charge patients any additional fees for a NIPVIP Service. Service Providers must declare upon lodgement of each claim that no such fees have been levied.
  • The NIP vaccine must be administered to a patient aged 5 years or older, and in a pharmacy setting, residential aged care or disability home.

NIP VIP FAQ

  1. See the NIPVIP Program Rules for pharmacy eligibility criteria.

  2. From 1 January 2024, eligible Services Providers can register and commence claiming for the NIPVIP Program.

    From 29 April 2024, eligible Services Providers can commence claiming for the off-site administration of NIP vaccinations in residential aged care and disability homes.

  3. Eligible Services Providers can register for the NIPVIP Program through the PPA Portal. Service Providers will need their AIR provider number to complete registration. For instructions on how to register for the Program, please refer to the NIPVIP User Guide.

    Please note NIPVIP Service Provider registration is separate to any state or territory specific registration that may be required by pharmacies to administer NIP vaccinations. Pharmacies must ensure they are authorised to administer NIP vaccines in accordance with the applicable state or territory requirements/legislation prior to registering for the NIPVIP Program.

  4. To locate your AIR provider number, pharmacies can follow the steps below:

    1. Access PRODA by logging into your account

    2. Click on the “Link Identifier” option within the Health Professional tile

    3. Choose the ‘Organisation’ for which you are acting on behalf of

    4. Select the ‘Identifiers’ tab

    5. The AIR Provider Number will be displayed in the 3rd column

  5. Yes, the new AIR043A Report is available for vaccination providers to extract and reconcile vaccination information that they have previously reported to the AIR.

    The report contains information about the individual they have vaccinated and the vaccine details (such as the vaccine brand and vaccine type). Pharmacies participating in the NIPVIP Program may find this report useful for reconciling vaccinations provided when lodging claims for payment with the PPA. If you would like further information about the AIR043A report, further information is available on the Services Australia website.

  6. The NIPVIP Program is voluntary, and pharmacies can choose whether or not to participate. Pharmacies who participate in the program cannot charge individuals any additional fees for the administration of NIP vaccines.

    Pharmacies that choose not to participate in the NIPVIP Program can continue to administer NIP vaccines (providing they meet their state or territory requirements/legislation). Non-participating pharmacies may instead choose to charge a service fee for administering NIP vaccines to patients. Pharmacies should make any fees clear to patients prior to administering vaccinations and must not charge for the NIP vaccine itself.

    Selective participation is not permitted, for example a pharmacy cannot choose to claim under the Program for some eligible NIP vaccines while charging patients an administration fee for other eligible NIP vaccines.  

  7. No. Selective participation is not permitted, for example a pharmacy cannot choose to claim under the Program for some eligible NIP vaccines while charging patients an administration fee for other eligible NIP vaccines.  

  8. The NIP vaccines that can be administered by pharmacies are determined by state and territory legislation, including by vaccine, age cohort and location (i.e. off-site settings).

    For further information on what vaccines can be administered by pharmacies within your state or territory, please refer below:

    ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

    For information on what vaccines are available on the NIP Schedule, please visit the National Immunisation Program Schedule | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

    Note: Pharmacies can only claim the administration of NIP vaccines for patients aged 5 years and over at the time of vaccination

  9. For information to help you deliver immunisation services to your patients, including the latest clinical updates and guidance on the NIP, please visit Immunisation information for health professionals | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

    The Australian Immunisation Handbook is the primary reference for clinical advice on using vaccines safely and effectively.

    Please note, the PPA can only assist with queries relating to the NIPVIP Program. All clinical queries should be referred to your relevant state or territory health department. 

  10. NIP vaccines can be ordered through your State or Territory health department.

    Please contact your State or Territory health department for more information on how to order NIP vaccines.

  11. No. NIP vaccine costs cannot be reimbursed by the PPA.    

  12. For further information, please refer to your relevant state or territory health department website using the links below:

    ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

  13. No, there is no cap on the number of services you can claim under the NIPVIP Program.

    You must ensure that when you are providing a NIPVIP service, it is in accordance with the NIPVIP Program Rules, NIP Schedule and state or territory requirements/legislation).

  14. See the NIPVIP Program Rules for patient eligibility criteria.

  15. Pharmacies can claim the administration of NIP vaccines for patients aged 5 years and over at the time of vaccination. 

    The NIP vaccines that can be administered by pharmacies are determined by state and territory legislation, including by vaccine, age cohort and location (i.e off-site settings).

    You must ensure that when you are providing a NIPVIP service, it is in accordance with the NIPVIP Program Rules, NIP Schedule and state or territory requirements/legislation).

    For example, if a specific vaccine is on the NIP Schedule for patients 10+ years but your state or territory legislation only allows pharmacists to administer that vaccine to patients who are 16 years or older, then the pharmacist must not administer that vaccine to a patient who is under 16.

  16. Yes, Service Providers must obtain appropriate written or verbal consent from the patient or their authorised representative before providing the NIPVIP Service. If you are administering more than one NIP vaccine in the same visit, then one consent form is fine.

    Please refer to the NIPVIP Program Rules for further information on patient consent.

    The patient consent form can be located here.

  17. No. Pharmacies who are claiming a NIPVIP Service under the Program cannot charge individuals any additional fees for the administration of NIP vaccines.

  18. Yes. Where a patient does not meet the eligibility criteria or does not consent to their details being provided to the PPA for claiming purposes, the NIPVIP Service Provider may offer the Service at a patient’s cost, ensuring compliance with state and territory requirements/legislation.

    Please note patients under 5 years of age may be eligible for NIP vaccines but are not eligible under the NIPVIP Program.

    Where a pharmacy is administering a NIP vaccine to a patient less than 5 years of age at the time of vaccination, the pharmacy must not charge for the NIP vaccine itself. They may however choose to charge the patient a fee to administer the vaccine, so long as they are authorised to administer the vaccine for the age group in a pharmacy setting as per state/territory legislation.

  19. Participating pharmacies will receive a payment of $18.85 per vaccination for the administration of NIP vaccines in a pharmacy setting, residential aged care or disability home.

  20. Each NIPVIP claim is paid $18.85 therefore you will need to submit separate NIPVIP claims, one for each vaccine.

  21. Claims for NIPVIP Services delivered under the Program must be submitted to the PPA by the end of the calendar month following the Service provision (e.g. Services provided in May 2024 should be claimed by 30 June 2024).

    Claims falling outside this timeframe, incomplete entries, or those not aligning with the Program Rules cannot be submitted by the pharmacy and may not be paid.

  22. The PPA offers integration for the NIPVIP Program to any interested software vendors. The following vendors are currently integrated with the PPA portal for the NIPVIP Program:

    -Fluger

    -MedAdvisor

    -VaxApp

    For questions about if/when other software vendors will integrate with the PPA Portal for the NIPVIP Program, please contact your software provider. 

  23. Yes. From 29 April 2024, pharmacies can claim the off-site administration of NIP vaccinations in residential aged care and disability homes. This is only allowed for NIP vaccines administered on or after 29 April 2024.

    Funding for the off-site expansion of the Program will be available until June 2026, with continuation subject to review.

  24. No. Pharmacies can only claim NIP vaccinations administered off-site (in residential aged care and disability homes) on or after 29 April 2024.

  25. No. Pharmacies cannot claim the off-site administration of NIP vaccinations in a person’s place of residence.

    From 29 April 2024, pharmacies can only claim the off-site administration of NIP vaccinations in residential aged care and disability homes.

  26. No. Pharmacies cannot claim an additional incentive site visit payment under the NIPVIP Program. However, from 29 April 2024, pharmacies can claim a payment of $18.85 per NIP vaccination for the off-site administration in residential aged care and disability homes.

  27. No. Pharmacies must ensure they are administering NIP vaccines in accordance with the NIPVIP Program Rules, NIP Schedule and state or territory requirements/legislation.

    If a pharmacy is not currently allowed to administer a specific NIP vaccine under their state or territory legislation, then they must not administer or submit claims for that vaccine under the NIPVIP Program.

  28. The claim for payment must be submitted in the PPA Portal under the pharmacy’s Service Provider account.

    You must ensure that you have the vaccinator’s Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) number as this must be entered in the claim form when submitting a NIPVIP claim.

  29. Yes, the Appropriately Qualified Person must determine patient eligibility and check the patient’s immunisation history on the AIR before providing the NIPVIP Service.

  30. Yes, under the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 it is mandatory for all vaccination providers to report the administration of all NIP vaccines to the AIR.

    This must be actioned before you submit a NIPVIP claim to the PPA.

    Information on reporting to AIR, including contact details for who to call/email if you need help, can be found on the Services Australia website

  31. If you have submitted a claim with incorrect details, you will need to contact the PPA Support Centre to rectify this.

    Vaccination providers can update the AIR by logging into PRODA. Instructions on amending a vaccination encounter are available on the Services Australia website.

  32. Yes, if your pharmacy’s AIR provider number has changed simply update this field in your current claim form – this will then pre-fill the new number into your future claims.

  33. This depends on the age of the patient receiving the NIP vaccine. If the patient is:

    ·        under 5 years of age, you (the Service Provider) cannot claim under the NIPVIP Program.

    ·        5 years of age or over and the non-pharmacist vaccinator is authorised to administer vaccines for the age group in a pharmacy setting as per state/territory legislation, then the pharmacy can claim the Service under the NIPVIP Program.

    The claim for payment must be submitted in the PPA Portal under your pharmacy’s Service Provider account. You must ensure that you have the vaccinator’s AHPRA number, as this must be entered in the claim form when submitting a NIPVIP claim.

  34. Please contact the PPA at support@ppaonline.com.au 

NIPVIP Program Resources


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