Training for Pharmacists for the Supply and Administration of Emergency Medicines and Vaccinations
Pharmacists who have completed the required training, are permitted to administer five medicines for the purpose of saving life or reducing severe distress in certain emergency situations: anaphylaxis (adrenaline), asthma attack (salbutamol inhaler), hypoglycaemia (glucagon injection), angina attack(glyceryl trinitrate aerosol) and opioid overdose (naloxone).
Pharmacists are also able to administer the following vaccines, once they have completed the relevant training: seasonal influenza vaccine, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine. Read the legislation which allows for these services.
Read information on the training to deliver COVID-19 vaccination services.
How can I complete training?
You can contact the Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIOP) to find out how to register and complete the required training programmes. Most of the training programmes are available online, so you can complete them in your own time. Most programmes are free of charge. There is a fee associated with the Medicines Administration (Parenteral) (PAMT) training programme.
What training do I need to complete?
There are 11 training programmes available in total. You will receive a certificate of completion once you complete each training programme.
The number of training programmes you will have to complete will depend on what services you wish to provide. Some services, such as the administration of adrenaline in anaphylaxis (autoinjector), only require two training programmes to be completed. Other services, such as vaccinations, require five training programmes to be completed.
A diagram of the training programmes is set out below. This is known as a ‘modular’ system of training and was first introduced in 2016.
Which training requirements do I need to complete?
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- If you wish to provide adrenaline (autoinjector only), you will need to have valid training in CPR and RESMA
- If you wish to provide adrenaline (autoinjector and ampoule presentations), you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA and PAMT
- If you wish to provide salbutamol inhaler, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA and salbutamol
- If you wish to provide glucagon injection, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA, PAMT and glucagon
- If you wish to provide glyceryl trinitrate aerosol, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA and GTN
- If you wish to provide naloxone, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA and naloxone
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- If you wish to provide the seasonal influenza vaccine, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA, PAMT, delivery of a vaccination service, and influenza
- If you wish to provide the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA, PAMT, delivery of a vaccination service and pneumococcal polysaccharide
- If you wish to provide the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine, you will need to have valid training in CPR, RESMA, PAMT, delivery of a vaccination service and herpes zoster
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How long is training valid for?
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| Training programme | Validity period |
| CPR Course for Adults and Children | 2 years (or as stated by training provider) |
| Responding to an Emergency Situation and Management of Anaphylaxis (RESMA) | 2 years |
| Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine | 2 years |
| Influenza Vaccine | 1 year/season |
| Pneumococcal Vaccine | 2 years |
| Glyceryl Trinitrate Spray | 2 years |
| Salbutamol inhaler | 2 years |
| Glucagon | 2 years |
| Naloxone | 2 years |
| Delivery of a vaccination service | Pharmacists are asked to reflect, self-assess and to evaluate whether they need to refresh their training in this programme, in order to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to safely deliver a vaccination service. The PSI requires that this training programme is repeated if a pharmacist has not vaccinated in the past 12 months (or influenza season). |
| A voluntary self-declaration form should be completed each year to attest to your competency to deliver vaccination and/or emergency medicines services |
Validity of Medicines Administration (Parenteral) (PAMT)
| Training programme | Validity period |
| PAMT | Pharmacists are asked to reflect, self-assess and to evaluate whether they need to refresh their training in this programme, in order to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to safely deliver the associated medicines or vaccination service.
The PSI requires that this training programme is repeated if a pharmacist wishes to administer: a vaccine or emergency medicine via an injection route i.e. intramuscular or subcutaneous, which they have never previously administered; or a vaccine or emergency medicine via an injection route which they have neither practised (i.e. administered to a patient) nor been trained in the previous 12 months (or in the case of seasonal influenza vaccination, in the previous flu season).
Please note that ‘trained in’ refers to training in the Medicines Administration (Parenteral) Training Programme. |
What do I need to do each year?
You should review the training requirements for the delivery of the services you wish to provide each year. You should check that your training in each training programme is up-to-date. You can also complete a self-declaration form, which will help you to review the requirements and provide a means for you to attest to your competency to deliver the chosen service(s). If you have any questions about the training requirements, you can email education@psi.ie.
Related guidance for pharmacists: