The issue was raised during hearing of the Legislative Council inquiry into rural health services in Tasmania on Thursday, which heard evidence on the need for the National Immunisation Program to be expanded to pharmacies.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia outlined how it believed a lack of vaccination opportunities in pharmacies was resulting in unnecessary hospitalisations.

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Tasmania state director Monique Mackrill said pharmacists should be remunerated by the government like general practitioners were so they didn't have to charge for a vaccine - like with the COVID-19 vaccinations.

"Two of the largest preventable hospitalisations in the state are due to vaccine preventable diseases - pneumonia, flu and UTIs," she said.

"Through COVID we have seen that happen because that's how the COVID injection is remunerated for pharmacists.

"In Tasmania, we are going to get access to NIP for the flu season into the future.

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"Our state government should be pushing COAG to recognise that pharmacists should be remunerated under a similar system to what's happening now with COVID vaccine to provide National Immunisation Program vaccines to all those who need it."

New Norfolk pharmacist Belinda Bird told the inquiry of her belief that pharmacists were willing and able to play a role in delivering vaccines for preventable disease.

"That will free up an awful lot of GP appointments," she said.

Over one million COVID-19 vaccinations have been delivered through pharmacies across Australia, which Ms Bird said was evidence of the role they could play in further immunisation programs.

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