Immunisation - Cold Chain Maintenance
The cold chain is the system of transporting and storing vaccines
within the safe temperature range of 2°C to 8°C. The cold chain begins when
vaccine is manufactured, moves through to the state or territory vaccine
centres
and ends with the local immunization provider at the time of administration.
Guidelines on maintaining the Cold Chain
provide information on various topics click on
Strive for
Five
 and use Bookmarks to select from topics
such as:
 What's
new?
Why
are we concerned about vaccine storage management?
What
is the cold chain?
How sensitive are vaccines to heat and cold?
Basic principles of vaccine storage management
Checklist for vaccine storage
Refrigerators
for vaccine storage
Domestic refrigerators
Use of domestic refrigerators for
vaccine storage
Storing
vaccines
Using a domestic refrigerator for
vaccine storage
Ordering
vaccines
Maintenance
of the vaccine refrigerator
Defrosting
and cleaning the refrigerator
Further points to consider if using a
domestic refrigerator
Purpose-built vaccine refrigerators
Advantages of having a purpose-built
vaccine refrigerator
Questions you ask yourself
How to choose a purpose-built vaccine
refrigerator
Issues to note
Monitors
Thermometers
How to check the accuracy of your
thermometer
Temperature chart recording systems
Data loggers
Cold chain monitors
Caring for your vaccines
during immunisation sessions
Involving people in cold chain
Making optimal
use of GPII funding
The GPII has financial incentives that are
designated to recognise and reward the role of general practitioners in
childhood immunisation and for the timely data collection and encounters that is
required for the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).
Australian
Childhood
Immunisation Register
(ACIR) -
Ensuring timely and accurate reporting on
immunisations
by all GP service providers
The Australian Childhood
Immunisation Register (Immunisation
Register) is a national data base that holds information on the vaccination
status of children under the age of seven years of age. All immunization
providers should forward details of each vaccination encounter to ACIR as soon
as possible after the vaccine
has been administered.
The most common method of reporting is via a paper based voucher (IMMU-2)
similar to the Medicare direct-bill form. Other methods are via the ACIR website
or by Electronic Data Interchange.
Record
Keeping
-
Record all vaccinations in the child health record book (Blue
Book) and in the patient’s clinical notes
-
Record batch numbers
-
Complete ENCOUNTER FORM
and send to ACIR.
(It is
essential that the ACIR encounter form (IMMU2) are accurately completed and
submitted to the ACIR to ensure payment)
Important Information for Encounter Form Completion
-
Complete form with BLACK pen
-
Capture information at brand level not disease level
-
Use paper clips not staples
-
Rip up form and start again if an error is made. Do not amend
the form.
-
Make sure that the correct date of service and the correct
child had been recorded
-
Retain the PROVIDER COPY for you own records
Australian Childhood
Immunisation Register
GPO Box M933
PERTH WA 6843
For further information
please call
1800 653 809 (free call)
|
Send paper based voucher
to:
Electronic access – ‘Reference guide to requesting access to secure site’
Making optimal use of GPII funding
The GPII
has financial incentives that are designated to recognise and reward the role of
general practitioners in childhood immunisation and for the timely data
collection and encounters that is required for the Australian Childhood
Immunisation Register (ACIR).
The GPII has 3 Components:
Service Incentive Payment
Outcome Payments
Information
Payments
Service Incentive Payment:
(SIP) payment will be made for each completed schedule at $18.50 per child. The
payment is made when the ACIR is notified of a completed
immunisation
event, e.g. a 2 months schedule of
Infanrix Hexa and Prevenar has been given and the
completed encounter form has been sent to the ACIR.
How do I receive the SIP?
The SIP will automatically be made to you if you are registered with
Medicare Australia.
TO ENSURE PAYMENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE ACIR ENCOUNTER FORM
(IMMU2) ARE ACCURATELY COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED TO THE ACIR.
Outcomes Payments:
Practices that achieve 90% or greater proportions of full
immunisations
the Outcomes Payment is set at $3.50 per whole patient equivalent (WPE)
providing the practice attains 10 WPEs.
Practices must be registered with the PIP or GPII to receive the
Outcomes Payment.
How do I receive outcome payments?
If registered with Practice Incentive Program (PIP) or GPII, then the practice
will automatically be registered for the Outcomes Payment.
A GPII registration form can be obtained by calling 1800 222 032
and asking for a kit.
Information Payments:
This is the payment given for every encounter that completes a
step of the
immunisation
schedule. For example, if all vaccines due at two months are given and reported,
$6.00 will be paid. If only some of the appropriate vaccines are given, the
payment will not be made. Payment is also made where the catch up
provisions for vaccination have been completed.
Under the GPII even though a child may be
immunised
by another
Immunisation
service provider, the
immunisation
encounter is recorded with the ACIR. It will still count towards the outcomes
payment of the relevant general practice. Relationships with other
Immunisation
service providers such as councils are therefore critical to the success of the
GPII.
Australian Childhood
Immunisation
Register (ACIR) - Ensuring timely and accurate reporting on
immunisations
by all GP service providers
The Australian
Childhood Immunisation
Register (Immunisation
Register) is a national data base that holds information on the vaccination
status of children under the age of seven years of age. All immunization
providers should forward details of each vaccination encounter to ACIR as soon
as possible after the vaccine
has been administered.
The most common method of
reporting is via a paper based voucher (IMMU-2) similar to the Medicare
direct-bill form. Other methods are via the ACIR website or by Electronic Data
Interchange.
Record Keeping:
-
Record all vaccinations in the child health record book (Blue
Book) and in the patient’s clinical notes
-
Record batch numbers
-
Complete ENCOUNTER FORM and send to ACIR. (It is
essential that the ACIR encounter form (IMMU2) are accurately completed and
submitted to the ACIR to ensure payment)
Important Information for Encounter Form Completion
-
Complete form with BLACK pen
-
Capture information at brand level not disease level
-
Use paper clips not staples
-
Rip up form and start again if an error is made. Do not amend
the form.
-
Make sure that the correct date of service and the correct
child has been recorded
-
Retain the PROVIDER COPY for you own records
Electronic access to ACIR ‘guide to
requesting access to secure site’
To
access the ACIR internet site
-
Key
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/
-
Then click on ‘Health Care Providers’
-
Then click on ‘Programs and Services’
-
Then click on ‘Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)’
-
Then click on ‘Request Access’
Scroll down this page to the form and fill in the details
Note:
-
Use the same password for all the GPs in the practice.
-
When allocating a password it is easier to have 8 digits
starting with 6 alpha and 2 numeric. The password changes every 6 months, you
can therefore change the numerical digits ie: Syringe01 to Syringe02 etc.
-
Type in all the GPs provider numbers in the Practice
ACIR will reply by email & mail (within 2 weeks) that your
request has been granted, they will send you an authentication number and
booklet to guide you on the Internet logon procedures.
Follow the instructions in the booklet and you will be led to the
Main Menu which will look as follows:
-
Reports Menu
lists the reports available for you to produce. This includes a variety of
statistical and detailed reports. (The most useful reports are 11B which
lists the due/overdue reports for your practice minimal use of paper with this
report. The ACIR020A report also does the same excepting it prints one child /
page)
-
Claims Menu
Allows you to view a summary of claims you have submitted to the ACIR and to
submit Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) claims where applicable. The claims
menu also allows you to view and / or request your current statement of
payment.
-
Identify Child
Allows you to view a child’s
immunisation
history and to RECORD ENCOUNTER FORMS. You can also print out a child’s
immunisation
history – handy for parents.
-
Provider Menu
Allows you to amend your internet contact details
Achieving recommended
immunisation
targets
-
Access 11B or ACIR020A reports via the web. Alternatively join
GPII manually and request the ACIR020A Reports which will be mailed to the
Practice quarterly. It is imperative that every GP in the Practice has signed
a 46E (confidentiality agreement) or the reports will cease to be sent.
Remember each new GP at the Practice must sign a 46E agreement.
-
Develop a recall / reminder system, using data from the reports
to call in due or overdue children.
-
Outcome payments are made to those practices who continue to
have a 90% or greater immunization rate.
Vaccination Procedures and the Standard Vaccination Schedule
Standard vaccine procedures (Imm Handbook pg 5 - 17)
Consent (Imm Handbook pg 5 - 17)
Pre-vaccination checklist (Imm Handbook pg 18)
Recording of Vaccination (Imm Handbook pg 23)
Adverse events following immunization (Imm Handbook pg 25)
The Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (Imm Handbook pg 35)
Guidelines for Administering Schedule Vaccines (Imm Handbook pg
40)
Catch-up vaccination (Imm Handbook pg 42)
Training
Immunisation
Accreditation Course for Immunisation
Providers
NSW College of Nursing
14 Railway Parade,
Burwood NSW 2134
Locked Bag 3030,
Burwood NSW 1805
Phone: 61 2 9745 7500 -
Fax: 61 2 9745 7502 -
Freecall 1800 2655 343
or
Phone: 02 9745 7561 Administrator for
Immunisation
Accreditation Course
Enhancing General Practice in
Western NSW
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